Tutorial: Ruffle Polo Shirts!

A couple years ago, I bought two polo shirts for $5.00 from a sale online.  They were a tad big.  I’ve gained enough weight to finally fit in them! (Yes, I am one of those sick people who celebrate when they gain weight!)  The look was a little boxy and plain for me, so I decided to spice them up with some ruffly-ness.

Here are two different varieties:

I will show you how I made the blue shirt with the Cream ruffle, and then at the very end I will tell you what I did different for the white shirt with the Lime green and Caribbean blue ruffles .

You’ll need:

A polo (the one you’ll wear)

Knit scraps (I used left over material from this shirt)

Sewing supplies (sewing machine, scissors, and all that jazz)

First:  Cut your knit into 1’’ strips.  I cut several, because if I didn’t use it in this project I’d use it in a future one.

Second:  Sew the strips together at the ends to make one long strip.  My length was close to 50’’.  This was plenty long for me. (The pic just shows the ends sewn together…I trimmed the edges to the seam as well.)

Third:  Using a ball point needle on your machine, and your longest stitch length (and NO backstitching), you’re going to make ruffles.  If you haven’t done this before, I’ve used this tutorial before as a guide.  I set my needle to the right to get the seam as close to the edge of the strip as I could. 

Fourth:  Pin your ruffle to the shirt.  If you have a little bit left on the ends, leave it for now!  We’ll take care of the extra at the very end! :) 

Fifth:  Try the shirt on, being careful not to get poked!  Trying the shirt on always helps me make any adjustments I need to before it’s stuck there for good! 

Sixth:  Sew the ruffles on!  If you ended up having a lit of extra at the ends (I did, see my picture), make sure you backstitch really good where you want the end of your ruffles to be.  Then cut the excess off.  Because the collar is on top of this part, you don’t have to stress about it looking perfect (yay!).

We’re all done!  Try your shirt on, twirl around in the mirror, and rejoice in another made-over shirt!

Alright…here’s the other variation.

 

For this shirt, I did three rows in alternating colors.  I also changed the buttons to green to tie the shirt together.  Instead of sewing my ruffles on the edge of my strips, I sewed these right down the middle.  I think that’s all I did different.  If something is missing, comment and I’ll be sure to fix it!

Linking away to these parties!

Hoo are you Tuesday #4

Hi friends!  I'm happy to be sharing my answers to another hoo are you tuesday!

1. Do you have any siblings? 

Yes.  I have one brother and one sister, both younger.

 2. Do you have any children? 

Not yet.

3. Are you a morning or night person?

By default, I'm a morning person.  I'm up at 6 to send my husband to work, so by 7 I'm either doing homework or laundry or something somewhat important (unless I'm having a "grumpy nap").

                       4.Are you organized or spontaneous?  I think I'm somewhere in between.  I am a planner, and love to plan how and when I'm going to get done...but I know that it doesn't usually happen as planned.  Sometimes I get a great idea, especially for crafting and I just have to do it RIGHT NOW.  (Did that even answer the question?)

 5. What is your typical 4th of July like? Laid back at home? Community celebrations? etc...?  4th of July is pretty laid back for us.  We will go out to watch the firesides, but we enjoy bbq's with immediate family and sometimes grandparents.  The day is usually used for projects, four wheeling, or something we normally wouldn't be doing if we were working!

I've got a really fun tutorial ready to be posted early tomorrow morning, so be sure to check back!  I can't wait to show it to you!!!

Tutorial: Washcloth Camera Clutch

I was wandering around Family Dollar a few days ago, and came across a wash cloth for 96 cents.  I have a simple point and shoot camera (my husband calls it the brick), so finding a case for it is tricky.  Not to mention I can't have one of those adorable neck straps for my camera!  This clutch can hold my camera, extra batteries, and an extra memory card.  It took me longer to choose which color of washcloth to buy than it did to make the silly thing!  Here’s a quick (less than 30 minutes) tutorial for you! 


You’ll need:
A washcloth
A tiny hair band (or the elastic rope looking stuff..how’s that for a proper name?)
A button (I did a cute one because I didn’t want to embellish too much)

First: Fold your washcloth in half.  I chose to keep the design from showing, so I folded it so it would be on the inside of the bag.  The corners had a funny curve to them, so I hid the funny curves inside.  I pinned it because of the curves.
Second:  Pin the elastic between the two pieces on the side you want to be the flap of the bag. 

Third:  Sew the flap side and the long side of the bag.  If you leave one side open (don’t sew it), you’ll have a little pocket in your bag.

Fourth:  Fold your bag to the right side for your camera.  You’ll be folding the washcloth in (about) thirds.  Pin the sides and sew. (Be sure to backstitch!)

Fifth:  We’re almost finished!  Now we just need to sew the button on.  Mark with a pin where your button needs to go, using the elastic as a guide.  Make sure you sew the button on just the outer fabric.  If you sew through both pieces of fabric, you’ll sew your pocket shut! :( 
Embellish as desired.  I can see fabric flowers, ruffles, all sorts of prettiness!  This is just the basic idea.  I have a couple other ideas using washcloths.  We’ll see if I end up trying them! :)
Linking to these parties.

Lynette’s Laughable Life: A True Story!

Hi there!  This post has a story to go with it.  I get to tell you something funny that happened.  Once upon a time, there was a girl named Lynette (that’s me!).  She had a great idea to make a ruffle shirt.  She gathered her ruffles together, and started to sew them vertically down her shirt.  Just as she was sewing the last ruffle on, she sewed her shirt together.  In several places.  She unpicked the seams, but she learned quickly that unpicking knits usually ends up in holes.  So now she had a holy ruffly shirt!  That shirt sat for months in a box where it couldn’t be seen.  Lynette’s sister, K, saw it and liked it.  She cut out the ruffles, sewed the parts that had been unpicked, and appliquéd it onto a brown t-shirt.  While reinforcing the ruffles to the shirt, she too sewed her shirt together!  Lynette quickly unpicked it, and as the shirt was a thicker knit, the holes were too tiny to worry about.  K left it as is and modeled it proudly for me to show off here.

This shirt is made with three thin strips of ruffles.  Normally you’d just sew the ruffles to the shirt, but this had to be a tad different because of our previous struggles! :) Linking to these parties!

New Addition!

Well, I saved my pennies, and I bought myself a Bernina!  I ended up with a used machine that had been teaching high school students how to sew.  I got a great deal, and it came included with sewing classes!  I am so excited!  The case it came with was boring…it was plain white.  So I got busy, and with a LOT of help from my mother-in-law, I was able to come up with this…

Isn’t she pretty?  I put pockets on each side so I have a place for my camera (for tutes), my foot, scissors and stuff!
I used one of my decorative stitches on the main body pockets.  Here’s a close up for you.

That’s what I did ALL DAY yesterday!  What a job, but it turned out fabulous!  Now my sewing machine can go to class in style!  Be sure to come back tomorrow for some refashioning bliss!

Hoo are You Tuesday #3

Hi there!  Lynette still here!  Here's another Hoo are you Tuesday!  (And I'm headed over to my lil' sister's house to help her with some T-shirt makeovers today!!! Pictures to follow...very soon!)

1. What are some of your pet peeves?

Dishonest people,
2. Do you have a favorite or lucky number?

9
3. What is one of your family traditions?

Moving every 3-6 months. :)  (I hope this one doesn't last TOO long!)
4. Is there anything you are OC about?

Hmmm...Yes, and no.  I go in spurts.  Sometimes I really care about where things are, and then I remember that it's just stuff, and that it's okay to have things not so clean at times.
5. What is your favorite kind of food?

I love Mexican (think Cafe Rio), and Italian (think Pasta Factory/Olive Garden)

Hoo Are You Thursday...ahem...Tuesday!

Hi friends!  I've been a busy person this week!  With my last week of nanny-ing, visiting and making quick gifts for brand new babies, cleaning and organizing my whole apartment (especially my craft/sewing spot!!!!), I haven't had much time for tutorials or blogging.  I have something super cool in the works though, so hang tight until (hopefully) sometime next week!  Meanwhile, here's a Hoo are You Tuesday....a little late!

1. What is your favorite thing about your dad?

His sense of humor, and his way of turning something annoying or frustrating into something funny.  I can't be mad for very long while he's around.

2. What are you favorite smells? Mango/citrus-y stuff, cucumber melon, fresh-baked bread, chocolate chip cookies, and lasagna cooking (this is making me hungry!!!)

3. What is your favorite Holiday?

My Birthday! (The flags go up on my birthday, so that's fun too!)

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

Always wanted to be a teacher...and I'm almost there!

5. How many different places have you lived, towns not houses?

I've lived in 5 different towns so far.

Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime?...Featuring You #1

Here we go with our very first opportunity to feature a few fabulous bloggers out there with great ideas for summer activities with the kiddos!  I may try a few of these during my last week of work!  This week I found several different "bucket lists," of things to do!
The gals at Apron Girls have lists of things to do to stay busy in the heat of summer.  Check them out here and here.  One of them is a "bucket list," a family put together for what they want to do this summer.  Another list is simply a long list of fun-packed activities!
Being Frugal has a few general ideas of cheap things to do with your kiddos!  Check out the ideas here and  here!
Berlin's Whimsy is a brand new blog I found.  Her ideas are very original and sound like a lot of fun!  Click here and here for her ideas.  I will warn you, the lists are very similar but not quite the same!  Have fun!

Next week I'll be featuring a few specific projects and activities.  If you have an idea posted on your blog, and would like to be featured, leave me a comment!  I'd love to feature you!  If I featured you in this post, be sure to grab a button. (And if they don't work, tell me and I'll get to work on them...they're brand new!)

A Few Changes

Hello there!  My life is always changing, and because of this, my blog will be changing along with me.  I will be quitting my job as a nanny.  I will miss working with this terrific family, but welcome the new changes to my life happily!  Because of this change, I will no longer be sharing my, “Oh, what do you do in the summertime?” ideas.  As I’ve been pondering what to do about this, I’ve decided to find ideas from YOU and feature them! 
Starting next week, I will post an idea I found at one of my “blog neighbors,” and send you to their blog!  If this works well for all of us, I will continue the series.  If not…I’ll let it fizzle into the blogosphere of forgotten bliss!
I’ve always loved the idea of being able to feature some of the ideas I really like.  And now I’m really going to do it!  You get some credit and a shout out from me, and I don’t have to use so much brain power!  That’s a win-win situation if I’ve ever heard of one! :)
I promise to continue to create and blog.  I’d love for you to request projects!  Lately I’ve been stuck in a rut of where I’m going with this blog, so help from YOU would be fantastic!
As you can see, My Craft Discovery has a new look!  (Yes, it will continue to change often, as I enjoy playing around with this bloggy design stuff!)  I have posted my buttons on it’s own page, so please grab one if I feature you!
Have a wonderful weekend!  See you next week!

Hoo Are You Tuesdays!

 Leslie, over at Night Owl Crafting is starting up a brand new linky party.  It’s designed to help us bloggers get to know each other better.  How fun!  What you do, is visit her site every Tuesday and copy the questions she’s posted.
Then anyone who wants to participate can post their answers and link up!  How fun!  So here we go.

1. If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass on to your children, what would it be?  My Optimism and happy attitude.
2. What's your favorite candy bar? Ooh… Take 5

3. If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be? Washington D.C.


4. What 3 adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Thoughtful, always laughing, compassionate


5. In one word, how would your best friend describe you?
Busy.

Oh, What do you do in the Summertime? Part 2

I have to apologize…there will be minimal pictures today…and none of them will be taken by me.  I still have to figure out how to take pictures of the activities and respect the privacy of the family I work for.

I have done some fabulous activities with my kiddos (yeah, their not my kids…but I call them mine anyways), and here they are!  We did all things food this week!

My kiddos love popcorn, and they love helping me make it.  I have one of these that makes it a lot of fun for kiddos.  It’s called a Whirley Pop, and you can make popcorn on the stove quickly and easily.

 A note about Safety: I don’t let them actually cook the popcorn with the heat on.  I have the kids help me pour in the kernels and oil in the pan, and then I set it on the stove and they each get to turn the handle 10 times (with the heat off), and then it’s my turn to really cook it.  If they’ve caught on that they don’t actually cook it, they don’t care :)

If you don’t have a Whirley Pop, you can make popcorn on the stove with a regular pan or in the microwave or any other way.  Here’s a site that has instructions with pictures.  The activities just need popcorn…it doesn’t matter how you make it!

After snacking on our delicious treat, we drew the outline of a tree on a paper.  Older Kiddo chose black paper, so I busted out the sidewalk chalk to make it visible.  The kiddos thought this was cool!  I made squiggles with Elmer’s glue on the tree and they covered them with popcorn.  The kiddos requested doing Christmas Trees, so that’s what we did!  I was thinking spring trees, but such is life!  I think the request was inspired by the book we’d read earlier (pictured below). 

The kiddos asked if we could string popcorn and play bingo with popcorn another day.  I said sure (thanks for planning for me…love that)!

We read lots of books about food this week.  Some of our favorites included:

The kiddos didn’t know it, but the last two books are part of a series called Math Start.  They help kids learn the first basics of math such as more, less, same and different sets.  The stories are very cute if you want to read for fun, but still get some learning in.  Fabulous!

A couple other things my kiddos love can be printed here and here.  I had cutouts of different fruits and vegetable for them to glue on.  It’s great to see how many different foods the kids can recognize!

Have fun with your food!  And guess what?  The weekend is already here!  Enjoy!

More Awards!?!

I got a comment from Jessica at Me and My Bucket, telling me she had given me an award.  How exciting!  Jessica told us to pick any of the 4 awards she’s passing along, and also invited all of her readers to take the Happy 101 award!  Thanks again Jessica!
 
Happy 101 Award Rules:
~List 10 things that make you happy.
~Give out this award to 10 blogger friends!
Lynette’s Happy 101 List:
(1) Children (2) Reading (3) Tulips (4) Strawberry Pie ( I should share this recipe it is SOOO YUMMY!) (5) Sunshine (6) Helping Others (7) Baking Treats (8) Having time to hang out with my husband (9) Creating new sewing/craft projects (10) Writing in my journal/Blogging
My 10 Blogger Friends:
Jenni from Shared from Way Over Here
Misty from Creative Itch
Leslie from Night Owl Crafting
Nancy from My Blonde Ambitions
Katy from No Big Dill
Rochelle from Fingerprints on the Fridge
Lindsey from Better After
Ana Paula from Get Craftin
Tiffany from Simply Complicated
Staci from Craftify It

Trendy Blog Award Rules:

• To receive this award, promise to share this with 10 other BLOGS that you think are Trendy too.
• Post about your award in your blog.
• List your Top 10 Trendy Blogs.
• Share with them.
• Leave a link to the Trendy Blog Button.
• Tell them they need to give this award out to 10 as well.