Mother's Day Dresses

So, I'v had this really pretty fabric (not sure what it is except it isn't cotton) stashed away in my craft drawer for awhile. I bought like 3 or 4 yards of it because it was only 1.50/yd and I remember thinking at the time that I wanted to sew a skirt with it.

I have been pinning tutorials for those DIY tank top dresses for awhile. There are several way to do this simple project, so I pooled my resources and got to it.

Here is the link I used primarily:
http://www.stamp48.com/2011/07/25/diy-tank-top-dress-tutorial/

And a few more that I also looked at:
http://papernstitchblog.com/2011/08/16/how-to-make-an-insanely-cute-dress-on-a-shoestring-budget-tutorial/
http://raegunwear.blogspot.com/2011/05/sonp-tutorial-upcycled-shirt-to-dress.html
http://elleapparel.blogspot.com/2010/06/nautical.html

I think the main thing to consider when starting out on this project is whether or not you are going to use elastic. After looking through many different tutorials, I decided on using elastic because I wanted the ease of getting the dress on and off.

Your basic requirements for this dress:

Fabric that  is as wide as 1.5-2x your waist and long enough to suit your preferences. I used about 1.5 times my waist as the measurement because I didn't want my skirt to be super full. The more you use, the fuller the skirt.

Elastic (this can be as thick as you want, but I used 5/8" elastic)

And a t-shirt or tank top of your choice

The details:


1) Determine the width of the dress and then cut out your pieces. (Once you determine how wide you want the skirt to be cut it in half, so you have two identical pieces).

2) Sew up the sides length-wise (right sides together).

3) To make a casing, I would check out the first tutorial because she took great pictures and it is easy to follow!

4) The hardest part is going to be lining up your shirt and skirt and sewing it. I found that putting the skirt over my knees and stretching out the elastic made it easier for me to pin the shirt on it. For Nora's dress, I had my husband help me and that was even easier!

5) For my "sash/belt" I used ribbon with velcro sewed in the back. Nora's sash was made out of the fabric and I also made her a ruffle flower hair clip.

And here are some fun outtakes from our mini photo shoot before church:

Between a teething baby, who is now walking, and a naughty little 3 year old who likes to draw pictures on the kitchen floor, I have been busy. Keeping the peace is my motto around here.
Here's what has been going on in a nutshell:
Due to inconsistent rides to work for Seth, we started a serious car search this past week. With Aidan starting preschool in just 2 days, we needed a way for me to actually take him there. So, as of last night, we are now, after almost a year, a 2 car family again. We found a very inexpensive old car we hope will last us for at least a little while.

 Nora is still struggling to take one good nap a day even though she decided to drop the morning nap on her own. She also seems to be working on her molars and having issues sleeping through the night again (surprised?--I say not). She turns one on Sept. 10th and is walking all over the place.

Aidan has just been finicky. All sweetness and then extreme naughtiness all wrapped up in the same little 3 year old package. He has been a little "up and down" which is similar to how he was when we first moved to SC. I am thinking the new house and schedule are causing some adjustment for him. He starts preschool on Tuesday.

 I have been in major craft mode....mostly late at night when little ones are sleeping, dishes are still piled high, and floors unswept. And because I really don't have much more to say, here are some more pictures of things I am working on. My current project is a tutu and hat set for a newborn. Can't wait to finish it. A new blog for all things crafty is in the works and my sister and I are setting up our shop. Hopefully we'll be good to go sometime this week. Then, you'll probably hear less about crafts and more about the fam on here.