ruffles!!!!

If you're wondering after basting a stitch and then pulling it into a ruffle and then sewing over that ruffle if there is a better way... there is!!! 

If you haven't purchased one already, or discovered you have a RUFFLE FOOT in your sewing stash of accessories, check again, because this thing is amazing! 

Here are a few of my ruffle projects as of late...

Ruffle Christmas Tree Skirt

Simple Tutorial: I bought 115" wide white muslim at walmart for 6.00 a yard! I cut the fabric into 8" wide strips, sewed all the strips together, then folded them in half, popped in my ruffle food and ruffled all the white at once! Then I pinned it in circles around a white circle, (you could use a round table cloth if you wanted) and then sewed it all together. It was really simple, and I love the way it turned out! 

 Ruffle Bloomers, pretty easy, I just got a 1/8 yard of coordinating fabrics, ruffled them, and sewed them onto some white bottoms that came with one of my little girls dresses.  She wears tights so we never use the bloomers, this was a great way to re-purpose those! 

 Ruffle crib skirt! This was so easy and I love the way it turned out.  I bought a king size sheet from walmart for $8.00 in the solid aqua color, then a yard of the coordinating print for a 1.50 a yard! This crib skirt cost me less than $10.00 to make and turned out darling I think!  

 

Speaking of DARLING... Here's my 2 year old reading to my 6 month old while she was crying in her crib one day.  You can see the crib skirt in this picture, but that really isn't the cutest thing in this picture is it?! 

Christmas DYI

I made a few things during Christmas this year, many of which I was wishing I had finished in July but you never really think about Christmas in July!

The first and most time consuming was my tree skirt.  I started with a big round circle of fabric.  Then I bought 115" wide fabric and I cut it into 8 inch wide strips, sewed them all together to make one HUGE long strip, then I folded the fabric in half and put my ruffle foot to good use! It flew together pretty easy after that, I pinned each layer on, sewed it onto the skirt and praised my ruffle foot all the while! I can't imagine how much time that thing saved me! 

  Here's the finished product!

  Our neighborhood treats this year were put together in these cute bags from pick your plum. I designed the tag and tied them together. Turned out cute I think! Oh, and the treat... my great grandmothers toffee recipe.  It's soooooooo good! 

I made Maxwell his own tree to decorate after learning quickly that my little elf couldn't keep from playing with the decorations on our big tree.  This didn't totally solve my problems, but it helped! I actually didn't plan on putting the ornaments on the pom pom balls, that was all Max's thinking! I was going to make cute felt ornaments to go on the felt tree, but his creativity saved me a step! I just pulled out all the cheap plastic ornaments and he had a blast! (I attached it to the wall with command velcro strips!) 

I made this wreath for my front door, again, another wreath for my ugly wreath collection! 

 My quilted stockings. I never took a picture of the finished product! Lame! So these are kind of a sore spot for me. I have spent HOURS making these things, and when they were all finished, they turned out a bit too small.  I am going to have to re-make them and I am dreadig it! They turned out cute still, but what a sad ending!