Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Party Dress

This weekend we will be celebrating Savannah's 5th birthday with a Rainbow Unicorn party. This little lady likes rainbows and she likes unicorns, so we decided to combine it into one magical birthday celebration.

The majority of the parties that I like to plan are inspired by fabric (remember the Heather Bailey fabric inspired Garden Party or the Anna Griffin fabric inspired Tea Party?). So first I searched for Rainbow Unicorn fabric and decided that was not going to happen. Talk about cheese ball central, not really my style. Then I decided to focus on rainbow colored fabric. I searched around for quite sometime for the perfect combination of colors. I'm not quite sure what I was looking for exactly, but a lot of fabric lines just weren't the right 'rainbow' feel that I wanted. I know, what you are thinking.....really, Lindsay........you were agonizing over finding the 'right' rainbow fabric? Yes, yes I was indeed. The fabric was the whole foundation for the party, so it definitely had to be right.

Finally, I was looking through the Riley Blake Designs site at a newer line called 'Hello Sunshine'. I brought Savannah into the studio and we looked at the fabrics online and decided they would be perfect for her party. Granted there was no unicorn on the fabric, but I knew I could solve that problem.

I have a really nice new sewing machine that I haven't gotten to show you all (Baby Lock Unity) with all of these fantastic embroidery capabilities, but I haven't had a whole lot of time to utilize all of the wonderful things it can do. But this dress was my chance! I purchased the digital unicorn applique file from Planet Applique. I downloaded it to my USB card and then plugged it into my sewing machine. Presto! The applique design was ready to roll. I won't go into too many details about how I did the applique, but if you are interested, I can do a tutorial for that on another day.

For the dress, I used a new pattern (well new to me) from my friend Jessica over at Me Sew Crazy. It is her Madeline Dress Pattern and I thought it would be perfect with all the different coordinating fabrics. I know I design clothing and have my own line of patterns, but I absolutely love trying out new patterns from all of these amazingly talented designers. I learn so much every time I sew something from a new pattern. It's really interesting to see how each individual designer constructs a garment or how they explain certain aspects of sewing.

The Madeline Dress Pattern was really well written and came together beautifully. It comes in size 2 through 6 and it's steal at $6.00 for the PDF pattern (you can find it here). I made the size 6 and the fit was perfect in the bodice. As for the length, it was a little too short on my tall girl, so I decided to make a pair of pants to go underneath. When I make this pattern again, I will probably add a good three inches to the skirt length to have it fall more at / below the knee. But that's just my personal preference.....the dress is designed to be worn shorter.

I chose coordinating fabric and thread for the unicorn applique and decided it should go front and center on the dress bodice.

 

My favorite part of this dress is the back! It is so unique and like no other pattern I have ever used before. I decided to change up the buttons on the back of the dress and did a loop closure instead of a regular buttonhole. Why? I don't know, I guess I just can't leave well enough alone and I've just really been loving button-loop closures lately.

Also, I added in a pink and white striped piping along the back panels and the bottom curve of the front of the dress. The pattern does not call for the piping, but by now you know how I feel about piping.....it is my absolute favorite clothing detail! I really like how it brings out the pink and the white in the fabric and in the unicorn applique.

For the bottom hem, I added a blue medium size rick rack to complete the look. Even though I'm getting away from selling much clothing in my shop, I still add my garment labels to everything I make for this kids for that added special touch (find out more about my garment labels here).

We are really looking forward to the Rainbow Unicorn Party this weekend. It's going to be so much fun and I can't wait to share the party details with you all next week!

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And in the blink of an eye, she turned 5.

Savannah Rose is 5 years old today. I say it every year, but I just can't believe it. Five is such a big birthday to me. When they are under five, they seem like they are still little babies, but turning five means they are truly a 'kid'. Savannah will start kindergarten in the fall. It's all going by too fast.

I am so proud of my sweet girl and there are some things I would like her to know on her 5th birthday........

1. You maturing into a beautiful little lady, inside and out.
2. You are a wonderful big sister. You walk your little sister, Matilda to her preschool class each morning and give her a big hug before she goes in. Your teachers constantly tell me how wonderful you are to her. Thank you for that. Your little brother adores you.
3. Orange is still your favorite color.
4. Your favorite food is cheeseburgers.
5. You are having a Rainbow Unicorn Party for your birthday.
6. You asked for princesses and unicorns for your birthday presents.
7. You tell me all the time how you are going to live close to me always and are going to buy the house next door when you get older (I will be reminding you of this when you are 15 and want nothing to do with me).
8. You are smart. SO smart.
9. You love to play outside in the snow and go on hikes.
10. You like to ride bikes.
11. You like to help mama cook.
12. You still sleep with your Elmo (even though he is falling apart).
13. You really, really want a sewing machine. It's not time yet, but maybe when you turn six.
14. You say you want to be just like your mama when you grow up and sew beautiful things. Thank you for that........you have know idea how much that means to me.
15. Your best friends are Rory, Paige and Jordyn (and your sister, Matilda).
16. You are very self-sufficient which is very helpful.
17. You love to cuddle.
18. You love to dance ballet and sing songs.
19. You like to tell knock-knock jokes.
20. You are very loved by your mama, daddy, Matilda, Caspian and all your family and friends.

Five years ago you came into this world and changed my life forever, you made me a mother, the very best role I have ever had in my life. Happy Birthday, baby girl. We love you from here to the moon and back again!    

       

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Broccoli & Onion Pie ~ Recipe

We like broccoli around here. Well, my husband didn't used to, but he's coming around. Broccoli was always one of my favorite vegetables growing up and it still is (you can find my Cream of Broccoli soup recipe by clicking here).

Anyway, it's Lent and we are Catholic, so for us that means no meat on Fridays. I also know some families do 'Meatless Monday's' all through the year, so I thought this would be a good recipe to share for Lent, for those of you who were vegetarian or for those of you that just like Broccoli. And if you don't like Broccoli, you could probably substitute asparagus or another green vegetable and that would work just great too.

This is an adaptation of recipe I pulled out of one of my magazines (I think it was Family Circle, but don't quote me on that), but I can't ever leave well-enough alone, so I had to make some adjustments to make it just right for our family. I hope you like it!

Broccoli & Onion Pie

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 cups broccoli, chopped (frozen, thawed or fresh)

1 cup onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

*These can Broccoli and Onion pies can be made in individual baking dishes or in a muffin tin.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use butter or cooking spray to coat the baking dishes or muffin tin.

Mix together milk, eggs, oil, 3/4 of all the cheese, oregano, garlic salt and pepper. Use a whisk to combine. Once wet ingredients are combined, stir in Bisquick, broccoli and onions. If the mixture appears too wet, you can add a little more Bisquick and if it appears to dry, you can add in a little more milk.

Divide the mixture between four individual baking dishes (approximately 8 oz. each) or make smaller portions and divide equally among 8 muffin cups. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the rest of the two cheeses on top.

 Enjoy!

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The Cottage Mama's Sewing Basket: Fabric Marking Pens

First off, I apologize if I sound overly enthusiastic in the following post. But honestly if I could write this post with all caps and end every sentence with an exclamation mark, I would. Secondly, I want you to know that I have absolutely know affiliation with this company or product, I just really, really like it.

So, I didn't get to take any classes myself when I was teaching at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion, but I did learn a few things. And these Pilot FriXion Erasable Gel Pens have changed my life. Maybe you've known about these all along and I am late to the party, but oh my goodness, these are the best fabric marking pens ever! They are not designed to use on fabric, but they work like a dream.

Darlene, our classroom machine educator, introduced these pens to my assistant Terri and I during class. She had one and asked us if we had ever seen these, neither of us had, so Darlene showed us how they worked. It blew our minds.

These pens glide along the fabric making a beautiful mark just as they would on paper. And guess how they disappear? With your IRON! The friction of your iron rubbed on top of the fabric makes them disappear practically on contact. There is a little eraser on the pen, but the iron works so much better.

You can buy the Pilot FriXion Erasable Gel Pens at your local office supply store or online and they come in a bunch of different colors. The only problem you might have is if you are marking on black fabric, you still might need to use your white pencil or chalk, but other than that, these will be all you'll ever need in the fabric marking department.

Trust me, you must go out and buy these now!

PS: The Cottage Mama's Sewing Basket is going to be a new series of posts where I show you all the tools I love to use when I sew. Some may be ones that you've heard of and others may not, but I always think it's fun to get a little glimpse inside someone else's sewing basket.

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Crafter's Vision Giveaway

I'm really excited about today's giveaway! Why? Because our lovely blog sponsor, Crafter's Vision is giving away two $50.00 gift certificates to two very lucky The Cottage Home blog readers. That means you get to browse their shop and pick out whatever you would like and trust me, you could get lost for hours browsing their massive inventory.

If you've never visited Crafter's Vision, you must head over there when you get a chance. They carry a great selection of fabric, trim, ribbons, craft supplies and so much more.

It has been so cold here in Chicago, that I am really longing for spring. So I put together some pinks and greens (pictured above) that I think are calling my name. I love this little bundle of fabric from 'Blend' fabrics, plus those nursery prints by Heather Ross are just adorable. I don't know, pink and green always feels kind of preppy and classic to me.

Crafter's Vision gets in new inventory daily, but I'm pretty sure if you check them out, that you will find plenty of things that you need to take home right now. I am trying to be good since I have so much fabric right now, but as I was looking through their store yesterday, I saw a lot of things that were begging to come into my home.

Also, how about free shipping in the US on orders over $30.00? Yep, they've got that too.

Now onto the giveaway......like I said, Crafter's Vision is offering two $50.00 gift certificates to their store for two different winners. All you have to do is enter via the Rafflecopter below.

Giveaway open until Thursday, February 28, 2013 at midnight (CST).

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Riley Blake Designs Winner

And the winner of the Riley Blake Designs Fat Quarter Bundle is...........

Congratulations, Tricia! You are going to love this fat quarter bundle. Please email me at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com with your contact information and we will get this bundle in the mail to you as soon as possible. Thanks so much to everyone who entered and check back tomorrow for another great giveaway! Pin It

Knot Dress Tutorial & Riley Blake Designs Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway

Can you believe that I am registering this little lady for Kindergarten today? Yes, it's really true. How did this happen? Please hit the pause button right now!

Today I am over at Riley Blake Designs sharing my Project Design Team Tutorial for this Easy Knot Dress. I hope you'll pop over and check it out if you get a chance.

Click HERE to learn how to make this Easy Knot Dress.

And the giveaway.......

Because it's my Project Design Team Day, I also get to giveaway an entire Fat Quarter Bundle of one of my favorite fabric lines, Little Matryoshka by Carly Griffith for Riley Blake Designs. This bundle includes 21 Fat Quarters of the entire line. You are going to love it!

To enter the giveaway, please enter via the Rafflecopter below........
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Pin Cushion Ring Tutorial

When I was teaching at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion a couple of weeks ago, I needed some straight pins for a project I was demonstrating. Our lovely machine educator in the room, Darlene, handed me this sweet little pin cushion that she had brought with her. It was so adorable and perfect for traveling.

Upon closer examination of this pincushion, that had been given to Darlene by her by a friend, I noticed that it was simply made from a plastic bottle top. The bottle top had two holes drilled in the top and a piece of elastic was used for the ring portion. I knew that when I got home, I wanted to try to make my own version of this darling little pin cushion.

I still had some leftover blank rings from the DIY Cabochon Jewelry that I had made as Christmas gifts this year, so I decided to use those as the base for my pin cushion. These pin cushions would make such a sweet gift for the seamstresses / quilters / sewists in your life. Or just make one for yourself......they make the most perfect little travel pin cushion!

Pin Cushion Ring

~Tutorial~

Supplies:

1 plastic bottle top

1 3" x 3" circle of fabric

Ribbon or Trim (4" - 5")

1 blank ring base

Fiberfill or other stuffing (just a small amount)

Strong craft glue (i.e. E6000)

Hand sewing needle

Thread

Scissors

Instructions:

Gather up your supplies. You can find blank rings at your local craft store (i.e. Michael's, Joann's, Hobby Lobby, ect). I like the adjustable kind because you don't have to worry about whether or not the rings are going to fit.

Also, choose any size or type of plastic bottle top that you like. It can be big or small.....it doesn't really matter.

Cut out a circle from your fabric. I used the top of one of my storage containers as a guide. It measured approximately 3" x 3". If you make a larger circle, you will have a larger, more rounded pin cushion top. If you cut a smaller circle, then your pin cushion top will lay more flat within the plastic bottle top. It's entirely up to you how large or small you would like your pin cushion, but 3" worked well for the standard top.

Do a basic running stitch around the entire edge of the fabric circle with your hand sewing needle and thread. Pull the thread a little to begin gathering the circle.

Fill the circle with a small amount of fiberfill or other stuffing of your choice. Once you have stuffed the circle, pull the threads even tighter to close the top of the pin cushion. Sew back and forth a few times and knot your thread to secure.

Grab your strong craft glue (I like E6000) and apply a liberal amount to the inside of the plastic bottle top and the bottom of the pin cushion. Stick the pin cushion inside the bottle cap and continue pressing until it fits inside well. 

Measure your ribbon or trim so that it is a little bit longer than the circumference of the bottle top. Fold under the two ends towards the wrong side of the trim and glue in place. Then apply your strong craft glue to the outside of the plastic bottle top. Wrap the trim around the bottle top, making sure to line up the trim with the edge of the top. Apply a little more glue where the trim overlaps to secure in place.

Apply glue to the blank ring and press in place on the bottom of the bottle top. Make sure you apply a good amount of glue to the ring, but not too much, because you don't want to see the glue coming out from the ring top. You want it to look neat and tidy.

 After your pin cushion is dry, add some pins and you're ready to go!

PS: I found some other great tutorials for different variations on this idea that I thought you might like to check out. This one from Prudent Baby and this one from Riley Blake Designs uses a metal bottle cap and here is one that uses elastic as the ring base.

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