Tutorial #2 for a Little Girl's Summer Nightgown...with EASIER Angel Wing Straps!!

Good rainy morning y'all!

I'm finally getting around to sharing this tutorial, and just in time for summer sewing!

My first summer nightgown tutorial can be found here.

 I still love that nightie! This nightgown is made in exactly the same way, but...it's EASIER & FASTER!

Well, the straps are anyway.

Follow the guidelines for making the bodice of the nightie from the first tutorial. Since you're working with elastic, you don't need to fret over exact measurements and such. You can literally use a pillowcase as your guide, adding a few inches here and there as needed, but that'll get the job done. (Cut out 2 rectangular pieces for a ruffle if you want to add one.)

Alrighty then. Onto those easier angel wing straps. I love the look of the original ones, but these are faster, easier, and less...tricky.

You will still need to cut the strap pieces with a slight curve or arc, but this time you will need them to be a little longer. Why? Because these babies are going to become your all-in-one adorable angel wings!

Step 1: Cut four {4} curved rectangles, between 10-12 inches long, no more than 4 inches wide

Step 2: place two {2} straps Right Sides Together and stitch along the straight edge and the curved edge, backstitch at all ends, and leave the ends OPEN

See, it doesn't have to be perfect! You'll be trimming to perfection in a minute...

Step 3: turn strap pieces out and iron neatly- choose which side you want to show on the finished product and iron with that side on top to make the edge really smooth (make sure you have one for the left and the right!)- now trim to perfection {hee hee}and stitch the casing for the elastic

I used 1/4" elastic, so I made a casing for that size- next time I want to use a wider elastic, so I'll make a wider casing **also, you can easily fold the fabric in half and cut 2 pieces with a curved edge, thus omitting the need to cut 4 strap pieces, sew the curved edge RST as you would normally and continue from there**

Step 4: cut two {2} pieces of elastic for the casing

Since my strap pieces are about 12" long, I cut 9" pieces of elastic, and used a safety pin to pull them into the casing. Now is a good time to check the size of the strap and adjust accordingly; once you've determined the length you need, stitch in place at the end just like before.

I do have one recommendation, learned from trial and error of course: don't cut your elastic pieces too short or else they'll cause the strap to curl up too tightly, and then they won't lie flat against the shoulders.

**see that wonky stitching? ? ?  DISLIKE! I'm going to amend that momentarily, but I wanted to show you a side-by-side of the straps**

Step 5: this part will sound a little bizarr-o but stick with me...you're going to turn up the ends against the RIGHT side of the strap, the side that will be showing out

If you've been sewing for any length of time, this feels very counter-intuitive, but trust me!

At first I tried to turn up the ends twice for a proper finish, but the thickness made the stitching look all wonky (as in the above pic), so I took that out and simply folded up once and zig-zagged the edges. I folded up a bit higher than I should have...oops!

Step 6: Fold up again, so all raw edges are hidden, pin to the bodice, and then stitch those angel wings in place!
I start at one side, securing the "tail" of the thread in each new stitch, do a few extra stitches at each corner for good measure, up the other side, and then across the top.

If this intimidates you, give it a try anyway! It will channel your inner pioneer! Or, you'll like it because if you're a control freak like me, this gives you complete control. Besides, it's hard to sew through all that bulkiness with the machine!

 Just keep sewing through all those layers! Look for places where you can make the stitches blend right in, and it'll look great! It does take a little bit more time, but I think the results are well worth it!

Now you're done! Your princess will love it!

Perfect for twirling.

 And posing with adorable puppy dogs.

Go ahead and make one! You'll see LOTS of smiles from the little girl who gets to wear it!  =)

Last night, it was finally warm enough for Isabelle to wear her special white nightgown, and she was absolutely giddy! I loved watching her twirl and twirl, and listening to her squeal and giggle.
Every little girl needs a pretty nightie (or two...or three...)!!!

Somewhat Simple

Stuff and Nonsense

At the Picket Fence

I heart faces May 2012- Hey Girl!

Love this shot of my daughter and youngest son as we watched Ivory soap explode in the microwave.

Those eyelashes and that expression...luuuuuurve!

B-I-G explosion! Fun fun fun!

(The post is here.)

Click here to return to the contest page.

Have a super day!

Days to Treasure Forever & Ever

When I was a little girl, I used to dream about what kind of family I would have. More specifically, what a perfect, totally-on-top-of-everything mother I'd be, which I suppose sort of paved the way for my future perfect, listen-to-everything-I-say-and-behave children I'd of course be blessed with.

Enter REALITY.

The pressures of bills and mortgages, conflict, commutes, never-ending housework, unexpected expanding waistlines, and on and on and on..... 

None of that stuff mattered much this past weekend. Sure, there was bickering and arguing, unkind, rash words spoken, and probably a whole host of other unpleasant things; but I'm remembering better things this time. The things I'll treasure in my heart forever and ever.


sweet lips sticky with marshmallow goo
big brothers scooping up little princesses in their arms, twirling, laughing, beaming
father and son, hand in hand along the river's edge
eyes wide in delight at the ice cream shop, thankful
tiny hands clutching wedding bouquets from the forest
big boys with little boy smiles, eager, adventurous, unstoppable

afternoon sunshiny cuddles, grass-tickled toes

I've got to include these pictures of Isabelle's cherry tree in the backyard, too. These blossoms just make me swoon!

the tree has gotten so big and these pink clusters were everywhere!

our first afternoon seeing the sun in almost a week...practicing my sunflare shots
I couldn't get at the right angle to capture the blooms this way, but I love the intricate leaves, too

What treasured things did you do this weekend?

Rainy Day {Easy} Dinner Ideas & Cuteness on the Ball Field

I thought today might be the day we see that gorgeous, fiery yellow thing way up yonder, but alas, I was wrong. At least yesterday the rain let up for a little baseball practice and someone's first T-ball practice. Oh the cuteness!

cutest little team huddle ever

big boys

We got spoiled last month with fabulous grilling weather, and so far this month...not so much.
Enter Rainy Day Easy Dinner #1:

Not a great picture. That's what you get with cold, dark rain I guess.
But the food was great!

This picture's better...

...but I'd forgotten the cornbread, and you can't forget the cornbread!

Crock-pot Ribs, Pink Stuff, Classic Green Bean Casserole & Cornbread

Ribs

I get country style spare ribs and the regular ol' rack kind. This is a combination of recipes, one of which is Mel's from The Larson Lingo.

Place ribs in crock-pot, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, add a cup or so bottled barbecue sauce, a few tablespoons of apple jelly, and 1/4 cup water. Spread around to cover the ribs. My crock-pot is weird- things cook much faster than I read they should. I put the ribs on high and they were done within 3 1/2 hours, which is great when you have to sit down to dinner by 4:45 to get champs to baseball games. Yup. That gets old.  =)

Did I mention how awesome your kitchen smells? Awesome!

Pink Stuff

Bill's family always makes this- so quick and easy and good! Pour half a large container of cottage cheese in a big bowl, add a few dollops of cool whip (about the same amount as the cottage cheese), sprinkle half a Jell-o packet on top (any flavor you like, really- I think I used blackberry) and place the remaining Jell-o in Ziploc bag for future use. 

Next, drain a small can of mandarin oranges and dump, I mean, pour over mixture.

Mix together gently and do a little taste test...sometimes I need to add more cottage cheese to cut the sweetness, or more cool whip to sugar it up. Totally a taste preference thing. This easily doubles- just use the entire packages of ingredients.

I used one of those little blue Jiffy boxes to make the cornbread, but instead of pouring into muffin tins, I spread in a greased 8x8 baking dish and reduce the oven temperature to 375F. They get all golden brown in about 12 minutes.

Finally, the casserole...the recipe is everywhere, but I use the one on the can of the French Fried Onions, which I feel the need to point out, are completely addictive. The only thing I do differently is add a third can of beans- 2 regular, 1 French-cut style- just so everyone gets a chance to actually eat some by the time it makes it to the end of the table. And don't even think about omitting the few splashes of Worcestershire sauce. Yes, I just ran to to the fridge to pull pull out the bottle and check its spelling. Because I tried three times and got the squiggly lines each time.  =)

I'll share my new homemade pizza dough and sauce recipe soon...

This is what we had last night. Lack of Vitamin D. Tired. Slightly cranky. All these things made it the perfect night for Breakfast for Dinner.

French Toast in style, I might add.

Although I do wonder why my kitchen always has to look like this before every meal...

We've had some unpleasant issues with one or more of our children this week, and nothing drains the life right out of me faster than dealing with those kinds of things. I try to remember that life is a process, and things just take time. Learning takes time. Isabelle is begging for a bubble bath, and I think I'll surprise her with a little pedicure and a movie afterwards on this otherwise dreary day. Have a super weekend!