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barely. No, I did not have the swine flu…just a cold. but this one hit me hard. Let me take you down memory lane…college. finals week. stay up as late as you can and cram in whatever your brain will absorb. complete all your exams. your reward? get sick during the break. I swear, this always happened to me! So, this Halloween was my finals week. I’m so grateful that my body was able to keep it together until Nov. 1!
So, with bedtime being moved from 1 am to 10:30 pm, low grade fevers in between, and cough attacks so severe that I contemplated wearing a diaper (sorry, TMI), I. AM. SO. FAR. BEHIND. MY. SCHEDULE! Getting sick just does not fit into this schedule of mine.
Well, now that I am almost 100%, I am in full blown think, eat, breathe, dream dolls-mode. And look what I found at my local Joann’s.
I KNOW!!! How cute is that?!
Think of what I can create with this cuteness! If only I could have 2 more weeks to craft. 4 weeks left until Unique LA. yikes!
big sis
Who knew October was going to be such a busy month?! from vacation to pumpkin patches to everything else related to Halloween. and you wonder why I have barely made any progress on my inventory for Unique LA. Someone will be paying the price come November.
Yesterday was filled with TONS of stuff to do in prep for today…the costume party at preschool. Cookies needed to be baked and pumpkin shaped rice krispy treats needed to be made. On top of that, I decided that it would be pumpkin carving day! All this was done while the twins are fighting off some kind of illness. I strive on a lil bit of stress…not this much. Needless to say, everything was completed and enjoyed!
It is so wonderful to see how kids develop over the years while participating in “traditions”. The first year of pumpkin carving was done in the evening by myself and I believe it took me 3 hours! It was WAY over-ambitious and they DID NOT know or care to see an intricate design on a pumpkin! The 2nd year…they were a bit interested but not enough where they wanted to help. Well, this year, it was ALL hands on. I had to really keep an eye on my son b/c he wanted to use EVERY sharp tool to just poke at the pumpkin…never mind stay in the lines 
I had to keep everything very simple and quick. We got through it in one piece, no bandaids needed. I wonder how next year will be…when they are 4. Gosh, that sounds so old! Anyways, I just wanted to wish you all a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
big sis
So I finally finished up my daughter’s costume. Remember, she wanted to be this. Well, I was not going to pay $69 for it so I went out, bought all the material, and made a modified version.
I added hot pink sequins to the ears just to jazz it up and also added a ruffle collar. I had added another layer of ruffles and was going to add some ruffles to the bottom of her sleeves when I realized that stitching them on the shirt prevents the shirt from stretching. Not a good thing when the shirt is suppose to be form fitting so it does not give at all. Cute idea…out the door.
Her skirt, I LOVE! Added the hot pink bow to match her ears. Tail is a skinny boa that I wrapped around pipe cleaners to give some shape.
TOTAL COST: $14
Can I just tell you how happy that makes me? and if you really want to get technical, she could wear the shirt all winter which would bring down the cost from $14 to $9! woot! woot! Personally, I think it’s cuter than PBK’s Hey, but that’s just me!
I also purchased some ALOT of extra tulle to make a skirt for myself. NOT BY CHOICE. My sweet daughter SO wants me to dress up as the “mommy cat”. I had purchased everything awhile ago and only started on my skirt this weekend. To my horror, I ran out of tulle and wouldn’t you know…so did Joann’s. I freaked out a lil bit before realizing that if I cinch the elastic some more, it would hide the bare spots. Hopefully, I’ll be able to breathe but whatever! I only have to be short of breath for a few hours at a time! (I will wearing this to our mommy and me preschool and Halloween evening. I hope to not pass out from lack of oxygen!) I am so excited that Halloween is finally here! Cannot wait to get the kids all dressed up. My husband (who is SO not the type) even said that he was going to dress up as Woody (son will be Buzz) but alas, he was not willing to spend $90 on a vinyl one piece. Personally, I think he’s happy that he doesn’t have to get dressed up! and my son didn’t have his heart on having a partner-in-crime which saves me from making a costume for the hubs. phew! So all is good in the world. at least in ours! Goodie bags have been made, tags have been attached. Now the only thing I have left to do is bake and make some homemade treats. It’s a lil sad b/c the school is being very strict on not bringing homemade food to school. I understand but still… So I will be the one standing outside the door of the school with my basket of goodies and pleading to the parents to take a treat.
big sis
I am still jetlagged, if you can believe that. I came to this realization not too long ago…that as you get older, everything just takes twice as long, i.e., to get adjusted to time changes, to recover from partying too hard, staying up sewing!
We had so much fun on our vacation…so much that I’m absolutely dreading going to school with the twins tomorrow. Is that sad or what! I am absolutely thrilled that their swim class is over so I now have 2 days to breathe! Granted, swim classes were only 2 days a week for 30 min but if you think about it, it’s really all morning long. I need to get the kids ready, get towels and change of clothes ready, prep them for their class (ex “follow the teacher’s instructions” “hold on with both hands” “blow bubbles out of your nose” etc. Such a nag, huh? as if they wouldn’t learn that on their own! Not to mention…shower them, lotion them, change them, snack them, then come home and prep lunch! You see why I’m so happy?
Anyhow, don’t know how we got to the airport…it really is all a blur. Our flight was early in the morning and my in-laws were coming with so imagine this…4 adults, 2 kids, 2 carseats for the kids, 2 carseats to take and leave in Hawaii, 1 large suitcase, 3 small suitcases, and 1 double stroller! and not in a minivan! in a SUV! I, of course, was in the back row and could not sit up straight b/c I had a suitcase sitting on my back! What people do to save $40 for a taxi! I think if I was awake, I would have mind but since I was out of it, I barely felt the pain…the pain of one of the tires digging into my back. and again if I was fully awake, I’m sure I would have had the energy to readjust the suitcase but was too tired. cracks me up thinking about it!
The plane ride going to and from was a piece of cake! I love how my twins are older and so easily amused by anything they can watch on ANY kind of screen…airplane screen, iphone (yes, my husband downloaded movies as a back up), and computer. We were prepared! There would be NO meltdowns despite skipping naps and waking up at the crack of a**!
Highlights from trip:
1. Hanauma Bay. This was on the top of the list. We were NOT going to miss this. I have missed it MANY times in the past…b/c husband and I got burnt and couldn’t bear being in the sun for another day, b/c twins were too young, etc. Worth it to go at least once.
2. Spending time with their great grandmother! Sshh…don’t tell her that she came in 2nd!
3. Eating tons of local food! The best saimin (noodles) at Shige’s, malasadas (donuts) at Leanord’s, kahlua pork, lau lau, lomi at Jackie’s, and all the sweets! And let’s not forget Pacific Beach’s buffet. No pictures, sorry.
4. Swimming! The kids are so much more comfortable in the water that the husband and I barely had to be in the water (yes, despite my dislike of taking them everyday in the summer and twice a week in the fall, the classes paid off. Even I will admit that!).
It was great to get away and spend time with family. It was wonderful to see the kids have so much fun despite it being very tiring for us. We joke that it didn’t really feel like a vacation for us but guess that’s just life with toddlers! There are lots more activities that I’d like to do when we go back. It was so hard to squeeze everything in in 6 days.
It is nice to be back home. and especially nice to come back home to a long list of things to do! Time to crawl back into my hole and get ready for Unique LA!
big sis
Gosh, it was not this hard with my daughter’s sundress. It took alot of concentration and ALOT of researching but I finally finished my sundress. Perfect, now that the weather is so cold here! ugh! Us SoCal people think 70 degree weather is a bit on the chilly side (or is it just me?) Anyways, it turned out just the way I had envisioned but it went through many trims and cuts (and a lil bit of swearing)! So the biggest thing I found while researching this pattern/dress was that people wanted more instruction than the one provided. And while I had good intentions (as always), my tutorial may not be as thorough as desired Let me tell you why and then we’ll get started.
1. this pattern is not made for a skinny minnie. I’m on the thinner side and the X-small pattern just did not cut it for me, despite cutting it a half inch smaller. You’ll know what I’m talking about in a bit.
2. b/c of #1, once I completed the dress, it looked a bit like a muumuu…not the look I was going for. So I took in the sides and shaped it a bit more…just so I didn’t look like I was wearing a tent.
3. lastly, damn the shirring! I swear that my daughter’s dress smocked more than mine but after a few attempts, this is the best I was able to get it.
For all these reasons, my frustration got the best of me and at some point, I stopped taking step-by-step pictures 
NOTE: This tutorial is on the dress WITHOUT the pockets. Also, I will be using the words “smocking” and “shirring” interchangeably.
So here we go…
Step 1: Print the pattern. I tried to “tile” it, as suggested, but never worked. Took it to Kinko’s and had it printed for $5.71. Worth the labor of trying to piece together 20 sheets of paper, I say.
So here is what I was talking about above. The dotted line represents a size XS-S but I figured I would need to go a bit smaller than a “generalized” XS-S. Afterall, that is a big range, in my opinion. So I cut it a 1/2 inch smaller. I was going for an above-the-knee length so I immediately trimmed the bottom as well.
Step 2: After washing and drying your fabric, I folded my fabric in half, placed the pattern sheet on top, pinned it, and cut it.
Do this step twice.
Step 3: Pin the dress right sides together.
And you should end up with something like this.
***make a mental note of this picture as I will be referring to it later in regards to the shape of the dress***
Step 5: Sew sides together. I used a 1/4 inch seam. And if you are lucky enough to have a serger, serge away. And if not, you can zig zag stitch like I did. I found that pressing your seams after helps keep everything nice and tailored.
Step 6: With fabric wrong side up, turn and press with your iron the top raw edge 1/4 inch to the wrong side all the way around, and then again. Don’t sew yet as you will be attaching straps at the end.
Step 7: It is suggested in the lil girl’s version to start marking smocking lines 1 inch below the edge of the pressed crease. However, I started 3/4 of the way (personal preference). I continued to mark lines 1/2 inch apart until it reached 5 inches. At that point, I tried on the dress to check visually how much I wanted the top to be shirred and adjusted accordingly. The pattern suggest anywhere from 6-8 inches (again, personal preference)
Step 8: The oh-so-fun part! Loosely wind your elastic thread around your bobbin. The difference between my daughter’s dress and mine was the color and make of the elastic thread. Now, I don’t think that it could have the color itself that would have affected the shirring…I’m wondering if it was the different brand???
Here is where I start to lose it a bit. After pulling out the first line (b/c I thought that it should smock up a bit more), I gave in after 2 tries. It was either the different brand or the cotton that caused the “less smocking”. The instructions do not state how to end off at each row. So here’s what I did…when you get to the end, I overlapped a few stitches, left a tail, and then knotted it with the starting tail about 3 times.
Step 9: The fun part. Spray the smocked area (really wet it) and with a HOT iron, press the smocked area. The stitches should shrink up further.
Step 10: Press the bottom hem, just as you did for the top.
Sew the hem. NOTE: you should probably pin your hem but I just went for it
Step 11: I purchased bias tape b/c I didn’t want to make it this time around and it saved me so much time. Since I opted for halter staps, I left my bias tape in one piece, folded in half, tucked it inside the top edge hem and sewed it. Wish I had a picture to go along with this but here’s what the end result looked like.
This part was tricky b/c the area was so thick. I had to go real slow to make sure I caught the bias tape, plus the folded hem.
Here’s what the front looks like.
As mentioned above, it looked a lil muumuu like so before I sewed the bottom hem (which I had to trim and adjust as well), I took in the sides. I think that if you were using a soft jersey type cotton, the pattern itself would be perfect. And although my fabric is lightweight cotton, it just didn’t drape the way I would have liked and it seemed big on me. After taking it in (I took it in almost a 1/2 inch starting from the bottom of the smocked area and almost 1 1/2 towards the bottom) , it’s a bit more form fitting but flowy, if that makes any sense.
And here is my Mendocino Sundress. I am officially ready for Hawaii. We are leaving in less than a week and this was my project to complete so I could throw it over my swimwear!
special thanks to my 3-year-old twins for taking this picture (this was the best one). Otherwise, you would have never seen the dress in its entirety!
LAST NOTE: I wore this dress around the house today and the smocked area was just too loose. Despite the straps, it just did not feel secure. So I ripped the top apart and made spaghetti straps. sigh. MUCH better. You better believe this dress will be the only outfit I take…after all this work! sheesh! Here’s the revised top.
Aloha!
big sis
So for all of you who don’t have a sewing machine OR don’t know how to use one OR too lazy to pull yours out of the closet but would love to make a tutu for your lil girl, lil sis and I did all the research and found a great tutorial on making a “no sew tutu”. I am all about tutorials with lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions. There are tons of versions out there but we really liked Plumtickled’s “how-to”.
Lil sis is currently working on her daughter’s 1st birthday invitation, and it’s a ladybug/garden theme. So, here is lil Lila in her no sew ladybug tutu.
She used black elastic for the waistband with red tulle and made the black pom poms out of yarn which were then glued on. You don’t need a sewing machine or a pom pom maker tool to make this, so it’s not too late to make your daughter a Halloween costume or a “just because” tutu. So SO SOOO adorable. She even made her a ladybug barrette. The plain black long sleeve shirt is from Walmart. Lil sis added the tuxedo frills by cutting black strips from an old black shirt and gathered them using the long stitch, similar to previous posts on gathering. She then sewed them on to the shirt – the middle strip being two inches longer than the side strips. Just a lil something to turn a plain black shirt into something frilly.
Thankfully, my daughter decided not to be the risque cat (I would have toned it down much MUCH more. Pu-lease, no need to start them off on this path THIS early or EVER, for the matter). After perusing through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog, she insisted that she will be this (and hasn’t changed her mind for the past few weeks)…
{via PBK}
$69. WHAT! I better be getting that cat treat bag, the ballet slippers, the white picket fence, pumpkins, you can forget the crow. So, I decided to piece the costume together, starting with the tutu skirt. PBK’s skirt was a lil blah so I used the no sew tutu method and fluffed it up a bit!
Ok, so you know how I’m a bit impatient? Couldn’t wait for my daughter to wake up, try it on, take pictures, load them up, post them in blog SO…that is me, holding up the skirt, taking the picture on timer-mode. gotta love me! It won’t be that full on her (don’t think I didn’t try to put it on myself!). I promise to show you her complete outfit once I’m done.
After her costume is done, I will have to price things up and see how much I saved
TUTU TIP #1: After a test run, lil sis found that it was really bare when using one layer of tulle so we both used 2 layers of 6 inch pieces. The lengths obviously differed. She wanted Lila’s to be really fluffy so she used 2 layers all around. I wanted my daughter’s to be less full so I alternated between 2 layers, then 1. Hope that makes sense.
TUTU TIP #2: The tutorial calls for 2 yards of tulle, but lil sis and I used almost 4 yards (from the doubling of layers).
Next on the list of things to do? I will be adding some sequins to her cat ears headband and spicing up her black shirt.
big sis
for my Mendocino sundress, that is. Let me refresh your memory. So after my daughter’s dress, I really wanted to make one for myself. Yes, summer is technically over but not over here…we are still “blessed” with 90 degree weather. The delay? had the hardest time picking the right fabric. The challenging part is that since I generally order my fabric online, I can never feel the material and see it in a larger scope.
My first choice was anything from Naomi Ito’s line, Nani Iro. So pretty, right? I just could not justify spending $50-75 on 2.5 yards, especially when God only knows what the end result will be Now, if a professional seamstress agreed to make one for me and not charge me labor, I am ALL for it! My next choice was using linen. But all the wrinkling, hand washing, ironing was such a turn off. Yes, folks, I analyze EVERYTHING with pros and cons and make a final decision. Thus, I rarely have any regrets It’s quite tiring, I agree, but it is me. Rambling done.
Lil sis and I just placed another order with Superbuzzy. And she was telling me about this one fabric by Suzuko Koseki and I knew this would be the perfect print!
So what I’m envisioning…the pinstripes would be the bottom (aka, the hem) and the shirred grid would be the top of the dress. Woot! woot! How excited am I? And for the straps…black halter straps. Put a cute lil black cardigan over it and I just know I’ll be able to wear this until AT LEAST November!
Another reason to give me a high five…I finally completed the twins’ “1st year” albums. It only took me 3.5 years but they now EACH have their own album, which includes 40 pages, 80 front and back, and over 300 pictures IN EACH ALBUM. I am FREE AT LAST! I SO wanted to move on to making digital albums until I got caught up but realized that I developed pictures from when they were 1 to almost 2! Do you know what that means? I will have to scrapbook those too! I’m hoping it will only take a year. For now, all must be put away as lil sis and I are gearing up for the holidays.
Sew-fest to begin in 72 hours.
big sis
As mentioned before, we get such great ideas from our buyers…the only problem is we do not always have time to bring them to fruition. Yes, even with 2 bodies at full capacity (meaning, neither one of us is preggers), our current inventory is the most we can do for our shop. We recently completed a custom request and what a great idea it was…
personalized linen zipper pouches for her bridal party
Measurements: 5.25″ wide by 4.25″ tall. Perfect size to put in one’s Christmas stocking, no?
big sis
I have been consumed with watching “dramas” on the internet and it has been taking over my life! Literally! I am on the computer from 8:30 pm to almost midnight, then I get things prepped for the next morning, and I’m in bed by 1am! This must stop! I am drained physically and although I have good intentions and have something in my hands that I’m working on, NOTHING gets completed. yikes! What to do! I have made a decision to not go on the computer unless absolutely necessary. Must I be so compulsive?
We have been quite the busy bodies here. We started mommy and me preschool and the verdict is still out for this one. Yes, I’m super organized and can be super anal about things and I rarely meet my kind. And when I do, I’m usually in awe…awe that another species exists! Our teacher…can’t say just yet how I feel about her. I love her for her organization and attention to EVERY SINGLE detail but you know with kids, you just have to let some of that go. Examples are needed to fully understand…on the first day of school we were asked to choose a “job”.
1. bathroom duty: parent must pick up any kind of paper on the floor, make sure toilets are flushed, toilet paper is replenished
2. play area: toys must be put back in their bin, by their color code; toys with wheels must be placed on their side
3. parent must take inventory of all supplies and order as needed
4. there must be 8 different colored crayons in each container, must be stacked on top of one another, and then placed in a bigger container. WTH?
and so forth. On top of these jobs, we have other “jobs” which consists of planning, working, or going outside. I’m telling you…I am back in school! Really, I shouldn’t complain. She is the most sought after teacher and it is extremely hard to get into her class and she has nearly perfect attendance. So, I will have to suck it up and go along for the ride.
On top of preschool, I signed the twins up for swim again. This time around, there are fewer children and much more adults, older adults.
remind you of a movie?
Cocoon! It is a cute sight to see and I can’t wait to get that old and join the senior water aerobics class! So yes, besides being OCD, I am a grandmother at heart!
big sis
Here’s another project inspired by Dana and Pink Picket Fence.
Here is the original skirt. Here is the revamped version by Dana. Lil sis completed Pink Picket Fence’s version while I attempted Dana’s gathered tutu skirt. Now, since I’m still learning how to make clothes, step-by-step instructions with pictures are. so. very. helpful. I attempted to create a “visual” tutorial based on the 2 ladies’ instructions but I made some mistakes along the way so my measurements created a skirt perfect for a 4-5 year old The good thing is that my daughter does not know the difference and still loves it! And believe me, she will be wearing this skirt for a few years!
What you need to make a skirt for a 3-5 year old (if you are interested in my measurements, let me know)
1 yard of lightweight cotton
1 inch elastic
1 yard of tulle (you may or may not need all of this depending on much you want to gather your tulle)
3/4 yard of contrasting tulle, if desired
Step 1: you will need to cut 2 pieces for your waistband, 2 pieces for each layer of your skirt. I used Dana’s 15 X 4 waistband since it worked for my daughter’s market skirt. For each layer, you will need to add to your width. This is where I made the mistake. I only added a few inches to each layer but at the end, the skirt looked like a poodle skirt and I ended taking out stitches, shortening layers, and spending MUCH longer on the skirt! Here’s what you should end up with.
(sorry about the lighting, taken late in the evening)
Step 2: Gather your layers. Dana gives a great tutorial on how to gather. Do this for each layer. Make sure you zig zag stitch or serge your seams!
(as you can see, my seams do not line up perfectly. but no worries, your tulle will cover it all up!)
Follow her directions on creating the casing for the waistband as well as the hem. WAIT to put your elastic band in until the end. Another mistake I made. Still doable but will make the project a bit time consuming.
Step 3: How to gather your tulle. I cut 2 inch pieces in the fuschia pink and 1 inch pieces of the light pink. Place them on top of each other and gather the tulle just like you did in step 2. For this skirt, I placed the light pink on top of the fuschia b/c I knew I was going to use purple thread to topstitch the tulle and wanted the colors to pop.
Now, here’s where you make a big decision…how much do you want your tulle to gather? The more you want it to gather, the more tulle you may need. If you are unsure, I would DEFINITELY recommend that you leave yourself “thread tails” (yes, I just made this up), i.e. pull your top and bottom thread about 10 inches before you start gathering so you can adjust your tulle and not have your stitches fall apart.
Step 4: Make sure you change your settings back. Lay your gathered tulle somewhere in the middle of each layer and begin sewing using a reg stitch. You could get technical and measure exactly where that center is, if you’d like. When I got to the end of the row, I overlapped the tulle slightly, backstitched, and then cut the excess off.
And without further ado, here are the girls in their tutu skirts!
big sis
Update: No Sew Tutu can be found here.
