TWISTED STONED FLOWERS FROM SCRAPS

Make pretty flowers with from scraps and dollar store decorative stones.

This is super simple, quick and easy.  You can use them to create a statement necklace, barrette, pin...anything you like (I haven't decided yet what I want to do with them).

Items used:

• Soda Can
• Paper
• Paper
• Pen or Sharpie
• Scissors
• Scrap of felt or other sturdy fabric
• Ruler or seam gauge (optional)
• Scraps of fabric
• Decorative stone - small 
• Hot Glue Gun

Use a soda can or other circular object to draw a circle on a piece or paper.  Cut out and use a template. Place circle on felt, draw around it with a pen or Sharpie then cut out.




















I measured off 1 inch of a piece of scrap fabric that was 22 inches long, cut then tore as I wanted a jagged edge - what you use is up to you.  Total I used 2 pieces of 22 inches of fabric for this item.

Use glue gun to glue down fabric and start twisting.  Dab a bit of glue on top of the fabric and glue down the stone.  Twists fabric, dab glue, push down and repeat all the was around the flower, twisting as you go.

Keep on dotting glue at intervals and tacking down - if you run out of the scrap, add another piece of the same or contrasting fabric that you would like or trim the edges and use as is.  I added another length of fabric and trimmed on this one.  On the yellow flower, I dotted glue on the fabric and glued down even after I had gone beyond the circle.

Dollar Store Fairy Skirt to Under The Sea Themed Fairy Skirt

A Dollar Store Fairy skirt upgraded to an "Under The Sea" themed Fairy Skirt.

This is another tutu for the 2010 Tutu Drive by Samster's Mommy. 
For this I used some Nemo fabric that was on sale at the fabric store, but any fish, sea themed or even a solid blue color would do for the base and then the Dollar Store fairy skirt was sewn below the waistband and the bottom layer also cut into strips to be sort of a whimsical seaweed.

Items used:

• Dollar Store Fairy Skirt
• 1/3 yd fabric
• Straight Pins
• Scissors
• Thread
• Sewing Machine
• 3/8 inch elastic - 20 inches
• Iron
• Ruler
• Safety pin

For the hem press up 1/2 inch, then fold over and press again.

Using a sewing machine, stitch 1/4 inch from the edge all of the way around. 

For the top I zigzagged the edges so they would not ravel. 

Press under 1 inch.













Pin the back seam together and sew a 5/8 inch seam up to 1 inch from the top.   Press the seam open and stitch over the pressed edge at the hem 3/4 of and each from the middle seam on each side over the hem so the seam will lie flat.

For the waistband, stitch 5/8 inch from the top the circumference of the skirt, then pin a safety pin to the end of the elastic, thread the elastic through the waistband, then overlap a 1/2 inch at the ends then stitch over the ends several time so the elastic will be secure.














Put the Dollar Store fairy skirt over the top of underskirt and match up the elastic of the fairy skirt to just under the edge of the edge of the waistband of the underskirt, pin into place and stitch down.  I then cut the 2nd layer of the fairy skirt into approximately 2 inch strips.

FLOWER FAIRY TODDLER TUTU

Front
Make a whimsical flower fairy tutu. 

Back

This is another tutu for the Tutu Drive at Samster's Mommy:  http://samstermommy.blogspot.com/
I sort of made it up as I went along and do have a suggestion for a change from what I did on the waistband.

This is for a toddler tutu, but it could easily be upsided to child and adult sizes.  Use at least 2 1/2-3 times the waist measurement for the yardage and for a longer tutu double that and sew a seam at the bottom.  For the elastic would be the waist measurement plus 1/2 inch.

Items used:

• 1 yd 60 inch wide tulle
• 1 inch wide elastic, 19-21 inches for a toddler
• Sewing machine and thread
• Straight pins
• Iron
• Silk flowers
• T-Shirt
• Safety pin

Fold the tulle in half lengthwise, pin together at side and top and iron on low-medium setting to iron out any wrinkles and iron in a slight crease at the bottom.

Take the silk flowers apart and remove any rough plastic parts (I put the plastic center, etc.  in a jar to use on future projects)

Unfold the tulle and pin the flowers on one of the sides between the top and the ironed crease.

Stitch the flowers down to the side of fabric.  I used a sewin machine and stitched in the centers on most of the flowers, but you could just stitch around the edges.

Fold the fabric back together and pin.  Run a basting stitch 1/4 inch away from the top and other one 1/2 inch away from the top leaving long ends on each one, then gather to fit the width of the waistband.














For the waistband, I cut the bottom off of a T-Shirt which will save pressing and hemming (see below), but you could just use some stretchy fabric instead and press under 1/2 inch on one edge.

On the underneath side of the tutu, pin right side of the non-hemmed edge and stitch together using a regular stitch.

Press the edges up towards the top of the waistband, then fold the waistband over towards the front of the tutu.

Suggested change:  What I did at this point was was pin down and stitch the waistband on the other side of the tutu.  Instead of doing this, it would probably be easier to stitch the back together except for a 1-2 inch area on the inside of the waistband to string the elastic and then hand stitch it shut to avoid ugly zigzag stitching to stitch it together to avoid an itchy bulk of elastic poking in the back.

Pin the hemmed edge over the gathering stitches and match up to the waistband on the opposite side, pin down and stitch 1/4 inch from the edge of the waistband at the bottom.  I also stitched again 3/4 of an inch from the edge of the waistband at the bottom as I wanted it to be secure.

Pin the safety pin to the edge of the elastic and run it through the waistband until it is flush with the edge, then pin down each edge.  Pin the edges of the tutu, top side (right side) together and use a wide zigzag stitch on

the edge from the bottom up to the waistband.

On the waistband, push the sides together and zigzag shut, going over several times to be sure it is secure.  Because it will look a little ugly (see above picture with ugly zigzag stitching) use something to cover it up.  I used a sequined star from my stash.

NEARLY NO SEW TODDLER TUTU

Quick and easy tutu for a toddler to play dress up.  

I created this for the Tutu Drive 2010 http://samstermommy.blogspot.com/2010/06/tutu-drive-2010.html.
It is part of the Princess Alexa Foundation that was created by the Mom of Alexa to honor her memory; Alexa was not yet two when she began battling cancer and she loved to dress up in princess dresses where ever she went.  The tutus collected will be donated to seriously ill children to play dress up to help them feel better. 

This tutu is to fit a size 3-4 Toddler.

Items used:

• 1 1/2 - 2 yds or more of Tulle
• 3/8 inch or 1/2 inch wide elastic - 21 inches
• Scissors
• Ruler or Yardstick
• DVD case (optional)
• Sewing Machine]
• Thread

Cut Tulle into half yard lengths.  Fold the 1/2 yard widths in half and either measure 5 inches or so wide in cut.  Instead of measuring, I used the width of a DVD case, which is 5 1/4 inches wide in between the layers and cut.

Fold each strip in half and stick the edge underneath the elastic in the opposite direction as where the fringe is going to hang.













Stick the ends through the loop and pull it through and it will create knot.  Repeat until all but two strips are used.

Overlap the edge of the elastic over 1/2 inch and use a sewing machine to stitch.  Tie the remaining two strips over the area that was sewed and evenly space the tied on strips on the elastic and you are done!

If you would like to create a tutu for the drive, click on the picture below.
Tutu Sizing Chart