Ninth Day of Christmas: 9 Ladies Dancing Tutu

{The Lady's Apron pattern is now available!! Follow the link in THIS tutorial, sorry for the delay}

I knew I had to make something for Evie to dance around in for the 9th day of Christmas and while I know it is 100% unoriginal I thought it would be fun to do a no-sew tutu. I think every mom should know how to make these tutu's. They are crazy easy and almost as cheap as they are easy (seriously, nice tulle is like 99 cents a yard!I use the very fine tulle so they are not itchy) Throw in the fact that you don't have to sew to make them and every girl who wants should have a closet full of tutus! I was worried Evie would try to rip hers off and be annoyed by it (truthfully she is a bit young for dress ups although she wears Superman on a regular basis) but she loved it. We tried to get video to share of her dancing and attempting to jump around the house.

I love the romantic and sophisticated color pallet. I am sure once she can talk she will demand an electric pink and bright purple one, which I am fine with, but for now I get to choose :) My girly friend in Jakarta was kind enough to stand there while the fabric store guy pulled down tons of tulle for us to try and match up and there was just something about this mustard yellow and deep turquoise I liked together, and I love how it looks when she runs:

These easy to make tutus are perfect for photoshoots. In my favorite session EVER my gorgeous subject Mallory was wearing one I threw together the night before:

But if more vibrant and less muted colors are your style and you want it over the top fluffy you can always go that route:

That is what is so great about them, you have complete control! Alright enough gushing about them and lets learn how to make them.
What you will need:
As much tulle as you like to make your tutu your desired level of fluffiness. I used 1 meter of each color and generally try to stick to the rule of 3 and use 3 colors.
A length of wide elastic that will fit comfortably around your dancers belly
Ribbon to hot glue or sew to the ends of the elastic
Any sort of embellishment if you choose.

Once you have all your items together you are going to fold your tulle in the way easiest to cut 2 inch strips. The length of the strips depends on how tall your munchkin is and how dramatic you want the tutu to be. Remember the longer it is the more toile you will need. Be careful and think about this in advance otherwise you will run out of toile and the store won't be open before your shoot and you will end up with something HILARIOUS like this:

We just HAD to get a shot of that at the end it was to funny. ANYWAY.....
I cut mine all up and then put them in 3 piles:

This makes them easy to grab one after the other. I then picked up my length of elastic and my ribbon (which should be cut into 2 pieces).

Now I sewed this part but you can just as easily hot glue... actually it would probably be easier. Anywho, I pinned the ribbon to the end of the elastic and sewed it on.

I then repeated the process on the other side. Now it is time to start attaching the tulle. Decided what pattern you want and if you want to do two every time (I do this for colors that are harder to see) or just one at a times. Once you have that figured out take a length of your toile and slide it under the elastic.

Bring it up over the elastic and tie a knot. Then slide the knot right up agains the edge of the elastic:

Make sure the knot is at the bottom of the elastic. Now continue your pattern and tie all the pieces onto the elastic making sure they are nice and squished together. The more your squish on the fluffier your tutu.

Once you cannot or do not want to fit anymore give the elastic a nice stretch to spread everything out. Tie a little bow and you are done!!!

You can either leave it as is or add a flower or bow etc. to embellish:

Now there is nothing to do but sit back and watch your darling dance:

Evie literally would not stop moving once it was on so of course I got a bagillion blurry pics :)

These really are so fun to make and hello what little girl wouldn't love to open a box christmas morning and find a huge fluffy tutu?

Eighth day of Christmas: 8 Maids A Milking Aprons

I had such a great response when I asked about Aprons I am thinking about doing "Apron week" the first week in January. If you like this idea let me know AND email me a picture or link to any aprons you would like ot see made and I will tackle it! I love a challenge! Would you guys like to do this?

I love love love pretty aprons and I actually think this is the one area where Anthropologie prices aren't that bad. BUT having said that free is always better! (My husband would be quick to point out that using things you have on hand does not necessarily mean free because I did buy it at some point ;)) It's good enough for me! You have to have a good apron for the holidays and believe me these are so easy you will definitely have time to crank a couple out :) They make AWESOME girlfriend gifts as well. The two aprons I made patterns for and will have a tutorial for today are the Lady's Apron:

(It was SUPER windy, and then down poured, while I was trying to get these pics so the ruffle wouldn't lay straight)
Unlike Anthro's I lined mine. This makes the sewing WAY easier and I think it gives it some nice weight.

 I did a triangle pocket like the original but didn't do a large bow (you totally can if you like). Instead I did a red ribbon clip on that can easily come off for washing. I also made mine a bit longer for coverage but you are welcome to shorten it (I would do so in the middle of the main piece).

I like to have some pictures with what I make actually on a human (because not all of us have awesome unproportional bodies like the mannequin) I told my friend if she would let me take pics I would let her choose an apron to keep and I promised not to get her face in the pics as she claimed not to be camera ready :)

Second is the Tea and Crumpets apron.

This apron is seen in several different version on the website so if you need some inspiration hop over HERE. This is probably my favorite apron on the site.

I mean hello I wish I could wear it as a dress, that has got to say something. I love the ruffles on the top

the dainty pocket and ruffle along the bottom

And I am crazy about the big flower at the sholder that gives it a much needed punch of color.

Reading the reviews online one of the complaints was that the flower was not removable so of course I remedied that by simply gluing it to a hair clipy thingy (yes that is the technical term) so it is easily removed. Again some live shots:

The blues kinda clash but oh well ha!

This pattern really is the base for a lot of the aprons so go to town, be creative, "make it your own" ha! As for the HMS Lollipop I will be doing a tutorial later on. I made it an upcycle which I think will be really fun to share :)
To learn how to make them simply click below to read more!

Eight Maids A Milking.... which would you like to see?

Alright, so this totally blows the surprise out of the water but I swear sometimes when I think something is going to be a hit it is a total dud and when I think it is kinda lame it gets rave reviews... so in an attempt to give readers what they want I would love your opinion. For eight maids a milking I went a little nutso and made 3 aprons, you know to wear while milking my cow ha! What can I say I thought it was a good tie together. Anyways, I made 3 knock offs of Anthropologie aprons:

The Lady's Apron

The HMS Lollipop Apron (mine is with seersucker though because I didn't have any large stripe, it would be much cuter with large stripe)

Tea and Crumpets Apron

A large majority of Anthropologie aprons are just variations of the Tea and Crumpets apron. 

So leave a comment letting me know which you would like to see tomorrow or I will be left to my own devices bowahh haa haa! :)

Seventh Day of Christmas: Massive Migraine

Today I have been battling a horrible migraine and I am just not going to be able to get a post up. I am hoping I can squeeze "swans a swimming" in on another day. I am trying to remedy the link to the PJ pattern by uploading it to google docs (as one fantastic reader suggested) as opposed to Media Fire. It has just given me way to many problems. I am bummed to have to skip today but if you have ever had a migraine you know exactly how incapacitated I am feeling right now. Off I go to a dark and quiet room. Hopin' your day is much livelier!

Sixth Day of Christmas: Knock Off Potterybarn Christmas Pajamas

I am soooooo crazy excited to share this tutorial with you! I am dying at how great it turned out and totally psyched to make a bagillion more!

  Brief Caveat: This project has by far the least to do with it's assigned day. But I REALLY wanted to make these for the kids before Christmas and knew there was no way to do it unless I widdled it into the count down somehow :) 

The sixth day of Christmas is "6 Geese a Laying", I decided to completely ignore everything but the "laying" part and make something comfy for the cuties to "lay" in Christmas eve. I wanted to share as I know it is a VERY common tradition to get new jammies on Christmas Eve:

Knock Off Potterybarn Holiday PJ's

I love these Jammies... I feel like Finn should be wearing leather slippers and puffing a bubble pipe :)

Every year I would head to my favorite Potterybarn outlet and scoop up loads of PJ's for the boys. I REALLY wanted them to still have their adorable PJ's so I set out to make my own. I decided to go with a over the top Christmasy plaid:

What really MAKES the PB jammies is their little pipping on their jammies. I decided to go with a deep green around the cuff:

and collar:

and around the leg cuffs:

Finn loves them as well. Usually he would immediately request to get back into his spiderman shirt after a shoot but he kept this on for the rest of the afternoon then wore them to bed!

I am going to make Sawyer a matching set and Evie a little retro dress! I hope the pics convey how cute they are because in person they just make you melt :) So if you would like to learn how to make them then click below for the pattern and the rest of the tutorial!

Fifth Day of Christmas: Your Own Golden Ring

Alright before I move on with today's post I think I need to address Evies green pants ha! Apparently the tutorial should have been how to make them! They actually have 3 more buttons going up and are total sailor pants but you can't tell that because they are way to big! I will be posting a tutorial and pattern for them after Christmas, along with them will be a super cute pair of sailor shorts. If you happen to see bright green poplin cotton then stock up! :) Thanks for all the compliments it is fun sharing them on the web since she rarely leaves the compound here in Timor :( 

I knew EXACTLY the project I wanted to do for "Five Golden Rings", I wanted to make one of the personalized rings I have been seeing all over the place. Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to get everything to me, FORTUNATELY I have the coolest crafty friend in the world who was willing to do it for me and share with the fantabulous readers of Sewing In No Mans Land! Meet Elizabeth. 

She is the fantastic girly behind the Moonlit Nest. Our hubbies went to Law School together and our fanaticism for photography, crafting, throwing ridiculously involved parties having cuties of similar ages (Atticus is in between Sawyer and Liam and Gwyneth is nearer Evie) and so many other things made us fast friends. It was VERY hard to say goodbye to the Moon family when we left DC. Thankfully I follow her gorgeous blog and stay caught up. Okay enough gushing on my part. These personalized rings are soooooo easy and I cannot wait for my "stuff" to arrive so I can make one. You can easily pick up everything you need at a local craft store (Ring blank, clear bubble stone and strong glue) 

Or you can order some gorgeous ring blanks online HERE (which I am in LOVE with) or HERE or HERE... it goes on and on. Since Elizabeth was doing me a huge favor I sent her a kit (she talks about where over on her bloggity blog) this made it SUPER easy. I love that she decided to hers with a pic of her hubby:

Hop on over to The Moonlit Nest to find all the details! 

Fourth Day of Christmas: 4 Calling Birds Shirt

I actually had so many ideas for this day it was hard to choose. First I was going to do a variation on Spool's bird mobile with christmas colored birds and felt music notes (I am thinkin' I will probably still do this) but I couldn't find long enough and sturdy enough sticks (we have lots of Palm trees and not much else). Then I switched to making candle wraps out of transparency's with music sheet backgrounds and birds. Did that but didn't really like how it turned out. So it was on to number three. I LOVE making Evie shirts. A while back I made her a bird shirt. I decided it would be fun to do a Christmas version. 

So, I shrunk down THIS bird pattern and cut it our in four corresponding Christmas patterns. Then switched up their wings and sewed on some button eyes! 

You can use wonder-under to attach them (this is the coolest stuff ever!) I then did some big stitch's on top

I really prefer how T's look as opposed to Onsies'

Of course then you run the risk of them constantly doing this:

Aside from her belly button Evie also love's eating rocks during photoshoots:

This is soooo super easy! So go a head, print off your bird and make your own flock!!