Upcycled Baby Hat Tutorial

In case you missed it last month {July} here is my latest contributer post at Honeybear Lane.

Today I’m going to show you how to make a simple baby hat from a shirt. It can be your shirt, a child’s shirt, even a sweater would work. Just be sure to check for holes or stains when cutting fabric so your hat doesn’t end up with a hole or stain.

Gather your supplies.

upcycled hat supplies

I’ve used the hat that my youngetst had at the hospital to ensure my hat would be appropriate size for a newborn. Though, you can use any size hat you’d like, as long as your shirt is large enough. This hat is lined so we’ll be making two hats and putting them together at the end. Lay your hat at the bottom of the t-shirt, using the hem already there. Cut around the hat leaving about 1/4″ for seam allowance. You’ll do this twice so be sure to place your hat leaving space for another.

 

 

Make sure your pieces are right sides together then using a zig zag stitch about 1/4″ from the edge sew both sets of pieces together. Double check that you’re using a ball point needle when working with knit fabrics.

 

outer & lining

This is what you should have now. You’ll want to insert one into the other, making sure that you turn the outer piece right side out. Then I used a wide zig zag around the bottom to sew the two pieces together. The hat folds up and because it is lined there are no seams exposed. Here you can add a button, ribbon or trim of your choice. I chose to leave this one as is before sending it away to his mama.

 

So there you have it, simple baby hat at virtually no cost and very little time.

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

~Rebecca

Come to See Me!

Thursday {5/31} I will be at Honeybear Lane. If you haven't 'met' Heidi yet, you really should. I was chosen to be a contributor on her blog, along with some other fabulous ladies, and tomorrow is my first post there. My contributions will be baby related, so fun. Hope to see you over there!

In other news, I hope to have a tutorial for these chevron glasses cases up in the next few days.

Thanks for visiting!

Christmas Wreath Guest Post

Good morning friends! I am busy making a tree skirt so it's ready in time to trim the tree this evening. I wanted to let you know that I am a guest over at Type A today. Tammy has a Christmas guest series going on her blog and I'm excited to be a part of it. Click the button below to see one of my wreaths. There are pinecones and glitter and coffee filters. What a combination huh? ;)

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back soon with another wreath, ornaments and my tree skirt.

Happy Christmas!

Chevron Cork Board

I shared this over at Type A last week but in case you missed it, here it is again.

Some might say I'm cheap but I prefer thrifty. Why buy new when you can find gently used? My husband appreciates this about me and brings home 'goodies' for me on occasion. Recently he brought home a large cork board they were getting rid of at work. My son has been in need of a place to hang his drawings and things he likes to look at so I knew this would be perfect for him. {truth be told I still have a cork board sitting in my laundry room waiting for a makeover but I've already claimed it for myself}.

Being the impatient person I am I started on the project right then and there and used what I had on hand. I'm sure I broke at least 3 'rules' of DIY but I'm a rebel like that. ;) Sadly I don't have before pictures for you as the blue screen of death attacked my computer so all pictures taken before that happened are being held hostage until I can get the computer repaired or rescue the pictures. {say a little prayer for my pictures that weren't backed up please, and then back up all of your pictures when you're done reading. thanks}

Without further ado here is the made over cork board.

I used priority mail tape in place of painter's tape. For the most part it worked but you can see some places where I didn't press it down firmly enough. Did I mention I was impatient? When I start a project I want to see it done like yesterday. That would also explain the paint lines, I just assumed you wouldn't be able to see them on cork. Well, you can. I also painted the frame after peeling off the 'wood' laminate.

Two of these plastic pockets were on the cork board, originally hanging the other direction. I thought two was too many but one gives my son a good place to keep school library books so they don't get lost or ruined. I used my Cricut to cut his name out with card stock {I was out of black vinyl} and mod podged the letters to the pocket. He chose a dark blue color for his name.

I know the chevron pattern is very popular and maybe even overdone in the blogosphere but he liked it and it was an easy pattern to make quickly.

Thanks for visiting

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Another Cork Board

 Happy Monday morning! Today I'm a guest at Type A. If you haven't met Tammy yet you should go over and check her out. You can see the other cork board makeover I promised you last week. Thanks for visiting!

Button Down to Dress

Hello, hello...is this thing on? After nearly a month of not really posting I'm finally back! I have many photos to edit and posts to write but for now I'll share my guest post from the Button Down Rehab series with Jen @ My Own Road for now. Enjoy your weekend!

I was so excited about Jen's BDR series and flattered that she asked me to guest post. My dress is somewhat inspired by a drop waist dress I saw at the store and thought "hey, I could make that for less than $5". I love a challenge. I hope my tutorial inspires even the beginning seamstress, that with enough determination {and maybe a few choice words} you can see a vision come to life and learn some lessons along the way.

*Disclaimer* I am still fairly new at making clothing. I have a lot to learn about clothing construction and this did not turn out to be a drop waist dress.

Supplies
* button down shirt {I used a short sleeve my husband didn't want}
* coordinating thread
* white or coordinating color cotton {1/4 should be enough}
* extra buttons {optional}

Step 1

First I put my trusty seam ripper to work and removed the sleeves, collar and pocket from the shirt. Set those pieces aside, you'll use some later. Fold what's left of the shirt in half and place a dress that fits on top, also folded in half. Trace around the dress leaving room for seam allowance. I believe most people use 5/8" seam allowance.

Step 2

Put right sides of dress together {I didn't cut the top of the sleeve so I just folded the dress in half at the shoulder with right sides facing). Fold the bottom of dress 1/4" two times to create new hem, press, pin and sew. {Ignore the horizontal stripe pieces shown here, this was an idea that didn't work out}. Do the same thing on the sleeves to hem. Then sew from the edge of sleeve to the bottom of dress on both sides.

Step 3

To create the bib I referred to this tutorial. Instead of one piece of white cotton I had two pieces so it could still button up to put on and take off. My pieces were 8"x12" with two inches for the button up center. I accidentally sewed my button hole to the inside piece instead of the outer piece so this dress buttons backwards on the top and I sewed a white ruffle to the top. As you can see, I wasn't very careful while cutting the bib shape, I thought I could cut it folded in half but it didn't come out evenly. Definitely trace a round object and cut along your line. I attached the bib to the button down like sewing an applique, next time I'd like to try a cleaner method.

The second picture shows a lesson learned. If you're sewing past your bedtime triple check what you're doing before cutting fabric. I accidentally cut the back of the shirt while cutting the front for the bib. I pieced it back together and later sewed the tag that was on the inside to the outside, I thought it was something unexpected.

Step 4

Next came the ruffle at the bottom. I used two pieces of white cotton measuring 2" x twice the width of the dress bottom. I pressed & sewed a 1/4" hem on both sides of the strips then created the ruffle by sewing down the middle of each strip with my tension at the tightest setting and stitch length at the longest. Next, pin the first ruffle strip starting at one side of the front with the bottom of the ruffle lining up with the hem. Continue pinning the second ruffle overlapping slightly in the back and finishing up at the other side of the front. 

Step 5

Add a pocket! That pocket you set to the side before can be made new again. I made a gathered pocket method I've used before using this tutorial and put a piece of the collar along the top and some extra ruffle strip.

Step 6

The dress was fine without a collar but seemed a little unfinished. So I hemmed the rest of the old collar and sewed it to the inside of the neckline with a zig zag stitch, about 1/4" overlapping.

Step 7

I don't have pictures showing this step but I replaced all of the original buttons on this shirt. They were originally a shiny off white. My daughter chose tan for the buttons on the stripes, blue for the white {backwards} and I put a brown one on the pocket.

And there you have it

A button down turned dress with a crooked bib, backward buttons, ruffle trim, functioning pocket and little collar. I would still like to add a little button and finishing technique that Jen shared on day 4 of BDR to the sleeves and maybe a little elastic in the back to hold it's shape better but those will have to wait.

I really do love how this dress turned out, though during the process it was one of those things that makes me want to poke myself with a needle in the eye. If you make a dress using this tutorial I'd love to see the finished product! Thank you for having me Jen!

My First Guest Post!

I'm guest posting today over at My Own Road - click the button above to check my button down rehab project and tutorial!