D.I.Y upcycle shirt sleeves into toddler harem pants.

 Have a retro shirt?  Have a sweet toddler who needs pants?  Well you're in luck, since today we're upcycling shirt sleeves into funky harem pants for your stylin' child!  Azriel here doesn't even try to model... she's just that good at posing. :o)

You'll need:

One adult dress shirt/blouse.

Waistband elastic (or a stretchy shirt sleeve as I used)

sewing machine

pins

*I used a coral coloured dress shirt that used to belong to my sweet (deceased) Grandma when she was a volunteer at the hospital.  The olive green short sleeve is used as the stretchy waistband for these pants (the rest of the shirt was used in a past d.i.y project).*

 1. Measure the length of your child's legs... and cut both arms off the dress shirt to match length.

I cut the shirt at an angle to leave room for the bum side of the pants.

2. If you have an adult stretchy short sleeve - it makes a perfect waistband.  Otherwise you could just thread some elastic through a hem you would make for the pants at the end.

3. Already you have the basic layout of these harem pants. I like the button detail on the sleeves to be lined up at the outside of the pants - at the ankles.

4.  Now you will cut 4" downward on the inside seams of the pant legs - this is where you will sew the 'crotch' of the pants together. 

5. Flip the sleeves inside out and bring the legs together where you cut the inside slits.  Sew this together to join the legs at the crotch.  A great time to use a serger if you have one, since I do not I just sew a straight stitch followed by a zig-zag on the outer edge for more support.

6. Tuck your 'waistband' sleeve down into the pants (right sides facing inside).

7. Gather the pants around the smaller waistband and pin.

8. Sew around the joining edges and trim off excess.

9. Flip pants back out and marvel at your latest upcycling adventure!

I hope that was clear and helpful enough to get you confidently sewing your own version(?).  I am not a skilled seamstress by any stretch.. and I sort of just 'wing-it' when it comes to inventing patterns and such. I'm sure that better tutorials exist out there - but in my mind - this is a random invention of my own "sew fast.stupid easy.cheap" approach to projects!

If you have any questions on it, just comment or email me.

Happy sewing friends!

Mel :o)

D.I.Y toddler doily vest.

Are you ready?  Are you eager to create?  Then lets go.  As promised, today is the day to learn how to cut/sew your own versions of Azriel's outfit from yesterday's post.

If you follow my blog at all.... you may be getting sick of all these 'upcycle your doilies' projects!

But if you, like me, just can't get enough... here's another SUPER FAST.stupid easy. upcycling adventure:

Step 1: Grab large doily (oval or long shaped).

Step 2:  Cut two slits at the appropriate width of your toddler's shoulders.

Step 3: Slide onto your kid... and be amazed at how ridiculously cute they look!

Like I said, ridiculously cute.  I still want one in my size [sigh]. 

IF you're a real perfectionist type you can go ahead and add a final step of hemming in those arm holes too, I won't stop you.

Stay tuned friends,

I'll post the next version of making toddler harem pants later today.

Craftily yours,

Mel ;o)

mama.made.that.

Hello friends, it's time for another edition of 'what I created and forced got my daughter Azriel to wear day'! I know, my days are numbered till she will likely want to dress herself - but for now I get to have fun with her as the model... and me - the paparazzi.

So the doily vest is simply a long oval doily.. with arm holes cut in.  Love it.  Someday I'll find a big whopper doily to fit myself into.  Oh, and this is Azriel's 'yelling face' at the big trucks driving on the highway above her.

As much as she loves rummaging in the dirt, a patch of wildflowers can be fun for exploring too.  She seems to take her duty of discovery quite seriously sometimes.

I also made these oh-so-fun harem pants for Azi.  I'm going to be posting the next do.it.yourself tutorial for how to make this version tomorrow - what a teaser! (The d.i.y. doily vest too if you're still curious).

And did you know that of allllll my blog posts - my first tutorial on how to make harem pants is still the most popular?  Turns out people worldwide keep googling that project.

So, the details for today

doily vest:: mama made

striped shirt:: Old Navy (thrifted)

harem pants:: mama made

shoes:: gifted.

As usual, you'll find us in the smorgasbord of cuties linking up over at Mama Loves Papa today!

See you all tomorrow for this d.i.y edition.

creatively yours,

Mel ;o)

my baby.fruit basket.2.

Well the first trimester has come and gone.. wowsers!  I seem to be one of those mama's that gets blessed with the extreme nausea.up-chucking mode while I'm preggo.  Sure, they like to say it means your kid will be a genius... (and I'm not going to say that Azriel isn't).... but really?  I think it's just a statement to justify feeling like junk for months.  Anywho, I am still super thankful for a day and age where they have Diclectin (the wonder drug of anti-nausea for pregnant women)!  I keep trying to just get by on the minimum dose (I don't like meds in general)... but this baby insists on making me hate eating.  I know one key is to have a continual series of snacks on the go - but the very thought of any food makes me start to heave.  One of my midwives said Almonds have a good amount of Vitamin B - the anti-nausea trick... so I'm eating those like a chipmunk!

I hope I'm not complaining,  I know things would be a lot worse if I couldn't keep my meals down at all.  So yes, I'm thankful for even this stage - since it marks the miracle of new life.

If you want to follow me down the produce aisle of this baby's development, you can find the past post(s) here:

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week 6 & week 11

And if you're really a birth junkie.. and you missed Azriel's birth story.. you can find it here.

I better go snack now,

Mel ;o)

confessions [of a Mel] part.5.

Ok, I have to admit.. I have a little 'thing' for mushrooms.  Toadstools, gnomes, woodland creatures... I go weak in the knees for them all!  Yes, we even had a woodland wedding cake back in the day.... and our daughter's room now echos this love too.  So obviously I just about had kittens when I saw these vintage goodies recently!

Thank you "Vinnies (St.Vincents)" for moving to our end of town!  I love this thrift store.. especially now that Value Village is getting... ridiculous. 

Toadstool salt & pepper shakers - $2.

This mama - too giddy.

*Let it be known... these aren't child proof.. turns out letting your kid 'clap' the mushrooms together with glee = busted mushroom cap for poor Mr.Salt!*

 All mushy for 'shrooms,

Mel :o)

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Don't mind me friends.. just messing around with Bloglovin here!

Mel :o)

how I did my do. [haircut post]

What's that word for someone who continues to do the same act - while hoping for a new outcome?  Well foolish is as foolish does... and this fool still continues to cut her own hair!  I alluded to the fact that I had recently created a mullet by 'accident'.  See, I had been trying to grow my hair out again - it was down to my shoulders - though I always tied it up or in braids.  I thought if I ignore it long enough.. it may grow into something Rapunzel would envy.  Then I got the notion that I should 'trim' it... snip.chop.hack moments later... I had once again shortened a pile of layers around my head with these long 'mullet' like layers at the back... [sigh].  Ben called it for what it was and suggested I may want to just go short again.  ;o)  Agreed.

I marched back up to the bathroom the next night and grabbed the hair buzzers - that's the sound of liberation right there.  I chopped off the mullet, buzzed the back and ended up with this fun little mop top.  So far, I'm actually kind of liking it!  If I wasn't pregnant I think I would totally reclaim some of my former years of 'rainbow' hair colour options ... I want some crazy funky colours back in my palette!  I can wait... 7 months. 

P.S.  - that is not a birthmark on my neck, it's a tattoo... the Hebrew word LAEL which means "of God (belonging to God)".

What's the craziest 'do you've ever done?

Mine was likely during the tomboy phase of childhood... where I shaved one side and had long bangs on the other... oh the glory days!

Lighter-headed,

Mel :o)