Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Tutorial - Beach Hat ( And It's Reversible)

*Learn the SECRETS of a Fashion Designer! Click here!
 
Reversible Sun Hat Tutorial
 Catherine LOVED wearing her hat!

John Patrick was all smiles in his new hat!! Want to make one?
You can make 2 hats (because it's reversible) in less than an hour! The first hat for my little girl took me 45 minutes. The second one for my little boy took 30 minutes. Not bad for a reversible hat the kids can wear all summer long!

I based this tutorial on the tutorial below, but I had to figure out how to make it fit each child. The tutorial I created will give you the exact size so you don't have to guess!
Let' s get started!

1. Measure your child's head. My kids have heads on the larger side. Does that mean mine is large too? I've never checked!
2. Lay out your measuring tape on paper and draw a circle that is the same size. It doesn't have to be perfect.
3. Cut this out.
4. Tape two pieces of paper together (or newspaper, freezer paper, printer paper). Fold the circle you just made in half. Lay the circle on top of the paper with the center folded line along the top border of your paper. See picture...it helps.

5. Trace the bottom of your circle.
6. Time to make the hat brim. Measure out 4 and a 1/2 inches along the semicircle. Keep making marks 4 1/2 inches away from the semicircle until you've gone all the way around.
7. Connect all your dots.
8. Label it and cut it out.
9. Tiime to make the sides of the hat. This helps it "stand" on your head. My little boy's head was about 22 inches around. I took half of that (11) and added 1 and came up with 12 inches. Tape two pieces of paper together again and draw a line that length. I drew it 12 inches long.
10. Subtract 1 from the line you just drew. Mine is 12-1 = 11 inches. I wanted my top line to be 11 inches long and I wanted it to be above the bottom line 4 and a 1/2 inches. This is how tall you want your hat to stand. You may want it smaller if your child is younger. Draw your top line. Connect it to your bottom line.
Label and cut out.
11. Your pattern is ready! (see above)
12. Use two fabrics and cut out all the pieces you need.
13. Take your side pieces and lay them right sides together to their matching fabric. (I did pink on pink and flowers to the flower fabric.) Pin the short ends. We will sew them to make a tube.
14. Sew the ends and iron open the seams.
15. Take your hat tops (the circles) and pin them on to these sides you just created. Pin right sides together.
16. Sew around the pinned edges and turn right sides out.
17. Take your hat brims and pin them right sides together to the hat sides and top that you just made.
18. Sew around the pinned edges. See, they're HATS! Now let's make them reversible.
19. Lay one hat right side up. Lay the other right side down on top. Pin all around the outer border but leave 4 inches unpinned. This is where you will turn it inside out. SEW around the pinned edges. Leave the 4 inch opening unsewn.
20. Turn your hat inside out through the opening. Iron well. Iron the open edge closed carefully and pin.
21. Sew one more time all the way around the edge (using a 1/8 inch seam allowance) to close the hole and topstitch the hat to make it look more professional.
22. Scream YAY!!! When you see that you did it! And...flip it inside out and be AMAZED! 2 hats in 1!
 Catherine LOVED wearing her hat!

John Patrick hasn't taken his off! He even wanted to sleep with it the other night. Do you have a boy that is addicted to hats? Pirate hats, Robinhood hats, Cowboy hats and now his Summer beach hat!
Next time I would have used a navy or red on the other side of the plaid, but I didn't have any when I wanted to make it.
Now go outside and play in the sun!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

SPECIAL SALE: 2 Seamingly Smitten patterns for $10 - Johnny in a Dress Giveaway and Coupon!

Do you know who is having a giveaway today?
(Oh and a special coupon code for 2 patterns for $10!)



 
Natalie, over at Johnny in a Dress is! She is probably one of the funniest, most sincere bloggers I know. She has pattern tested a few of my patterns and always comes up with something completely unexpected, colorful and head-turning!
 
So go check it out and enter to win a FREE Seamingly Smitten pattern!
 
CLICK HERE - Johnny in a Dress
 
SNEAK PEEK:
Reversible Sunhat TUTORIAL coming tomorrow!



Monday, June 13, 2011

Featured on Sugar Bee Crafts today - Giveaway, too!

Today I'm being featured over on Mandy's blog - Sugar Bee Crafts!


Don't forget to head on over to enter to win

2 free sewing patterns


of your choice from my etsy shop.






Patterns to choose from:








Good luck!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sewing Class in San Antonio - Crafty Girls Workshop

Last weekend my husband and I traveled to San Antonio for a little vacation. While I was there I had the opportunity to teach a sewing class at the




As soon as I walked into this sewing studio and fabric shop I was AMAZED at everything that was there! When I arrived a young girl was getting quilting lessons from the owner, Anna Luna, herself. Anna was calm, confident and SUPER creative! It's one thing to know a craft, but another thing to take the time to share it. Anna seems to LOVE what she does and it shows in the way her customers and students smile when they make something while they are there.



Want to see what it looks like?


The Craft Girls Workshop is in an old music building near downtown San Antonio. The windows are almost floor to ceiling and wrap around the edges, making the room burst with light. It's such a lofty feel for a fabric shop it really makes you feel at home.



The counter to check out - I loved the vintage feel to all her furniture pieces.


Fabric is held in handmade shelves built by Anna's father. True love. Pretty fabric! She doesn't carry as many bolts as other quilting stores in her area, but what she carries is bold, beautiful and has some pizazz. I love that kind of fabric! It shows her personality.

Anna's favorite colors are aqua and green - a cool color combination for quilting and making baby clothes.


Quilter's Heaven


She even took the time to ruffle her cutting table. That's passion!


This is a true sewing studio. Casual, comfortable and perfect for sewing.


Some skirts Anna has made, along with some quilting blocks.




A tote bag from one of the many sewing classes she offers.


The Popover Dress by Oliver and S - she taught this class as well.


Patterns galore! Trendy, chic, definitely girly!



While I was there I taught a class on one of my sewing patterns, The Ruffled Halter Dress (above).


Those ladies surely could sew! I was so proud of them! It was interesting to see what fabric they chose, what color combination they used for the ruffle and halter strap, how perfectly they cut their fabric and how eager they were to talk about sewing. Two ladies had just started sewing 2 weeks ago and Anna taught them. They were completely hooked and ready for more!
Want to see what they made?



This is Anna (above). She owns the Crafty Girls Workshop and is incredibly sweet and crafty! She was making the halter dress for a friend's little girl. ADORABLE!


This is Avery. She was making the dress for her little girl. Bold and bright colors!!


Here's Cristina's dress she was making for her little girl. The colors are simple, sweet and summery.


This is Chelsea. She was making the dress for her little girl and the fabric she chose had cherries - so vintage yet so modern right now.



Thanks, Anna, for giving me the opportunity to sew with you all! I will definitely recommend The Crafty Girls Workshop to all my sewing friends!



Here are some pictures from when we were there.


Patrick and I riding a boat on the Riverwalk.



We also went horseback riding and rode on some trails in the woods with a ranch hand as our guide.
It was SUCH AN AMAZING TRIP!! I wish we had a sewing studio like that here. I may just have to dream about opening one.

Crafty Girls Workshop – online store and sewing and quilting studio in San Antonio, TX