Handmade Spotlight

Each Wednesday, we'll be spotlighting some items that are made, or can be made, "by your hands".

Today, we're featuring Mother's Day themed sewing patterns. All of these and more can be found on www.PatternMart.com by searching the term "Mother" and "Mom"

Momma Bunny Babies by Blue MooN BegiNNiNgs	Angel in Disguise by Mamaws Creations
Hilda and Heidi Hare  by Crows Roost Prims	A Mothers Love  by Homespun from the Heart
MOTHER and DAUGHTER by Cats In The Barn (Granny Greer)	Mother Cat with Kittens  by Hidden In The Attic
Ruby & Grandmother  by Pineberry Lane	Momma Barn Cat n Kitten by Lillie Mae's Crafts
Vintage Stitchery Mother Lillie Mae's Crafts	Mighty Mom Prim Rag Doll by Frogs to Fairy Dust

Recycled Jeans Ruffle Skirt

Today's tutorial is courtesy of http://www.handmadebybette.etsy.com

                       Recycled Jeans Skirt

SUPPLIES:

Pair of childrens jeans in good condition (Size in the tutorial is a childrens 10, you may have to adjust the amount of fabric for the ruffles for a very small child)

Fabric One --- 2 pieces, 4 inches x 44 inches

Fabric Two ----3 pieces, 6 inches x 36 inches

Fabric Three --- 3 pieces, 8 inches x 36 inches

Optional: fabric for insert between second and third ruffle --- measure the distance around the bottom of the pant top and add ½ inch for the seam allowance. Cut the fabric 3 ½ inches wide by your measurement.

Matching fabric belt:

Cut a strip of matching fabric 3 ½ inches wide x 44 inches long

DIRECTIONS:

Pants:

Lay the pants out on a cutting table. Line the waist band front and back up together and pin so they don’t shift.

Measure from waist band down to one inch below the pockets. Mark this line across and cut the front of the legs off first. Then cut the back legs off even with the front.

Where you have excess fabric from the crotch, you will need to fold it over so that you have a straight line.

The excess fabric will be inside. Fold it to one side and stitch the seam. Do the same on the back crotch seam. Your pants should look like this.

Set this aside for now. Take fabric one and stitch it together on the sides so you have a circle of fabric. Hem the bottom edge by folding over ¼ inch and then again ¼ inch and sew across the seam. Sew a basting stitch around the top edge. Break this basting stitch up into three parts, sewing the basting stitch in between the seams. You can sew the whole seam at once but it is much easier to break the thread when you are gathering this up afterwards so I always break these long gathering seams up.

Sew fabric two together, hem the bottom and gather the top in the same manner as fabric one. Repeat for the third fabric.

Starting with fabric one, gather it up to fit the bottom of the jeans and with right sides together, pin the ruffle evenly all the way around the pants bottom. Stitch the ruffle to the pants in a ¼ inch seam.

Gather fabric two up to fit the pants bottom. You will be pinning this ruffle over the one you just stitched on. The right side of ruffle two will be against the wrong side of ruffle one. Stitch ruffle two to the pants/ruffle.

This next step is optional for a larger size jeans. Sew the sides of the insert fabric together. Pin it on top of the second ruffle and stitch.

Gather fabric three up to fit the bottom of the insert. The right side of ruffle three will be against the right side of the insert. Stitch ruffle to the insert in a ¼ inch seam.

This is a view of the right side of the insert and third ruffle.

To make the matching fabric belt, with right sides together fold the fabric strip in half and press. Stitch completely around the open edges in a ¼ inch seam, leaving a 1 ½ inch opening in the middle of the long length for turning right side out. Turn the belt right side out and press. Stitch the opening closed.

These directions can be used to make any size skirt. For a very small size skirt, eliminate the insert and sew all three ruffles on top of each other.

For an adult size you will need to add another strip of fabric to each ruffle.

© 2009 Bette Shaw - All rights reserved

Organizing Ribbons, etc.

Do you have tons of ribbons, lace, rick rack and the like cluttering up your workspace? Yes? well... www.TheFrugalCrafter.wordpress.com has a solution for us all, and it's cute too!

Check out this blog post at www.TheFrugalCrafter.wordpress.com for more info and a tutorial on how to make these cute "ribbon bobbins"

Thanks for visiting!
Deena Davis
www.ByYourHands.com

By Your Hands...

At the beginning of history everything was made by hand. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century that machinery entered the workplace.

Though machinery can mass produce at low cost, it can never replace the beauty and workmanship of something created by hand. Or give you the sheer enjoyment of seeing something evolve into a thing of beauty made by your own hand.

Throughout history there have always been home crafters. Sometimes it was done from necessity during economic downtimes, just as a pastime or as with a lot of women to help supplement the household income.

The 1980's and 90's saw an explosion of craft shows, home boutiques, and stores that rented you a space to sell your handmades. In the late 90's crafting started to invade the internet. Today there are thousands of websites selling handmade. We have websites like Etsy.com and Artfire.com dedicated to promoting handmade and today's crafter.

The recent downturn in our economy with massive job losses has brought a new wave of crafters to the internet searching for a way to make a living for their families without being at the mercy of large corporations.

This blog is dedicated to the promotion of handmade and the crafters who are trying to add to the family support by the work and expression of their hands.

The industrial revolution may have departed this country for the most part but handmade is alive and well. Do you have a special talent learned at the hand of a parent or grandparent?

Keep handmade alive and teach it to the next generation. No matter how high tech this world becomes there will always be that driving force in a person to create by their own hand.