Swimsuit Cover-up

I had a little of the flower print fabric left over from my dress, so I decided to whip up a swimsuit cover-up for our trip to Cancun.

For this look you will need:

1 1/2 yards of fabric (I used a printed jersey fabric that was light and dries quickly)

thread

elastic thread (this is usually kept right next to the regular thread in craft stores)

2 bobbins (one for normal thread, one for elastic thread)

scissors 

spray bottle

iron

I used the shirring technique for the top part of the dress, that might look a little crazy, but is actually really easy once you get the hang of it.  

First I started with 2 pieces of fabric that measured 26" wide and 29 1/2" long (you can adjust these sizes to be as long or as short as you want).  You want the total width of the fabric to be about 1 1/2 times the measurement of your bust.  This will allow for a nice stretch at the top.

Using normal thread, sew the 2 long sides together with 1/2" seam on both sides (remember to have the right sides facing each other) .

Then, finish off the top of the dress by turning the fabric down 1/4", then turn in down another 1/4" to give it a clean edge.

Now is where your elastic thread comes into play.  Grab a fresh bobbin and wrap the elastic thread around it by hand.  Don't pull too tight, but keep a little tension.  This part went a lot faster than I thought, less than a minute.

I'll let Ruffles and Stuff take it from here.  She gives an excellent shirring tutorial on her blog.

Here are a few pictures of my progress:

Once you're done sewing the rows with the elastic thread you're almost done.  I ended up having 12 rows about 3/4" apart.  To be totally honest, I just eyeballed most of the lines  as I sewed them rather than draw them on the fabric.  Shirring is very forgivable, so don't be afraid if your lines aren't perfectly straight.  Mine were crooked for shizzle.

Then just spritz the top section with some water and hold a semi hot iron on the fabric for a few seconds at a time.  This will dry the fabric and tighten up the elastic.

Now, all you have left is the hem.  Fold it under 1/2" twice, and you're all set!

I had a little leftover fabric from the purple shirt I used in the lavender dress (I never throw away my scraps, they always come in handy).  So I cut up some strips, and braided them together:

(please excuse the ghetto-fabulous way that I pinned the strips to a chair cushion) 

Then I just hand stitched it to the top of the dress to add a little character.

This dress came in very handy along the beaches of Cancun. 

Parade of Homes

One of the things I love about Utah is the Parade of Homes.  This year I went with my friends Chelsea, Tina, and Melinda.  There were definitely a few homes that were pretty blog-worthy.

The first house we checked out was uber modern.  Now, I like modern, but this one was pretty out of this world.

Lights above the kitchen table

Kitchen table

I didn't mind the kitchen cabinets at first, but then one of the builders told us they were patterned after the freezers where they keep dead bodies in morgues.  I didn't have much of an appetite after that.

I was actually kind of in love with that coffee table.  Definitely a conversation piece. 

The house came equipped with a slide...

and a wickety whacked bathroom counter....

Our favorite house was one that had been completely demo'd and rebuilt.  It was classy and traditional, with a few modern lines.

But the house that made my PoH ticked really worth the money was this little guy:

No joke, there were a bazillion cars parked outside and we probably only saw a total of 12 people. No cramped spaces here.

Still in awe of this beast.  I think the wind-blown hair is dead sexy on us, don't you?

Here are a few of the stats:

6 bedrooms (including an Asian room, complete with 2 mattresses on the floor), 7.5 bathrooms, $2 million, 15,043 square feet.  

They had a lot of castle-esque windows, to keep to with the theme of the house.

But the main thing that made this place a true castle:

You've GOT to be kidding me.  Full blown suits of armor leading into the Master Suite.

I'll take one of these please....

But this place wouldn't be complete without

a dance studio

A wood burning pizza oven and homemade root-beer on tap

And an indoor pool

For some reason, my house felt extra tiny after touring this place.

Lavender Dress

I made another dress using a shirt for the top section.  The more I make, the easier they get.

I just dropped the waist a few inches.  I just wanted it to be airy and light.  I pumped this one out pretty quickly, and used the same method as the striped dress, only I gathered the skirt section, and didn't have the bottom flare out at all.  The gathering at the waistline was enough for me.

and the lucky winner is.....

# 24

Seychelle said...

I like "In the Navy" with a clip. :)

June 19, 2010 6:33 PM

 Congratulations Seychelle!  I'll get your "In the Navy" clip on it's way over to you!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who entered the giveaway. 

 Stay tuned for future giveaways, and new additions to the shop!

Dreamy

I got my Ballard Designs catalog in the mail yesterday and my heart skipped a beat.  Here is a little eye candy to brighten up your hump day...

loving the Louis XV Salon Chair with the zebra print paired with the grey Firenze Embroidered Panel

I'll take a few of those Couture Chairs in that print please

via

those pillows are fabulous

Don't Forget

Today is the last day to enter the Elle Apparel giveaway.  A big thanks to all of those who have already entered. 

The winner will be revealed tomorrow!

Nautical

I am currently in love with anything nautical these days.  There is just something so classic and charming about navy and white stripes.

via

The nice thing about nautical touches is that you can add them to your home, or your wardrobe.  That is what inspired me to create this piece:

I picked up the striped fabric at the LA Fabric District for only $2 a pound.  I only got about 4 yards of it, and I am kicking myself now for not just buying the whole bolt. 

Lets take a look at how I created it, shall we?

I started off with just a simple white top I snagged from Forever 21 for $3.  T-shirt dresses are my current fav because they are so simple and the best part is that you don't need a zipper (sewing zippers make me throw fits).

I wanted an empire waist on the dress, so I marked where I wanted the waistband, then added on another 1/2" for the seam.

Then I cut my waistband, one piece for the front, one for the back.  I wanted the waistband to be 2" wide,  so I cut my strips 3" wide, allowing for 1/2" seams on the top and bottom.  For the length, I just measured along the bottom of the shirt and added 1/2" for each side.  So I had 2 strips that were 15 1/2" long and 3" wide.

When cutting, keep in mind the direction you want your stripes to go for your waistband and your skirt.  I wanted horizontal stripes on the waistband, and vertical stripes on the skirt.

Now onto the skirt.  I wanted the bottom to flair out just a hair, so I cut out 2 pieces that were 15 1/2" wide at the top (same as the waistband), and 25 1/2" at the bottom (keeping in mind the 1/2" seam on both sides).  

As far as length goes, I always hem my dresses very last, so I just made sure that it was about 5" longer than I wanted it, just to be on the safe side.  The finished product ended up being 25" long, with 1'2" seam at the top, and a 1" hem.

Then I attached the waistband to the skirt, for both the front and back sections.  I simply placed the right sides of the fabric together and sewed a 1/2" seam.

When you lift the waistband, you can see it's starting to come along.  At this point, I ironed out this section so that everything laid nice and flat.  

(please forgive the basting stitch that you can see.  I initially was going to gather it, but decided against it, so I picked the basting stitch out later)

Next I sewed my front and back sections of the skirt together at the sides with a 1/2" seam (again, right sides together).  Then, open up those seams and iron them flat.

(sorry, no picture!)

This next part may be a little tricky. I flipped the skirt and shirt inside out, then I slipped my shirt down into the top section of the skirt. So now, you should have the right side of the waistband touching the right side of the shirt, and you should be looking at the wrong sides of the fabric.

(look closely at the picture)

From there, I pinned it and sewed the shirt to the waistband with 1/2" seam. When you pin, make sure that you line up the side seams of the shirt with the side seams of the waistband so that it turns out nice and clean.

Once you've attached the shirt to the skirt, you're almost there! Just press the top seams both down so that they go into the waistband. Since the shirt is white, I didn't want to see any seams poking up through the top section of the dress.

Then, just hem your skirt to the desired length, and you're all set! I did add a couple pockets with gold buttons to add a little more natuicality (just made up that word).

Now you’re all set for a party at the Hamptons, or a stroll to the beach. Since I am in Utah, I will do neither, and sit in my dress on my couch watching The Bachelorette.