Trotter Sweet Peas

Old Lamp Restyled into something really girly! :)

2011-09-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

I had this old lamp that we were not using anymore so I got this bright idea to fix it up for my little girl's room. Then I remembered some fake rose petals that I bought on clearance (25 cents per package) after Valentine's Day last year from Wally World! Here is what I started with. . .

I started my using some 1" wide white grosgrain ribbon that I had on hand and glue that around the bottom edge of the lampshade just to make sure things looked neat.

Then came the fun part. . . I started layering and gluing down the pink rose petals to the lamp shade. Just a dot of glue at the top edge is all I used.

And, I kept layering and gluing. . .

I also painted the base of the lamp with spray primer and white paint.And, here is what I ended up with! I LOVE it and my little girls LOVE it! :)

And, here it is with the light on. . .

I linked my project up in these places. . .

It's a Keeper

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Delightful Order

Kids shoes restyled and given new life!

2011-09-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

My daughter was given this cute pair of dressy sandals some time ago but they were too big for her at the time. She was needing some new shoes and I happened to run across these in the closet! Yay!! Glad I found them before going out shopping. :) They were missing some sequins that had been on the straps across the toe area but otherwise were in great condition.

I decided to give the shoes a new life so I measured the straps and cut some strips of fabric that were double that measurement. Then I made a tube from the fabric and turned it right side out and stitched a basting stitch down the center of the fabric tube to gather the fabric. After gathering I glue the ruffles to the straps on the shoes.

Here is how they turned out. . . I thought they turned out really well and my daughter loves them. . . and thats what matters. :)

I have linked this project up over at. . .

Just a Tip for you. . .

2011-09-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share this idea with you. Have you ever had trouble with your bed skirt sliding around underneath the mattress and just ending up looking a mess? I have had a lot of trouble with this even as I am remaking the beds. I came up with this idea and it seems to help alot so thought I would share it with you. . .

Just buy these arm cover twist pins. You should be able to find these easily.

Stretch out your bedskirt over the box spring and just twist these pins through the bedskirt and into the box spring along the edges of the box spring.

And, there you go! A very easy quick fix for an annoying problem! :)

Halloween is coming up soon. . .

2011-09-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

With halloween around the corner, I thought I would share our budget friendly costumes from last year. I don't like to spend much on a costume that will be worn once and then tossed aside. So here we go. . .

First up is the purple fairy. . .The wings and skirt came from wally world. :) The black shirt and leggings we already had. The purple hair headband came from Dollar Tree. Oh, and Dollar Tree also had some fairy dust that I sprinkled on my two little fairies. :)

Next, is my little cowgirl. :) The skirt, shirt, and boots we already had. I created the vest from my stash of fabrics. The hat came from Dollar Tree and I just added a strip of cowhide fabric to it. :)

Then, we have another fairy (the flower fairy. . . hence the flower wand).The wings and green hair headband came from Dollar Tree. Everything else we already had. The flower wand came from the year before when the current cowgirl wanted to be a flower fairy. I made it from taping some stems of artificial flowers together and then gluing ribbon around that.

And, last is my little ladybug. She was a ladybug the year before as well but wanted to wear those wings and antenna again. Sounded good to me. :) Actually, she was going to be a cowgirl along with her older sister and then changed her mind at the last minute. I made the wings from using this tutorial. . .Instead of the hat we decided on a headband from the dollar store and hot glued the bottom of the antenna to the headband. This makes a really cute costume!

I think we bought some costumes from wally world when they were clearanced last year. So maybe those will be acceptable for halloween fun this year. :) If not, I may be getting creative again soon to create some low cost costumes. What will you be creating this year??

Cute, cute outfit created by Patricia

2011-04-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

Patricia over at "It's About Time Mamaw" created this super cute outfit using the "Boutique Double Ruffle Pants Tutorial".

I love the bright, cheerful colors that she used in her outfit! You can read more about her creation over at her blog.

Do you hear crickets?

2011-03-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have neglected my blog for a long time now. I thought I would really be able to get back into it when the kids went back to school this past year but it just never happened. My main projects have been keeping the four little girls seen above busy and trying to keep the house clean. :) Well, I am feeling ambitious to try and blog again! I have been working on projects around the house during this long blogging hiatus and I will try and dig some of those up to share.

One project that I completed is the book page wreath. You can check out Living with Lindsay for her tutorial on how to create it.

Here is how mine turned out. . .

I love it!!

Another Silhouette Giveaway over at Thrifty Decor Chick!

2010-11-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

There is a Silhouette Giveaway going on at Thrifty Decor Chick as well! Check out her giveaway and what she has done with her machine!!

Silhouette Giveaway over at Infarrantly Creative

2010-11-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

Beckie over at Infarrantly Creative is hosting a giveaway for a Silhouette machine!! You will have to go check out her blog and this awesome giveaway! She has some great projects that she completed with her machine.

Another customer creation!

2010-07-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Dawn won one of my tutorials during a giveaway and she created a halter dress from my halter top/dress tutorial! Check it out. . .

She such a wonderful job and has a beautiful family. You can read more about her creation on her blog here. . .
http://7alltogether.blogspot.com/2010/07/big-big-day.html

Adorable outfits made by Sew Happy Sew Crafty and a Review!

2010-05-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

You will have to check out the adorable outfits made from my tutorials by April over at Sew Happy Sew Crafty!

Click HERE to check out her complete review of my tutorials and tell her what a beautiful job she did!

Click HERE to go to my Etsy shop where you will find these tutorials and more.

SALE!!!! All ready made skirts for 9.99 each in my Etsy shop!!

2010-05-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

I have placed all my ready made skirts in a size 3T/ 4T on sale in my Etsy shop!! They are only 9.99 each!! Here are some pictures of some that you will find in my shop!

Check out my clothing tutorials while you are there as well!

Tutorial: Ruffle Pillow from old t-shirt

2010-05-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am loving all the ruffle pillow that I am seeing all over the place! I decided I had to make one. I had an old t-shirt that does not fit that was perfect for a pillow for the couch. I like making ruffles with the t-shirt fabric because it does not fray! So, no hemming the edges of the fabric for the ruffles! I made this tee into a 12 inch pillow.

Here is what I started with . . .

Step 1: Cut out the fabric needed.
Cut a 12.5 inch square from the back of the tee. Cut another 12.5 inch square of fabric from a matching cotton material. Cut 2 pieces for the back of the pillow. Cut them 8 inches x 12.5 inches. Then take front of the shirt and cut 1 inch strips.

Step 2: Gather the 1 inch strips to make the ruffles.
Sew a straight, basting stitch down the middle of each strip. Then pull the lower thread as needed to gather it to the size of the pillow (12.5 inches).

Step 3: Stack the 2 12.5 inch squares on top of each other with the t-shirt fabric on top. ( I thought this would be good to do just in case the t-shirt fabric had a tendency to pull or gather while stitching it.) Pin all the ruffles in place.
I drew a line with my fabric pen down the center of the front of the t-shirt fabric and then pinned the ruffles on either side of that line spacing them out evenly.

Step 4: Sew the ruffles in place. Use a straight stitch and sew right on top of the previous stitching to secure the ruffles to the pillow top.

Step 5: Now hem one long side of each of the rectangular pieces of fabric that you cut. You could turn it over twice, iron, and use a straight stitch. Or serge and then turn over, iron, and sew in place with a straight stitch.

Step 6: Lay the rectangular pieces on top of the pillow top as pictured. Make sure right sides of the fabric are together. Be careful that the ruffles are not folded over when pinned down.

Step 7: Sew around all four sides of the pillow using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Now finish the raw edges with a zig zag stitch or serge.

Step 8: Turn right side out and put in your pillow insert. Your finished!! Sit back and enjoy!!

Topiary Completed!!

2010-05-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

I finished a topiary for the top of our piano!! Here it is in all its glory! :) I still need to find a white urn for it and I think I will shorten the stick on it when I change it into an urn.

Here is what the topiary started out as. . .

It is a topiary that I found at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago for around 5.00. I got the bunches of boxwood greenery from Hobby Lobby. I used a hot glue gun to glue on green moss instead of the spanish moss. Click here to see one of the tutorials that inspired me to make my own topiary.

I have been working on some other things to decorate the top of the piano as well. I used beans and twine to make some decor balls. Here is a picture of a bowl of more decor balls the kids and I made in a bowl I painted white.

I also used twine to wrap around an old glass soda bottle and painted a couple of pitchers that I had around the house white. I found the star on sale recently too! I think I will paint the clock black and distress it a little as I did the end table in this post. It probably needs to be lowered on the wall a little as well. Do you have any suggestions for me? What have you been working on lately?

Placemat Throw Pillows

2010-05-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

My living room seems dark at times so I decided to try to lighten it up with some light colored throw pillows on the couches. I found these placemats in Goodwill a couple of weeks ago and I like the pintucked look.

I decided that I would make these into pillows for the couches.
Here is how they turned out!

I like the contrast of the light pillows against the darker couch.

To make these pillows I cut out some cream colored fabric that I had on hand for the back of the pillows. I did an envelope closure in the back.
Here is a great tutorial for the envelope pillow. The nice thing it that they are easily removed for washing. That is great in a house with kids!

I also made some pillow fillers/ inserts. Here is a picture of the kids helping stuff them! :)

I also bought this topiary at Goodwill that day for about 5.00. I am almost finished reworking it!!

Patio Set Makeover - Post 3

2010-05-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

YEAH!! It is complete!! Almost. .. I have a couple of touch ups to truly complete it but for the most part it is finished!
Here is a picture of the completed project!

Pictures of the before are here.

Now on to details of repainting the table. . .

Step 1:
Take the table apart. I didn't take the glass out of the table because I was afraid the clips that hold it in the table would break if I tried to get it out. So I used newspaper and tape to cover the glass.

Step 2:
Sand all the metal parts and spray with primer. Spray several light coats of the top coat of paint.

Step 3:
Put the table back together, place the chairs around it and enjoy your hard work!

Patio Set Makeover - Post 2

2010-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ok. . . in the last post I discussed removing the slings and painting the patio chairs. Now, lets talk remaking the patio slings. You will need to buy a outdoor fabric that is made for sling type patio chairs. I got mine from FabricGuru. You will also need to purchase a heavy outdoor thread to sew your slings.

I used the old slings to measure by and cut my fabric by those measurements initially. This may be a trial and error process to go through to get your slings just right. When I put the initial try on the patio chair it was not tight enough. It seemed to sag too much when sat on. So, I took it off and took it up by an inch. Then it was too tight to pull over the seat frame of the chair. So, I tried again and just took it up about 1/2 inch. That was much better. I'm not sure that I am totally satisfied yet however. I think I may tighten up on the seat sling by another 1/4 inch to make it a little tighter but not so tight that it does not pull over the seat frame. I would suggest cutting by the measurements of the old fabric and then take it up as necessary until you get it just right and then repeat those same measurements for all your like chairs.

Here are some step by step directions for sewing your slings. . .

Step 1:
Take the measurements and examine the construction of your sling. Take out the stitches of your old sling and take the full measurements.

Cut your new fabric accordingly.

Step 2: Turn the top and bottom edge under and sew two lines of stitching. You will need to use a heavy duty needle and your heavy thread. (I turned mine under 1 inch-- using the measurements from the old sling.)

Step 3: Now you need to sew the casing for the spines on the sides. I copied the construction of my old slings and turned the edge under 1/4 inch and then turned it over again by about an inch. I used two lines of stitching for extra reinforcement. Just make sure that your two lines of stitching leave enough room in the casing area for the spine to be inserted. The photo below show on the right side of the fabric where it is turned under 1/4 inch. And, on the left side of the fabric I am showing that I have turned it over again to form the casing.

The next photo show beginning to sew the casing. Make sure to sew two lines of stitching for extra reinforcement. Also, sew slowly and carefully since this is a lot of thick fabric to sew through.

Step 4: Insert the spines in the casings of the new fabric!

Step 5: Now insert the fabric back into the grooves of the four "sling holders". Replace the end caps and then reattach them to your chairs!!

Stay tuned for Patio Set Makeover - Post 3. Reworking the table. :)

Patio Set Makeover - Post 1

2010-05-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

I set out to remake our patio set (see this post) and I am finished!!!

Step 1: Take apart your chair. . . You will need to remove the screws that hold the sling in place on your patio chair. (Click here is to see some instructions on how to replace your slings-- this gave me a little insight into how the chairs are put together.)

You will then need to remove the end caps on one end of each section. Be very careful when removing the end caps because they are probably brittle from age and exposure to the sun, etc. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to remove the caps.

Now remove the fabric from the chair and the spine from the casing on each side of the fabric. (You will probably have to pull pretty hard to get the fabric off)

Step 2:
Paint your patio chairs. . .
I cleaned and sanded the chair and the 4 pieces that hold the sling onto each chair. Then I sprayed them with a Rustoleum primer. I also used a piece of styrofoam to push the screws and end caps down into to spray them as well. (A tip that I learned off of Infarrantly Creative)

Now spray the top coat of paint. I used Rustoleum Hammered Finish in a deep brown for this. I sprayed light coats of paint until everything was covered well. I love the new color!!

Here is one of the chairs with the new color and new slings!!

Stay tuned for Patio Set Makeover - Post 2. The making of the new slings. :)

Another customer creation!

2010-05-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share another creation with you! Kimberly made this super cute skirt for her daughter!

Here is what Kristi wrote to me. . .
Hello! I just wanted to tell you that I bought your 3 tiered twirl skirt pattern the other day. I used the "Oh Cherry Oh" by Moda charm packs to it. I had so much fun making this for my daughter. I had to adjust it a bit due to the fact that I used 5" squares but it was easy to do and I think it turned out perfect. Thank you so much for making this pattern and I just wanted to share this with you.
Hugs, krisit

Here is a link to the tutorial to the pattern that Kristi used. . .
Boutique Tiered Twirl Skirt Tutorial

Check out this customer creation!

2010-05-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

Mauby posted one of her creations on her blog here! She used my tutorial to lengthen the life of jeans. She created some super cute pants and ensured her little boy would be able to use the jeans longer!

Check out this super cute picture of her little boy and the jeans she created!

Click on the photo above to read more about this on her blog!

Kids Patio Tables made from Knock off Wood's plans!

2010-04-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

My husband and I built two big kids picnic tables from Knock off Wood's plan!! They turned out so cute!! I loved working from Ana's instructions. . . they are very easy to follow. We made these tables in about 4-5 hours. One is for my in-laws patio and one for our own backyard. They are already getting lots of use! :) Thank you Ana for all the plans and inspiration on your Knock off Wood blog!!

Here are some pictures of the tables that we built!!

Little Tikes Endless Adventures Playhouse Renovation

2010-04-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would show you what I have been working on lately. . . My wonderful in-laws bought a playhouse for their backyard for the grandkids to play in when over at their place. It came with some decals to add color but was mostly two colors. They wondered if I could add some color. That is right up my alley so . . .

here are a couple of before pictures. . .

The inside of the playhouse is also pretty much one color as well. So after spraying a couple of times with a clear primer, I started painting. I used a paint made for outdoors that came from Hobby Lobby. It comes in the small little bottles and is Anita's Yard and Garden paint. Here's what I have done so far. . .

If you have any painting tips for this type of project I would love to hear them!

New Tutorial listed in my Etsy Shop!!

2010-04-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that I have a new tutorial listed in my etsy shop. This tutorial is for either boutique single ruffle pants or single ruffle capris.
You can go to this listing here. . .
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=44262295

End Table Makeover!!

2010-04-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

I happened upon this nice end table at Goodwill yesterday evening. It is a nice sturdy table and in nice condition too! It was only 7.99 so I figured I couldn't go wrong by getting it. We have been needing an end table in our living room and this was perfect! I decided that it needed a little bit of work so decided on spray painting it black and adding a little distressed look to it. I love what I have seen on other blogs with the distressed finishes.

Anyway, this is what we started with. . .

The table had a few scars and dents on the top so we sanded everything down with sandpaper and sanding sponges. Then we used the palm sander on the top. . .

After cleaning the table really well, I used a black satin spray paint and painted the whole table. I sprayed it with several thin coats.

Then after letting it dry for about an hour, I slighted distressed the edges of the table with sandpaper. Then after wiping it down again I used a spray Polyurethane to add a protective layer. And, here is the finished product!! I really like it!

My Next Project - A Patio Set Makeover!!

2010-04-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

My patio set has been needing a makeover for a while now. We had a puppy that enjoyed chewing on some of the fabric of the chairs and the metal is also beginning to rust. So, I have decided that this is my next project around the house. Here are the before photos. . .

You can see that I have already taken one chair apart to get it ready to paint.
In the photo below you can see the color I have chosen to paint the metal. It is a hammered finish. There is also primer pictured. The tool laying in front of the spray paint is really neat. You attach it to the top of the spray can and it has a handle to squeeze that pushes the small paint knob and sprays the paint. This is much easier than the regular knobs that come on the spray paint cans.

You can also see the fabric that I purchased for the chairs and the heavy outdoor thread. I will have to let you know how sewing with that thick thread goes.

I think this is going to look really good when I am done if everything goes well. . . :) We'll see. I'll let you know how it's coming along. ..

New Boutique Pattern now Listed in my Etsy store!!

2010-03-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

YAY!! I finally finished my halter dress tutorial and I have it listed in my Etsy shop!!

Check out the new listing here. . .
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43896119

New Tutorial to be added to my Etsy shop soon!

2010-03-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

I will be adding my tutorial for this halter dress to my Etsy shop soon! I have been working on getting it complete and hope to have it done in the next week! I will let you know when I have it listed.

Cast cover for my little girl!

2010-03-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

One of my little girls broke her leg a little over a week ago. She has been in a splint since then and is to get a cast this Friday. She has learned to scoot across the floor on her bottom and has been getting around this way pretty good the last few days! However, her splint has gotten really dingy and dirty. I decided I had to do something about that. . . can't stand looking at a dirty splint all the time.

I used some cotton knit fabric that I had on hand and made a cover for her splint. Ahh. . . much better! I need to make another one now so we can change them out as needed. Maybe we can keep the cast clean this way too!

Here are some pictures of her with my sister. . .

Tutorial: Lengthen your clothing with this Quilted Look!

2010-03-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

I had this idea come into my head as a great way to lengthen jeans that are now too short. Or, do you have a skirt that you would rather have a little longer? This would be a cute way to add length to any piece of clothing and add style as well. I had a pair of 18 month size jeans that were still the right size in the waist but were now too short so I decided to try out my idea on them.

First, I cut off 2 inches from the bottom of the jeans. . .

The jeans pants leg opening where I cut was 12 inches so I decided to make 8 blocks that are 1.5 inches wide for each pants leg. I added 1/2 inch to the width of each block for seam allowances (1/4 inch seam allowance on each side). This made the width of the blocks two inches high. I needed to lengthen the pants by 1.5 inches so I made the blocks 2 inches high to allow for 1/4 inch seam allowance on the top and bottom of the strip of blocks. So I cut 2 inch x 2 inch squares for my project.

Now cut a piece of interfacing to the length of your blocks all lined up. I cut my interfacing 16 inches long by 2 inches high. (This makes sewing your blocks together easy and adds a little stiffness to match the weight of the jean fabric.)

Lay out your block on the strip of interfacing. . .

Iron the blocks down to the interfacing. . .

Fold at each place where the blocks meet and sew 1/4 inch away from the fold.

Now iron all the seams on the block strips to one side. . .

Sew the ends of the block strips together to form a circle.

Pin with right sides together to your jeans. . .

Sew 1/4 away from the edge. Then you need to finish the raw edges by zigzagging or serging.

Pin the section that you cut off of the jeans to the block section with right sides of the fabrics together.

Sew 1/4 inch away from the edge and then finish the edge by zigzagging or serging. (I also topstitched on either side of the block strips)

Here is a picture of the inside of the jeans. . .

And. . . here is the finished product!

Tutorial: Take in Waistbands with Elastic. . . Fast and Easy!

2010-03-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you a fast and easy way to take in the waistband in a pair of jeans or any other piece of clothing. When I buy clothes for my children, the waist always seems to be too large. I usually try to buy clothes with the adjustable waist in them but I find great deals at times that are to hard to pass up. :) So here is my solution to the too-loose waist. . .

This is a skirt that I bought for 2.99 from The Children's Place. The front waistband has two straight sections on either side of the button. These sections are where I am going to add elastic. The back of the skirt already has elastic and it is still too big.

After cutting the slits in the fabric use a safety pin attached to one end of your elastic and push it through the opening at one end.

Then use Fray Check on the raw fabric edges to prevent raveling.

Now pull up the elastic at the other end of the opening enough to make the clothes fit your child. Pin in place and sew the elastic down near the opening.

Tuck the end of the elastic into the opening sew in place and fray check the raw edges of the fabric.

I repeated these steps for the other side of the waistband of this skirt. This is a very simple and fast fix to the problem of too-loose waists.

Here is a pair of pants that I fixed in this manner also. On these I could use the back inside waistband of the pants to tighten them.

I cut two slits with my seam ripper on each side of the back waistband.

Insert the elastic and pin in place at one end.

Now sew the elastic down by sewing close to the opening.

Then tuck the end of the elastic into the opening. Sew in place and use fray check on the raw edges.

Now pull up the elastic at the other end to get the waist as needed. Pin in place.

Now sew near the opening. . .

Tuck in the end of the elastic, sew in place, and the fray check the raw edges and here is the inside back waistband now. . .

And from the outside. . .

I hope this helps someone else too! :)

Mikarose - Modest Clothing

2010-03-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

There is a giveaway going on here at the Dress Up Drawer Blogspot for a gift certificate to the Mikarose clothing website. As a winner you would be able to busy any dress in their store!

Here is a picture of one of the dresses from their store. . .

You can go over to the Dress Up Drawer blog to enter to win this giveaway!

Completed Projects!

2010-03-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

Here are couple of boutique items I recently completed for some customers. . .

This is a mermaid set that I have made before. I made it again for a new customer and changed the hair color to match her daughter's hair color.

This is a shirt I appliqued for a little girl's second birthday. Her birthday theme is going to be The Little Mermaid.

Reviving a Shower Curtain

2010-03-09T14:25:00.001-08:00

Just thought I would show you something that I worked last week. Mom just sent me pictures of her revived shower curtain that she has hanging in her bathroom again. She really liked the shower curtain but after washing it most of the floral design washed away too! So I attempted to paint the design back onto it. And it turned out great! In most parts some of the design remained so I just had to go over it all again. I used regular craft paint that you find at Walmart. I wondered about whether it would hold or not. After a couple of days I tried to scrape off the paint with my fingernails and it would not budge! So the paint is stuck and mom has her shower curtain back! :)

Think of the possibilities . . . Paint your own design on your shower curtain to match the decor in your bathroom.

SO Many Projects that I would love to attempt!!!

2010-03-08T09:11:00.001-08:00

I love reading everyone's blogs! I find so many things that I would love to attempt myself. There are so many people with wonderful, unique ideas!!

Here is one that I would love to try for my bedroom windows.
The Easy Pelmet Boxes

Here you can find out how to create custom valances with foam board! This opens up a whole new world of valance possibilities for those who don't know how to use a saw. Foam board is easily cut into any shape that you desire for your custom look!

Here is another project that I mean to work on soon. . .
Boxwood Topiary

Here is another version of the boxwood topiary. . .

I love them both!

Oh, and I LOVE all the furniture plans at the Knock Off Wood blog!!
She has so much talent!! I have got to try one of those plans soon! :)
Some of my favorites. . .

Well, I better get off the computer and get busy so I can eventually start and complete some of these projects! :)

Halter Tops made for Triplets!

2010-03-06T04:38:00.000-08:00

Check out these halter tops made by Christy over at The Little Family Blog!
She made these halter tops for her nieces who are triplets. They look adorable in their new outfits! What a wonderful aunt!

She also sells her handmade treasures in here etsy shop!

The halter top tutorial that Christy used can be found here.

Share your creations. . .

2010-03-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

I would love to see your boutique clothing created from my tutorials! I will share it with others here on my blog and share a link to your store if you would like. Thanks!

A Customer Creation. . .

2010-03-04T06:19:00.001-08:00

Check out this Minnie Mouse halter top created by DivaBabyDesigns!

She created this halter top with my Boutique Halter Top Tutorial. She did a superb job!! She has listed this halter top as a custom item in her Etsy shop.

Here is what she said about my tutorial. . .
"Hi, I just wanted to thank you again for such a great halter pattern! Here is a picture of the one I made with it! I put it in your feedback section too! I have never sewn anything like this & it was simple and easy & I did it in a few hours!"

Thanks so much for sharing your creation Leslie!

Whimsy Couture is hosting a giveaway of a 25.00 gift certificate to my Etsy shop!

2010-02-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

Check out the giveaway going on over at Whimsy Couture! I am giving away a 25.00 gift certificate to my Etsy shop. All purchases are discounted during this time as well!
There are many different ways to enter the giveaway and earn extra entries!

New Curtain for Closet Doorway Made!

2010-02-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

I just finished curtains for the closet door in my youngest daughter's room. We removed the bi-fold closet door in this room to make more room for furniture. This offers a solution to still keep the contents of the closet (i.e. the mess) hidden. :) My little girl is excited about the curtain!

I thought I would type up a simple tutorial on making a doorway curtain just in case this interests you. Here goes . . . :)

STEP 1: Measure the Doorway. (My doorway opening was about 46 inches wide by 81 inches high.)

STEP 2: Decide how to cut your fabric. I was using 45 inch wide fabric. So for the width of the doorway-- I decided two widths of the 45 inch fabric would be great for what I wanted. This made the fabric used about double the width of the closet doorway. Just the right amount of gathering. If you have a standard closet doorway -- one width of 45 inch wide fabric would be great.

For the length of the doorway--- I subtracted one inch so it wouldn't hang on the floor. Then I added 2.5 inches at the top for the rod pocket. I also added 2 inches for the hem at the bottom.

(For my doorway I had two fabric pieces that were about 44 inches wide by 84.5 inches in length.)

STEP 3: Cut the selvages off of your fabric. Then fold over each of those edges by 1/4 inch twice. Iron in place then sew.

STEP 4: Turn up the bottom edge of your fabric pieces by 1 inch twice. Iron in place and sew to create the hem.

STEP 5: Serge or zig-zag the top edge of the fabric pieces to prevent raveling. Then turn under by 1/2 inch, iron in place. Then turn over 2 inches, iron, and sew near the edge to form your rod pockets.

STEP 6: Slide your curtain onto the expandable shower curtain rod. I had to remove the end rubber cap piece to be able to slide the rod through the rod pocket.

STEP 7: Place curtain in the closet doorway and stand back and admire your handiwork.

(You could also use this tutorial to create valances and other curtains by just changing the dimensions to fit your needs.)

Curtains that I have made. . .

2010-02-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

I made window treatments for my little girls rooms and have considered making tutorials on how to make them to put in my etsy shop. Let me know what you think --- would this be something that would interest you or other people you know?

This is a indoor window awning valance that I made for my oldest two daughter's room.

I also made the awning for the closet door. The room is fairly small with all their furniture so by taking down the closet door and adding a curtain for the doorway it made room for a desk for their room.

Here is the curtain that I made for my smallest two daughter's room. This is called a dog-ear valance because of the shape of the ties on the curtain.

I saw a curtain this style and improvised it to make it fit my needs and the style that I wanted. I wanted the ties built into the curtain so all that had to be done was slide the curtain onto the rod, distribute the gathers evenly, and tie the ties. I have this valance for sale (as a custom order) in my etsy shop. However, I have also considered making this into a tutorial and selling the tutorial in my shop.

Here is a photo showing another way to tie the ties of the curtain that offers a little different look. . .

Let me know what you think! :)

What not to do when making an ironing board cover. . .

2010-02-10T11:03:00.001-08:00

This is what I managed to complete recently.

This was a project that I thought would be a breeze and it turned out to be so complicated. . . I made it complicated!

My ironing board looked like this. . .

and I have been meaning to make a new cover for awhile now. So I decided to get that done quickly. . .

Anyway, I wanted to try free motion quilting for the first time on this ironing board cover. I also wanted to use a velour blanket that we have had stashed in the closet for a project such as this.

LESSON 1: A velour blanket does not work well as the padding for free motion quilting. (I think this made the fabric slide as I moved it underneath the machine-- I tried pinning with safety pins etc. to prevent this.)

It started out well. . .
but the fabric starting sliding slightly. I will have to try this again sometime with the right materials!

I ended up taking all of the free motion stitching out and serging the layers together. . . (the top fabric, blanket interior, and bottom fabric). I then tried to turn the edges under to make a casing for ribbon or elastic. This was a pain too! It was really too bulky with the blanket and other layers and hard to keep straight as turning it over. After getting this done it ending up being too small-- I guess with the bulkiness of it all it lacked a little fabric to make it fit.

LESSON 2: Add a few extra inches around the ironing board if you are going to used layers like this. Also consider the option of making the ironing board pattern separately from the cover. I was tempted to start all over but ended up making a casing out of coordinating fabric to slide some ribbon through.

I really like how it EVENTUALLY turned out! :) I like the extra padding that the blanket provided and I really like that it looks so pretty now!

If you would like more information on how I put this together. . . feel free to email.

New Pillow Covers Listed on Etsy!

2010-02-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

I just listed some more pillow covers over on my Etsy store site. . .

You can click on the pictures to take you to each Etsy listing. I listed a few other pillow covers besides these also.

Thanks for looking!

Check out the Review over at Wee Share. . .

2010-01-31T19:50:00.000-08:00

I would love for you to check out the review of my boutique stripwork skirt pattern over at Wee Share. Desi did a wonderful job using my tutorial to create her daughter the cutest little skirt!

I am offering a giveaway of one of my patterns on her Wee Share blog. There are many different ways to enter. Check it out! :)

My First Day Blogging

2010-01-28T08:24:00.001-08:00

I am trying to figure out this new blogging language. Please bear with me as I try to learn. . . :)

My name is Melinda Trotter. I have a great husband and four sweet little girls.

I love to sew and have done so a lot over the last 6-7 years. Here are a couple of my past designs that I listed and sold on ebay. . .

Now I am enjoying creating tutorials for others to make their own boutique creations.

Here is a link to my etsy tutorial listings. . .

These tutorial among others are listed in my etsy store. Just follow the link above. . . Thanks!