Back to painting!

Hello readers!

I hope everyone has had a good week! I started a new project this week with my talented crafty friend! It seems that every time we get together we end up paintings and making crafts together and it's always really fun! I made a word-art project for my boss for father's day and I finally got around to making my own!

It had to be purple of coarse!

I took a couple pictures while making it, but it is pretty simple to make but here are the steps I took. :)

First I painted my base color on the canvas, which I chose gray.

Then, I added all of the words, which are stickers.

In the middle of putting on the words. That's my friends project in the background. She made hers in pink. :)

Then I added a coat of mod-podge. Make sure that when you put the mod-podge on that all of the corners of your letters are down. If some letters are having trouble sticking, then put mod-podge under the letter first.

Then, I started to add strokes of purple. The mod=podge makes the paint come on really thin so you can see underneath it.

In the middle of putting on the purple top color :)

Then, when you add as much color as you want (make sure if you use a canvas to paint the sides too), add a thick layer of mod-podge to make it extra shiny.

With the top coat of mod-podge.
Also, make sure to use even strokes all going the same way so that your top coat looks even.

And then add your embellishments and such and your done!

Whola! Extremely cute word-art that is VERY easy to make!

I hope everyone has a great week!

Thanks for reading!

My first invisible zipper!

Hello again!
This is my first attempt at sewing a zipper!
This project is probably my favorite skirt that I have made thus far! 

Here are the steps.

First I measured 13 inches of the yellow (main) fabric for the length. Then I cut 2 strips 13 inches long by the width of the fabric. Then I sewed both of the strips together, which made one big rectangle.

Sew the sides together with the front sides touching.

Then I measured out the second color, brown, to go on the bottom. Hem the bottom of the brown and then with the front sides of your fabric together, sew the brown (second) fabric to the yellow (main) fabric.

Then, do a straight stitch across the top. To make the ruffle effect pull one of the threads and move the fabric along the thread until you get the amount of ruffles you want. I ended up trimming a lot of my fabric off because it made my skirt a little too poofy for my taste.

Then you need to measure out your waistband. I was going to make my waistband brown (second) color but I did not have enough. The brown that I used was from a previous project. Measure around your waist and add about 1/2 an inch on each side because you are going to need a seam allowance for when you put on your invisible zipper. 

I wanted my waistband to be 3 inches wide so I cut it 7 inches wide. Then fold you waistband in half with the front side of the fabric on the outside. Then, with the front sides of your skirt and waistband together, sew your ruffled portion to your waistband.

THEN, for the moment you have all been waiting for, the invisible zipper! Drumroll please! 

Okay enough with the dramatics...

The first thing you need to do is look up in your sewing machine handbook which foot is your zipper foot. Then take your regular presser foot off, which is incredibly easy don't be intimidated yet, and put your zipper foot on. 

I believe that stores make special feet where the foot looks like a block with an opening for the zipper so that you can get a super close stitch but my sewing machine did not come with all that jazz. (If someone knows where to get one for cheap let me know! :))

That is what mine looks like.

So, the first time I did this I messed it up by not paying attention to what side of the zipper you sew to your skirt so I will put it in CAPS for you. (I know I am so thoughtful!)

Pin the FRONT side of your zipper to the FRONT side of your fabric. Seems weird I know but thats the right sides.

Then start sewing on your zipper getting as close as you can to the chain. If you roll the chain as you sew it you can get a closer stitch. The closer you get, the less likely it is that your zipper will show. When you get to the bottom, sew as close as you can to the slider. (I looked up zipper terminology.)

My second attempt at sewing the zipper; I sewed it to the wrong side the first time!

Then do the exact same thing to the other side.

Now that you have finished sewing on both sides of the zipper, zip it up and sew the rest of your skirt together where your zipper ends. Make sure that the bottom hem of your skirt lines up.

Now, I know that my zipper is not quite invisible! But my skirt is still super cute and fits great!

The zipper side of my skirt.

And the front!

And Whola!! You have a super cute fitting skirt!

I know that I will be making my skirts like this from now on. I can't wait until its not 106 outside to wear this with some cute fall boots and a cardigan! 

Also, I thought I would share a project that I did awhile ago for my wedding. 

I was bound and determine to wear converse in my wedding dress when I was growing up. So, when I actually got married, I decided that plain ol' converse were not going to cut it. So, I crafted them up a bit with lace shoe-laces and some rhinestones on the top.

And Whola! Fabulous!

Then after my love and I got married, it was only like 10 in the morning, so we made bride and groom shirts to wear as we spent the New Years Eve day at Disney World and I wore them around the park. Next time I wear them, I will definitely wear really thick socks though because they really hurt my feet! But pain is beauty they tell me.

Another thing I made was for my brothers homecoming. It was like a week before homecoming and he told me that he didn't have a garter! And that was unexceptional according to me so I went to Michael's and got some necessities and made this completely homemade! If anyone needs something for homecoming just let me know!

Well, thats it for today! No crazy nanny stories today, but the day is still young!

Thanks for stoping by and hope you enjoyed!

The lost shoe

Hello! I have been so busy watching the Olympics that I keep forgetting to update my blog!
And I haven't had too many successful projects to post on here either. But anyway I really wanted to make one of those easy maxi skirts that have been all over the internet.
So I picked up some really cute jersey knit fabric at Joann's and got to cutting. I measured my waist and cut the fabric about twice the width of my waist. Then I measured from my waist to the floor and added  2 inches for hemming and the elastic casing.
Them I hemmed the bottom.

Then I sewed both of the length sides together and made a casing for the elastic at the top of the skirt.

 Then I fed the elastic through the casing with a safety pin, sewed the ends of the elastic together, and closed the casing.
And Whola!

When I bought it, I didn't realize that it has letters all over it but I  still think its really cute :)

So cute and easy! And probably the most comfortable skirt I own!

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial! I promise I will start taking more pictures and I started to write down the measurements I use too!

If you guys didn't know I am a nanny to 2 wonderful boys, Cole (5 years old) and Jack (1 year old). One of our favorite places to go is this place in Dallas called Monster Yogurt because it has a play place  and frozen yogurt. Is there really a more perfect place for children? Well we were getting ready to leave today and I set Jacks shoes down for literally 2 seconds while I got the diaper bag ready to go. Well when I went to put them on him, one of them was absolutely no-where to be found. I looked for that shoe for 2 hours and nothing. After getting throughly angry and blaming myself, Cole, and Dude (the dog who loves shoes) we decided that Monster Yogurt was a no go today and it was lunch time. After making 2 peanut butter and nuetella sandwiches I put the knife in the sink only to find the missing shoe. Please tell me how a 1 year old can get a shoe into a sink that he can't even barely reach...I guess I will never know. The stories of being a nanny are endless.

Last week Cole and I made some Olympics crafts

Yes those are gold medals :)

Good Job Cole!

And his is Jack! 

His shirt says crabby but cute! :)

Hope you enjoyed my post!!