Tickle Me Pink Ruffle Tank and Shorts

I took a short hiatus from sewing for my daughter and I missed it more than I thought I would! There are just so many more possibilities when it comes to girl clothes and I missed the creativity of mixing and matching patterns and notions to make a completely cute outfit! So the last few days have remained gloomy here with on and off again rain but that just made me want to put together a fun and completely weather-defying outfit that would brighten our days while we were stuck indoors.

I had cleaned out my daughter's closet the last couple of weeks- yeah, it took that long- and realized she didn't have very many shorts for the upcoming summer. So I figured I could make her a few more but make them in a style that reflects her personality so that she'd actually wear it (unlike those poor paper bag shorts here.!) And these ruffle shorts were what happened. Part skirt, part short, all cute and colorful. Then, of course, if you make a pair of shorts this cute, you gotta make a top to go with it. My daughter has one tank in her entire wardrobe- unbelievable, I know- so I made her one in pink seersucker because I knew she wouldn't wear the sea green shorts unless it was paired with pink.

And I embellished as much as I dared but trying to stay practical as well. These clothes will be worn and washed, hopefully through next summer as well, so I didn't want to put so much stuff on it that it would start falling off bit by bit through each turn in the dryer. I'm already worried about the buttons even though I know I sewed them on very well!

You notice how my model looks so cooperative today? It's because I bribed her with M&Ms. Her face, before the bribe, was priceless. Even at four years old, this girl has got the "Mom, why are you doing this to me?" look down perfectly. And the groan and the sigh that usually comes after the look is just indicative of what a wonderful teenager she'll be some day. What works as a bribe for a teenager that won't cost me an arm and a leg??? I predict that M&Ms won't always cut it. 

Doesn't it look like a peplum tank? I love that the pieces are separate and she can mix and match the shorts with whatever she likes and she certainly does like to change about three times a day!

I love ric rac and fabric rosettes. Throw in two of my favorite fabric textures, stripes and polka dots,  and it just can't get any cuter. The polka dot fabric was also used in this outfit here and that was also a favorite outfit for my daughter and me. I have maybe a quarter yard left of it and I'm looking forward to what else I can add it to because it just adds an element of unexpected fun.

This was such a fun outfit to sew and I think she's pretty darn happy with it too. She even told me that if I add some fabric flowers to the paper bag shorts then she'd wear them too. Uh-mazing what power those fabric rosettes hold, huh?! Well, if that's all it takes to make her pull those other shorts on, I guess I'd better get to it! Thanks for stopping by today!

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An Easy DIY Drummer Boy Costume

In lieu of a kindergarten graduation ceremony, my son's school is putting on a circus instead for parents and the entire school. My son was chosen to be a drummer boy in the marching band and costumes were required. I'm so glad he didn't choose to be a clown or an animal! I love to sew but being given a one week notice does not allow for a busy mom to do anything too complicated! So I stopped at Walmart and picked up a $3 t-shirt and that's about it. The black pants were in the donate pile because I wasn't too crazy about the fit or the thin material- it was something bought while at Grandma's house. They were perfect for this project though, so why not?

For the details on the shirt and pants, I used off white and yellow fleece. They don't ravel and they're easy to sew and I had a couple yards of each in my stash.

 

The first step is to make a template of the chest straps to go on the front of the shirt. I simply traced a two-inch circle and the width of a ruler on a folded sheet of paper. My straps were about 8" long so a folded sheet of 8.5x11 paper worked easily without needing to measure the width. Cut as many as you need from your fabric. I used three on my shirt because four would've been too crowded.

Sew the straps on using a running stitch then on to the epaulets!

For the epaulets on the shoulders, I traced a 5.5" diameter circle directly onto the fabric, doubled it up, and then cut two circles at once. Next, separate your circles, fold one in half and cut 1" strips all around it. Repeat with the second piece. Then I cut about 1.5" off one end of the circle so that it looks like the sun rising out of the horizon. The straight end will be aligned to the neck opening when you're ready to pin and sew.

I cut out a letter "C" for my son's school name and sewed that onto the back of the shirt. 

Now for the side stripes on the pants. I laid my pants down flat with the outside seam visible and measured the length of it. Mine was 23" and with a 1" seam allowance to one end, I would need to cut a strip that was 24". So I cut two 2"x 24" strips from the white fleece and pinned over 1" of the fabric at the bottom hem and sewed that down to anchor them in place. I then flipped the pants to the waistband side and sewed down from there. The reason for that is because the waist of the pants can be unzipped and opened wider to make sewing the strip of fabric easier. Repeat on the other leg and your pants are set!

The hat is so quick to make! I used an oatmeal canister and cut into it at an angle to form the "duck bill." Then I cut the original lip off as this was now in the way. With some glue, colored paper, and buttons, you've got yourself a neat little hat. To anchor it to my son's head, I hole punched each side of the hat and tied on some elastic that I normally use for sewing loop fasteners for buttons.

And voila~ a drummer boy in less than two hours! 

Isn't he too darling? He was so excited to have his costume ready to go as they've been practicing for the circus during the last few days at school. Now I can't wait to see him and all his classmates that I've come to know during volunteer time in class and field trips. It'll definitely be a circus to remember and a great way to end kindergarten!  

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A Cinco de Mayo or Summer Fiesta DIY Decor

I made these little pinatas for the kiddy guests. I used a toilet paper roll, wrapped some fringed colorful crepe paper around it, and filled with candy and confetti. I put a pull string at the bottom but they didn't pull too well. But they were cute and contributed to the festive decor perfectly!

I know it's been almost a month since Cinco de Mayo- but I decided to share these pictures now because a lot of these ideas are easy and fun to diy for a summer fiesta anytime!  Here are just a few small things you can make in a jiffy to liven up a fiesta celebration! Enjoy!

 

The tissue paper flower backdrop was created last year for my daughter's birthday party and I had been using it to add color to my craft room here. I think it fits in pretty well here! And in the picture on the right you can see the colorful cut out banners hanging above. 

The colorful striped bamboo runner is actually three dollar store place mats. Aren't they adorable? You can find the neatest things at the dollar store sometimes and these place mats will be used again and again! Love em!

The  coffee filter rolled flowers on the table are from this post here.

Looking back at these pictures, I realize how much I just loooove colorful tissue paper! I buy a bunch whenever I stop at the Dollar Store to keep my supply from diminishing. You just never know when you'll need them! I'd say they're a necessity for any kind of party decor especially when you don't want to invest too much in decorations that'll be used temporarily. 

Here's our makeshift photo booth wall. I snipped some colorful streamers, twisted them and taped them to the wall with some balloons. Simple and effective in creating a temporary backdrop for some festive pics! You'll see a few of them at the bottom! 

The printables and photo props are from The Dating Divas. 

Aren't they just so freakin' adorable?! The kids loved the photo props and I've packed them away to reuse for another fiesta photo booth. Best free thing I've printed off the internet this month! =) And yes, I think I'll always have a photo booth at every party now. I think it's a great excuse to take a break from hostessing and take pictures of everyone enjoying the party. 

We did some kiddo activities at our Cinco de Mayo fiesta as well but I didn't take pictures! =( The girls made tissue paper flowers and tied them to hair clips to wear in their hair and the boys decorated sombreros made from a paper plate and bowl. They enjoyed the little activities- but mostly, we just enjoyed having good friends over and making new memories! 

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