Floppy Bow Tutorial

Tutorial time!  We'll be making that bow up there.  All you need is some fabric, a sewing machine, and 10 minutes. 

1.  Cut two fabric ovals about the size of your palm.  I don't have an exact measurement, but you can see the measurements I used below.

2.  Sew the 2 ovals together, right sides facing each other and leave a small 1-2 inch opening.  It works best if the opening is on the long side of the ovals in the center.

3.  Turn it right side out and pinch the center.  You can hold it like this with a safety pin.

4.  Now cut a piece of fabric 5 inches by 2 inches, fold it in half the long way, and sew up one long side and one short side.  Turn it right side out.

5.  Wrap the band you just made around the pinched center of the bow.  Sew the band on as shown. 



6.  Trim the extra fabric on the band, and turn it right side out so the seam faces the inside. 

And that's it!  Use your bow as a headband,

 or use it to decorate a bag.



If you make a bow, send us pictures at thosecraftychicks@yahoo.com or leave a comment telling us what else we could do with the bow!  Bye!

The Artsy Clutch

A while ago, we mentioned we were going to feature a crafty book, movie, or something of that sort every Friday.  Well, we didn't really stick to that but we'll give it try today!  This book is so great we just couldn't wait 'till Friday to share so here goes.

The book is called Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol.

You probably have heard of her blog, angry chicken.  The book is filled with tutorials, tips, and great projects.  I like this book because it frequently mentions using a seamripper:).  We actually made a project from the book called The Artsy Clutch.  It's the bag on the front cover.  We can't exactly give you how to do it because it's not ours but you can get the book at your library.  Here are the clutches we made, enjoy!

  

Elastic Band Skirt Tutorial

Ok, so I'm sure you've seen these skirts everywhere.  Old Navy, Forever 21, Hollister, you name it.  But what would be a lot cheaper than buying one, is making one! This skirt has 2 layers- a main layer and a liner like fabric that peeks out from underneath. Let's get started.

Materials:
Top layer fabric (this one shows the most)
Liner like fabric
2 1/2" - 3" elastic, any color, we used black.
Scissors
Measuring Tape
Sewing stuff (pins, thread, sewing machine, etc.)
Seam Ripper

*seam allowance 1/4" unless otherwise noted*
1.  Time for measuring! First, measure your natural waist or wherever you want the skirt to rest.  I got 27 inches, for a 10 year old girl.  I added 3 inches.  If you want a flowy skirt, add about 5 or 6 inches.  If you want more of a straight skirt add 2-4 inches.  This is measurement A.
2.   Now measure from the top of your waist to wherever you want the skirt to rest.  Add 2 inches to this for seam allowance and your hem.  This is measurement B.
3.  Now cut your linining fabric and top layer fabric using these measurements.  In this picture the top layer is on top (zebra print) and the liner like fabric is on the bottom (black)

4.  For the elastic take your original waist measurement and subtract 1 inch. 

5.  Now it's time to sew!  Place your top layer on top of your liner like fabric and sew a seam using the largest stitch about 2 inches away from the top of the material.  This seam is optional because it's just to hold the fabric together while you sew the elastic on.  You can also pin it.

   

6.  This part is a little tricky but if you do it right, the skirt comes out great.  Strech the elastic until it reaches the fabrics (liner and toplayer) full length.  Pin it in place.  You may need a partner for this.  

7.  Face the skirt as in the picture and sew along the right side,  stretching as you go. 

 Now you have this.



Flip up the waistband and you have this.

8.  Remember the seam I talked about in step 5? If you made it rip it out!

  

9.  Time for the hem!  Lift up the top layer and focus on the liner like layer.  Pin it and hem it 1/4".

10.  For the final step, fold the top layer over right where the liner like hem ends and sew in place.  Put the top layers facing each other, sew the 2 ends together, turn it inside out and voila! You've got an elastic waistband skirt.

 I know there must be an easier way of doing this, so comment if you know how! If you have any questions, post a comment! And if you just want to say hi, post a comment!

Post Halloween Post Part 2

Hey everybody! Yes, we know it's a week after Halloween but we couldn't resist sharing these pics.  Up first, we have a cupcake!

For the rings, we used the tutorial from Food Network's Cupcake Costume.  But we found that this tutorial didnt have very much arm room so we made two middle rings cut them in half and sewed up the sides that were open.  Then we took all of the rings, layed them in order and stapled/sewed them together.  We cut 2 inch strips of pipe cleaners and attached them with fabric glue.  Now you have your top. 
For the cup of the cupcake, we bought a cheesy laundry basket and covered it with fabric, and duct taped in place.  To hold it up, clip suspenders to the top of the basket and that's basically it.  For extra pizzaz, paint and styrofoam ball red, stick a pipe cleaner in it and glue it to a headband.

Next up, presenting a chicken!

For the chicken, we used about 3 feather boas and glued them all around a white sweatshirt.  Cut 2 comb shape out of red felt, sew the two pieces together, and stuff.  Then sew the comb on to the hood.  For the beak, cut 2 beak shapes out of yellow felt and sew those together.  Stuff the beak then sew 1/4 inch elastic into it.  Now you've got a chicken!
Coming soon we have a skirt tutorial so stay tuned!

Post Halloween Post

Okay,okay! We know its a few days after Halloween but, we said we would do a post about a Cat in the Hat costume and we don't break promises! So here it is:

Coincidentally, Jillian's sister and I (I being Claire) were both Dr. Suess' The Cat in the Hat for Halloween.
So here I am:

(Face blurred for safety reasons!!!!)

So basically, when I made this costume i was not creative or crafty in any way. I wore jeans, and black shirt, a jean jacket (it was cold!), a store-bought Cat in the Hat hat, (and even though they're not in this picture) some gloves, and a red bow-tie. I also bought a tail that attaches to belt loops and wore that around even though it kept getting stepped on!!! With eyeliner (or you could use black costume make-up) I colored in my nose and drew some whiskers. The End! I'm sorry it wasn't very crafty.

So  if you want a bit more crafty option...you can do what Jillian did for her sister!!!

 All you need is a black t-shirt and some white felt. Here's what you do:

1. Cut out an oval from the white felt

2. Using fabric glue, attach the oval to the  center of the shirt (where a cat's belly might be)  You could also sew the oval on.

Then, throw on some black sweat pants and wear some white gloves and a tall striped hat.

Happy Week After Halloween everyone!