More Yoga-Style Skirts

Here is the easiest skirt ever! This is an adult-size skirt, too, even better. It's done using the same idea as my original tutorial on yoga skirts. Start with an old t-shirt and cut the sleeves off. I cut it off below the armpits. Use the t-shirt's hem as the bottom.

Here's what you're left with. I had to add an extra panel to make it long enough. I'm a tall gal. I added the panel to the top of the t-shirt to ensure I wouldn't have to hem the finished skirt. I made the waist band out of an old tank top. It had some stretch to it. I made it 3" shorter than my waist measurement so it would fit tightly enough without elastic. Then I just attached it to the top of the panel I added (you can tell from this picture below). I added a little flower and a blue tube of fabric at the bottom for some color. I love blue.

I don't know what's with all my yoga skirt posts lately. I don't even do yoga.

Ironing Board Cover Tutorial

I have had a little ironing board since college. It works great for small sewing projects, but the cover was stained and just downright ugly. I decided to make a new one!

I found a man's yellow polo shirt in the Goodwill pile. I cut it off below the armpits. Then I cut down the side to open it up into a large piece of cloth.

I removed the old, stained cover and used it to measure. I cut an extra 1/2" all the way around the cover for a seam allowance. Then I folded it over 1/2" and pinned it in place.
Then I sewed it into place, leaving an opening to run a cord through (you could use elastic, but my original board used a cord which was stapled to the board). Then I ran the cord and finished it off!
After that

This is the before picture:
This is the after:I'm happy with it. And it didn't cost me a thing!

Toddler Pants

My mom and I were out a great outlet mall the other day. I saw tons of toddler sweatpants. They were all priced at $8.50 or more. I couldn't wait to get home and try making a pair for my little guy with my own two hands. Turns out, they are so easy to make, I made two pairs.

Here is pair number one (the "car pants", as my husband calls them):

Start off with a pair of pants your child already owns to use as a pattern. I repurposed a large pair of gray sweatpants I found in the Goodwill pile.
Trace the little pants onto the big pants. Add some extra room for seam allowance on each side. Also make sure to add enough extra at the top and bottom for a hem and waistband casing!
Cut out four pieces total. (I only cut twice since I folded over the gray sweat pants. I think that makes sense.)Now is the time to do your appliques! I free-handed this car.
I printed some truck patterns off of the internet and traced them.
(To do fusible interfacing, which is easiest with knit fabrics, fuse your applique's fabric to interfacing with an iron. Then tear off the back paper. Then fuse it again with the iron directly to your article of clothing.) Stitch around your applique as desired once it is ironed into place.Now, sew the front crotch pieces of the pants together. Do the same with the back crotch pieces. Now, line up both the sewn front and back pieces. You should be able to see how the legs meet.Sew the legs together at the inseam. It is easiest to sew each leg separately from the crotch to the leg opening

Now sew up both lateral sides of the pant legs. Then go ahead and put your hems into the pant legs. Finally, make your elastic casing. Run the elastic through the top and stitch it to keep it in place. I clipped the fabric close to the seams to keep them looking neat even if they were turned inside out!

Presenting my second attempt; the truck pants!

Boy's Appliqued Pants

My little boy has some hand-me-down pants that had a tiny stain on the pocket. I wanted to cover it up. So I just cut out some numbers to applique onto the pants. (I decided to go with "10" for the year ... 2010 ...)

I just freehand cut out the 10:
And this is what it looks like up close after I sewed it on with navy thread!

Appliqued Hippo Shirt

We're just hippo crazy around here! I made our little guy a hippo shirt. I just can't get good, clear pictures of him since he's always moving. It also doesn't help that there is no sunlight and hasn't been for 5 days now!

But you can at least see the hippo applique even if you can't see my little guy.