{Tutorial} Sew a Skort from 2 Tshirts

My daughter is a "skirt girl" through and through!  But she is always doing non-skirt activities.  Like being upside down, for instance.  Leggings will work now, when it is cooler out.  We all know though, that "cooler" weather doesn't last long here in Oklahoma and in just weeks it will be permanent shorts, or for Stella, skorts weather!  

Yes, I know, skirts are just so dang easy to make!  I suppose I could always make her wear shorts under them.  OR I could just sew in shorts and not have to worry about her flashing her panties everywhere.  

{Tutorial} The 2 T-shirt SKORT

You need:

2 T-shirts and elastic for the waistband

AND as a template, a skirt and pair of leggings that currently fit

START WITH THE SHORTS

1.  Lay folded leggings on side fold of shirt.  Position so you have enough but not too much in seam.  I used 2 1/4” - 2 1/2” inseam (approx size 4/5).  The hem of the shirt will be the hem of the shorts!  Trace leggings on the shirt and add a seam allowance. 


2.  Cut 2 of these


3.  Sew short edges together on each piece, right sides together.  These = legs


4.  Turn one leg right side out and slip inside the other leg.  Align inseams.  Pin.  Sew inseam in one go.  Turn right side out.

NOW MAKE THE SKIRT

• Lay out skirt on top of T-shirt; align the bottoms
• Add for elastic and seam allowance (I added 3/4” for elastic + 1/2”)
• Cut shirt straight across.  The wider the shirt, the fuller the skirt.

6.  Optional:  Turn inside out.  BUT I want to use the inside of the shirt as my skirt to hide the logo design.  So I am leaving mine Right Side Out.

7.  Cut elastic and sew ends together

{TIP}  Mark elastic with two lines- the other end and the cut line (about 1” from end line).  These two lines tell you where to overlap and sew.  

8.  {TIP} Sew a straight stitch as a guideline 1/2” from top edge.  I used a serger here as my guideline


9.  Mark quarters/quadrants/fourths on both elastic and top of skirt.  

I marked the elastic with pen and the skirt with pins.

10.  Pin skirt and elastic together at each quarter mark.  Align top edge of elastic with your guide stitch.  

11.  Sew together by stretching elastic from pin to pin.  {TIP}  Start with a good backtack and keep needle down between sections.  

 {TIP} To keep the gathering even-ish I like to stretch out the quarter section and then move my hold to the midpoint.  I then sew each quarter section in two parts.  Stretch elastic with one hand and pull through the machine with the other.  


12.  Mark the top of the shorts at the quadrants (2 seams & 2 sides).  Align the quad-marks of the shorts with the quad marks of the elastic.  Pin at the 4 quad-points.  

I did switch my thread at this point to match the skirt. Probably should have done that from the start, yes. 

13. Fold elastic down over shorts and in the same way in step 11, stretch and sew.

{TIP}  Hold the quad mark and pull.  Then rehold at the midpoint, pinching all layers together.  THEN I reach inside the skirt and pull the shorts down to about the center of the elastic, THEN tug the skirt to get a nice fold over the elastic.

14.  Add a tag or slip a piece of ribbon in as you finish sewing the waistband to help your kids know the back of the skort.  I used a printed ribbon as a tag this time.

Ta-Da!

Linking to these *fabulous* parties!

Spray Painted Girls Shoes

I knew I had an opportunity to try spray painting shoes when my daughter's school shoes came home looking like this.

I mean, they were now pretty ugly.  And I couldn't just "sharpie" them like I did to her black shoes.  It's too bad, too because these were her favorites.

Until NOW!

Now THESE are her favorites!

And mine, too.  I really think mama needs a pair just like this!

All I did was tape off the soles and stuff a bag inside.  I also had to tape off the velcro and the underside of the foot strap.
To be honest, I wasn't sure how to deal with all of the peeling vinyl.  I thought it would show so I wanted to peel it off a bit of the edges.  One shoe did fine with this.  But when I started to peel the second shoe...the whole thing came up!  I was freaking out at this point.  But really, it was too late to turn back now.  So I just peeled until I thought it wouldn't be that noticeable.

I used a plastic primer spray paint (because I already had it) on the unpeeled shoe.  I am not sure if it was beneficial or necessary though.  And I definitely needed two coats of the blue on both shoes.  The peeled shoe soaked up a lot of the paint after the first coat and I didn't think they were going to match in finish.  But after everything had dried, they seemed to match just fine!  I was so excited about how these turned out!  My daughter was too!

** I actually think the shoe that had the vinyl peeled off had a better result.  These shoes have been worn around the house for two days now and so they already have some minor scuffing on the blue paint.  But the peeled part was not scuffed at all.  It was a pain on my fingers to peel the shoe, but for this type of surface (fake patent leather) it seemed to be worth it.

I still have blue paint left...I am really wanting blue shoes, too.


Linking here:

It’s A Hodgpode Life ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating ~ The Shabby Nest ~ Simple Home Life ~ Lovely Crafty Home ~ Whipperberry

{Shirt Fix} Too Large Blouse to Cute Fitted Blouse

Last week I scored this brown polka dot shirt from the Goodwill for oh, about $1.65.  (It was 50% off!)  Nothing big, a Target shirt is all.  But I really liked it.

I mean, not bad for less than two bucks, I know.  But I thought it could be a bit more fitted.  I wasn't going to mess with a big redo, but I had a blouse from Banana Republic and it was gathered in the back and I *thought* I could do the same with this shirt.  Actually, this project was a redemption project after I threw my huge massive "craft fail" in the garbage.  I still don't feel like talking about it. (Good thing I only wasted 3 hours of my life on that one. Grrrrr.)

Yes, it was late but I had to do something right last night...

First, I tried it on and grabbed the back of the shirt and pulled it back to see approximately how much I was going to need to gather.  It was going to be quite a bit for this shirt!  I also roughly decided where the gather should fall.  It was all guessing at this point, mind you.  I decided on 15.5" down from the collar.  I used my ruler to chalk a line across.

Then I sewed a gathering stitch (longest stitch) along that line.  (I figured if the gather was too high or low no biggie, it's a gather stitch, and could easily be pulled out!)  Next, I gathered it up as much as it would go.  And then tried the shirt on again.  I just loosened the gather until was how I wanted it.  Then I carefully took it off and laid it out like this:

My goal here was to get the gather symmetrical and straight.  The ends of my gather were 2 inches from each side seam.

Next, I cut a piece of ribbon about an inch longer than my gather.  (optional:  I singed then ends, too to prevent fraying.)  Then I folded the ribbon ends under and pinned the ribbon on top of the gather stitch.  

Next, I sewed the ribbon on.  I stitched along both edges of the ribbon and the short ends, like a big box.  Then I tried on the shirt and hoped for redemption it would fit the way it did in my head...

~~Love!~~

Linked here:

Somewhat Simple ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ A Creative Princess ~ Momnivore’s Dilemma ~ Yesterday on Tuesday ~ Saved by Love Creations ~ Shabby Creek Cottage ~ The 36^th Avenue ~ A Glimpse Inside ~ Between U and Me ~ Train to Crazy

{Tutorial} For the Love of Monkey Bars Shorts (aka Bike Shorts)

My daughter, Stella, loves the monkey bars!  To my shock, she is pretty darn awesome at zipping across them, too!  

She also happens to love wearing dresses.  

Which don't go well with being monkey-like.  

Enter...the *For the Love of Monkey Bars* Shorts.  

A few weeks ago, I saw an awesome tutorial to make leggings using just two pieces of fabric, at Make It and Love It - One of my all*time FAVORITE blogs.  That girl, Ashley, has THE best ideas!  Not only was this tutorial perfect because my daughter loves leggings, but I *needed* an excuse (and some encouragement!) to sew with my twin needle.

**Tip 1:  I chose an old shirt and used the bottom hem as the hem on the shorts.  One less step!  

**Tip 2:  I used the stripes as my guide for how long the shorts should be (ie hem should be at the blue stripe).

{Tutorial}:: For the *Love of Monkey Bars* Shorts

1.  Fold shirt so the side seams are on top of each other.  (See the sleeves up?)  Place the folded leggings (or your pattern) along the shirt fold and the hem of the shirt lining up with the desired shorts length.  2.  Allow room for your elastic.  3.  Mark/chalk the outline.  Remember to add seam allowance.  I used 1/2 inch.  4.  Flip the leggings over and do the same along the other fold.  Cut them out.  

5.  Pin two pieces right sides together.  Sew the pinned seams.  6.  Open up and pin the crotch/inseam together.  7.  The twin needle worked perfectly!  8.  Fold and pin casing for the elastic waist.  Sew and leave an opening for the elastic.  Feed elastic in, sew up...Done!

I found this Twin Needle Tutorial from Ashley at Make It and Love It and followed her directions.  But...I don't have the same sewing machine as her sooooo.....This is what happened when I didn't read the manual for my machine for using a twin needle.  Eeek! 

Apparently, it required more than just swapping the needle out and adding a spool of thread.  But after reading the directions it worked perfectly!   

I highly recommend reading your manual if you have never used your twin needle before.  

These "under shorts" or "bike shorts" can run $10-15!  And they are, pretty much necessary.  Mine cost $0.  I love $0.  

I suppose if Stella loved swinging as much as the monkey bars, I would have called these the "for the love of swings shorts".  But not the case.  She has only opted to wear shorts one time all school year!  I bet she is a sight to see- climbing and swinging and being all wild-animal-like in.her.dresses.  

Linking Here: