Easiest and Twirliest Skirt Tutorial

I had picked out this adorable cupcake fabric for Christmas last year at Joann's, but I totally ran out of time to make anything with it. When December came again (2014), I just knew I couldn't have it sit around for another year.  So I quickly got out all my sewing notions (basically, my sewing plastic bin) and got ready to cut the fabric. 

When I first laid it on the table, I was nervous to cut it up. I mean, it had been MONTHS since I had sewn anything besides fixing my Husband's pants!!!   But I took courage, got the scissors, and off I went! 

I had one yard of fabric, so I just cut it in half. I find that using a lot of fabric is the secret to making the twirliest skirt.  You could use less, but I would recommend cutting fabric to adjust the length. Use the entire width of fabric you've got. I tend to buy a yard at a time and it works great!   

Materials and Notions Cost Breakdown:

Fabric ($6.99 regular price with 40% off coupon) = $4.20

Single Bias Tape (+$3 on Amazon. But I got mine at Joann's $1.99 with 40% off coupon) = $1.20

Elastic ($3.49 at Joann's with 40% coupon) = $2.10

Total spent: $7.50 for a brand new skirt. 

Yay! 

Other notions you probably have at home already include: pins, safety pins, scissors, fabric cutter, sewing machine, cutting mat, etc. 

Tutorial: 

Cut across the fabric and you'll end up with two panels or two rectangles. 

Here is the fun part. I selected my threads and noticed I still had some single bias tape left over from another project and it was RED. Oh yeah! I measured it and it happened to be that I had enough to give the new skirt a border. 

Now began the fun part of sewing the tape. Have you ever tried it? It's really not that hard! You will notice there is a wide and a narrower side to your tape. Place the wider side under your fabric, apply it to the fabric (sew it in place) and then continue sewing while holding your tape to the fabric. Sew as slow as needed to make sure the fabric nor the tape shifts. 

One panel completed. 

Breathe. It will be okay. You've got this!!! 

Repeat for the second panel. 

Take a second to admire your work. Yes, you did it! 

Now you will be joining the squares (that sounded like crochet talk, lol). Okay, how about this way?

Sew the short sides of your rectangles or panels.  

(Sorry, I didn't take a picture of that step).  

You are half way done. 

Now it's time to create the casing for the elastic. Basically, I measured the width of my elastic .75 in woven or you could also use non-roll elastic.  I used what I had on hand. 

I left about a quarter of an inch to sew on the casing. You can adjust according to your elastic width. 

Leave an opening to be able to insert the elastic.  (Point A to Point B)

Cut your elastic length according to your child's waist. I made this skirt to fit my almost 6 years old. I cut the elastic to 21 in. 

Insert the elastic using a safety pin to be able to find it inside.  Once it's all in, use a zig-zag stitch to hold the elastic together. Then sew the opening. Remember to backstich at the beginning and the end. 

Now you are all done! Yes! 

You have a skirt now! 

Go, tell your little girl she can twirl now as much as she wants!

~ Fabi

Materials used: (affiliate links to Amazon)

                   

Crochet Coffee Mug Cozy Tutorial

Once I get up and get the kids ready for their breakfast, I like to get my hot tea ready. It used to be coffee and someday I will be drinking coffee again...oh how I miss it! But for now, this is a season that calls for hot tea. <3

My mug, one of my favorite ones, is lime green, which to me represents peace, calming, soothing. I got it a few years ago while I still lived in Michigan at a whole foods type of store.  

Thought it needed a bit of dressing up, plus I was in deep need to learn a new stitch. So put the two things together and resulted in a new mug cozy.  Today I am sharing with you how I made it, the free pattern and instructions on how I made mine. Hope you enjoy it and make your own too!  Remember to pin it to Pinterest so you can find later too.

Let's get started!

Materials:

Yarn: Cotton Yarn - I Love This Cotton by Hobby Lobby in taupe color.

Hook: Size G Clover hook

Button

Yarn needle

Notes:

Start off by measuring your mug's circumference. Subtract 2-3 inches to allow your cozy to stretch and to fit snuggly on your mug.

My mug measured 10 in circumference.

Pattern:  

This pattern uses the Even Moss Stitch. It gives great texture, it's very pleasant to the eye and works quickly.  Looks complex, but the instructions actually make it very easy to produce this stitch.  Have fun!

Estas instrucciones son para hacer el punto Arroz en crochet, otras veces llamado el punto Musgo Parejo.  Me encanta este punto porque tiene mucha textura, se ve bonito, y se puede completar rapidamente. A pesar de que el punto se ve complicado, la verdad es que es muy facil de hacer.  

Ch. 40 to fit a 10 in circumference mug

Row 1: Skip first ch, sl st into next ch, *hdc into next ch, sl st into next ch; rep from * to end, turn. 

Row 2: 1ch, skip first st, *sl st into next st, hdc into next st, rep from * ending with sl st into tch, turn.

Repeat row 2 for 6 rows. 

Instrucciones

Cadeneta de 40 para que alcanze una circumferencia de 10 pulgadas (25.4 cm aprox). 
Fila 1: Salta la primera cadeneta, punto razo en la siguiente cadena, *media vareta en el punto siguiente, punto razo en la siguiente;* repite desde * hasta *.  Da vuelta tu trabajo. 
Fila 2: 1 cadeneta, salta el siguiente punto, *punto razo en el siguiente punto, media vareta en el punto siguiente,* repite desde * hasta *. Termina esta fila con un punto razo en la ultima cadeneta. Da vuelta tu trabajo. 

Repite la fila 2 por 6 filas mas. 

Now, choose one of your short sides and work a single crochet (Sc). Depending on how many rows, you did is how many stitches you'll get (x2). I had 12 sc in total. 

Escoge uno de los lados cortos y hace un punto bajo en cada punto. Dependiendo de cuantas filas hayas tejido, sera la cantidad de puntos que tendras (x2). Yo obtuve 12 puntos bajos en total. 

Repeat 3 rows of 1 sc in each stitch. Ch. 1 at the end and turn. 

Repite por 3 filas, haciendo un punto bajo en cada punto. Haz una cadeneta al final y gira tu trabajo.

Now you will be working on your buttonhole: 

Ahora comenzaras a hacer el ojal. 

Crochet 1 sc in each of 5 stitches, ch.3 (I did 5 to accommodate the size of my button). As you are chaining you are also skipping the 3 sc from the row below.  Count your 3 stitches and then SC (single crochet) on the rest of the row. 

Teje 1 punto bajo en cada uno de los 5 puntos, cadeneta de 3 (Hice esto para que me alcanzara el boton). A medida que vas haciendo tu cadeneta, te iras saltando esta misma cantidad de puntos de la fila anterior. Cuenta que hayas saltado 3 puntos bajos y luego continua haciendo puntos bajos en el resto de la fila. 

Last row: 1 sc on every stitch, including 1 sc in each chain stitch. 

Ultima fila: 1 punto bajo en cada punto, incluyendo 1 punto bajo en cada cadeneta. 

Sew button on opposite side. I went for a large red button I had in my stash from when my local Joann's had had a big sale on buttons.  

Cose un boton al lado opuesto. Yo escogi un punto grande y rojo que ya tenia en casa y me gusto mucho el look que le dio.  

Mira como quedo! Ahora teje uno tambien y muestrame como te quedo. :-) 

Look at my new pretty! Go ahead and make as many as you'd like! 

Happy Crocheting,

~ Fabi

Six Pointed Garland

Make a crochet star garland in three rounds using this pattern by Anabelia.  

Yarn: SMC Catania Fine


Hook: 1, 9 mm