Charlotte's Curtain: A Ruffle Top Curtain Tutorial

There are times in life when you know that the person you met randomly in the store or on the street was by no accident. That's how I felt the day I met Charlotte.

Charlotte is a vivacious southern woman in her 60s (my guess) that I "happened" to meet a couple weeks ago at Home Fabrics, a fabric store on the North side of Tucson. I was there with my mother shopping for fabric for Trevor and I's bedroom curtains and Charlotte overheard us talking. She walked right up to us and asked if I sewed, to which I responded "yes." She explained that she was looking for some fabric to make a curtain for a little window in her bathroom and went on about how she was an interior designer years prior and that she just didn't know what to do! Both my mom and I could tell right away that she was a fun lady, and next thing I know she's asking me about what I sew, how long I've sewed, and then for me phone number so she could call me! I was taken aback, but gave her a business card and offered my services. As we were purchasing our fabric, she as also at the counter and began asking more questions about our opinions on the large floral print on the fabric she picked and how much to buy, etc. Finally, we parted ways for the day.

Only a couple days later and I get a call from a number I did not recognize. This is not unusual because of my business, and I always answer if I am able because I just never know who's calling to inquire about Premier or something. I answer, and in her sweet North Carolina accent asks about making the curtain for her again. We set a time to meet at her home to pick up the fabric and measure the window. We get to her house and literally the two of us are floored.You want to talk about a large house in the foothills?? HOLY 3 GARAGES BATMAN! I think I went into a state of shock, and Trevor can vouch for the look that was on my face as we entered. While we were there, she asked my opinion on about three other projects before Trevor and I are able to leave. But it was all in good intentions. I left feeling good and slightly jealous of there (easily) 5000 sq. foot house.

The curtain took no more than an hour to make, since it was for a window that was only 21" by 21.5", and there was only one. This is the final result!

I was really pleased with the result! It fit well, although could have been a little longer so that the bar could have been placed higher. But oh well, she was happy!

Making a ruffle top curtain is actually really simple, and but I figured that it would be a really good thing to post to you guys because of its practical benefits. First things first, you'll need the measurements of the window, and whether you'll need one or two curtains. As I said, this window was 21" wide and 21.5" long, but we decided to make the curtain wider to give it some dimension with the wave of the curtain when hung. The final width was about 35" inches. She also did not want it lined, but adding a lining is also fairly easy if you wanted to.

Once you figured out the length and width that you want, cut out the fabric you chose and give yourself an extra 1" on both sides, plus an 1" on the bottom. The other thing thing you need to decide for yourself is how much of a ruffle you want on the top. For this size of a curtain, a 2-2.5" ruffle is perfect, so then you'll need to add an extra 3"-3.5" of fabric at the top. Here's all this in picture form for you visual people. :)

Ok, so it's not perfect but hopefully it helps explain what I so un-eloquently said above.

Moving on! I did not photograph all of this, but the first things that you'll want to do are use your serger (or a zig zag stitch on a regular machine) to finish all the edges. Then you'll want to sew down the sides of the curtain first, and then the bottom. It's important to do the sides first!! Here's where I started taking pictures, and what the last few steps look like. In the first picture, I have the top pinned how getting ready to sew.

 See....sides first. Then bottom!

 

Just a close up of the serger seam, plus the straight seem to sew the side down.
Next, you'll need to pin down the top part as shown in the first photo in this last batch. Sew the first line close to the serger stitch.

The next thing is to sew a second seam above the first. To do this, the best thing is to measure the rod that you'll be using to hang it so that it's not too tight, but not too loose either.

Pin it where it's snug.

And then sew it across so that you have a nice amount of fabric to ruffle above the rod.

The end! Here's another picture...

This one is a little harder to see the pattern in, but you can see the fit better. Since she didn't want the lining the light showed brightly through the fabric. The curtain added a nice detail to the bathroom where it was hung up and hid the items that were set on the back of the window sill. I really like it. My plan is to make the curtains for our bedroom like this also...with the fabric that I bought when I met Charlotte! Of course I'll post pictures of them once I'm done. I hope you enjoy this tutorial and story!!! Please, if you make your own ruffle top curtains, share them with me! ariydesigns@gmail.com

Tata for now...

Plates of Embroidery Hoops

One of my favorite things about my house is that fact that I get to have my own Craft and Sewing Studio. I inherited a couple vintage decorative plates from my grandpa that passed away almost 5 years ago, and I decided that collecting more plates would create nice wall decor in my studio, starting with the first plates from Grandpa John! I had inspiration from online to create a wall of embroidery hoops covered with fabric, and I imagined that it would be awesome to mix the two. So, here's a quick way to create unique pieces of art for any room that contains your personal touch and is very retro. Here's what you'll need:

Fabric
Embroidery Hoop
Thread
Needle
Pinking Shears

Wrapping fabric on a hoop is really simple. First things first, lay out the fabric with the inside hoop underneath.

Place the inside hoop on a place on the fabric where you like the design, place the outside hoop on the top and secure as tight as possible.

Once you have the fabric secure on the hoop, trim the edges with a pair of pinking shears to keep them from fraying. You can use regular scissors but pinking shears made cleaner edges. You want to leave a good 2" or more to gather. The more the better.

And then.....play with your puppy....she's so cute! So I took a little break from making hoops for her.

Anywho...once you've trimmed the edges you want to gather the fabric on the back. Try to keep the thread closer to the edge. I did not do such a good job with this teal and white one but it turned out alright. 

Pull the thread as tight as possible and tie off and finish. That's all!

Here's another example. As you can see I left a little more slack on this one and it turned out a little better.

Its a little dark....the nature of the fabric.

I'm really stoked about the way these turned out! I did three so far and mixed them with the plates I have hanging up...it's a start! I love the arrangement.

The polka dotted one is two layers of fabric on one hoop, but other wise executed like the others. I think I'm going to do a couple with colored lace and different colored background fabric when I get more hoops! I hope you enjoy these! Can't you just see an entire wall full of plates and hoop like this!? I can! Until next time...

Fashion Passion and a Few Confessions

I meant to post this yesterday since, well, this was my outfit from yesterday. But by the time my hubby got home and put the filters on the photos that he wanted, I had to leave...anyways it never happened. I was really excited about this outfit, and I wanted to share it with you guys!

What I'm Wearing:
Cardigan: Target
Dress: Second Hand...F21
Belt: From another dress
Tights: Target
Flats: Target
All Jewelry: Premier Designs

Confession #1 - I'm a sucker for Target clothes. I'm like a Target Poster child. After working there for 5 years, I've acquired quite a collection. So quite a bit of my fashion segments might contain..."Target" a lot. Fair warning!

Confession #2 - The picture taken above was snapped as I almost fell over.

Confession #3 - Seriously, I am in love with these tights. LOVE them.

Confession #4 - One of the best parts of my job with Premier is having a very, very large jewelry box of amazing, awesome, beautiful jewelry. You'll be seeing a lot of it here.

Confession #5 - I think that I have a love/hate relationship with the picture below....still unsure of how I feel about it.

Well, I'm sure you'll see all kinds of outfits like this one here and get ideas for yourself. Until next time...

DIY: Bow Tie Onsies Tutorial, and My Epic Fail.

I have to say that this whole blog thing has been a complete failure to this point. For that, my sincerest apologies!! These last couple weeks I have had a lot on my plate and my blog, unfortunately, has taken a back burner in the infant stages. I hope and pray that it gets better as time goes on because I really like blogging and had about 5 projects lined up to show you all! Anyways...please be patient as I get my chaos in order.

With that said, I am SOOO excited about this tutorial! One of my close friends, Alexis, is preggers with a little baby boy, Noah, and we are just so happy for them! Alexis and her hubby, Tim, have been diligently praying and trying for a baby for about a long time (two years or so before getting preggers, if I'm remembering correctly) but because of some health things they were continually disappointed. But! I found out in the early fall that she was pregnant, and is now happily 7 months along and due March 17th. PTL! I cannot wait to meet little Noah :)


I have seen an idea for these on...Pinterest I believe...hm. Don't remember. Anyways, a lady sells them on Etsy and I saw them and knew that this would be a great thing to give Alexis and Tim. I knew they would appreciate them. Here is the finished product!

Adorable, right?!?

This is actually fairly simple, but just a touch time consuming. I guess it mainly depends how many bow ties you make and how fast you are with a needle and thread.

You'll Need:

Felt, your choice(s) of color(s)
Onsies
Snaps
Needle
Thread that matches felt

Approximate Time: 1.5 hrs

First off, figure out the size bow you want. I played around with sizes until I found one I liked and them made a template out of cardstock for both pieces. You'll need a rectangle for the bow and a skinny strip for the middle. Mine looked like this.

I will also give a quick disclaimer right now: I realize now that I should have photographed one of the lighter colored bows, but decided to do the brown. It's a little tough to see at points....sorry about that.

The larger rectangle is about 3" by 1.5" and the strip is about 2" by .5" but as I said, you will have to size them and play with them to find a ratio and size that works for you.

Next thing you want to do is fold the rectangle in half long ways, and then fold the sides down to create the bow shape. Then take your needle and thread of the matching color and tack the folds to make it easier.

Sorry, these pictures are super over-exposed. I'm batting zero with this blog so far, I guess...HA!

Once you have the folds tacked, take the strip and wrap it around the middle and tack that closed in the back, like so. Here's where I got smart and photographed a color that was easier to see...

Once you have that done, take the front of the snap and sew that on the bow, as centered as possible.

And that is it for the bows! Next thing you need is the onsies and white thread. Depending on how many bows and onsies you do, you will probably have extra backs to the snaps - I would hang on to those....because you just never know! But, you will need at least one for the front of the onsies. Center the snap a couple inches from the neckline (for comfort's sake) and sew that on. 

And then....you're done!

Can't you just imagine Noah with a little pair of slacks and a cardigan with this onsies! So handsome! I sewed six bows in various colors and two onsies with the back of the snaps so she had a couple...plus I have a plan for the other three that were in the pack! Will post that when I do them. :)

Of course, I had to capture me with the beautiful Mommy-to-be and her awesome onsies!!

And just a side note, is she not the cutest little pregnant woman you've ever seen?! She pulls of that bump so well. As an added plus, she was totally wearing a top that matched the bow she's holding. Come on......fate.

Well, I hope you like this one! I had an awesome time making these!! Please, send me your bow tie onsies at ariydesigns@gmail.com! I would love to see what you all do with it! Ta-ta for now...

Tutorial: Ruffle Wreath DIY

I have to tell you - there are a few bloggers that I just adore. One of them is a personal friend, Kelly Hicks, amazing designer blogger extraordinaire. She even was the Second Shooter at Trevor and I's wedding, where I got to know her a little better, and she got amazing shots like this one.

Check her blog out here. Anyways, I get a lot of inspiration and ideas from her tutorials and today's DIY come from a post she did a while ago, but I have been dying (literally) to make it. I have a new found obsession with wreaths since I've been in my own house and actually can make and store large amounts of them. Here's today's project:

LOVE, RIGHT?!
This wreath is actually super simple, and after doing some research on ruffle wreath DIYs out there, my definite favorite. I chose the colors and mix of fabrics because I wanted something to hang up for valentine's day, and the ruffles on this wreath just scream soft and romantic - the perfect wreath design! Red and white are the obvious color choices, and the white lace softens it and adds even a little more romance. Love, love, love it!! Here's what you'll need:

1) 1 yard total of fabric*
2) Straight Pins**
3) Scissors
4) Foam Wreath of preferred size - mine is a foot diameter

Approximate time: 1 hour

*As you can see, I have two types of fabric in the wreath and the picture. I also used some scraps that I had around the house to save some money. If you purchase the fabric and want multiple types of fabric, just make sure that you have a plan for how much of each you want to use, and that it equals a yard (unless you use a bigger wreath).
**For the straight pins, I used small dress maker's pins that I have laying around my craft room, well, because I really hate them and never use them while actually sewing. So, I saw this as a chance to use them up and they worked great!! Unfortunately I still have some left. :/

So the first thing that you'll want to do is cut a long strip about 2"-3" wide to wrap around the wreath. I epically failed and did not take pictures of the strip or me wrapping it. But I secured the ends at both the start and finish with pins. You can also use a hot glue gun for this but I thought the pins would be easier than busting out the gun and waiting for it to heat up. It looks like this finished.

And this is the ends how I pinned them. I did have to use two strips to cover my wreath because the fabric wasn't long enough, but you can't tell. So please, don' fret if this happens to you!

Next, you'll want to cut strips of fabric out. My strips ranged anywhere from 1 1/2"-3" wide, and were about 8" long (I would try to be a better strip cutter than I was and make them more unified). Depending on how many ruffles you want on the wreath you can make them wider for less or thinner for more. But, I like the amount that I did. You can also make the strips longer and gather them more for more volume. 8" worked well for me. For a gauge, I used 28 red strips and 7 white strips on my 12" wreath - 35 total.

Then you start to gather. Fold them into a fan shape like so.

And then you pin them on the wreath. The red is a little hard to see on, but you place the pin down the center of the folds. I did have to use two pins on some of the strips to secure them more, but that meant that I used up more of my yucky pins, so I did not mind one bit! 

The next strip you will want to pin down overlapping the first one, and so on. Again, you can separate them more for a simpler look, or pin them closer for a fuller look than mine. As you can see from the picture below, I also alternated the colors: 4 red, one white, etc. and it worked perfectly.

Finish pinning all the way around and them you're done! I took a small piece of fabric and pinned it to the back of the wreath like a picture hook so that the hook is hidden and the wreath doesn't hang as low, but you can use a strip or anything you like.

And that's it! It's pretty easy and looks great. Now, mine does have a few strings hanging off here and there, but I kind of like that look. I am all for the chic yet unpolished thing that's popular right now. So I didn't bother finishing the edges or anything. You can change the fabric however you want, even make a collage of all different fabrics to use up scraps. Any type of soft fabrics will work for this! I would love to see your wreaths! Please post below or email them to me! ariydesigns@gmail.com

I really hope you like today's tutorial, and that it gives you more of a sense of what kinds of things this blog will be featuring. I am really excited about this journey!! Tata for now...

New Year, New Blog.

Hello! Welcome to my new blog. First post!! WOOT. This blog has been a long time in the making, and I wanted to begin with why I wanted to begin a blog in the first place, and reflect on all the things that occured in the year of 2011. Lets start at the beginning...

Well, this year began with New Years, obviously, at a friend's house, where we have spent the last three New Years Eves (is that a proper word??).

 

This is the annual shot of me and Trevor right at midnight...when we were just boyfriend and girlfriend. That's weird to say. And Trevor looks a little silly.

Anyways...next, there was a wedding. One of my best friends from high school and Trevor's brother got married on January 8th. The wedding was great and very chic and lovely. Here's the lovely couple and the girls :)

Trevor and I were able to take a trip to Hoover Dam, Death Valley and Las Vegas in February...

Next thing I know on March 12...I had a sparkley rock on my finger. And this is how Trevor proposed...

We set a date: June 25, 2011. Engagement shoot was awesome...

We had lots of planning to do...obviously. There was about three and a half months from engagement to ceremony. And as a full time student at the University of Arizona, it only made sense that I make EVERYTHING for the wedding....right. I made the bridesmaids dresses and the necklaces they're all wearing...

And broke my iron while making the dresses...

Made my garters and the ring bearer pillow...

Hand drew our Guest "Book" Tree...

All of the decorations I bought, made, painted, etc. 

Made all the bouquets myself (with a little help from family)...

And then....they were one. 

As if getting engaged and married within three months wasn't enough, on June 27 (two days after the wedding), we became home owners. The Lord blessed us with an awesome 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house that's 1491 sq. ft. and at a killer deal. So totally worth it in stead of renting. Yay for investments!

Then, on September 5, we became parents. Our first little red-headed girl, Millie. 

 

She is a very silly little puppy, with little tiger stripes.

In November, I turned 21. First official drink and new license! Wooooooot. 

Sorry for my photo-bombing husband in the back. Anyways...a couple days later, we took a mini honeymoon to Flagstaff, AZ and the Grand Canyon since we couldn't take one right after the wedding. 

 

(I just also have to say that I am very grateful for my husband, who is a full time, professional photographer. Because I get really awesome shots like the one above. Check him out at trevorcrosby.com) 

And we got to see snow!! Us Tucsonan folk don't get to see snow all that often.

 

About a month later, on December 17, I graduated from the U of A with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Classics. 

And then Christmas and New Years....WHAT A YEAR!! I can't believe all the things that I got to do this year. God has blessed us greatly this year. My family is convinced that there can't be much else that I could have done...accept pop out an actual kid, but even still I only have 6 months of marriage under my belt! So, that would not be very likely. But, there's always 2012!! (don't tell me husband I said that!) 

Well, this blog almost got started during the wedding planning process to document everything that I was doing, but planning a wedding and going to summer school was enough stress. Therefore, this is my New Year's Resolution. This way, I can write tutorials, about married life, photography, and anything else that I want! Now that I am not in school, not working (accept for my Premier Jewelry Business) and still am without children. This is the perfect chance to start blogging and I am taking advantage of it! So, I hope you join me on this journey as I write it. Thanks for coming by!! 

The Crosby Family 2012