Another Stolen Idea...

On my husbands side of the Family we trade names for Christmas. Only, we do it at Thanksgiving when we all get together! This year I decided to High Jack Kalleen's Food Face Plates. Go here for her complete tutorial. As soon as she submitted them when we were competing against each other at SYTC I knew I wanted some for myself!!!

Here is their set of plates.

And please notice my husbands addition. He insisted they receive a plate adorned with his face...And of course his name...Dead Sexy...

So when I stacked the plates up I hide it right in the middle of their family.

I was so excited making these. I hope they love them.

I love them so much I am going to make a set for my family as well! I will post them when they are finished.

Saints Quarterback Brees Sweat Shirt

While my mother in law was in town this last month my father in law called and new what he wanted to get his grandson for his upcoming Birthday. Of course we hopped right on it and had it made the next day! And it was so fun to have two other helpers create with me!!!

First I created these files in Illustrator. Yeah, they aren't perfect, I know...but hey, that's what makes it one of a kind!!! This first image is for the front. You will need to print it using the Full Photo. click the box that says fit image to screen so it is unchecked. You DO NOT need to flip the image. Print on Avery Dark Transfer Paper.

And here is the back. Print it the same way as you did above.


Cut it out and iron it on. Yes, it's easier with three people cutting and with a Heat Press. I love how it turned out...

And I'm hoping that He LOVES it too!!!

Matching Shirts For Family Pictures

When we get together with my husbands side of the family ever two years for thanksgiving we have family pictures taken. Each family wears matching shirts. So this year I decided to make ours. And I LOVE them. And then the very next day after I finished making them I was informed that this time was going to be different. That we all are going to wear black, grey, or white. Needless to say...I am not very happy about it. It's a good thing I already have a family shoot in the works with a photographer from my area so we can wear our awesome shirts!!!

For this project you need a plain shirt. Avery Transfer Paper. I purchased mine at Walmart. This is the best brand. It's is very comparable to the professional brand I buy in bulk back when I was making shirts for a living... I used both a set of light transfers and dark transfers. Print this design on the DARK transfer sheet and make sure to NOT mirror it.

Print this on the LIGHT Transfer sheet and make sure you MIRROR image it.

Then you need to cut out the diagonals. Once you have take the large set that you printed on the LIGHT paper and flip it upside down onto the shirt. Place it on the shoulder seam going downward.

Head on over to your ironing board, or use your heat press if you are lucky enough to have one...I think it's a must I love it. Anyways, follow the instructions on the heat and the time, it will vary depending on your iron or your heat press. Then pick off the backing.

Then head over to your sewing machine and using a contrasting thread sew lines across the centers of the diagonals. Make sure to do it in both directions. And of course back stitch at the front and end of each line.

Then try it on.

Take it off because everything looks good.

And change your mind on the pattern you did.

So take two more dark diagonals and place them upside down right on top of these two clear diagonals. Then heat set them on as well.

Pick off the backing paper.

These two are over the stitching line which gives it alot of dimension!

Then take the DARK transfer sheet that you printed and cut out the diagonals. This time because it's the dark transfer paper you pick off the back and place the transfer right side up. So add the clear diagonals on the center of the top row, on the two outsides of the middle row, and on the first diagonal on the third row.

Heat set them. The stitching will be underneath these white ones but you will be able to see it through. Also the two on the middle row will end up grey because the underneath dark grey shows through. It gives it a really cool look as well.

Have the boys try it on.

Yep, it's just right. Frames the face beautifully but isn't distracting in the least bit. They'll be perfect for family photo's. After you get home from your trip and get your pictures retaken by the local photographer so you can wear them.

Then repeat on all five shirts.

Blue, blue, blue. That's what happens when you have boys. You end up in five shades of blue for family photo's! But it's okay...I love the way blue makes my eyes look!

Stay tuned to see what I make to wear to the original Family photo's that I first intended to wear these shirts to!

Post Update: Here are the shirts in action. I LOVE them.

The First Of Many...

Changes! Don't mind the chaos...My makeover is almost complete. Everything should be up and running except a few blurps on my interviews, recipes, and tutorials page. How do you like the makeover? I am loving it!

A New Shirt For Me...

My wardrobe is pathetic. Really. It's so bad. I don't have the money to buy anything new. So I get to remake what I have...or what I have bought to turn into something that is sitting in my craft room...in this case I took a plain jane t-shirt. It fits me. So make sure you tackle one in your size for this project.

Turn your shirt inside out. I like my sleeves tight. So I took off about an inch from them. To do this cut from the arm pit to the sleeve edge in a diagonal.

Then stitch it. If your machine doesn't have a t-shirt setting make sure you sew with a zig-zag stitch.

Cut off that neckline.

And then cut the neckline to how you like it. I did mine abstract. Make the front deeper than the back. I also made my neck opening wider in the shoulders.

I used my duct tape body form for this. If you don't have one available to you (you really should make one...I love it...you can see how in my tutorials tab up there...) you can simply put the shirt on for this step... I pinned my shoulders down so my shirt wouldn't move around too much.

And I am not sure where the picture went for this step...But I am pretty sure I took one...and it has vanished. You are going to take the front of the shirt and make small puckers in the fabric randomly. I did it from the v-part of my neckline and outward. Do this on the back as well. Then you will sew these puckers. See finished pictures to see what I am referring too.

I don't like extra long sleeves so I cut off nearly 2 inches from the sleeve line.

And then I folded the edge up about 1/2 inch.

And then folded the edge down.

Sew along the edge to stitch in place.

Then for the neckline. Take the sleeve hem or the hem from another shirt in the same color...(that is what I did) and place the raw edge in the same direction as the raw edge on the neckline.

Fold over the raw edge and pin in place.

Continue all the way around the shirt. When I reached the v in the front neckline I pleated the extra fabric from the hem. (Here you can see the puckers from the above step with no picture)

Sew this along the edge.

And then stitch along the outer edge of the old hem seam to hold the new neckline down.

And there it is...

A cool new shirt for me...

And I like it...

And now I have the bug to make alot more shirts...because I love having clothes I love and that fit...and aren't 10 years old and stained and holey...

And it's easier to do that than it is trying to lose all this weight that's refusing to come off...

And even the neckline on the back is cute with a few little puckers of it's own...

So now that I shared with you my shirt...I would LOVE to see your shirt tutorials! I am in need of some new ideas for my wardrobe!!! Leave your links in the comments and I'll be sure to check them out...And I might even try yours out and feature you!

If you try this shirt out let me know I would love to head on over and see it as well!!!

Oh Christmas Tree! Decoration

This is a really fast really cute Christmas Craft. This is perfect for a family/friends craft night or church group activity!

First you will need a 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch piece of wood. Cut it into the following lengths. 2 inches. 3 inches. 4 inches. 5 inches. 6 inches. 7 inches. 8 inches.

Then paint them all green. The color I used is called Oregano.

Then grab your exacto knife and carefully cut off the edges. Make sure you cut away from your body. And please please be careful. I can't be held responsible for any injuries due to this step:).

Peel the clear layer off the vinyl sheet and adhere the vinyl to each block. If you would like to seal your vinyl in, either spray with sealer or paint with a layer of mod podge.

Take a piece of jute and tie it altogether with a bow on the top in place of the star on the tree.

How cute is that?

And it was easy to, right?