Shabby Chic Tutu {It's tu cute!}

Hello! I'm Amy from Living A Radical Life!

I am a wife of 13 years and I am the mother of two, Rori age 6 and Trent age 4.

 In January we began the amazing journey of adoption! 

Our third child, a baby girl, from Ethiopia.

I LOVE to craft, sew and be creative!

I am so excited to be here, as a contributor, to Women Who Do It All!

Today, I am going to share with you:

How to Make a Shabby Chic Tutu

a Shabby Flower & necklace!

Tutu Supplies

1 Bolt of Tulle {Ivory} (I used 25 yards)

Muslin (I had a scrap on hand. It measured 32 x34)

Woven, Non-Roll Elastic (this type of elastic, just works the best)

{Tutu How To}

Cut your tulle into equal lengths.

I cut mine 38” long. (I had 23 pieces)
Cut your elastic

I cut mine to 19” (my daughter is 6)

Sew the elastic together.

You can hand stitch it together or use your machine.
Tear the muslin into 1.5” strips. 
Mine were 34” long. (I had 24 pieces)

Step One:
I tied all of the tulle on first. 

I left the knot’s a little loose. 

That way,  I could adjust the tulle, as I added the muslin.

Step Two:

Step Three:

*TIP* It is helpful to place your finger on the elastic 

and hold it down as you pull on the tulle or fabric. 

This helps keep the elastic flat.

 And there is your knot!

 Next I tied on the muslin. (go in between the tulle pieces) 

I used the same knotting technic that I used with the tulle.

And here is how it should look when you are done!

{Flower How To}

Three graduated strips of fabric (apx 1", 2", 3").

Torn - not cut. So the edges have the "frayed" look.

Gather stitch, either by hand or on your sewing machine, to create a ruffle.

Three graduated (one lg, med & sm) satin pieces cut into a flower shape.

Melt the edges with a tea light to they curl up.

Layer to create the flower and glue each layer together. 

Add a giant button :) Cut a piece of felt into an hour glass shape. 

Place glue on one side and glue the felt in between a tulle and muslin piece.

{Necklace How To}

You will need:

Tulle (1" wide)

Muslin (1/2" wide)

Acrylic Beads (with a large hole)

Thread the tulle and muslin through the eye of a "Chenille" needle.

Thread the needle through the beads and tie a knot in between each bead.

Tie the ends together.

And you're done!

 A Happy little Princess.

Not too Shabby!

So Chic!

I hope you enjoyed today's post!

I'll be contributing twice a month!

See you next time!

Plum Top Tutorial

How cute is this little top?  I love it!  It looks really simple too.  Head on over to Mama Says Sew to check out the tutorial.

Family Board Books

Make your own family board books with Utah County Mom.  What a fun idea!  Need I say more?

Build Your Own Toddler Bed

Oh my, I am in love with these cute upholstered toddler beds!  I can just see two of these side by side in my home in a couple years!  I love how it almost acts like a bed skirt, but cuter.  Find the tutorial over at Design Mom.

Don't forget today is the last day to enter the Yellow Plum Blossoms giveaway.  Go enter if you haven't yet and look for a winner tomorrow.

Lacey Petti Romper Tutorial

Update: I've had some questions about where to find elastic lace.  I found mind at JoAnns.  They only had a couple colors to choose from, but they happened to have the color I wanted.  So go check your local store :)

Have you seen these lacey petti rompers around?  They're getting pretty popular and I LOVE them!  They make such cute photo props for  newborns and infants.  I thought long and hard about what would be the best way to assemble one of your own and I have to say it turned out perfect!

The one I made will fit babies newborn-6 months (9 if the baby is on the smaller side).  But to make it bigger, just add a few inches to what I used. 

Supplies:

- Sewing machine and other basic sewing supplies (including thread to match)

- Satin Lining (I bought 1/3 of a yard for the newborn-6 months size)

- Elastic Lace (I bought 5 1/2 yards.  You need a lot!)

Making your own lace petti romper:

1) Do not pre-wash fabric.  This romper is meant to be a photo prop and will not be washable. 

2) Cut your satin lining to size.  My measurements were 13 inches long by 25 inches wide/around.

3) Finish your top and bottom seams by turning them under1/4 inch and sewing near the edge.  If you have a serger you can serge the edge first to prevent fraying.  If not, it's just a photo prop so it's not going to get a ton of wear and tear anyways.

4) Okay, now we're ready to start sewing on the elastic lace.  You want the middle of the elastic lace to be just below the top edge of your fabric as seen below. 

5) The lace needs to be stretched to full capacity as you sew.  Take it slow here so you can get a nice seam.  Sew it along the whole length of the garment using coordinating thread.  When you reach the end, cut the elastic off and we'll do the whole step over again (and again and again. . .)

6) Before you start sewing on your second line of lace make a chalk line to guide you. My seams (which remember are in the middle of the elastic lace) were spaced an inch apart.  Don't go any further than that in your spacing.

7) Continue in this fashion (making a chalk line and sewing elastic lace onto fabric while stretching to full capacity) until you have filled the whole garment from top to bottom.

8) Once you have all your lace secured to your fabric you will have a nice bunched up rectangle of fabric.  Fold it in half (right sides together) and sew it together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. 

9) Finish this edge.  I serged it because it's easy and won't show, but you could use any method.  You now have a nice lacey tube. 

10) sew a little line in the middle of the bottom to make the crotch seam.  I sewed a 1/2 inch seam.

That's it, you're done!  Now go try it on your little cutie and see how adorable she looks. 

I also  made the headband.  Super easy!  Just sew a little elastic together for the headband and buy a matching silk flower.  Take the flower apart and remove all plastic parts, stack the petals and sew them together in the middle.  I left the top petal off and hot glued it on after to hide my thread.  Then hot glue the flower to the headband.

To see everywhere I'm linking this, click here.

***************

Only a couple days left to enter the Yellow Plum Blossoms giveaway.  If you haven't checked it out yet, click here to do so :)

I hope to see you back here tomorrow for Idea Sharing Wednesday!

"Paper Bag Skirt" and a "Me Update"

I found this adorable skirt tutorial over at Homestitched.  Don't you love it?  Makes me wish I was having a girl. . .

And speaking of the little squirt, here's a brief update:  I had a doctor's appointment today and apparently could have this little guy anytime.  Now we all know that has the potential to mean nothing, lol.  But just in case, I will probably be resting as much as possible and therefore posting a little less.  Probably still once a day though.  If a day goes by that I don't post, send a prayer my way because I'm probably in labor :) 

Is it just me, or is it a little scarier the second time around because you actually know how hard it's going to be?

Could be another week and a half though, who knows.

Anyways, Happy Saturday!!!

Snuggly Owl

This is pretty much the cutest stuffed animal I've ever seen!  It was posted several months ago by the amazing Ashley at Make It and Love It, but in case you missed it like me, I thought I would feature it.  Find the tutorial and pattern here.  Most of you probably already follow Ashley, but if not, brace yourself.  She is pretty awesome.  I can't say I know her personally but she is constantly coming out with amazing new tutorials.  I don't know how she does it all!

With all my daydreaming about re-doing my son's nursery, I can see a few of these in there for sure!  Speaking of my son, the poor little guy has had the flu for two days now.  When it rains it pours, huh?  I hope he's feeling better soon, it's so sad to see them sick, isn't it?!

Ruffles and Bustles

I'm loving this new spin on the ruffle butt onesie. . . The bustled onesie, so cute!  Find it over at Corner House.

And how cute is this little ruffle back dress?

It was made entirely from unwanted knit tees!  Find the tutorial over at Tidbits.

Idea Sharin' Wednesday and Interchangeable Crochet Flower Headband Tutorial {free pattern}

Wear the flower on the headband. . .

Wear the headband by itself. . .

Or wear the flower by itself.

Cute, right?  And the beauty is they don't take long to make!  You can make lots of different flowers and headbands that all coordinate so you have never ending  options!  And if you don't know how to crochet, but you want to learn, watch videos on youtube!  Seriously, that's how I learned many years ago and now here I am writing my own patterns!

Want to make one?

Materials:

- I hook
- Worsted weight yarn. I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
- Yarn Needle for weaving in ends
- Hot glue gun
- Hair Clips  (you can get a whole pack for a couple dollars at the craft store in the jewelry making section)

 
HEADBAND


Base Chains:
Newborn – Ch 46
Younger Baby (3-6 mo) – Ch 50
Older Baby (6-12 mo) – Ch 56
Toddler (1-2 yrs) – Ch 60
Young Child (3-5) – Ch 65
Older Child (6-10)- Ch 67
Teen/Adult – Ch 70

Rnd 1 – sc in 2nd ch from hook, (dc in next, sc in next) to last st, work sc, 3 hdc, sc into last st. Now working on opposite side of base chain, (dc in next, sc in next) to last st, dc in next, work sc, 3 hdc in last. Join to first sc of Rnd and fasten off. Be sure to leave a tail long enough to sew the headband together.

Sew together and weave in ends.
 
FLOWER
 
Using flower center color - Ch 3, sl st into first chain to form loop.
Rnd 1 – Ch 1, work 10sc into loop formed, Join w/ a sl st to first sc of rnd.

Rnd 2 – Change Color for petals. Ch 1, sc in same stitch as join, Ch 2, *skip next stitch, sc in next, Ch 2, repeat from * around. Join (5 ch spaces formed)

Rnd 3 – Work (sl st, hdc, 3dc, hdc, sl st) into each ch space around. (5 petals formed)

Rnd 4 – Now we are going to make the next row of 5 anchored petal base chains. We will be working from behind the first Rnd of petals. Ch 3, sc around next sc anchor of Rnd 2 *Ch 3, sc around next anchor, repeat from * around. (Next 5 petal chain bases formed)

Rnd 5 – Work (sl st, hdc, 4dc, hdc, sl st) into each ch space around.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Use a hot glue gun to secure the flower onto the hair clip. Flower clips can be worn by themselves or easily snapped onto the headband.
 
Hope you like my pattern!

And now for your projects:

Idea Sharin' Wednesday #23
Link up anything you've been working on: crafts, recipes, home decor, etc.
Try to stop by at least a couple people's posts and leave some comment love.
Display the button if you want :)

<a border="0" href="http://womenwhodoitall.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src=http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz148/womenwhodoitall/anotherbutton.jpg></a> And in case you've been featured and want that button:




<a border="0" href="http://womenwhodoitall.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src=http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz148/womenwhodoitall/Featured.jpg></a> Okay let the party begin.  I can't wait to see what you've been up to.  Thanks for stopping by!

Painted Shirt and Reversible Pants

Don't forget to enter my new giveaway for a party package of your choice!  There will be 3 winners. 

*****************

Is this not the cutest little outfit?  And you know what I love most about it?  It was made by Jo over at Boogaloo, who has two boys (no girls).  Why?  Because in about a month that will be me and I always drool over all the cute girlie outfits and accessories.  But Jo shows that you can still make cute girlie stuff, even if you don't have any girls, just use them as gifts! 

I also love the idea of painting on a shirt.  (Using a stencil of course) so I wanted to pass it along.  Go check it out :)

Make your own pillow pet {and save $20!}

My son's only one and even he wants a pillow pet!  Every time we pass them at Target he points and whines for one, but they are so overpriced!  I am in love with this tutorial from Mom's of All Trades to make your own pillow pet!

************

Don't forget to enter the Shabby Apple giveaway, there's only a couple days left. 

Easy Sock Cats

Aren't these too cute?!  I want to make some for my little guy's nursery.  I found them over at Scratchy Cat.  They are supposed to be really easy to  make so I just may be up for it :) You can find the tutorial here.

Bathtub Paints

 How fun is this?  Make some bathtub paint for your kids.  I know they sell this stuff, but I didn't know you could make your own with just a few common kitchen ingredients.  Head on over to The Idea Room to check it out!