Minnie Pillowcase Dress

Well, I've got it...the sewing bug.  I finished a cute little pillowcase dress for Bug-A-Boo and I really like how it turned out.  It took me a while and I had to get some special instruction from a girl who worked at Joann's but I did it.

Unfortunately, Bug-A-Boo did not like it.  I told her I made it for her to wear at Disney World and she said she didn't want to wear it and she didn't like it.  I was crushed.  I asked her if we should give it to someone else and she said, "yes."  My heart was broken.  I felt crazy for feeling so upset about it.

I found out later that she thought that it was her Halloween costume.  She really wants to be Jasmine for halloween this year and that is why she didn't like it.  We shall see.  I think next time I'll let her pick out the fabric.

Must have this...

...beautiful doll from Disney's new Designer Princess collection.

Rapunzel Hair Clip Organizer

Last year when the movie Tangled came out I remember seeing a craft from Disney's Family Fun Magazine's website.  It was a Rapunzel Hair Clip organizer.  It was so cute and looked so easy to make but  Bug-A-Boo didn't have a lot of hair clips so I filed it away under craft ideas.

Fast forward to August 2011.  Bug-A-Boo decided to take scissors and give herself a haircut.  

After an emergency call and appointment to our hairstylist, Renee, she has the cutest little pixie cut ever and we went shopping for hair accessories.

Now that we have all these cute little hair bows, flowers, butterflies and other clips we need a place to put them so they don't get lost.  I remembered the Rapunzel Hair Clip organizer.

I went to Michael's and got my materials and looked up the directions on how to make it.

Materials

•                Yellow worsted-weight yarn

•                4-inch embroidery hoop (available for about $1.50 at craft stores)

•                Ribbons

1. Instructions
   
   1.  Measure and cut 64 (3-yard) strands of the yarn. Tie a short piece of yarn around the center of the strands to bundle them.
2. 2.  Lay the center of the bundle on the inner ring of a 6-inch embroidery hoop, spreading out the yarn so that it covers most of the ring (A).
3. 3.  Fit the loosened outer ring over the inner ring to secure the yarn (B), and tighten the hoop's screw.
4. 4.  Flip the hoop over and let the yarn cascade over the hoop, hiding it (C). Braid the entire length of the yarn. Tie ribbons around the yarn at the base of the hoop and the end of the braid. Hang the hoop from its tightening screw and add your hair accessories.
   
   
   I think it came out pretty cute and I hope that Bug-A-Boo likes it.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Swap-Bot.com Disney Animated Film ATC's

Several months ago I found out about a fun website, Swap-bot.com.  It is an online service that organizes group swaps and a community of creative individuals.  Swap-bot takes the hassle out of participation in group swaps by organizing all of the participant information and doing all of the partner assignments.

I've participated in a few swaps in the past and really enjoyed them but during the holidays I was so busy I didn't really check out the site.  Periodically, since then I would check it out but didn't see anything that appealed to me.  It seemed like everything was an ATC (Artist Trading Card), which I don't collect and have never even really seen.

Apparently ATC's are miniature pieces of art that are traded around the world. Artists create, trade and collect art at organized “swap” events or through the mail, in person or online. The only official rule for ATCs is the size: 2.5″ x 3.5″.  As a general rule, swaps are open to any media, materials or techniques as long as the card fits into a standard trading card sleeve.  As I looked around Swap-bot to see if there was anything I was interested in I stumbled upon a Disney Animated Film ATC #1 - Snow White swap.  I read the description and it sounded interesting.

I want to celebrate all of Disneys Animated Films in a series of swaps. The first one will be Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was released in 1937.

You will make 3 ATCs for 1 partner. 1 will be for the hero/heroine, 1 will be for the villian and 1 will be for the "little guy" because sometimes the "little guy" makes the movie.

You can draw, collage, paint, mixed media, embellish and even stitch your cards. Anything goes but please don't slap a sticker on it and call it an ATC.

ATCs are 2.5 in by 3.5 in.

I immediately thought of the cool picture I had of the Evil Queen that I took when we were at World of Disney at Downtown Disney in Disney World this past February.   In about 10 seconds I had an idea for all three cards and I signed up for the swap.

Today was the last day to sign up and the cards have to be mailed to my partner by August 18th, which won't be a problem seeing as how I finished all three today during nap time.

I am absolutely loving these cards and almost want to keep them for myself.

The Villain
(Photo by Crafty Chick, Cricut Cartridge:  Opposites Attract)

Here is the finished card that inspired me to do the swap in the first place.  Piecing the little strips of paper together took awhile, but I think it turned out pretty good.

The Little Guy
(Cricut Cartridge:  Disney's Princess-Happily Ever After)

This was the most difficult of the cards.  Not in the actual putting it together but what I wanted to do.  At first I knew that "the little guy" had to be Dopey but then I thought that Grumpy was a favorite as well.  I thought about doing a card that had both of them on it but that was proving to be to difficult and time consuming.  I settled on just doing Dopey.  I cut out the paper piecing using my Cricut and adhered it to the card using small pop dots so that he is raised up off the card a little giving him some dimension.  It was cute but it was missing something.  There wasn't much room to do anything else.  Then I saw my purple bell jar and the sparkly purple flowers.  I attached them with some embroidery thread and viola!

My favorite is the Snow White card.

The Heroine
(Cricut Cartridge:  Disney's Princess Happily Ever After)

I absolutely love this card.  The paper piecing is so easy to put together and I just think that graphically it is pretty darn good (if I may say so myself).  I do believe I will be making a duplicate for myself.

I just checked Swap-bot tonight to see if I had been assigned a partner yet and I haven't but I did see that the Disney Animated Film ATC #2 has been released and it is Pinocchio.  I wonder if the organizer plans on doing all 50 animated films.  I don't think I could do all 50 but you never know.

To sew or not to sew?

Being a Crafty Chick I have dabbled in a lot of different disciplines, scrapbooking, card making, quilting, candle making, soap making, painting/drawing, ceramics and knitting.  You name it, I've probably tried it.  Obviously, some things have stuck (scrapbooking mostly) and others have not (just couldn't get into knitting).  The only thing I never really tried was sewing.

I've always thought I might want to try it.  The closest I've gotten is making some window treatments, pillowcases and snack bags but I never really considered that sewing.  There was no pattern needed and it was pretty basic.  When I think of sewing I think of what my grandmother did.  Make clothes for the family.

Recently, a friend of mine started making skirts for her daughter and they are the cutest thing.  Every time I would see them I would think how I wanted to do that for Bug-A-Boo.  I bought some patterns but they have been sitting in a cabinet for a couple of months now.  Finally, I realized that we only have a month and a half before we leave for Disney World and I really want to make Bug-A-Boo a pillowcase dress.

I went to Joann to buy the fabric for the pattern that I have.  To my surprise I found out that in a couple of weeks they are teaching a class on how to make a pillowcase dress from the pattern I have.  With the help of a wonderful Joann Associate I purchased all of the supplies and was told that I should practice using my sewing machine before the class.  She also told me that the pattern and instructions for making the capri pants was very easy.


Instead of even thinking about the pants I saw an apron kit on clearance so I got that instead.

It was so easy to make.  The "design" was already printed on the fabric and the instructions were basically, "cut out panels", sew together like the picture.  Well, a half hour later I had a really cute apron.

This easy-peasy project was not enough for me though.  I kept thinking about the challenge of figuring out the pattern thing for myself.

A couple days went by and I was having Bug-A-Boo try on some clothes to see if they still fit her.  One of the things she tried on was a sundress that we bought while at Disney World in February.  We got it at the Polynesian with the sole purpose that she could wear it in September when we went to the Spirit of Aloha Luau.  Well, she tried it on and needless to say...she grew.  She grew a lot and the dress was way to short to be a dress anymore.  At this moment my wheels started turning.  I remember the pattern with the cute capris.  I thought about how I could cut the dress down into a shirt and use the extra fabric for the contrasting band on the the legs of the capris.

I was so excited.  I decided to do it.  I was going to sew.  Really sew.  Clothes.

I went back to Joann, found the same helpful associate and got my materials.  I came home and read the pattern and instructions.  After about 5 hours and several take-aparts (4 to be exact) and re-tries I did it!

I can't wait to make that dress.  Definitely...to sew!