Craft: Spray Dye Swim Towels (Kids' Craft)

I love taking advantage of summer to get creative with my kids. I especially love an activity that is easy for them to do, and not a giant mess for me to cleanup. Though the idea "dye" might cause concern, this dying project can be done on your lawn where there's little chance of permanent staining. 

Because my girls love swimming, and they love playing with color I thought this would be the perfect craft to keep them busy for an afternoon. Adding a monogram acts like a signature on their art and is handy for keeping track of which belongs to whom. And now they have colorful towels to take to the pool and beach to show off their creative work!

Click through for the how-to.

Sewing: Puppy Purse Tutorial for WeAllSew

Remember this cute Maren dress I sewed for Tess? I made a darling puppy purse in pink faux leather and gold to go with it. Tess just loves it! It's the perfect little accessory.

I've got a tutorial for this purse with free pattern on the BERNINA WeAllSew blog today. And there's a whole birthday party to go with this ensemble, which I'll share later this week!

Sewing: Christmas Tree Pillow for WeAllSew

We all have our lists of things we want to do to celebrate Christmas, and if you are similar to me you toss half of them along the way. Time is short and I keep telling myself I don't want so many projects that I miss just spending time with people! Well this tree pillow is a quick sew that will make you feel like you added a handmade touch to your holidays. It's perfect for a gift too.

I created this project for the BERNINA blog, WeAllSew. They have a great series of projects and daily giveaways this month for the Christmas countdown. You can find my Felt Christmas Tree Pillow tutorial here.

I just love wool felt and felted pom poms. This pillow has a hand stitched look thanks to a specialty stitch option on my BERNINA 580--the only actual hand stitching is on the pom poms. 

I hope you are making progress on your holiday list and enjoying time with the ones you love.

Sewing: Linen Midi Skirt with Patch Pockets for WeAllSew.com

Hello! Meet my new puppy, and my new midi skirt. Everyone loves puppies, right? So I thought she'd make the perfect prop for photographing this linen skirt I made for BERNINA's We All Sew blog. (I'm an ambassador for the BERNINA brand. I sew with a BERNINA 580, which I love.)

I love the midi skirt trend in all its incarnations: pencil, pleated, full, wrap.... This full gathered skirt with patch pockets gives me the chance to revisit the skirts my friends and I wore (gasp!) a couple decades ago. Linen makes it lightweight and breezy so it's really easy to wear.

The pockets make it practical. And I think a high waistband is flattering on everyone.

I've been wearing this skirt with t-shirts and flip flops too. 

I've got a complete tutorial for making this skirt to fit your measurements at We All Sew. It's really quick to sew. It's not too late to jump on the trend!

To check out the other tutorials I've created for BERNINA view my We All Sew profile.

Craft: Rainbow Boho Tassel Necklace DIY (Tutorial)

I've been loving the Boho tassel necklace trend and thought making a rainbow version would be the perfect way to celebrate my friend, Katy Dill, on her birthday. Katy is a compulsive rainbow-tizer. Just one of the many ways she creates art and beauty in her life. No doubt you are a fan of hers too.

Skirt Fixation organized this virtual birthday party for Katy and I am so happy to be among the other creative women wishing Katy the best. Katy certainly brings joy to those around her as well as farflung virtual friends lucky enough to get a glimpse into her world. I especially enjoy her photographic eye and her appreciation for the teaching moments and beauty we should cherish in our lives.

This tassel necklace is so simple to make! It's seriously a fifteen minute project (assuming you start with a simple beaded necklace). It would be great for a kids craft too! Maybe as a party favor at a Rainbow Birthday Party.

I'm going to love wearing it with a simple black and white outfit (coincidentally, another favorite palette of Katy's) and Scarlett has already asked if she can wear it with the Rainbow Wrap Skirt I made a few years ago.

Want to make one? I've got the tutorial after the jump.

Sewing: Pom-Pom Trimmed Voile Scarf for WeAllSew (Child's Sewing Tutorial)

Are you hoping to teach your child to sew this summer? My mother taught me to sew and I love sewing with my daughter, Audrey. The trick is coming up with a project that is satisfying, while not too difficult. This Pom-Pom Trimmed Voile Scarf is just the thing! It's very simple to sew but with a beautiful light cotton voile, such as this Anna Maria Horner Little Folks Coloring Garden, it looks so impressive!

I've got a step-by-step tutorial for this pom-pom scarf project at the BERNINA WeAllSew blog today. If you haven't been to their blog lately you have to check it out--they've just done a really beautiful re-design.

This is a great project for gifting (don't you love helping your children make handmade gifts), and for borrowing from your little one when it's finished!

You can view my other projects for WeAllSew here.

Sewing: Easy Ruched Linen Maxi Dress (Tutorial)

I've decided this is the summer of the dress! For me anyway. I don't know why I haven't gone this direction previously--they are so easy to wear! I've always envied men and suits, because getting dressed well seems so easy. But really, wearing a dress is even easier: you just need shoes. And maybe a necklace if you are into accessorizing. (I got this gold one from Target.)

So I am happy to participate today in Melly Sews' 30 Days of Sundresses by sharing this simple tutorial for a ruched linen maxi dress. You can check out all the other Sundresses this month by visiting her blog, and don't miss entering her giveaway.

I've always loved linen, and I love it wrinkled! I purchased this pinstriped slub linen fabric from Jo-Ann last year and they still carry it, which is lucky for you, because it is beautiful! I really like using linen for this simple silhouette because it adds a bit of sophistication. It can be worn casual or dressy depending on how it's accessorized. And it's figure flattering while still being comfortable.

I was inspired to sew this dress after seeing this popular maxi dress pin on Pinterest and somewhere I saw some ruched shoulders, which I love.  Adds a little bit, and fun with the linen. I wanted to be able to wear this dress easily without a belt so I opted for an elastic "ruched" waist. I also added some topstitching, and generous hem, and finishing details on the inside so though this dress has a bohemian look, it's all tailored.

You can easily make this dress for yourself! Just take a few measurements and follow my tutorial below. Easy breezy!

Sewing: Easter Angel Sleeve Dresses for Girls and Dolls (Free Doll Dress Pattern)

Easter dresses are some of my favorite projects. I love the idea of a new pretty dress for Spring, and the tradition of something special to mark the holiday. I usually lean toward the dressier dress, or at least something sort of ambitious, but this year I kept it simple. I made Angel Sleeve Dresses and Blouses with skirt for my girls and their dolls. I've updated my Angel Sleeve Dress pattern (one of my first) with digitally drafted pattern pieces, and I have the Doll Angel Sleeve Dress and Blouse Pattern for you free, along with a sewing tutorial below. 

Simple doesn't have to be boring, so I picked bold floral fabrics for the dresses (all purchased from Jo-Ann in their premium quilting fabric section) and adding pom-pom and bias trim. It's simple to embellish these dresses with trim at the sleeve and skirt hem and adds a bit more fun.

The Doll Angel Sleeve Dress Pattern is sized for 14", 16" and 18" dolls and it's such a basic shape it would work for dolls of all shapes. 

I used the 16" for the Waldorf dolls I sewed and it also works well for the Disney Animator's Collection dolls. The 18" pattern is designed for American Girl Dolls, Our Generation Dolls and the like.

I used a mini pom-pom trim on the sleeves and hems of the Waldorf Doll dresses, but opted for packaged 1/2" bias tape for the American Girl Doll dress. I think the bias trim is a great look for dolls and girls! I just hemmed the dresses as the pattern directed and then sandwiched the sleeve and skirt hems in the folded bias tape and stitched close to the fold.

You may be wondering about the three girls in this photo.... I knew all three of my girls wouldn't enjoy these dresses but I did want to sew a third matching set for an 18" doll and her girl. Luckily my beautiful friend indulged me by letting me borrow her American Girl Doll for a fitting and was amiable to participating in a photo shoot. She was my best model! She thought it was fun! I've been reminding my girls of her enthusiasm ever since--they don't always see a photoshoot for the good time that it is! 

It's too bad I didn't just talk Audrey into this shoot, because I miss her in it. And I owe her an Easter dress. Easter is the happiest of the holidays my family celebrates (you can read a bit about my thoughts in Easter in this post). I hope you too are enjoying the renewal of Spring.

If part of your Spring celebration includes sewing, you can find the pattern for my Angel Sleeve Dress and Blouse here in my Etsy Shop. And the free pattern for the Doll's Angel Sleeve Dress and Blouse here.

Keep reading for the sewing tutorial for making a doll-sized Angel Sleeve Dress or Blouse.

If you want to see more clothes I've sewn for these dolls you can view my Waldorf Dolls Wardrobe Post I and Waldorf Dolls Wardobe Post II.