NO-SEW Gentleman outfit

Nothing's quite as cute as a little baby boy dressed in little manly outfits. Here's a great tutorial on how to make a cheap, no-sew onesie for your stylish lil dude, complete with bowtie and suspenders! AWWW!

TUTORIAL:

{Materials}:

• Onsie (just grab out of you child's closet - cheap :) ).
• Fabric Square (used for quilting, can make a dozen bowties out of one square)
• Washable fabric glue 
• Bias tape
• Scissors
• Warm Iron
• Pins

{Bowtie}:

1.  Cut a 4x3" rectangular piece from the fabric square. Fold into 1/3's length wise, using the iron to secure the edges. If you're using striped fabric, keep in mind the direction of your lines when you cut your rectangle.

2.  Fold edges of your skinny rectangle into the center, overlapping a bit. Lightly iron edges for a crisp edge or leave for a more poofy bowtie edge. Secure the overlap with a dap of glue. If you want, place a pin as well until the glue dries.

3.  Form the center piece of the bowtie: repeat step 1 and 2 but using a 2x3" rectangle of fabric.

4.  (Sorry i forgot to take a picture of this step but its pretty straight forward). 
Pinch the bow section in the middle to form a "W". While pinched, wrap the bowtie center around the middle of the "W" snuggly so that the fabric overlaps a little. Place a dab of glue over the overlapping center fabric. Push a pin through the entire center of the bowtie until the glue has set.

{Suspenders}:

1.  {TIME SAVER}: Use bias tape as the fabric is wide enough and thick enough to look like suspender fabric. Its also already folded over so gives you finished edges. PLUS the glue won't bleed through, giving a clean look.

2. Start on the front side. Line up your suspenders with the tape beginning below the pant line. Use pins to hold in place. Flip onsie over and also pin on the down the back. Don't make the tape too tight over the shoulders or the onsie fold can't expand when worn. 

3. {IMPORTANT}: Make sure you don't glue the tape over the folded shoulders as the onsie needs to expand over babies head. Use WASHABLE fabric glue. Make sure you put cardboard on the inside of the onsie to prevent gluing the sides together. 

4. To make the back buckle, cut a rectangle of fabric and fold over each edge. Glue to the suspenders on the onesie's back where the suspenders would join together. 

5. Let the suspenders dry over night before removing the pins and cardboard. (your glue's instruction's may vary).

END RESULT: All smiles and a stylish explorer. Add a poor-boy hat, and the outfit is complete (getting baby to KEEP the hat on is another story :) ).

Having fun outside during the last warm days of Autumn. What a cutie! (biased of course)

Headbands modeled internationally!

 Australian model Ella rocks one of Auburn Antic's headbands during a Ninjacupcake photoshoot. How precious is she! Thanks for sharing Renee. If any of you out there have lil models of your own, I would love to do photo shoots with them this summer to showcase some of my products.

The dress craze continues

Added another one to my bubby collection this weekend. I have enough fabric that I think I can make a sundress for myself in a similar style - if i dare! Children's clothing seems less intimidating right now.

Meet my "Honeysuckle" Sundress.
Materials: IKEA cut fabric. Pattern: Variation of MadeByRae.

Last night I tried a full pattern dress and was ironing the paper pattern flat across the entire living room carpet - maybe its a virgin sewer thing, but it was like trying to read a blueprint of a detailed heist or something! eek! 

Love my husband though for his encouragement and feeling proud of me in my new venture- that put the steam back into the project. 

...sooo 3 hours later I had templated and cut out all my pieces (almost! some lining to go). 
A white on white size 4 sundress should be appearing sometime this week! :)

Now to find some cute lil models to take pictures of with my dresses - any takers? :)

New Years Resolution: CREATE

When the 9 to 5 gets stale, my fingers get so itchy to create
- something-.

Well inspiration has hit, creative juices are flowing and I am determined to live up to my own challenge of getting better at my design craft. The greatest things about creativity and design is that it exists in almost anything, the coolest things can come from nothing.

First challenge of the new year: Sewing!
I received a sewing machine for Christmas from my mum. No more stealing her's to make simple square pillows.
My 1st project of choice? Baby clothes for a girlfriends baby shower in 5 days.  - am i crazy? crazy excited! - Have you seen the uber-cute things that these talented women are creating for babies?

Props to Made By Rae's FREE itty bitty dress pattern - you've started me on a mad hatter craze of baby clothes!


Here is my result: a lil different from the original pattern but not bad for my first sewing project. Hope it fits!!

'Plum Pudding' Dress
Materials: Soft purple suede pillow case,
Trim from a pair of capris from H&M that never fit.
Pattern: variation of 'Made by Rae'

I then created an infant party skirt from a variation of the 'Knot Me Tie Me' Skirt by Simply Modern Mum. What fun!

'Mad Hatter Tea Party' Skirt
Materials: Euro Sham pillowcase from IKEA and left over ribbon.
Pattern: Variation of 'Simply Modern Mum'

I'm on a roll and armed with several yards of fabric from IKEA. Who knew fabric was so expensive- on a mission to find cool textiles from unlikely sources to create precious treasures on the CHEAP!