Tiered Skirt Tutorial

Well, I think I may have just made the cutest skirts I’ve ever made for my girls! I wish I dreamed this up on my own, but I cannot take the credit. I’d been wanting to sew some tiered skirts but didn’t have extra room in the budget to go out and get coordinating fabrics. So my love-hate relationship with Walmart tips to the LOVE side this week after I scored some AMAZING deals on sets of fabric. My local Walmart got rid of its fabric cutting area and now sells pre-packaged sets of fabric , some in kits. So I found these kits of 3 yards of fabric (1 yard each of 3 coordinating prints) that I knew would make perfect tiered skirts for my girls! And the kits were $1!

I found this wonderful idea at Chica & Jo .http://www.chicaandjo.com/2009/05/28/sew-a-tiered-ruffled-skirt/ They included great pictures and easy instructions- but the best thing about their site is the skirt measurement calculation tool. This skirt requires several cuts of fabric in different sizes, but all I had to do was enter the waist measurement, desired length of skirt, and number of tiers. And it gave me the exact measurements to cut my fabric! So easy!!!

Here is the tutorial. Enjoy!

First, Go shopping! Have fun picking out a few coordinating fabrics. The possibilities are literally endless!

Once you’ve picked a few (3-5) fabrics, you can get started! Use the skirt measurement calculation tool to measure and cut the fabric for each layer. You might want to number you layers with a pencil in an inconspicuous area of the fabric.

Start with your second tier. You will prepare your waistband on the first tier later. The second tier on the skirt will need to be gathered on one long edge, so that it is ruffled. To do this, start by adjusting your sewing machine so that the stitch is as long as possible.

Then sew right down one long side of the fabric. When you’re done, pull one end of the thread to gather the fabric up into a ruffle. Keep pulling as needed until the finished width of this tier is the same as the finished width of the tier above it.
Now line up the first and second tier, and make sure that they are the same width. If not, adjust the ruffling on the second tier as needed.

Lay the second tier on top of the first, right sides together, and match up the top (ruffled) edge of the second tier with the bottom (unsewn) edge of the first tier. Pin in place.

Sew along the pinned lines, making sure that you sew inside the previous ruffle stitch, so that it doesn’t show through on the finished skirt. Unfold it and see that you’ve got the start of a skirt, with the waistband on top and a ruffled tier on the bottom.

Add the third tier
Take the third piece of fabric and sew along one edge as before, then pulling the bobbin thread to make a ruffle. This time, the final width of the fabric should match the final width of the second tier above it. Just keep adjusting the ruffling until you get the widths the same.

Then lay the third tier on top of the second, right sides together, with the ruffled edge of the third tier lined up with the unsewn edge of the second tier. Pin in place.

Now sew along the pinned line, again being sure to enclose the previous row of stitches so that it won’t show. When you’re done, unfold it and admire your progress.

Add the remaining tiers
If you’ve still got more tiers to add (this part is up to you!), go ahead and do them now, following the same method as before. My skirt had 6 tiers, so I had quite a bit to add, and the skirt got nice and full by the time I was done!

Finish the hem
For the hem, start by folding 1/4″ of the bottom tier over and ironing it. Then fold the entire seam over again and iron again and sew in place, securing the hem and hiding the rough edge. Be sure to use a matching thread on this second seam, because it will show on the finished piece.

Sew up the side
You’ve got this pretty ruffled piece of fabric, but it’s not a skirt unless we sew the ends together to make a loop! Line up the two ends of your fabric, right sides together. Pin in place, then sew the seam.

Create the Waistband
Measure a piece of elastic to that is the right length to fit comfortably around your child’s waist, with one extra inch to spare. To attach elastic and finish your skirt, find the seam at the side of the skirt. Now take the elastic and make a loop leaving ½ inch overlapping at the ends. Place the overlapping section of elastic over the skirt seam about 1 ¼ inch from the top of the fabric. Sew from the top to the bottom of your elastic. For the elastic casing, fold the top of the fabric over the elastic and sew underneath the elastic around the entire circumference of the skirt. You will probably be stitching over the stitch you sewed for your gather.

Voila! You're done. Trim, press well and let that little girl put on her new skirt!

Rainbow Pancakes & Home-made Syrup

Our Sunday morning pancake tradition got a fun update with this neat idea! We turned plain old pancakes into “the best pancakes I never had in the whole world“ (in the words of my 3 year old Caleb). And all it took was a few drops of food coloring! I took my batter (use any boxed mix or recipe you like) and divided it into five cups. This allowed me to mix and pour the batter more easily than with a bowl. That’s pretty much it! Add your food coloring. Cook ‘em up, stack ‘em pretty, and listen to the squeals of delight from your little ones (and hubby)! I promise- they will be thrilled!

And since I realized I was out of syrup as I was putting breakfast on the table, I had to think fast. I quickly Googled “Syrup recipes” and what do you know? There were tons of them! I had no idea I could make my own syrup! The benefits of my accidental discovery? 1. It took 5 minutes 2. It cost about $.25- .50 to make 3. It perfectly filled a name brand syrup bottle I had on hand. AND no high fructose corn syrup! So Cool, huh? Here’s the recipe:

4 cups white sugar
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
½ teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in maple flavoring. Serve warm.

So there you go! I don’t think I’ll ever buy syrup at the store again. Let me know if you try this!
Thanks for reading,
Sarah

The Home Store

Here’s another post inspired by the fabulous Amy at The Idea Room. We started using this great idea a couple months ago and WE LOVE IT!

We use our Home Store system as a behavior incentive for our children. We were a little worried when we started that our kids were a bit young, but at 5, 3, and 2, the little ones have completely embraced it! So here’s how it works:

Get a large plastic bin, tub or basket. This is your “Home Store”. Fill it with stuff your kids like- I stock up at Dollar Tree on small toys, art supplies, stickers, snacks, etc.
You will want to assign each item in the box a point value. (one though ten work well). I place color coded stickers on each item that correlate with a point value.
Create your point cards. I used Avery printable business cards and found a template that looks like a ticket. On the ticket, it says, “Nice Work! One Point- good for use at the Cunningham Family Home Store.”

My kids can earn points for all kinds of things- exceptional behavior, going above and beyond normal expectations, scripture memory…etc. So when you feel your kiddo has earned it, give him/her a point. And the same goes for losing points (but opposite- you get the picture, right?)

All of our kids points go in Ziploc bags with their names on them. We open the Home Store once a week, and the kids get to cash in the points they earned throughout the week. Daddy is the store keeper, and the kids LOVE counting out their points,

picking out their items, and “paying” for them( check out the above photo to see a transaction in progress :)

Another benefit of the home store? It's been great for practicing math skills!

This system works great even for my 2-year-old, and would be appropriate for older children up to early teens. Just find stuff they like and adjust the point values accordingly.

I can’t wait to hear from any of you that try this! I hope your families enjoy this as much as mine has!
Thanks for reading!
Sarah

Gift Idea: Brown Sugar Scrub

This gift idea is PERFECT because it is inexpensive and quick to make, and will be sure to bring a smile to the recipient’s face! Is there a gal on the planet that doesn’t love sweet-smelling pampering products?

Make this super-simple brown sugar scrub using basic ingredients and a re-purposed canning or food jar (well-cleaned of course).
Note: I got this project idea from one of my FAVORITE blogs, The Idea Room http://www.theidearoom.net/

Here’s what you need:
1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

Mix the ingredients together and- that’s it! So easy. Just dress up your jar a bit and give it away or treat yourself. I LOVE this scrub because (aside from being pennies to make) it is natural-edible even, and does an incredible job exfoliating AND moisturizing the skin. Note: It will leave your skin a bit oily immediately after use, so you will probably want to wash with soap after.

Compare this to those expensive scrubs you purchase at bath & body stores.

Please enjoy and let me know how it turns out if you make a batch!
Sarah

Don't Buy, Make your Own- Apple Dippers

It's the age-old dilemma... convenience vs. budget. What’s a girl to do? Do I buy ready- made and save the time, or make at home and save the bucks? Well, here’s a solution without the sacrifice… One of the kids’ favorites for pennies a serving (and not much time at all)! So, without further delay, my latest short cut…

Apple Dippers!

The key to getting those sliced apples to stay fresh is simpler than you think. The secret ingredient? Lemon-lime soda! I use Walmart brand at only $.74 for a 2-liter. Get some apples on sale (get whichever variety is on sale- you should be able to get them for under $1/pound). Slice your apple as normal, place them in a bowl and pour the soda over them, completely covering all the slices. Allow the apple slices to soak for 15 minutes, then remove from the soda and pat dry with a towel.

And that’s it! Use caramel ice cream topping or dips available at the grocery store produce section. Or, for a healthy alternative, try this yummy dip recipe:

Caramel or Peanut butter Dip

1 cup light vanilla yogurt
½ cup caramel ice cream topping OR peanut butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Dip and enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this simple favorite! Thanks for reading!
Sarah

Soft Ginger Cookies Recipe

I had some girlfriends fom church over last night and was looking for a new cookie recipe to try out for the big night (can't let the girls leave hungry, can I?). So I visited my favorite recipe blog, the Farmgirl Recipes http://thefarmgirlrecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/Cookies. And it was on that wonderful site that I found IT- the recipe for the BEST cookies I have ever had! And the girls loved them too!

I tweaked the origial recipe a bit, so feel free to check out the original too!

Soft Ginger Cookies

1 1/2 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses ( I did not have this so I mixed 1 part brown sugar & 1 part pure maple syrup to make 1/2 cup).
4 1/2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
extra sugar for rolling
1 package almond bark, white candy melts, or white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs and molasses and mix well. In another bowl mix dry ingredients together then slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Roll dough into 1-2 inch balls and roll into sugar. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 9-11minutes. I baked mine for about 9 minutes--they were just perfect, very soft.
2. Melt your almond bark in a double broiler or microwave . Cut the corner (only a tiny piece, les than a 1/8 inch) of a ziploc bag and fill it with melted candy. Drizzle in a back and forth motion over cookies. Place onto waxed paper and let dry. Enjoy!

It’s Sew Simple- Skirt Tutorial

Got a sewing machine lying around, but don’t know where to begin? Well, as one who despises patterns, (and has a short crafting attention span) I have found many quick and simple sewing projects. So check out this simple skirt tutorial. Note: The fabric I chose was see-through so I added another layer of fabric underneath. You may discount the extra layer or add a contrasting fabric to your skirt for extra fullness and a cute accent.

1. Find a fabric you love in about ¾ to 1 yard length. (Hint: Check out the remnant section of your favorite craft store for major discounts. I got this adorable yellow fabric for about $1.50)
2. Lay your fabric out on a flat surface. Your fabric will come folded in half, so hold the fabric with the fold at the top. Now cut along the fold line.
3. Next, turn your fabric right sides together, and sew along one edge, leaving a ½ inch seam allowance. Trim
4. Now you need to create the bottom hem of the skirt. Depending on the size of the person who will be wearing the skirt, you may want to cut a bit off the length of the skirt. A rule of thumb is: Cut the fabric length 4 inches longer than your desired skirt length. To Since I dislike using pins when I sew, I fold up about ¾ inch from the bottom of the fabric and iron it well. This allows the fabric to stay in place while you sew to create a nice straight hem.

5. Now that you have your hem finished, you will create a gather across the top of the fabric. To do this, adjust your stitch length and width to its highest setting (mine is 5) and stitch across the top of the fabric, about ½ inch from the edge. Now pull one thread from one end of your stitch and allow this to pull (or gather) your fabric together at the top. Gather the fabric to about 2/3 its original length.

6. Next, fold your fabric in half with right sides facing each other and sew together leaving ½ inch seam allowance. Trim
7. Finally, measure the skirt’s wearer around the waist. Add one inch to the measurement and cut. To attach elastic and finish your skirt, find the seam at the side of the skirt. Now take the elastic and make a loop leaving ½ inch overlapping at the ends. Place the overlapping section of elastic over the skirt seam about 1 ¼ inch from the top of the fabric. Sew from the top to the bottom of your elastic. For the elastic casing, fold the top of the fabric over the elastic and sew underneath the elastic around the entire circumference of the skirt. You will probably be stitching over the stitch you sewed for your gather.
8. Yea! Your skirt is now complete!

Let me know if you have any questions or if you try this project I'd love to hear how it turns out!

Thanks for reading!
Sarah