Refashioned 4th of July girls T-shirts.

Cici and Nini ready for the concert.

These festive 4th of July shirts were refashioned from a boys plain white T-shirts (3 for $8.99).  Each year Cici and Nini have had a wonderful singing concert at their school for Memorial Day.  I enjoyed making dresses for them last year out of the same material in I used in the shirts (recycle!).  This year, since they insist they are getting too old for festive dresses, I opted for a more low-key solution -just trying to help them be as cool as they can!  Here's how I did it (keep in mind I'm not a seamstress and am still learning all the sewing terms!):

1.  I cut two T-shirts using the diagram below and saved the third T-shirt for the ruffles around the neck.

2.  My next step was to work on the neckline and make it smaller.  I cut two strips from the extra tee in the width I chose. Next I stitched with my sewing machine down the center of the strip.  I made the ruffles by pulling the threads and gathering them into two ruffled strips.

3. I pleated sections of the neckline to make it smaller and more fuller around the neck.  I stitched over each pleat and then went to work on pinning the ruffles around the neck.  You may have to make more strips into ruffles if your neckline is larger.  I sewed down the middle of the ruffle over the gathered fabric.

4.  The sleeves are capped flutter sleeves and do not meet under the arm pit.  I did puff the sleeves by making pleats and then sewed them into the shirt, making sure each sleeve was even.

5.  Make sure to hem the sleeve before sewing it to the shirt - much easier!

6.  Cut your stars first before sewing the two sides of the shirt together.  I gently traced and then cut the star pinning whatever fabric you desire underneath - to keep the stars shape, use lots of pins!  I stitched the star from the right side of the fabric.

6.  Sew the open sides together but be sure to measure arms first so that it's not too big or small around.

7.  I cut the fabric from the underarm to the bottom of the shirt in a diagonal cut to make the shirt look more of a bell look.

 8.  My last step was to trim off all the extra thread and then embroider the star shape onto each shirt.

I really enjoyed this project!  I hope this helps and inspires :)

Love, Michelle

Really big messes.

Part of my existence is to clean, soak, rinse, mop, scrub - you get the picture.  Lately, perhaps with the onset of summer and four children at home, my messes are big.  Here are a few examples:

The Kitchen:

no need to make this photo any larger.

Whenever any part of my life is demanded outside of the home, this is what can happen.  In order to put together a church activity for the women in our church, I had to forgo some of the usual nightly clutter patrol for preparation.  So although this:



Part of the Relief Society Garden Party



...was fun, I still had that darn kitchen to clean-up and all that stuff to put away!  We are also reorganizing and putting up new furniture!!!! in our office.  Which means the big messes are continuing upstairs too.  Completely excited to show you the office soon - it's a work in progress.

Clothing: 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 This nice white polo shirt was worn by Mr. T today as we went to a local outdoor hamburger place to eat - the kitchen was too messy!  After we sat and watched, both Hawk and Mr. T devour their hot dogs and watermelon - I came home and soaked this shirt with OxyClean.  We go through one spray bottle of this a week it seems.  I really need to remember to bring bibs!  Nini and those boys are always the culprits!

Summer Fun:


Nini and Cici at work.




Nini really loved getting into this- the finished work is going in our new office!



Summer Fun, from swimming to art, always brings with it, lots of mess!  One activity we are doing every week is Art on the Lawn.  We go outside and do art on our lawn!  This week was painting a canvas.  Nini opted for a more Pollock approached, while Cici just couldn't keep one thing on the canvas and painted gum drops to lemon heads to pretzels!  It is all fun, but not with the added clean-up factor.  It's been fun finding the balance between when to let go and when to clean-up.  Got to love Summer!

Can you relate?

Have you seen HP7?!!

Any big messes waiting for you?

The Magic of a Sprinkler.

Despite, now, having seen only rain for the past two days.  Our first day of summer was beautiful.  Not only was it the girl's last day of school and my mom's birthday (which we were able to celebrate with her for the first time in years); but, it was warm and perfect for the sprinkler.  Lil' Hawk loved it!  I love that he is so entranced with it.  After looking at the photos, it felt like his reactions were the essence of what we might have felt the first time you or I went through the sprinkler!  The girl's were just as excited - if not more - as they had already had years of sprinkler practice!

Do you remember the first time you ran through the sprinklers?

Beach Babies: Coming Soon.

These little suits will be Coming Soon to two little beach babies and their cute little bums!  All for just $12 each :)  The best part - they were sold out; but, I called the nearest Hanna Andersson Outlet and they just happened to have two available in the boy's size!



I'm thinking- The Hawk



...and Mr. T?!



You know they'll be photos coming soon!