Shabby Ruffle Fabric Holiday Wreath Tutorial

I've been hosting a link party here called "Tell Me Tuesday, and I have seen some great projects that I am going to make, like this mobile and a pieced applique t-shirt for my daughter based on this tutorial and this one.

The minute I clicked over to Polka Dots and Pizza and saw Michelle's Christmas Wreath, I immediately ran out to get the materials I would need to make my own. Seriously--hers is SO CUTE that I was jealous and had to have one of my very own. Michelle says that her Mom taught her how to make the project when she was 8. That made me smile from ear to ear!

Oh, and Michelle is also hosting a Tuesday Link Party, so after you submit your project to mine, hop over to hers!



Here's the Vintage Pollyanna version. I call it the Shabby Ruffle Fabric Holiday Wreath.

You'll need a few different coordinating fabrics, not much. I just was at the fabric store and bought some fun Christmas fabric that was 50% off SCORE!!!! You will also need a foam wreath, a rotary cutter with a pinking blade (or pinking shears), a cutting mat and guide, and a pencil with a sharpened tip.



First I began to cut 2" strips of fabric with my rotary cutter. I cut one strip of fabric (which was folded from the store) from each of five fabrics.


Next I approximated between 2" and 21/2" horizontal cuts across the strips to make (ahem) squares. (Hey, I did say this was a shabby wreath--and YOU KNOW I'm not exact about ANYTHING.)


Here is a completely unnecessary pic of the little fabric squares arranged OCD-like around the wreath.


Take a square of fabric, lay it on the wreath, and push the sharp end of the pencil down into the wreath.


VOILA. It sticks. AND STAYS! (I was a little shocked.) No messy glue gun? Yup. I'm a happy crafter.


Here I am about a 5th of the way around.


All the fabric is in! And folks--this took me about 15 minutes. NO JOKE. (Michelle, I LOVE YOU!!!)


I added a little grosgrain bow that I made, and another bit of ribbon to hang it.


SO CUTE!!!


Now go make one!





This post is a part of the following link parties:





Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts

We Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado

Creation Corner's Friday Link Party

Girl's Ruffle Dress / Tunic Tutorial

I wanted to make a fun dress for my friend's daughter, Eleanor, who was turning five last week. Since I enjoyed making the Ruffle T-shirts so much, I decided to try my hand at incorporating what I learned with that project and making a dress.


I went to Target and I bout a girl's long sleeved white tee. I also purchased two purple short sleeved women's v-neck pocket tees. Initially I was planning to use the flowered fabric for some kind of rosette, but I chucked that idea at the last minute because I thought the dress worked well without it. As Tim Gunn says on Project Runway, "Edit!"


First, I cut the tee about two inches beneath the armpit seams. Then I cut several 2" wide strips to make ruffles with.


Next, I cut one of the women's tees, the lower half of which will be the skirt. I then cut the other tee into about 8 strips of 2" wide each for more ruffles.


Next I sewed down the middle of each strip, being careful not to back-stitch, with the tension on the highest setting and the widest straight stitch length.


This way the ruffle basically makes itself. I just kept adding strips to each ruffle a few inches before one strip would end. I needed about three strips to make one ruffle long enough to go all the way around the skirt.


With right sides facing, I inserted the skirt into the shirt top, and sewed 1/4" around the whole piece. This was tough and required some pinning to give me a gathered effect.


I turned it right side out and yahoo!!! I did add a ruffle embellishment around the neck just for fun.


Here's a recent post about another Ruffle Toddler Dress that I made in August.

Many thanks to the following links for ideas and inspiration for this dress:

Tea Rose Home

Happy Together

This post is a part of the following link parties:

Ruffle Toddler Dress from Upcycled Tshirt Tutorial--Revisit

I am excited to tell you that I have been asked to submit my Toddler Ruffle Dress from an Upcycled Tshirt Tutorial for the following fun challenge!



The deadline for entries is tomorrow--I am sending mine in as soon as I have finished this post!

I received great feedback and comments from the tutorial, and a friend sent me this photo of the dress that she and her Mom made as a result of my tutorial:


Don't you just love it when someone follows your tutorial and sends you pics and the result is fantastic? Thanks Carey!

On a side note, I have been soaking labels off of a variety of jars in preparation for the flower arrangements for Ella's birthday party. 8 days and counting before the big Lemonade and Sunshine Birthday Social! (Are you sick of me talking about it yet?)

Have a happy weekend!