Here is my new Caftan Tunic (also available as a dress and a maxi dress) .. I'll be offering this in lots of different fabric combinations.

Just in case you'd like to see what it looks like on a real live person ... although, I've not had any coffee so I'm not technically "real live" yet! (sorry mom, I keep taking photos of myself without makeup!)

And this is my new Moonview Dress ... available in any color combination - great for those color blocking dreams of yours!

And finally - today's tutorial project : an apron made from a man's XXL button-up shirt. (which was thrifted for $2.50!)

Start by raiding your husband's or your father's side of the closet (or a thrift store) for a size XL or bigger button-up shirt. I got mine for $2.50 at Savers.

To make the bodice of the apron, unbutton the shirt, and cut off the lower half of the shirt. I cut up the righthand side to the armhole, then across to the button holes. (Here is the first of several gratuitous blurry photos! Hey, it's a FREE tutorial!)

Now cut off the rounded part at the bottom so you have a square or a rectangle, whichever shape makes more sense for your apron. NOTE: keep the button hole placket in tact.

You'll end up with something like this.

Now go to the back of the shirt - to make the skirt of the apron: cut up the left side to the armhole, then around the armhole to the upper back, cut across the upper back to the other armhole and straight down. Here you can see half of what you end up with.

Then cut a straight line from armhole to armhole. (Yes, you can skip this step if you're good eyeballing a straighline across.)

I put a couple of small pleats just off the center of the skirt portion, then I sewed the two pieces together.

If you have a serger, you're back side should look like this.

Now, cut yourself a long strip of contrasting/coordinating fabric to become the tie of the apron. Cut it twice the width you desire + seam allowances.

Sew the tube right sides together, then turn right side out and press.

Center the tube on the apron, and carefully sew it along the upper edge of the skirt - all the way across the seam of the bodice and the skirt - and continuing to the other side.

Tuck in the ends of the strip, press and stitch closed.

Form a casing at the top of the bodice to thread ribbon through. Then, duh, thread your ribbon. You're done! Bam!

Here's your cute little homemaker ditty. So fun, huh!?!

I chose to keep the bottom of the shirt in tact, so it's rounded at the bottom and not straight across. Why reinvent the seam!?!

These are Hand Sewn Rice Therapy Bags!

Thanks to Thimble Times for recalling the name of the book - and thank you SEWN BY HAND for such an approachable book on hand sewing!

Choose your fabric - you don't need much. Depending upon how large or small you want your bags to be...I'd suggest between 1/3 and 1/2 a yard. I chose a linen cotton blend for sturdiness and coordinated with a quilting weight cotton (top fabric). HINT: use scraps, like I did, so your project is just about FREE.

Cut out 3 sets of rectangles from 1 each of both fabrics. For this project, I knew I wanted to stack them on top of each other, so I cut them in 3 different sizes. You can, of course, do them all the same size if you like.

Before I started sewing, I stacked them on top of each other just to make sure I was happy with the sizes.

Then, for each bag, sew a running stitch all the way around - leaving a hole on one side for turning. Oh, and you can see how I tripled the thread so that I could have a sturdier stitch. I almost never sew by hand, so I have no idea if this is a necessary step. Anyone out there agree or disagree with loading up the thread?

When you finish, your bags will look like this. Be sure to get those corners really closed up or else they'll pop out when you turn the fabric.

Turn each bag right side out, fill with rice, then whipstitch closed.

The book where I saw this suggested adding a topstitch along each bag. I decided I don't really like that look, so I only did the small one.

As much as I loathe hand sewing - I still really love this set! I mean really, who could resist such darling "ice packs" and "heat packs"..??!!! I'm almost hoping my kids bang their heads on something today!

Don't you just LOVE this fabric designed by Ty Pennington!?!

First you need to decide how big/small you want your clutch. I decided that I wanted mine to be half the length of this magazine and exactly the same width. So, I just used this as my template.

You can see I just cut about .5" from the magazine at the bottom and the sides. PLUS: I extended my shape beyond the magazine so that I have a fold over to close up the clutch. My finished shape was roughly 17" x 10".

Next, cut out an identical piece from your lining fabric.

I also knew I wanted to add a little row of ruffles/pleats on the clutch flap, so I cut a strip off the selvege of my lining fabric. This way, I could use the frayed selvege as an accent and not have to hem it!

Get yourself some of this Pellon Decor Bond fusible interfacing. It's pretty rad. It is a lot stiffer than regular interfacing but it isn't crazy stupid stiff!

Cut the Pellon the same size as your fabric - only cut one piece. Fuse it to your outer/main fabric - shiny side down.

If you're adding an embellishment, add it now. Also - it should be noted: if you're going to use one of those awesome purse snaps, do it NOW. I forgot this step last night so I had to come up with something inferior! Read on.

Now pin your lining to your outer fabric - right sides facing.

Stitch all the way around the fabric, leaving an opening like you would a pillow. Clip your corners, turn right side out....and PRESS! I haven't said it in a while, but ....IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO PRESS YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO SEW. Am I clear??? wink.

When you press, be sure to tuck the opening in nicely and press firmly.

Lay your piece in front of you with the lining facing up. Bring the bottom up to form the actual purse part. When you determine how far up you want it, you can pin it if you like. CONFESSION: I didn't use a straight edge when I cut my fabric, so you can see here that I got a little crooked. BIG WHOOP! The flap covers that up! Whew!

Starting with the bottom right corner, stitch all the way up, around over the flap section and back down to the other corner. You're enclosing the purse portion and will end up topstitching the flap portion.

Here you can see how the stitch runs from the bottom all the way around to the top ... and back down again (except that's not showing!)

Be sure to do some sort of reinforcement stitch where the bottom meets the flap. This will get alot of tugging everytime you put something in or take something out of your clutch, so be sure it doesn't start coming apart!

At this point last night, I proudly patted myself on the back and enjoyed my beautiful clutch. Oh. Wait. Yuck. I had forgotten to add any sort of enclosure. DANGIT. So, I was forced to add little squares of velcro. Not horrible but not great.

As a result of that tiny little detail (cough cough), I needed to add something to cover up the seams from the velcro. So, I added a fun little yo yo and a button. I would've added this anyway, but I had planned to place it on the SIDE of the clutch and not the dead center!

I've decided to call it a "happy accident" because I am super thrilled with my clutch! Sorry '50s gals, I'm not selling this one for a buck!

I mean really y'all. Who wouldn't love to wake up to this on Valentine's day... or Mondays???

Choose your fabric. I made sure to use fabrics and colors that complimented my home instead of being specific to just Valentines Day. You do what you like! Hearts are ALWAYS in season .. just ask Tiffany's.

I started with the hearts. Cut out twice as many hearts as the number of mug rugs you'll be making. I made four, so I cut out 8 hearts.

I used a slippery polyester fabric for the hearts so I made sure to pin them securely. Then, sew all the way around using a narrow seam allowance - and leave an opening. Just like you're making a pillow.

Then turn the heart right side out and press - make sure to press the seam allowance inside at the opening. There's no need to sew the opening closed right now because you'll do that at the end. Now set that aside until you're finished with the mug rugs.

Now for the rugs ... I used a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper for my template . (confession - I had NO IDEA how big or small to make a mug rug so I guessed with this size. I'm super happy with the result!) You'll need to cut 2 rectangles per rug. Also, I find it's really helpful to cut your rectangles with the right sides facing - this way, you know that each side matches perfectly.

Here are my 4 sets of rectangles. You can see I have them right sides together.

I also decided to round off my corners by folding the set in half and ... rounding off the corners. (most books will tell you to take a plate or a bowl and use that as a guide ... yeah right, just wing it!)

For this project, I discovered something really wonderful - PREMADE PIPING!!! There is a chorus of halelujah's going on right now! This stuff is so fun and really opens up your embellishing opportunities w/o demanding a lot of extra time. I'm super bummed I haven't noticed this stuff sooner! (and again, I used a color that coordinated with my home and not the holiday)

Attach the piping all the way around 1 rectangle. If you don't have a cording/piping foot, I suggest using your zipper foot and positioning your needle close to the piping.

Look closely at how I started and finished the piping - at the corner. Begin with piping hanging off the edge at a corner, and end with it going off the edge as well. Then trim the corner so that it looks just like a rounded edge.

Now... you get to use that bag of FUSIBLE BATTING you've been wanting to get rid of! How cool is this stuff??!! You simply press it onto your fabric and it stays in place as you sew - miracles do still happen!

Cut one rectangle of batting for each mug rug. Fuse it (iron it) to the unpiped rectangle on each rug - according to package directions. Then layer your two rectangles with right sides together.

Sew all the way around .. place your piped rectangle on top so that you can just follow the stitches you've already made. This will be sure you don't sew over/on top of the piping. Leave an open - like you're sewing a pillow.

Turn right side out, press, and sew up the opening. If you're one of those crazy types, you can whip stitch the opening closed. I prefer to just machine stitch it. The batting gives the mug rug alot of lift, so the stitching is almost invisible.

Your piped corner should look something like this!

Give your rug a nice steam press .. and go find those hearts that you probably put somewhere around the house as you were chasing your little people!

Pin your hearts however you want them placed on your rug. I wanted mine to serve as message and gift pockets, so I left the top part unsewn. Use a very narrow seam so that you can make certain to close up the opening in the hearts. AND YOU'RE DONE! You're amazing. Your family will rise up and call you blessed!

Stand back and admire your work. You're a placemat/piping/batting genius.

I'm getting the feeling I need to make more versions of these mug rugs because THEY'RE SO STINKING CUTE!!!

I don't know what the official name of this kind of skirt it, so I'm calling mine a Saloon Skirt. It reminds me of skirts I've seen in western movies! Except - they probably didn't wear green/red/maroon huge polkadots...but they would've if they could've!

Here's the side view ... and what give this skirt it's personality. The seam allowances are sewn down to create two casings on each side. Those casings are given ribbon which is then tied at the bottom after the fabric is rouched. I just love this angle of the skirt!

To begin, cut yourself 2 rectangles of fabric. For my 4 year old, I cut the fabric approximately 30" wide and I have no idea how long. sorry. For your skirt, you want it to be no longer than waist to floor length...probably a little shorter. Keep in mind that you'll be scrunching up the sides so you MUST make the beginning rectangles longer than your desired finished length.

Now, you have to hem the bottom edge of both pieces. It may seem weird to sew the hem first, but you must for this skirt.

Next - sew the sides together ...BUT START AT THE BOTTOM, matching the hemmed edges. Usually I recommend sewing garments from top to bottom...but allow me a crazy diversion here! You want your sides to match up perfectly. Sewing from the bottom up will allow for this! NOTE: use a wider seam allowance than usual so you can be sure to fit your ribbon through there.

It's been a while since I've said this ... say it with me ... "If you don't have time to press, you don't have time to sew!" So now go press your two side seams open. I also like to tuck the sides at the hem inside so that they don't get any ideas of peeking out after washing.

The next step is to create the casings for your ribbon drawstring. Do this by topstitching your seam allowances closed. I always prefer to sew with the rightside facing me ... but if you're unsure of yourself, you can get by with sewing on the wrong side...just this once! This could help you enclose that seam allowance more easily.

Cut yourself 4 equal-length strips of ribbon (or you could make ties about of fabric). I cut mine about 2 or 3 inches LONGER than my skirt.

This picture is hard to make sense of ... but I'm threading my ribbon through the casing using a large and long safety pin. Start at the top and thread the ribbon all the way through to the bottom. Each side will have 2 ribbons.

After you've threaded your ribbon, be sure a little bit is peeking out at the top and secure them in place with some stitching. Then you can trim the excess. (only at the top!)

At the bottom, just let your ribbon excess hang out. You can trim it once you've tried it on and know how long or short you want the ties to dangle. DO NOT secure the ribbon here, let it remain loose .

Now make your waistband casing for the elastic..leaving the opening to thread your elastic through.

Insert elastic and close up the hole. You are ALMOST FINISHED...HOLLAH.

Hold both ribbon ties in one hand, and push up the fabric with the other. Keep pushing up the fabric until you get it to the right height. Tie the ribbon into a bow. Repeat on other side. Give yourself a huge hug...you made yourself a super-fun drawsting Saloon skirt!

Here's what the side will look like. For this skirt, I wish I had large black Satin ribbon on hand, but this narrower version will work.

Ellie's going to wear this with a long sleeved black T and black leggings. What's awesome is, when she tried it on she said, "Wow, this is the coolest skirt EVER!" Mission accommplished!!!

Just in case you missed it, here is the full view again!

In addition to buttons to cover and thumbtacks , you'll need something to remove the shanks. I prefer to use one of these jewelry plier thingies. I have no idea what it's called but here's a photo. For gifts, I think 4 buttons should be the minimum. Give as many as you want, but 4 is a nice gesture. =)

Just grab the shank of the back of the button with your plier thingy and pull. Sometimes you have to kind of jiggy it a bit! Just do whatever you have to do to pull that out!

You'll end up with this - a button back and a loose shank. You can throw that shank away!

Now simply cover your button as usual. If you need a tutorial for that, go here.

Now you're ready to glue your tacks tot he back of your button. I prefer to use these heavy duty home decorator pushpins, but regular thumb tacks work too. (If you use a button larger than 3/4", I'd recommend these heavy duty ones b/c the smaller ones look pretty wimpy)

Put a dab of hot glue in the center of the button back, and then push your pushpin right in there. EASY PEASY HUH!?!

You'll get something like this ... except yours probably will not be blurry!

To up the wow-factor for the gift, just grab some cork squares from your hobby store. Cut them in half to get two small cork rectangles. Insert your pushpins and add a fun tag. done.

(As usual, sorry for the lame photos!) I wanted them to coordinate but not be identical. So, Ellie got a fun tunic/dress with ruffley bottom pants. Rosamund had a baby version of my Team Spirit dress that I added huge pleated ruffles.

Twenty minutes before the shoot we had to sneak owen in to get a haircut. I'm glad we did because this is the only pre-shoot photo I got of Ellie.

We had to keep a bib on Rosamund to keep her from drooling all over her dress, but you can atleast get the idea!

This is Lillygiggle's photo of her KREW JACKET pattern that you can find here. Awesome, huh!?! It's a repurpose project using clothing that's too small! Genius!

I was in a hurry, of course, so I only had time to get the pockets sewn onto a sweatshirt. Even with just that, my husband said "What!?! Make ME one!". I call that a victory!

All in all, I'm super happy with how they turned out. Actually, I'm ecstatic that all three kids had something!!! woohoo. I will remember this long after they do!

I started with View C of Butterick 5625.

Here is how my (first) version ended up.

You can see the polka dots peeking through in the back.

I also chose to add rick rack to the back section only. I will pretend that this was on purpose because I am very happy with the outcome. (The truth is that I ran out and didn't have enough for the front. Some mistakes are well worth making!)

I am just all smiles looking at this - Gosh - I hope I'm not becoming a stage mom!

I followed the pattern almost exactly as written...EXCEPT, I added this cute little yoyo pocket - be sure to apply BEFORE sewing the two sides together...

..and I added the rick rick. As with the pocket, be sure to add the rick rack to one side first, then sew the two sides together along the rick rack stitching line.

Keep in mind - it's more than just a little difficult to photograph babies and silly 4 year olds!

Rosamund's jacket is made from Joel Dewberry fabric and lined with a yellow linen-look fabric.

Sadly, Rosamund was more impressed with her $1 Store cow than she was with her made-with-love bolero!

For the record - the "lovely" securiy blanket is NOT one of my projects!

I am learning the importance of a hidden camera! Ellie's bolero was made from a Moda print and lined using a small portion of duvet cover I found in the As-Is bin at Ikea.

Start with a Onesie. Duh. (sidenote: you'll probably want to choose a size bigger than your baby)

Fold the onesie in half lengthwise. (this is sort of optional, but folding in half guarantees that the sides are cut at the same place)

Cut that onesie at the waist. Of course, I just guessed where I wanted to cut...but feel free to measure if you're into that sort of thing.

When you open the two halves up, this is what you'll have.

Now, pull out some great fabric that you've had in your stash for a while. I chose a very lightweight cotton print ... but just about anything will work. Heavier fabric will produce a fuller skirt! Cut a rectangle - I use the entire width of the fabric and cut a length of about 12-18"..but again, I don't measure. I wanted the skirt to be long, but any length will work.

Join the two selvege edges, sew. Then, finished the bottom hem of the skirt.

Sew a gathering stitch / basting stitch along the upper edge of the skirt.

Now you're ready to assemble your dress. Take the bodice of the cut onesie and turn upside down.

Turn the skirt wrong-side-out, pull the gathers, and then pin the skirt to the bodice - right sides together.

Now take the bum half of the onesie. turn it wrong side out - making sure to put the back side with the back side of the bodice -t then pin. You will have a sandwich: Inside - bodice, right side out. Middle - skirt, wrong side out. Outer - bum, wrong side out. Sew three layers together using a BALLPOINT needle.

And you're done! That's it y'all. I mean seriously - let me hear you holler - AWESOME!!!

And...if you've got an extra 5 minutes, add a fun fabric flower for an added punch. If you don't have time, don't ever think about it again - no big deal!

I love this more than just simply making a skirt because everything it attached - so much easier to create an outfit!

Seriously - loook at your watch. If you've got 20-30 minutes and a ballpoint needle, you can DO THIS!