Tutorial Tuesday - The 20 Minute Skirt

Happy Tuesday, all!  Let's take a break from the Royal Baby madness for a skirt tutorial!

My girls love to wear skirts, especially when I make them.  This is a super easy skirt, and literally only takes 20 minutes to make!  All you need are two fabrics, some 1/2 inch wide elastic, and your sewing machine and general sewing stuff (scissors, thread, pins, etc.).  I used Moda's Oh Deer fabric for this - isn't it adorable? 

First, take your daughter's measurements.  I made this skirt for my 8 year old.  Her waist was 22 inches and the length from her waist to her knee (where I wanted the skirt to hit) was 18 inches.

Subtract 3 inches from your waist to knee measurement.  For my daughter, that was 15 inches.  Now add an inch for your elastic casing.  I got 16 inches.  This is the length of the skirt before adding the contrasting band a the bottom. 

Now it's time to make your fabric cuts:

Main Fabric: Length (16 inches, in my case) x 44 inches (selvage to selvage of your fabric)
Contrast Fabric: 7 inches x 44 inches
Elastic: waist measurements plus 1 inch


Here's my fabric after it was cut:

First, fold your contrast fabric in half lengthwise with wrong sides together.  Press well.  Pin the band to the bottom of your main fabric, right sides together, so that the raw edges are lined up.  Using a 1/2 inch seam allowance, sew the two together.

Serge, zig-zag, or pink the edges to finish, press downward towards the band.

Topstich along the top of the band.

Now, if you have a serger you can serge to top edge of the skirt.  If you don't, just fold it over 1/4 inch and then again another 3/4 inch to make the casing for the elastic.

Sew it up, leaving about an inch open so that you can thread your elastic through the casing that you just created. 

Stitch the ends of your elastic together, then sew up the rest of the casing.

Voila!  a cute little skirt that only took you 20 minutes!

I love the band at the bottom - such a fun touch!

Put your skirt on your favorite little girl and watch her twirl!

Linking up with:

Remodelaholic

Instafriday #14

I'm linking up again with Jeanette from Life Rearranged for Instafriday! Here's what I've been up to lately:

This girl LOVES to accessorize!  She also loves playing cards...I sense a future poker star!

Did you get your free Slurpee on July 11?  I did.  And uh...I also redid my nails.  Ew.

When my kids complain, they have to clean.  And I get to enjoy clean floors.  (Side note: the Shark Steam Mop is AWESOME!  Make sure you get the one with all of the attachments!)

We had some family in town, which always means that the hubs and I can go out for date night.  We hit up our favorite movie theater to see Red 2 (hilarious, BTW!) and share a pitcher of mimosas.  Yum!

All of the sewing I've been doing means I NEEDED one of these.  Next to my seam ripper, this thing is my new favorite tool in the sewing room! 

Yep, I had a good birthday :)  I also got a bias tape maker...no more burnt fingers for me!!  This thing is also awesome.  Stay tuned for a tutorial on making bias tape with it or the old fashioned way :)

This no-bake s'mores pie was AWESOME.  Especially on a hot day when we didn't have to heat up the oven or stove.  Added bonus: My husband got to use the propane torch.  Cooking with flames is always fun!

Yummiest dinner ever: Cilantro Lime Shrimp, grilled corn, and my famous bean salad.  SO good.  Especially when watermelon was for dessert!

During my last shop update photo shoot, I got this cute picture of my oldest practicing her yoga.  Love her! 

Summer means homemade popsicles at our house.  I love making them from leftover fruit (this was strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis) and some apple juice.  Just chop up your fruit, stuff it in the mold, and top off with juice.  White grape juice works well, too.  Easy and healthy!

You can always follow along with me on Instagram - I'm thegracefulroseshop over there!  Be sure to check out Life Rearranged to see what the other bloggers are up to!

Tried and Tested: The Liesel Dress by Peek A Boo Pattern Shop

I'm so excited to share a new dress with you today!  I've sewed up a few of Peek A Boo Pattern Shop's adorable patterns (the Perfect Peasant Dress is used for this dress in my shop) and have found the patterns to be very straightforward and quick to sew.  Recently, I had the opportunity to test one of Amy's patterns for her new fall line and since I've had such good luck with her designs in the past, of course I said yes!

I tested the Liesel, a peasant-style dress or top with shirring at the waist (and sleeves, if you do the short sleeve version).  I know that shirring is sort of scary for a lot of people, but it's really not too hard, and Amy walks you through it step-by-step.

I made the short sleeved version of the dress in a size 8, which has a shirred waist and sleeves.

 The neckline has a cute tie made from bias tape, which is a fun touch if you make your own.  My daughter loved how comfy this dress was!

I think the fit was right on - it looks a little big on my daughter, who is pretty skinny.  But the length and sleeve length were perfect for her.

Here's a close up of the tie.  Stay tuned for a tutorial on how to make your own bias tape - again, it seems tricky, but really, it's super simple!  I love the polka dots with this big floral print.

Here's a shot of the back, and you can see how the neckline gathers.  It's such a comfy little dress!  I can't wait to make a few more of these for back to school!  I think it would be adorable in corduroy and I also can't wait to make the top version!

Thanks, Amy for letting me test this adorable pattern!

The Facts:
Pattern: Liesel by Peek A Boo Patterns, dress with short sleeves
Size: 8
Fabric: the floral is an Alexander Henry print that I bought at Joann several years ago.  Sadly, I cut the selvage off so I don't have the name of it :(  The purple polka dot fabric is also from Joann - just their basic quilting cotton.
Thoughts: This was a super easy sew!  Only 4 pattern pieces, so it comes together super quick.  If you've never shirred before, this is a great project to get you feeling comfortable.  I chose to make my own bias tape, but using store bought would be just fine and even faster.

Cookies & Cream Pudding Pops

It's HOT out, folks.  Especially for us wimps in the Pacific Northwest.  So what's a girl to do?  Make pudding pops, of course!  Remember those awesome commercials with Bill Cosby from the 80s?  And the even more awesome pudding pops?  Yum.  I've heard that they are available again but that they taste weird.  So...my girls and I decided to just make our own :)

This is so easy that my nearly 6 year old could do it herself!

What you need:

Instant pudding mix (we used vanilla, but it would be super yummy with cheesecake flavor!)
Cream filled sandwich cookies - (mini Oreos in a tiny container mean no leftovers for me to eat later!)
Milk

Take a handful of cookies, put them in a zipper bag, hand your kid a rolling pin, and let her go to town.

When she's you're done, they should look like this.  Mmmmmm...cookie crumbs...

Meanwhile, make the pudding according to the directions on the package (usually, pour in the milk and whisk for 2 minutes).  Don't worry about letting it thicken - it will do that while it's freezing.

Stir in the cookie crumbs.

Now, spoon the pudding into popsicle molds and be sure to tap them a few times to get any air bubbles out.

Freeze until firm and enjoy!

Instafriday # 13

Happy Friday, all!  I'm linking up with Jeanette again for Instafriday - woohoo!

The grandparents from both sides came for a visit.  My mom and I have a deep love for afternoon tea, and the girls have started to develop the same love!  So we try to all go together when she comes to town :)

 

This was the yummiest margarita I've ever had - jalapeno mango.  It was SO good and spicy!

 

If you come to Seattle this summer, be sure to hit up the Chihuly exhibit at Seattle Center - it's amazing!  This is a tiny part of a ceiling installation and it's just breathtaking!

 

The weather was amazing...couldn't resist a picture with my favorite guy.  He's the best!

 

I love this shot I got of part of the glass exhibit and the Space Needle with the sun flare...I felt all artsy :)

 

My youngest has been taking tap all year, and this past weekend was her recital - of course, Daddy brought her roses after :)

 

Have you ever gotten a gel mani or pedi?  If so...you know what a pain it is to take off! 

 

My birthday was on Thursday...I'm feeling old, so starting the day with a mimosa.  They make everything better!  Is it just me, or is my Instagram feed mostly full of food and drinks lately?

 

My girls have been taking swim lessons all week, in the rain.  I had to break out the Uggs, I was so cold!

 

My birthday cupcake.  YUM!

 

These girls are becoming quite the little fishies :)

 

We ate dinner on my birthday at Delcancey, run by the fabulous Molly Wizenberg and her husband, Brandon.  If you're local, please hit this place up - it's always yummy and the service is great! 

Today is supposed to be nice and sunny, so we're headed to the pool!  While I'm there, I'll check out the other bloggers linking up at Life Rearranged...you should too!

Fun Finds at the Japanese Dollar Store And a GIVEAWAY! - CLOSED

Do you have a Daiso near you?  It's such a fun store!  It's basically a dollar store, although everything there is $1.50-3.00.  Still - those are great prices for everything from craft supplies to cute dishes.  I get almost all of my kids' bento supplies there, and lately, there have been some really cute craft supplies there as well.  Here are some finds from my most recent trip:

First up, some adorable lace tape and fabric tape.  I use this stuff for card making, scrapbooking, and gift wrapping.  I've seen both listed for $8-10 per roll, so getting two rolls of each for $1.50 is a total bargain!  And don't think that the price means it's cheap - it's great quality.  This cute frame was purchased for an upcoming birthday party - stay tuned for a post all about it next week!

More lace tape, some cute paper plates, binder clips, trainer chopsticks (I actually bought several pair - my kids love sushi!), a set of cute erasers for party favors, and one of several little bento snack boxes that I bought.  There are so many bento blogs out there - I especially love Wendelonia and Another Lunch.

Finally, and I wish I could get a better picture of it, is this two-pack of adorable gift wrap.  I see a sweet shop for the girls' dolls coming up, a la this background we made earlier!

And now for the giveaway!  I've got a bento snack box, a roll of fabric tape, and a roll of lace tape for one lucky reader!  Just follow this blog (check the sidebar!) and leave a comment, and I will pick a
winner Monday, July 1! 

Congratulations, Mariah!  I'll be in touch soon!

Thoughts on School House Craft's Blogger's Summer Camp

One of the (many) awesome things about living in a creative city like Seattle, is that there are tons of ways to find support for running a small business.  In the few months that I've run my Etsy shop, The Graceful Rose, and this blog, I've realized that a lot of the blogs I follow are written by local creative folks.  So when I found out that several of them would be speaking at a local class on blogging through School House Craft, well I just couldn't pass that up!

Sadly, I did not take too many pictures - I was so focused on taking notes and chatting with my table mates!  Let me just say though, the decorations were awesome!  Very cute camp theme, complete with little tissue paper camp fires on every table. 

We sat at tables of 8 and were able to network quite a bit throughout the day, which was great!  I met so many talented folks, some of whom had yet to really even start blogging - they just wanted to learn.  It was weird to be one of the "veterans" for some of the discussions!  The first panel was geared towards a blog/life balance, which I found extremely important, as this is my second blog, but first geared towards actually making a business out of it.  My old blog (which I merged with this one...just look back at the archives) was more about my daily life and was quite a mish-mash.  I want this one to have more focus and I want to get it out there in the world more.  Blogging with purpose takes a LOT of work, and even more planning.  A few things I learned from our first panel:

• Create an editorial calendar.  Think about holidays months in advance so that you have the time to shop and do, as well as photograph.  I can't believe I hadn't thought of this already!
• Become friends with HootSuite.  I've had it on my phone for almost a year...time to actually use it! 
• Do more link parties, and host a few!
• Recruit more guest posters - there are so many great ideas and writers out there, especially in the craft and sewing blogiverse!
• Do more round up posts - a great way to share information with others, and possibly be shared yourself

We broke out into groups for lunch (which was deeeelish!) and I sat with some fabulous gals where we talked about collaborating with other blogging talent, as well as some ways to monetize.  It was great to hear from other bloggers what worked or didn't!  And I found a whole new list of blogs to read :)

 

 

The afternoon session was all about monetizing your blog - they myths about just how much money you can make (actually, it sounds like not a lot) vs how much free stuff you can have sent to you (now this is where you can hit it big!), how to attract advertisers, and even which ad networks were the best.  I don't think I'm big enough yet to attract the big advertisers, but it does sound like I should be reaching out to my fellow crafty small business owners to either trade ad space or charge a small fee (any takers??).  Among the gems that I gathered in the afternoon:

 

• Figure out which conferences are best for your industry and attend as many as you can.  Network, network, network!
• Ad networks seem like the best bang for your buck.
• There's not a lot of actual money to be made in blogging BUT you can earn a lot of free product by doing reviews.
• Be graciously aggressive.  (Is that not just the best advice for life in general?)  Go after what you want, but do it in the best way!
• Reach out to other bloggers, shop owners, or businesses - the worst thing that can happen is that they say no. 
• Attract more followers by participating in link parties and using social media to the fullest, especially Twitter and Instagram.  Need to be better about the latter!

 

All in all, it was a great day, and I had such a wonderful experience that I signed up for SHC's annual Fall Conference.  I'm attending both days and can't wait!  If you'll be there too, drop me a line :)

 

Finally, because they all were such a wealth of information, please be sure to check out the blogs of the fabulous ladies on both morning and afternoon panels:

 

Moorea Seal - her blog has been a favorite of mine for a long time!  Her taste is impeccable.

Marie LeBaron - I've been reading her blog since the beginning (which, uh, I told her and then sounded like a stalker...sorry, Marie!)

Blair Peter - another blog I've been reading for what seems like ever.  She's just as sweet in person!

Megan Reardon - her DIYs are awesome and she is SO funny! 

Arianne Folks - She helps make blogs great - so much wisdom there!

Andie Powers - one of the talented ladies behind Assemble, I knew her from her contributions to Apartment Therapy.

Melanie Biehle - who writes beautifully at Inward Facing Girl

Marlo Miyashiro - our MC for the day, who blogs at I Make Cute Stuff