DIY: Easy Home Made Scrub (Uniform) Tutorial

I been looking for a cheaper scrubs online for my MA program. I found a couple of plain color scrubs that are on sale at Amazon. But I'd like to have one that is printed. For me, more than $5 is expensive. So, I decided to make one. It was easy.

Material that you need:

1. Make your own pattern ( use your lose t-shirt to make a pattern. Make sure you leave 1/2 " or 3/4" for seam allowance. Take a piece of paper [ mine is the drawing paper of my kids] and lay your t-shirt flat on the paper. Then trace around the perimeter of your shirt and then add the seam allowance. Make sure you make the back piece too. 

2. 1 1/2 yards of fabric ( you can use coordinating fabric for the pocket if you want).

3. Cut 9 x 8 " for pocket

4. Coordinating threads

5. pattern weights or pins

6. scissors or cutter

7. bias tape (optional)

8. sewing machine :-) obviously

Okay let's make your own scrub:

1. Lay your own pattern on the fabric, put the pattern weights to prevent the pattern fro sliding around.

2. Cut the fabric. The front piece and the back piece on fold.
3. Cut 9 x 8 " for pocket

I made mine double fabric so that it will look thicker and I did not need to serge the seams.

4. Attach the pocket to the front piece. Remember to fold all around the pocket 1/2" and sew it first. 

5. Then sew the shoulder, arms, and sides. 

6. Attach the bias tape on the neck line. I did not put bias tape on mine because I made the lining inside.

7. Sew the hem the bottom part 3/4" seam allowance and arm circle.

AND your done!

DIY School Backpack for Kids Tutorial

Materials that you need:
Make your own Pattern pieces
    * front and back piece 12" X 11" ( seam allowance included)
    * pocket piece  8" X 7"
    * zipper piece and zipper 20" or etc. (mine was sports zipper)
    * nylon webbing for backpack straps or make your own straps 2- 22" x 6"
    * handle piece 16" x 31/2" cut 2
    * side piece all around measure from the end of the zipper to the other end of the zipper
    * bias tape 3 to 4 yards (optional)
    * sewing machine
    * coordinating fabric ( what ever you what, but the outdoor fabric is better)
    * scissor, pins and thread flat iron and ironing board

Lets do it:

1. Make your own pattern and cut(very easy you can change the  measurements if you like)
2. Lay the pattern on your fabric. Use pins (as shown to prevent the paper pattern from moving) the cut. Once you cut all you pattern piece
3. Serge or zigzag the edges or wait until you put them all together and use bias tape 
4. make the handle fold the fabric in half. Then fold 1/4" on both side and sew
5. prepare the pocket. but fold a 1/4 inch all around the pocket piece and then  press it so that it will lay flat. 
6. center the pocket on the right side of the front piece. Sew.

7. attach the handle on both front and back piece.

8. Prepare the zipper. This one a little confusing for me. You have to kinda play it a little bit before you sew it together. Put both right side together and sew. Once you finished sewing the zipper onto the fabric turn it over and then sew it again. Here is a great tutorial video of how to install a zipper.

9. Then attach the zipper to the front piece and the all around side piece using pins as shown. I sewed the zipper in placed first leaving an 1" on both ends. Sew.

This is what it looks like after you sew the zipper and the side piece.

10. Then attach the back piece. Make sure you open the zipper so that you can turn it over.
11. U can use a bias tape to sealed all the edges inside of the back pack or serge/ zigzag them.

Then that's it! You have you child a nice home made backpack. They will love it believe me!

If you have any questions please leave me a message. I am not a good teacher when it comes to a project tutorial. I would gladly help you if you decided to make one.

Happy Sewing!

DYI Easy Halloween Costume: James the Tank Engine

So glad to have my internet back. It was hard without the internet connection last weekend, it seems that one of limbs came off (lol).

Anyway, I made another tank engine costume from Thomas and friends. My son LOVE Thomas and Friends! He has been wearing T&F costume for 3 Halloween now This first one I bought it for like $15. The second one I made it and it cost me $5. This Halloween it cost me $3 big savings from the first tank engine costume. Making it by my self is a whole lot cheaper and plus I enjoyed sewing and doing project from my children. 

Last year, I made Percy the tank Engine and he was so cute in it.

This year I made him a red engine. My daughter said it was James the tank Engine. This costume is so easy to make and it took me probably half hour without interruption.

Would you like to make your own tank engine?

 So what I did was I search the picture of James tank Engine costume. Then I copy it in my lazy way... yes! lazy way. I have my blue engine on hand  so I measure the length of that one. It was 48" while mine is 45" because I wasn't gonna add 3" of fabric to get the exact length ( cause I'm lazy). 

Then I serge the perimeter of the fabric or around the fabric. You can use black bias tape to sew around the rectangular fabric. It is up to you and what ever you prefer to do.

I have couple white square fabric for the face and bumper of the train. The yellow fabric is for the head light.

Next is cut the head light into a rectangular shape and cut both ends. You also need a black felt fabric for the headlight but smaller shape than the yellow one.

Then I used a big basin to make a circle for the face and serge with black thread around the white fabric. The I sewed the bumper. Sew the two black circles to at the bottom of the bumper.

It should look like this. Then I cut the neck ( half moon shape).

Neck: I sewed bias tape around it and the back opening.

Lastly, I draw the face.  I was gonna do all fabric but I have no time. My son needs it in 2 hours before we did the trunk or treat.

Here it is. Easy James the tank Engine. My daughter wants to wear it first before her big brother.

Oh I forgot to make a conductor hat hahaha. That's okay you can use and red ball cap hat and enjoy trick or treating. I think he looks great in it.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope this tutorial will help you make your own Halloween costume.
If you have any question please email me at nelda34@live.com
Happy Halloween!

DYI Halloween costume: Rapunzel's dress

Last year I made my kids a Halloween costumes to save some money. I think last year I spent $10 for 2 costumes. So this year I am doing it again. My daughter can now tell what color she likes for her dress and that will be here costume. Plus she pointed on the magazine that she want a Rapunzel's dress. So she got it.

 I spent $ 5.00 worth of fabric and 3 hours to make it...with a lot of interruptions along the way. I finished it this morning and I asked my daughter to try it on so that I can make adjustment if needed. Well, after trying the dress she won;t take it off anymore. So wore it the whole day and even took her to grandma to show her new dress. So also wore it to bed. I hope she takes it off tomorrow so that I can wash it. Kid is being a kid.

Anyway, for pattern I used one of the free pattern that I found online and modify it a little bit. I used more fabric for her skirt so that it looks big and more volume.  When she turns she loves it!

Now I have to continue sewing I have to more Halloween costume to finish. 

Have a wonderful day!

Green Dress

My first decent dress... pattern courtesy by the shwinandshwin.com

I decided to make this pattern because the tutorial looks very easy.

so easy that in an hour you have a brand new dress for your little girl.

and if it is too big for your kid just adjust the neck and the sleeves by make a small pleats.

My finished product almost as a Christmas dress.

My daughter in her new green dress!
Special thanks to shwinandshwin.com for the free pattern!

Lace Headband with flower and tutorial

I've been making stuff for my children and for myself, but I didn't get a chance to post it early in this blog. Been busy with kids and household chores. Anyway, I made this lace headband for my two girls. It is very easy to make.

All you need is  10 white (any color) petals ( I got mine from the Dollar Tree store) for $1.

30 inches lace ( I got mine from goodwill and I paid probably a penny for it)

Glue gun

felt circle

Needle and tread

How to:

Use the felt circle and apply glue on top. Get five petals and arrange the tip of the petal face down on the glue until it dry. Apply glue again on the top of the first petal set and this time use only four petals to glue on top facing the right side. The last petal make a yoyo circle to use as the middle of the flower then glue it on the top of the flower. Then glue it on to the lace and you are done. Very easy takes you probably 5 minutes to make.

Nook Tablet Holder tutorial

My husband got me an eReader last Christmas and it didn't come with a holder or sleeve  ;-). I looked around for the holder and sleeve but the prices is just ridiculous. I will not pay $35 for a holder and $29 for a nook sleeve. Well I got a solution for that and it did cost me anything since I already have all the materials to make it. I asked my husband to cut the wood for me though.

 Material that I used: Wood (picture 45degree angle), glue and a glue gun/stick, and fabric ( I used fat quarter) and scissor. All you have to do is glue it all around the wood and you may cut some extra parts that are not necessary.

•  This is what it look like after you glue every thing. It took me half an hour to finish it.

•  Even the back is covered. Oppps! the I missed the sides.

• Here is the finished product. It cost me half an hour to make.