Sweet Southern Charm: Sewing

Monday, December 5, 2011

A Craft-Made Christmas Post 3: No Sew Ruffle & Monogrammed Tree Skirt

No Tree is complete without a tree skirt! Since this our first Christmas as a happy married couple, I may have gone a teeny bit overboard. Good thing there is no such thing as overboard at Christmas! Here is a how-to on my DIY NO SEW Ruffled and Monogrammed Tree Skirt!

What you will need:
-a cheap felt tree skirt (I bought mine at Target for $5!)
-2 yards of another color of felt (lime green for me)
-one roll of ric rac in the color of your choice. Again for me, lime green
-hot glue gun
-hot glue sticks
-scissors
-straight pins

Red felt tree skirt I bought from Target

Step 1: cut your felt into strips that are about 6 inches wide. This does not have to be an exact measurement.

Here's a Sweet Southern Charm Trick: Fold your strips as you cut to keep them straight.

Step 2: Turn your tree skirt to the back side.

Step 3: start hot gluing strips of the green felt around the tree skirt. Work in sections. Ruffle the skirt as you go. **WARNING** HOT GLUE CAN BURN THE MESS OUT OF YOUR FINGERS!! Unless you don't want to feel anything for the next few days, be careful....

This is what the skirt will look like when you are all glued!

Flipped over!

Step 4: Unroll all the ric-rac. Place the ric-rac in a circle on the right side of the tree skirt. Once in place, hot glue into place. You only have to glue only under each "hump." This makes it so much easier because you can just leave the straight pins in place while you glue.

Step 5: Cut 4 even strips of the colored felt. Glue to the wrong side of the tree skirt in order to tie a bow.

Step 6: Once you have the skirt all glued, take it to your favorite embroiderer (Thank you Hope Crew!)

Optional: Step 7: Put your baby puppy by the ruffle monogrammed tree skirt and take the cutest picture ever!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Birthday to Sloane!

Little Sloane turned 2 this past Saturday so it was a Elmo filled day! To start the Elmo activities, I made Sloan an Elmo dress!

I found this red jumper at a consignment shop in North Carolina for $4!!! I knew I couldn't buy the fabric and pattern for that, so I knew I could just redo it.

I next had some grosgrain ribbon, so by turning the tension on my machine all the way up, I made ruffles for the bottom.

I then made the Elmo using soft blanket material and felt. I then straight stitched it on. Afterwards, I added a few more details.

Elmo cut out

I pinned and then straight stitched it on

After i stitched Elmo's face on, i painted in the eyes and outlined everything

A few more touches and TADA!

Bows to match

Back of the dress

Elmo

When Saturday finally rolled around, we had lots of surprises lined up for little Sloane. The first being a trip to the Mall to see Elmo! When I first saw the commercial for Elmo being at the Mall, I really didn't think it would be a huge deal. Well...I was wrong. I'm pretty sure there was close to 1 million people at the Mall. So sweet Leah and I decided to stick it out. Luckily we had some friends ahead of us so it wasn't so bad. We stood in line for an hour and a half....

At first, Sloan saw Elmo and was really excited!!

Then, we got a little closer. The first characters in line were the Disney Princesses and she was a little skeptical but they were ok....the beauty queens were ok too....

Minnie and Mickey Mouse were next and surprisingly she LOVED Minnie!! She even gave her a kiss on the nose. Leah caught the moment perfectly! Mickey on the other hand only got a five.

After a few superheroes she had not interest in, it was finally time for Elmo. Here it was, the BIG MOMENT. The moment I was sure she would remember for the rest of her life as one of the best things that ever happened to her. I imagined she would latch on to Elmo's fuzzy red leg and never want to let go. This was the dream that I had for an hour and half of standing in line. This is what happened:

Failure.

She did get a cookie and she liked that.

On the way home, she got to where "Kenny's" (that what she calls me because she can't say Niki) sun glasses.

Next we were off to Nanny's house for Sloane's Elmo Party! She had a blast!

She first had to put on here Elmo outfit. She loved seeing herself in her dress. She kept wanting to go get the mirror and see herself.

Sloane and Nanny

We then let her open gifts!

Opening her gift from "Kenny" & Nant (what she Gantt)

Loving her Bear! Sorry it's blurry. She's a woman on the move!

Showing Beth her Bear

Another one?


OOOHH an Elmo book...

She loved her Bear so much. She carried it around forever!

Bake helped her open the rest

Elmo!

She didn't know about Elmo talking so much. She kept telling him to "Stop." She then tried to close his mouth. She loved treating him like a baby.

Stop Elmo!

Beautiful Birthday Clothes

She liked this one a lot

Her favorite gift came from Jack, Jill, Leah and Blake and was a stroller! She loved pushing her new toys around in it. She then wanted to sit in it....