6th December – Saint Nicholas Day tradition

Did you also put your boots in front of the door on December 5th in the evening? And there were candy in your boots in the morning?

Or did your parents order a Santa Claus in your house who always knew what you had been doing all year? And fortunately there were always small gifts anyway?

When I was little I was terrified of Nicholas because he knew all my secrets!
Later I found out it was a friend of my dad’s hihihi πŸ˜€

Even though I have been too old for Nicholas for a long time, I still love this tradition.
That’s why I sewed a panel and hung it on the door this weekend.

Santa Panel

 

Sweat jacket with bunnies and dot dot dot

And another jacket for Miss M.
A few months ago I sewed her a skirt with dots.
I found the lining fabric on eBay and the mushrooms with the dots brought me to the idea to sew a suitable jacket for the skirt.

I didn’t have to think long about the motive for the application. I copied a piece of fabric and printed it in different sizes.
Okay, the colors are very spring-like but I hope she’ll like it anyway when she gets it tomorrow πŸ™‚

Here the front of the jacket

Bunny jacket 01

a better view at the pockets

Bunny jacket 02

mushroom and bird on the chest

Bunny jacket 03

the back of the jacket

Bunny jacket 04

DIY nautical hooded jacket

When I’ve sewn the girls dress with the school supplies I found remains of french terry fabric I used for a hooded jacket. Not enough for another jacket for myself, but enough for a little girls hooded sweat jacket.

I’ve made 6,7 or 8 hooded jackets for myself but this small jackets are way more complicated hehe

I started with an very easy jacket, Nothing special! I used the dress fabric as lining for the hood.

Here my first jacket for Miss M πŸ™‚

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My next jacket has been more elaborated πŸ˜€

I used this jacket to learn how to applique

Remember the maritime dress with the paper boats?

Burda dress 01.

I had more than enough fabric left overΒ  when the dress has been done.

First I searched the net for drawings of a paper boat. I printed my found in different sizes and sewn it on the back of my jacket

DIY Hooded sweat jacket 04

The front got a paper boat too. This time with Miss M’s initials. I also made piping with the lining fabric

DIY Hooded sweat jacket 01

For lining the hood and the front I used the dress fabric. For the back lining I took the pocket fabric

DIY Hooded sweat jacket 05

Front of the jacket

Yes, I know. The pockets are a little displaced

DIY Hooded sweat jacket 02

Back of the jacket.

Unfortunality I put the paper boats a little to high on the back. The hood is covering part of the boats 😦

DIY Hooded sweat jacket 03

 

DIY Cosplay Natsu from Fairytale – Tutorial

My god child Sonja asked me once to make a Fairytale costume for a friend of hers. They wanted to go to a Games Con. Sonja had bought a Lucy costume for herself but her friend still needed his cosplay.

She asked me if I could sew a Natsu costume. I must say I had to google for this name hihi

I knew the name Fairytale coz I had bought some of her mangas as a gift but never ever read one of these.

After looking for pics of Natsu I asked Sonja to give me some measurements from Alex like hip, waist, bust, shoulder length ….

Guess what I got in the end?????? “Elly, he is 6ft in height”. Thats all the information I got LOL

Lucky for me I’ve seen Alex a few times before. Otherwise I wouldnt have known is he a skinny 6ft or a muscle one or a little over weighted! There are way to many different physiques out there to sew without any information

To make this cosplay suitable I had to make compromises!

I bought black, white and yellow cotton + velcro

First I made the skirt. Because I hadnt had his size I decided to make the skirt variable for different sizes. To do so I used velcro as seen in this sketch.

If you want to sew it the way I did, dont use a too small piece of velcro! The velcro will hold the skirt together!!!

For the size of the skirt I measured myself and added a few inches in length and width. The front I cut 2 1/2 inches broader than the back because the 2 front pieces will overlap a little.

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 14

First sew the 2 skirt pieces together. Check how the skirts fits you and where to make the cut to get the 2 pieces for your front. See pic above. Cut your front. Add the yellow bias binding .

I wanted the bias binding in 5/8″ so I cut 2 3/8″ strips

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 11a

Now measure all three pieces together, add 2″ and cut a 4″ wide stripe. Iron it to the half. Sew the waistband to your skirt. Start at the small front piece. If done the waistbandΒ  should have been longer when you finished at the larger front piece.

Sew the velcro on it. 2 stripes on the small front of your waistband, the other 2 on the back of the larger side. Make sure you wont see the velcro when you close your skirt.

Your skirt is done and should look like mine

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 10

Here you can see Sonja with the cosplay. Even she is way smaller than Alex she can wear the skirt!

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 17

The next has been the vest

I used a pattern from a shirt. I made it larger than my size and added 3 inches in length.

You only need the back pattern. Cut it twice. Take one of them and cut it in the middle. Now lay them right side on right side. Cut a sleight curve from the neck down. Add bias binding on front, arms …

I put a lining to the front , but it isnt necessary. I thought it would look better if the front fabric isnt too “soft”

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 12

For Natsus pants I used the “Burda Young Mens Pants pattern 7306”.

It looked close to the one Natsu wears if I’ve seen it right on the Natsu pics. I needed something very wide and comfy. I only had to shorten the pant legs to make it look moreΒ  like Natsu’s pants.

I cut a size way bigger than Alex would wear usually.

Because I wanted to make an elastic waistband I added 3 inches for it.

Sew the sides and the pant legs.

Follow the pic below. If you have an overlock you can skip the first point

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 15

Now put elastic bands in your waistband

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 04

Because I hadnt been sure this pants will fit Alex I put a band in the waistband too!

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 03

Your pants is almost done

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 02

Put in both pant legs an elastic band too and addΒ  a 2″ black stripe. Make sure the black stripe is on both sides of the leg at least 3 to 4″ longer!

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 05

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 16

Last but not least the scarf. I used a 1 !/2 yard long, 9 inches wide white cotton

First sew with your overlock all around your scarf. Choose a long stitch on your sewing maschine and sew lines, lines, lines

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 06

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 07

Here you can see why I said using a long stitch. The fabric crinkles a little and the scarf looks better

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 08

I bought this foot last year and its more then helpful when sewing 1″ lines πŸ™‚

Now cut 4″ stripes on both sides of your scarf

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 18

Say hello to Lucy and Natsu πŸ˜€

Cosplay Natsu Fairytale 01

Thank you sweetie for playing my model ❀

A cute nautical dress for a little girl

I really like the Burda pattern!!!

I made one summer dress with Mickey Mouse and one with school supplies.

Β This one will be the last summer dress for this year. Fall will start soon – unfortunality hihi

I so love everything with nautical colors, motives   ❀ ❀ ❀

This fabric I have as jersey and as cotton in different colors. Its sooooo cute. I made a T-Shirt for myself last year. I love to wear it ❀

I had more than enough fabric to sew a summer dress for Miss M and do something for myself.

Here photos of the summer dress

Burda dress 03

For the pockets I choosed the red fabric with the paper boats

Burda dress 01.

 

Burda dress 02

 

 

Cute little girl’s dress including tutorial

Do you remember your first day at school?

The excitement to finally going to school like your one year older brother? To know you will learn how to read, write, count? To make new friends, say good bye to some of your Kindergarten friends?

It was such a big step for me but I dont remember much. But what I remember is the new dress I got for this special day.

Now little Miss M. will have her first day at school and I choosed the pattern from my Mickey Mouse dress to sew a new dress for her “big day”

Mickey dress 3a

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If you like this pattern you can find it (model 126) in this magazine:

Burdastyle Link

 

So many blogs I read so far helped me with sewing tips and tutorials.

This is the reason to do my own tutorial for a girls dress and give back some of the help

Here is my tutorial:

Tutorial Burdastyle July 2017girls dress

A few photos from my tutorial

Tutorial dress 03

Tutorial dress 13

Tutorial dress 15

And now the dress. Isnt the fabric adorable? ❀ ❀ ❀

Tutorial dress 23

Tutorial dress 24

Tutorial dress 25

Merken

Little dress with Mickey Mouse fabric

Did you read Mickey comics, watched Mickey on TV as a child? Went more than once to Disney Land?

Yes? Me too hehe

When I saw this fabric I had to have it.

I didnt knew at first what to do with this fabric. Then I found this pattern in a sewing magazine and used this cute fabric

Mickey dress 3

the shoulders arent sewed they are closed with a knot

Mickey dress

unfortunality I couldnt found the same red fabric as in my Mickey fabric for the pockets. Instead I used blue fabric which came out quite well πŸ™‚

Mickey dress 2

Sewing more skirts for a little girl

My longtime project is done (jacket) and I had time to make aΒ  skirt again.

This gnome skirt I made weeks ago.

I’ve seen this fabric and knew it would be a cute skirt for Miss M. πŸ˜€

Skirt with gnomes 1

Skirt with gnomes 2

The next skirt I finished today.

I love dots, I love stripes. ❀ ❀ ❀

Why dont use one of the fabricsΒ  for a little skirt? I embellished it with 2 pirate girls on the pockets and white lace.

Skirt with dots

Instead of one 1 I used 3 small elastics here. It looks way better then the skirt above πŸ™‚

Skirt with dots 2

My own sewing Masterpiece – a jacket

When I started working in the laboratory I shared my office with a co-worker. Over the years she became my favorite because she always has been calm when it has been stress at work and I could always talk with her when I had problems.

We even had the same habit to be very picky in all we do hihi

Now she retired 😦

Of course she got a departing gift when she left but I wanted to make her something special.

She loves to wear jackets all the time. I asked her if she would like to have a new one made by me and she said yes πŸ™‚

I made a lot of photos from all fabrics suitable for jackets in my fabric store.

She choosed “her” fabric and I started my first jacket in my sewing course. Lets say it straight, without help in my course I couldnt have made it!

A jacket with “her” fabric only would have been too boring. So I added some black woolen to it.

For cutting the fabric I needed 3 saturdays!!! I wanted the pattern be perfect.

Yes I’m picky hihi πŸ˜€

To make this jacket needed way more time then I expected but it was worth all this time.

I call this jacket my Masterpiece ❀ ❀ ❀

I’m still missing you at work Misses H. πŸ™‚

Jacket 2

Jacket 1

On the next photos you can see why I needed 3 sewing courses to cut the fabric!

Jacket sleeve

Jacket back

Jacket collar

DIY Ikea Pax as cabinet with 2 extra doors (roof sloping)

I have way to much sewing stuff besides fabrics πŸ˜€

Ribbons, zippers, yarn, buttons and so on

For all this stuff I wanted to make a sewing cabinet

My apartment is under the roof. Penthouse! Hihi

I love it very much but buying furniture is nearly impossibleΒ  because most of myΒ  walls have roof slopes.

I started to learn to make my own furniture πŸ™‚

I bought an Ikea Pax. Its cheap and I love the interior organizers that comes with Pax.

First I measured the exact angle of my roof sloping wall and heights. The width I got from my Pax.

I dont describe how to build this cabinet. Internet is very helpful when it comes to saw angles and put all pieces together with dowels πŸ˜€

When the frame has been done I startet with the doors. Both doors are sawed at the same angle as the frame.

The right door has been done after I ironed edge bandings on the cut edge.

The left door I wanted as three-piece!

It isnt the first time I pimped a Pax. I knew I had problems with  doing cup holes  before 😦

The last time I had to buy a door again because the drill cup holes I made didnt worked and I made mistakes.

The 90 1/8 door comes with 4 hinges. The 2 hinges in the middle are very close together.

This gave me an idea to make an acrylic template

Ikea Pax hinges

I ordered with Ebay acrylic in the same width as the door and the height I needed.

I used the door as pattern!

I clamped the acrylic on the door and started with the cup hole and the two drill holes on the bottom. When it was done I marked it as bottom on the acrylic. Then I made the next 2 cup holes.

As next I moved the acrylic upwards. I had to make sure the drill cup hole 2 I made before on the acrylic is exactly on the drill cup hole 3 from the door. This way I made 6 or 7 drill cup holes plus the 2 drill holes.

See pic below

Acrylic template

Then I marked on my door the sizes I wanted for the new doors. Remember? I wanted 3 doors on the left side.

I clamped the acrylic on my door again. Do not remove the clamps till you made all cup holes!!!!

Make sure the bottom hole from the acrylic is exactly on the bottom hole from the door !!!!!

This way your doors will always fit perfect.

On my photos you can see the mark I made for the door size.

With the template you dont have to calculate where to drill your holes. Just move the door with the acrylic to your drill stand and start to drill πŸ™‚

Drill for the hinges Ikea Pax doors

Acrylic glass template for Ikea Pax doors

When you are done with drilling remove the acrylic and saw at the markings you made before.

You have now 3 doors. Iron on every cut edge banding, screw your hinges in the door and the cabinet and the doors are done πŸ™‚

Ikea Pax for roof sloping 2

I’m damn proud of my work πŸ˜€

Do you see this adorable knobs?

Here a closer look even if my cabinet only got blue knobs. The red ones are for another idea I have.

Hand painted knobs

The knobs are hand painted and I found them here: Sweet petites boutique

Because of the SIX !!! hinges I used for the doors I had had a huge problem with putting in 2 drawers 😦

There has been not enough space for them close together. The first thought I had I cant write in here hihi

Second thought: I dont need over 6″ in height for my sewing stuff.

Β I put both drawers apart and shorten all sides down to 4″

The front of the drawer will be put together with 2 screws and one wood dowel. Here a pic how I shorten the sides:

Drawer Ikea Pax

At the end I ironed bandings on the edges. To stabilize my drawer I screwed metal brackets on both back sides.

This way both shorten drawers fitted perfectly in my cabinet

Ikea Pax for roof sloping

As soon as I has been done with the cabinet I started to put my ribbons in the drawers. I’m not done yet I have a few more

Ribbons

Ribbons 1

Ribbons 2

See this wonderful boxes where I put my ribbons? I found this tip on the internet and I liked it very much ❀

If you are looking for something like this just google for –wedding gift box– and you will find it πŸ™‚

I just cut a slot in the gift box to make it easier to pull the ribbon out

Gift box for ribbon

I hope you like my tutorial. Maybe you can use one of my tips πŸ™‚

Merken

Merken