Pillowcase Shirt Tutorial & WIWW#9

I made this shirt about 2 weeks ago so I'm a little slow in showing it off! Well, I've been seeing tutorials in my sewing blogs about making what's called a pillowcase dress for little girls. They are called pillowcase dresses because you use an old pillowcase to make the dress. You just cut the arm and head holes. I wanted the same look but in a shirt for myself. Unfortunately I couldn't find a tutorial for a shirt or for women instead of girls.

After a very unsuccessful attempt in which I ruined a cut of fabric, I was a bit skittish about trying again. David suggested using one of his old t-shirts to make a template. He's so helpful! It was a great idea!

So I put his shirt on (he wears XL and I wear M to give you an idea) and took my red sewing pencil and started drawing the shirt out (yes while wearing it). Then I took it off, cut out what I'd drawn and pinned it and tried it on again. Then it was a lot of checking the mirror, making adjustments, taking it off, making adjustments and trying it back on. This took me at least an hour.

After I finally felt like I had a good rough draft, I took it off and used it to make a paper template (by tracing it and giving a seam allowance). After I had the paper template, then I was ready to cut my fabric.

Now I'm going to tell you how you SHOULD do it not how I did it. The way I did it would work but it took way longer and I had to take out lots of stitches.

You'll need:
1 yd of fabric (unless you use 2, then you'll probably need 1/4 yd more)
ribbon
thread

After cutting the fabric sew the border hem piece to the main body of the shirt (I used 2 fabrics to make this shirt, but you don't have to). Then sew a hem on the arm holes, making sure not to sew the front and back pieces together (which I did!). So you'll sew a hem on 4 areas: front left arm, front right arm, back left arm and back right arm. I just folded a 1/4" down and ironed it so it would stay then sewed it down.

After the arms, sew a hem on the neckline for both the front piece and the back. You'll sew a casing for the ribbon later, so this is just a small hem. Same as with the arm holes.

Now pin the front and back together right sides facing and sew a 1/4" seam. Turn it right side out and try it on. This is where you will see where you want the top to hit and the hem to hit. I pin them where I want to sew them and take the shirt off.

Sew the hem up, starting with a little 1/4" hem first then a bigger 1" one (this gives a more finished edge). Then sew the casing for the ribbon. You'll want it just a smidgen bigger than the width of the ribbon. Sew that down then take your ribbon and put a safety pin on one end and feed it through the casing till you get it on the other side.

At this point I tried it back on and tied the ribbons together (front to back). I wanted a gather in the front so I gathered it the way I wanted and pinned each side (in the front, didn't want it gathered in the back). Then back off, and ran a little stitch on each side of the shirt where the ribbon comes out of the casing to lock the ribbon in place (so it won't fall out in washing, and to keep the gathered look). Iron it and you are done.

I think that once you have a pattern it will take about an hour to make. It's pretty simple but making the pattern took forever or it felt like it!

Here it is.

I'm pretty happy with it and I love the fabric! I'm usually a solid color shirt kind of girl but I'm trying to branch out and get some pattern in my life! I should say I just noticed that I took these pics before I gathered the top.

So have you made a shirt before or anything wearable?

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Mama's Got a Brand "New" Bag

Since I've been using my clothes line the last couple of months I've been trying to figure out the best way to haul the clothes. Obviously I can't just carry the wet out and the dry in without some help. I know that most people probably use a laundry basket but I have a very small laundry room and I don't have room to store one so I don't use them. So I found an old bag and was using it. But the bag was too small.

I didn't want to go buy anything so I thought about making a bag. I had some canvas fabric that I'd bought many months ago and I thought that it would probably work the best. It'd be super durable and strong.

I didn't have a pattern or template so I just winged it. I used the small bag as a starting point just to get an idea of how big I wanted the bag. Then since this didn't need to be perfect or a particular size I just cut the fabric about where I thought it should be. I cut 2 large pieces for the sides and a small rectangle piece for the bottom. Although I cut it too big and had to sew it smaller. And I cut some straps.

I used a bright pink thread to run zig-zag stitches on the whole thing. I wanted it to look a bit homemade and fun. After sewing the whole thing I ran 3 rows of zig-zag stitches around the top as a border.

Because the fabric is a plain canvas, I thought it needed a little something. So I got out some old stencils (they were my parents' from over 25years ago) and I had some turquoise fabric paint and stenciled on the front of the bag.

I love how it turned out! It's plenty big enough and it's cute! It's bright and cherry with the pink and turquoise.

If you hang clothes on the clothes line, what do you use to haul the clothes in?

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Vitamin A

I've been hearing and reading about how important it is to get all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to not just survive, but to thrive. I'd like to start a series of posts as I research each one. This info is as much for my own knowledge as it is sharing with you. I know we all know we need them, but I know for me that knowing what each does and how important it is for our body and where we can get it makes it easier to make it a priority to get them into our body (longest sentence in the world!).

This will not be an in depth study but just the basics of each vitamin and mineral. I want it to be easy for me to understand and to write, so it will be simple (my motto). I figure I'll start with the vitamins first then head to the minerals but we'll just see how it turns out.

Vitamin A

What is it? Also referred to  Vitamin A Retinol, retinal, and includes four carotenoids including beta carotene. It is a fat-soluble vitamin.

Why do we need it? It is needed by the retina to maintain low-light and color vision. It helps with embryonic development and reproduction and healthy skin just to name a few. (I've personally been experiencing healthier skin since upping my intake of A.

How much do we need?
Here's a chart I came across in my research.
                        

RDA (recommended daily allowance)                           Adequate intakes (AI*) μg/day	Upper limit μg/day

Infants 0–6 months           7–12 months	400                                       500	600 600
Children 1–3 years 4–8 years	300 400	600 900
Males 9–13 years 14–18 years 19 –years	600 900 900	1700 2800 3000
Females 9–13 years 14–18 years 19 – 70 years	600 700 700	1700 2800 3000
Pregnancy >19 years 19 –50 years	750 770	2800 3000
Lactation >19 years 19 – 50 years	1200 1300	2800 3000

Where do we get Vitamin A?

This is in order of most Vitamin A to least amount
Liver and cod liver oil
carrots
broccoli leaf
sweat potato
butter
kale
spinach
pumpkin
collard greens
cheddar cheese
cantaloupe melon
egg
apricot
papaya
mango
pea
broccoli florets
milk


Deficiency

A vitamin A deficiency can lead to night vision problems, chronic dryness of the eyes and blindness.

I found it interesting that the research said that early weaning from breast milk can also increase the risk of vitamin A deficiency. And is especially important for pregnant and breastfeeding women for normal fetal development. It says that post-natal supplements will not overcome the deficiencies.

A deficiency also includes impaired immunity resulting in higher risks of ear infections and urinary tract infections.

Poor skin health

The best way to avoid deficiencies is through breastfeeding, diet and oral supplements. Although because Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin you have to be careful to avoid taking in too much (usually through oral supplements) which is toxicity. In minor cases of toxicity the effects are: nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, irritability, headaches. In chronic cases: hair loss, dry skin, fever, weight loss, fatigue, anemia, and diarrhea.

So, there's a fine line between making sure you are getting enough and taking in too much. However the toxicity effects seem to be pretty mild for slight over-intake.

Here's a link to my research.
This is just an overview of the vitamin and by no means is a comprehensive study with all information. Please consult your health care provider if you have concerns.

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Toy Box Makeover

About a year or so ago my parents gave us a toy box. My dad had made it for my youngest sister when she was a kid and needed something to put all her toys. So it was about 12 years old or so. Since Trey was going to be needing something soon we got it.

It's hard to tell in the pics but the paint is a cream color and it was pretty dinged up, and had stains. So it needed a fresh coat of white (cream isn't my color). And the fabric on the lid was torn and a bit dated and not really my style.

I'd found this fabric at Joane's online last month and fell in LOVE with it! I didn't know what I could use it on until I remembered that the toy box needed to be recovered. So I bought a couple of yards.

I love that it's colorful and bright and happy!
Anyway, I wasn't planning on redoing the toy box for a while but after looking at the fabric sitting there for a few weeks I had to do it, it was so pretty!

After cleaning it up I started painting the inside first. I just used the same white that I used on all my house trim, cabinets and the living room dresser.

You can really tell it's cream once I started painting the white. I needed 2 coats of the white to get the cream good and covered. I just used a small roller and tray that I got in my free Valspar kit and an angled brush to get the corners and crevices.  The white paint is also semi-gloss so that will help keep it looking good and easy to wipe off.

I removed the lid from the box before painting it so I could get to recovering. My parents had covered the whole lid (top and bottom) and I wasn't excited about this but I couldn't think of anything better. I was planning on removing the original fabric but after realizing it couldn't be seen through the new fabric it was quicker to keep it on. And it adds another layer of cushion. I just started wrapping it like a present and tried to keep the lines as straight as possible.

Here's the after shots.

I'm so happy with this! The crisp white was perfect with the fabric and both the fabric and white paint brighten his room up so much more! Every time I see this it makes me so happy! I love this fabric, I just want to put it all over the house! But I'll try to restrain myself! Of course as with many of my projects finishing one and seeing how great it looks usually inspires me to work on the rest of the room. I have a couple of other ideas for his room but we'll see how quickly I get to them!

This was a quick project and very easy. I started painting it out in the garage but it was too hot so I moved (ok David moved it) to the office with a drop cloth to finish painting it.

Oh I love how it looks!
Here's a final before and after.

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Mama Cloth Update

A few months ago I did a post on mama cloth and Diva Cups. I had just purchased the cup and a couple of the pads and made some pads.

Well, I wanted to give more thorough info after using them for a few months.

Diva Cup

A Diva Cup is a silicone "cup" that is used as a tampon alternative. Instead of absorbing fluids, it catches them. This eliminates the toxic shock syndrome risk. It is used each month, washed and stored for the next month.

I absolutely LOVE this! If inserted correctly it does not leak (only had one time that I didn't put it in right and knew pretty quickly that it wasn't right). You can leave it in for up to 12 hours, but I've found that the first day or two of my cycle I need to empty it because it was full. After that, I only bother with it once in the morning and once before bed.

One of my favorite features is that I can pee without it being affected. One of the things I hated about tampons was that I couldn't go pee without having to change it, which meant that I either tried to "schedule" going or would waste a tampon by going when it wasn't full. Swimming doesn't affect it either.

I love that I only have to empty it a couple of times a day, which makes bathroom trips much quicker. And I love that I'm not buying supplies every month or that I'm not running out. And, it's WAY more comfortable than a tampon. I can't even feel the cup and sometimes I forget all about it.

Emptying the cup
Yes, it can be a bit messy. There are a few ways in which to pull the cup out, but I prefer the squat. After it's out, I dump it in the toilet and then wash it out in the sink (just a rinse) then reinsert it and wash my hands. In the mornings I take it out in the shower because it's so easy to empty, rinse and reinsert. When my cycle is over I wash it in some mild soap (you can buy special soap for it if you want) and let it air dry, then store it in it's little bag till next time.

Mama Cloth

I have 3 store bought cloth and 5 homemade cloth. My favorite is actually my homemade ones. For me since I use the diva cup I don't really need much more than liners as backup or for the end of my cycle when the flow is really light.

The store bought ones are thicker, like a regular pad and have wings with snaps. I'm not a big fan of the thicker feel (either in disposable or cloth) but these are so comfy compared to the disposable. The snap is nice but I noticed that they tend to slide up and down my panties. So really for me these aren't getting used very much. (although I hope to use them postpartum in the future)

I found some tutorials online for making your own cloth. But I ended up just using some disposable thong liners that I used/liked and made a template with it. Mine do not look beautiful or even symmetrical but since I'm the only one looking at them I'm ok with that. Because I made mine I didn't have the tools to install a snap. My local cloth diaper shop (where I bought the other cloth) will install a button for $.50 and I intended on getting them, but after forgetting to take them up there I realized that I prefer using my safety pin.

It sounds very homemade to use a safety pin to hold it but I really like it best. Since the cloths don't have adhesive on the back like disposables they want to slide. But with a safety pin I can pin each wing together and grab my panties to keep it from moving. So far I've had no issue with the pin opening.

Washing
After my cycle is over I just run a mini load in my washer with my homemade detergent to wash the cloth, then either throw them in the dryer, hang them on the line, or let them air dry. They can be washed with diapers too (we're done with that now), and you might be able to wash them with your towels but I haven't done that so do it at your own risk.
I did buy a wet bag to store all my supplies in. There is a dry pocket that everything is stored in and then a wet pocket that I put used cloth in until I am done and wash them. You can make them as well using shower curtain liner (I haven't done this just heard about it). Or go super simple and use a washable bag, plastic bag, some kind of container or whatever you have.

So that's my experience with a much more natural option to feminine products. They are "greener" (no trash), cheaper (especially if you make or have a friend make your cloth) and way more comfy!

 I'd love to hear if anyone has had an experience with any of these items and what you thought. Or are you interested but aren't ready to take the plunge? If you want more info on making some of your own, or anything else about this leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.

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Cord Cover Solution

For a long time I've been wanting to cover the cords connecting the TV to the componets in the master bedroom. The TV is hung on the wall and so the black cords stuck out against the light colored walls. At first I thought I'd just ignore them but that doesn't work for me so well. After talking to David about some options he came up with this one.
First a before of the ugly wires.

I wanted something to hide the cords and would blend into the wall as much as possible and it still needed to be easily accessable should something need to well accessed. David came up with the idea to use a PVC plumbing pipe, cut it in half lengthwise and screw it to the wall.

So we picked one up for a few dollars at Lowe's and then took it to my dad to have him cut it for us. Then it sat in the garage for a few months. I needed some paint and just kept putting it off. Finally I picked up a sample size of my wall color and decided it was time to get it done!

The pipe had writing on it so I just sanded it till the ink came off. I didn't want it bleeding through or have to put a million coats of paint on it to make it disappear.

Then painted it with a foam brush. Which took about 2 minutes and since it's a hundred and fifty degrees here it dried super fast.
After it had about 2 coats on it, it was David's turn.

He started by drilling a hole in the wall for a molly.

Then he drilled a hole in the pipe to corespond with the hole in the wall. I'm not sure how he figured this, but I think he just loosely measured it with his hand.

Then he fit it over the cords, tucking everyone in and screwing the pipe to the wall.

This is before I touched up the screw with some paint.

Here are the afters. Yes you still see it but it's no where near as noticable as black cords. This looks so much neater (which I'm always a fan of!) and from across the room it blends in pretty well. I love it!!!

I'm also currently working on a few things in the bedroom. Let's just say that after living with the "after" for a few months I'm not happy with it. As I finish them I'll share. But for now, I'm happy with not seeing cords!

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Recovering Grandma's chairs

So I told you about wanting to recover the dinning room chairs from the set I received from my grandma. It took me about a week to get them finished! It felt like forever!

First off I had to remove the plastic covers and then I chose to remove the first layer of fabric too (there was actually 2 layers of fabric, when my g-ma recovered them last time she just added the new one over the old. I think this helped with extra padding and less work).

This sounds like an easy thing to do but it wasn't. The fabric was stapled onto the wood (chair bottoms) and then she added the plastic and stapled the snot out of the plastic. But the worst part was that the staples were embedded into the plastic/fabric. There was no way I could get under the staples to yank them out.

So, I got some pliers and used them to grab onto the loose plastic/fabric and yank, which caused the staples to pull out. Oh and I had to sit on the floor and brace the seat (removed from the chair) with both of my feet and yank. It was hard work. After the 3rd chair my darling husband decided to try to find a better way, which after a few failed ideas turned into him helping by doing all the plastic/fabric removal for the other 3 chairs. I was very grateful!

After cleaning up all the loose staples and hammering some back in I stapled the new fabric onto the seats. And yes I stapled the snot out of it too! I am my g-ma's granddaughter!

I'd measured and cut the fabric a couple of weeks ago so this made the actual recovering part much faster and easier. Here's the fabric again.

In real life the fabric is a bit bolder.

And here's the finished chairs.

I also want to refinish/paint the table and chairs and thought I knew what I wanted to do, but sometimes you have to wait and see how part 1 looks before you commit to part 2. After seeing the fabric on the chairs my original plans went out the window. Right now I'm thinking I want to refinish the table to a much darker stain and paint the chairs (there is no way on earth I want to strip and stain those chairs) but I don't know what color exactly yet.

So since I'm not sure what I want to do, I'm waiting. And frankly right now I just don't want to take on a project that big. I will in the future when it starts to bug the snot out of me (apparently I have a lot of snot...) But for now I'm happy that at least the fabric is up to date, lighter and fresher, and that our legs don't stick to the chairs anymore.

AND about how well they stand up to kiddos. I bought outdoor fabric so I felt better about not reinstalling the plastic. Well the day after I finished the last chair our friends the "K's" came over and their 4yr old and Trey had chocolate ice cream at the table. The next morning I found their drips on the seats. I took a wet rag and started scrubbing and everything came up easily! I was so excited! It's the little things!

Ok one last before and after.

And...

And a view of the chairs with my new rug

So much better!

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