Sew Along for Japan: Day 3

This Sew Along was a blast! Here are my completed Chloe & Mieko shirts. I finished them last night but wasn't able to take pictures until today, thus the delay in my Day 3 post.

I think besides the fact that it finally got me to drag the sewing machine out, I loved the fact that I was doing them along with so many other people. It was fun to sit down at night and see the progress other bloggers around the country had posted about that day. It didn't hurt that it was for a good cause!

One of my favorite things about this project is that it allowed me to tell my children about what happened in Japan and to show them that there are many ways to help those that are in need. My daughter really loved getting involved in the process and picked most of the fabric/accent combinations you see. She asked me to tilt one of the hats to make the boy look "silly".

I thought a lot about the kids that will wear these t-shirts since I made them in the same sizes my kids currently wear. I hope these t-shirts will give them some hope and let them know that people from all over the world care about them.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Susan from Living with Punks for providing us with such a great way to give back to those in need. I had a wonderful time! Please visit her post today to see all the completed shirts that will be sent to Japan.

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Sew Along for Japan: Day 2

Day 2 of the sew along had us adding details to the faces. My pictures are not the best because I just finished them a few minutes ago. I had so much fun putting everything together!

My daughter helped me decide who would get which "eyes" and we packed each little person and all their things in little zip lock bags that I brought along with me and sewed as I had time during the day between drop-offs and pick-ups from school. Once I put the kids to bed I dragged out the sewing machine and did the finishing touches. I can't wait for Day 3!!!

Sew Along for Japan: Day 1

Here are my completed pieces for Day 1 of the Sew Along for Japan. I had so much fun getting everything together! My daughter helped me decide which parts looked best with each body and we can't wait to see what awaits us tomorrow. It's not too late to join... and look at all the goodies you could win: GIVEAWAY. Stay tuned for Day 2 tomorrow!

Sew Along for Japan

Susan from Living with Punks is hosting a Sew Along for Japan. It starts today and ends on Friday. She has provided the pattern for the t-shirts for free and starting today will post detailed instructions on how to construct them. I purchased all the items over the weekend and plan on making at least two t-shirts. The list of materials isn't too long, so if you are interested it's not too late to get started. She is also hosting a giveaway for all those that participate and link up their t-shirts. Check it all out on her website and let's all do something good for the children of Japan!

Sunburst Pony-O

This is a tutorial that I did as a guest post on another blog, but I wanted to share it here in case anyone missed it. It's for a sunburst pony-o which I made for my daughter to wear to ballet class. She needs to wear pink & black this year, so I thought the colors would work well. It's very easy to make and much cheaper than the $15 clips they sell at the dance store.

This was the inspiration piece which I picked up for 25cents last year in a post-Halloween sale. I love the variation of widths and colors used and tried to replicate it somewhat.

You will need: 3 different colors of ribbon in different widths and textures, matching thread, Fray Check or lighter, scissors, sewing needle, and pony-o.

Choose the first ribbon and cut four 7.5 inch strips.

Treat the ends of the ribbon either with Fray Check or with a lighter.

Fold each length in half and sew on to the pony-o with matching thread.

This is what it looks like once all four have been attached.

Choose the next ribbon and cut four 8.5 inch strips. Treat the ends and attach in the same manner as the previous set.

And lastly cut eight 6 inch strips of the last ribbon. Follow the same directions as above.

And ta-da, here is your sunburst pony-O! I chose a small rubber band because my daughter has very fine hair. I only want to loop it around her bun once so that the ribbon can lay nicely around it. If I had chosen a bigger rubber band I would need to double it up and the ribbon wouldn't look as pretty.

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