Infinite Nursing

That’s kinda what you get when an infinity scarf doubles as a nursing cover, right?  Or maybe I’m just confused with what nursing sometimes feels like.  And maybe those feelings are taking me back to nursing the twins at which time it did seem like I spent infinite amount of time nursing.  And maybe I’m just getting way off track here.  Focus. 

Right.

A few months ago I was strolling the clearance area of our local Hancock Fabrics when I spotted this striped jersey knit, marked at $3:
 
It was about a yard of fabric, 60” wide, a deep olive and white (though it looks black in the pictures), and I scooped it up because I can’t say no to oh-so-soft stripes.  A couple of days later I turned it into a nursing cover/infinity scarf and this is the story of how I did it.

First I squared off the fabric.  The long edges were cut a little quirky so all I had to do was cut along the stripes/sides to get a nice straight edge.  See the crooked edge before?

A cut along the lines made everything much better.
 
If you’re working with a non-striped pattern, using a cutting mat or a squared edge will help you get straight, 90 degree edges.

Now I had a big rectangle of fabric measuring 36” x 60”; the two shorter ends were the factory-cut edges (or selvage edges) and the longer edges were the store-cut ones/the ones I evened out.  Since the fabric was jersey and wouldn’t fray, I just left these outside, long edges alone after they were cut; no hemming.  To get the infinity scarf, I sewed the two short edges together.  However, this could easily be done minus the sewing with some no-sew tape.  Here’s how:

The No-Sew Version

Place a long piece of no-sew tape along the short edge of your scarf (I used some white ribbon just for a visual).
 

Making sure your long piece of fabric isn’t twisted somewhere in the middle, bring your other short edge over and lay it on top of the sewing tape.  Your fabric should be laying flat and should be a large tube.  Make sense?

Last, using the steam option on your iron, iron down those two, overlapping ends.  The no-sew tape will do its magic and make those ends stick together and you’ll be good to go!
 


The Sewn Version

If you decide to sew your edges together, simply overlap them a half inch or so and pin them together.
 

No need to fold anything; the jersey won’t fray.
 

Then sew a straight stitch right along your overlapping layers, making sure to backstitch at each end and that’s it!    
I wear the seam at the back so it’s not noticeable at all.

No baby:

I couldn’t decide which shoes to wear…
 

Baby:


And I was going to crop this one but then I just couldn’t because it’s kinda the story of my life – I sit down to nurse and somebody has to go.
 

What’re you lookin’ at?

Here’s the funny thing about this little project, I was so excited to share this with you guys a couple of months ago when I made it because I really thought this infinity scarf/nursing cover was a genius idea and I thought I was the first to discover it but alas, there are those who have been there, done that.  :)  So great though because, if you don’t feel like making your own, you can find them at these fine shops:

Hold Me Close

Nursing Time

Three 4 Design

.           .           .

Happy TGIalmostF

Gold Buttons

My sister has thee best thrift store down the street from her where she always find thee best and most stylish vintage tops and I always am thee most jealous sister when I visit and see her enviable closet.  So, you can imagine my delight when she presented me with this vintage beauty for my birthday this year:
She took the liberty of taking it in for me as it was a tad wide (being the same size has a ton of advantages including, but not limited to, borrowing, altering for each other, borrowing, and borrowing some mo) but it was still missing some buttons down the back making it the perfect candidate for a little update.

Enter these buttons I found at JoAnn fabrics (at 50% off):
Everybody say hello to Vanna.  Ms. White wouldn’t leave me or the buttons alone.  ;)

All I did was remove the existing buttons and replace them with the new gold ones.  (I made sure when I was buying buttons that the new ones were the same size as the old so they’d fit through the existing button holes because a button hole (re)sewer you will not find here.)

After (sorry it’s a bit blurry):

Here’s a few of the lots and lots of ways I plan on wearing my newest button down: (Note:  the first two of these outfits look really sweet from the back thanks to the new buttons but a photo of my backside just didn’t feel notawkward so frontward it is.)

From left (and speaking of left, apparently it’s my go-to lean?):
1 >>> Standing like a cowgirl with some camel wedges and bootlegs.  Add a scarf for a pop and aviators for UV protection and I’m out the door in one hour flat (because three kids…).
2 >>> It’s still 90 degrees down here in the deep South and I cannot wait for the weather to give me the o.k. on my magenta cords!  I threw on a statement necklace and matching points to give the win to pink.  And speaking of those pink points, you might remember this ‘gram in which I went begging for help on how to fix them as they literally fell apart whilst I was making my way through a store, in public, everyone watching.
 
I reattached them using some Liquid Nails and so far they’re holding up well except they look a little worse for wear where the sole meets the actual shoe because when they separated, a little of the vinyl came off too so I’m on the fence whether to just toss them or not.  I’m not too sad though because they’ve lasted me multiple wears over seven years and I only paid ONE DOLLAR for them at Gabe’s in college.
3 >>> See numba 2 except add a mustard sweater and some blue suede pumps.  Too colorful?  Anthony would say something like, “Yes.  Yes it is.”

Last but not least, here’s how you can recreate this top.  I tried to find one similar to mine but in my limited search time, the only one I could find is this one:
 
[via Fovever XII]

It buttons down the front but since the buttons seem to be hidden, you could always just sew a few buttons in a line down the back to create the same look.  Of course, you could really do that to any shirt just to add that “party in the back”.  It’s a really simple update that only requires sewing (or even gluing) on a button.  If you’re not into the whole sewing/gluing thing, wearing a button-down shirt or cardigan backwards is always an option.  Seriously!  See here and here!

TGIF!

All You Need Is A Scissors

>>> If you can today, try and offer up some prayers for all of the sweet, suffering people affected by the monstrous typhoon in the Philippines.  I was on Facebook last night and scrolled across a photo taken of a father carrying his little girl, who looked to be no more than four, lifeless, to a morgue.  It broke my heart.  I could only stare at it for a second before I had to look away.  It would’ve affected me had I seen it before I had my own three little angels, but having them now and imagining going through a similar fate…I just can’t fathom the thought.  Pray for all of these poor people and all of those who have died or lost a loved one(s).  They need it so desperately. <<<

This quick alteration isn’t really “maternity” since it has nothing to do with making something maternity or changing something that is meant to accommodate a baby belly but it’s worth sharing because I know a lot of people don’t know how to sew and sometimes you don’t need a sewing machine to alter an article of clothing, just a scissors.

So, this dress:

(Once again, this is a post filled with phone pictures…sorry they’re a little on the fuzz ball side.  I took the above still and sent it to my sisters to ask their advice on the whole ensemble.  Wasn’t sure about the black wedges…  Would’ve gone with cognac boots but with 75 degree weather, the tights were even a stretch.  Boots would’ve given me more looks and a sweat glow.)

I wore it to church a couple of Sundays ago.  It’s a short-sleeved, shift dress my mom sent me a few months ago; she’s been holding onto it since I was in high school and thought I might like to have it back.  It’s been sitting in my alterations pile because the sleeves and neckline need a little trimming before I don it in public but I pulled it out and lo and behold, it fit quite nicely over the burgeoning belly and didn’t look all that bad with a cardigan over it.  So, I wore it.  But, only after a quick little alteration (even though it wasn’t seen).  I cut the elastic gathering/ruffle off the sleeves right at the point where it met the actual sleeve.  By cutting it off before the place it was stitched to the sleeve, I didn’t have to hem it because the existing seam held everything together.  See?
 
I’m still planning on making the sleeves fitted and getting that same ruffle off the neckline, but for now it looks ten times better to me.  Less high school-ish and more mom/30 year old-esque – always a good goal for those of us at this stage in the game.  :)

And a bonus bump picture.  This was at 32 weeks.  He’s a growing and my hips and back are stiff and aching, things I really didn’t experience with the twins’ pregnancy.  Go figure. 
 

A Temporary Fix

You know Target?  You know when you walk in and you just have to walk past the women’s clothing section to see what amazing pieces they have out at the moment because they never fail in that dept?  You know when you really, really want to just spend your life’s savings to buy up the whole section because everything is so dang trendy and the prices are way under J. Crew?  That’s my story line every.single.time I walk in to the bulls’ eye.  So one of those times this summer my eyes spied the cutest pink and orange color block top but I did the usual take-a-deep-breath-and-keep-moving and kept on going.  Well, a month or so ago I was pilfering through the clearance racks (per my usual as well) and spotted it.  The only one left…XXL…$5…all mine.  I’m no stranger to shrinking things with my sewing machine so this shouldn’t surprise anybody.  Here ‘tis fresh off the rack and out of my alterations pile:  
(The party’s color-blocking’s in the back…you’ll see.)

This alteration is a wee bit different from my others though.  It’s only a temporary one.  Being preggo and all, it obviously makes no sense to take this top in and then not be able to wear it.  My solution?  Sew a straight stitch a couple of inches in at the bottom of each armhole and only a few inches down.  The dotted line below shows where exactly I stitched. 
Once on, there was a large flap of fabric under my arm but by just folding it back, you’d be none the wiser.  I almost put a stitch in to hold it there but after wearing it around the house for awhile it stayed put, eliminating the need.

Those few inches of stitching gave me a top that fit up top and accommodated the growing belly.  And I’m a sucker for pleats so the little ones that were created on each side just made the top 10x cuter.

After baby boy has arrived I can always just rip out the stitches I sewed in and take the shirt in all the way down so it’s a little more fitted, but still flowy.
 
For now though, I’m relishing it, the bright colors and the room it gives baby to grow.

[I realized yesterday after my umpteenth self-timed photo sesh that I really need to replace the self-timer for the husband, running commentary and all.  :)  It’s nice how you can get a detailed shot of our fence as the camera focuses in on that but blurry ‘after’ shots just aren’t going to cut it anymore…sorry about them.]

I finished this top just in time for Mass yesterday so here’s how I wore it to see the Big Guy, minus the scarf because it was sweltering when I stepped out of the house.  I really, really wanted to pair it with some black boots too but sometimes comfort takes precedence and I really didn’t want to be sliding around with pools of sweat in the bottoms of my cute boots.  :)

 
Outfit details:
Scarf:  Joyce Leslie (thanks Momma)
Top:  Target (altered)
Blazer:  Target (altered)
Polka Dots:  Target via Dirt Cheap (altered and dotted)
Shoes:  Gabriel Brothers

.           .           .

In case you’re wondering, the coffee-table-going-ottoman is still in the exact same state as it was last week.  We’ve got foam and a piece of wood for the top on our to-buy list.  With that, does anyone know where we can get some reasonably priced upholstery foam?  I’ve checked JoAnn’s and spending $45 on foam (and that’s with a coupon!) just isn’t what our bank account had in mind…if that’s all we can find however, we’ll save up for it and bite the bullet.  I’ve heard of people using camping mats from Home Depot but ours doesn’t sell them nor are they available online…help! 

Oh and P.S., it’s party time!  I’m linking up with Fine Linen and Purple for What I Wore Sunday!  Fashionable times to be had over there! 

A Maxi from Scratch

While searching through a box of stuff at my Aunt’s recently, I stumbled upon a fab piece of fabric.  My sister got it at the Salvation Army for a hundred  and ninety-nine pennies several years ago but somehow it got lost in the shuffle of moving, marriage, babies…you know how it goes.  Well, finders keepers, right Farrah?  Or, I asked her if I could have it and she said “yes”.  Either way, it’s mine now…har har har.

My plans?  A maxi skirt.  How I did it?  Read and learn…and then make one yourself because it’s that easy!

Things you’ll need:
-Sewing machine (or your hands, a needle, and thread if you’re that good)  I used to use a hand-held machine I bought at Wal-Mart for $15.  That’d work too.
-Elastic – at least 1/2 inch thick
-Scissors
-Measuring tape
-Pins – stick and one safety
-A piece of fabric (read on to determine measurements)

First, I cut my newly-acquired fabric to the desired size.  I didn’t mess with the length but did have to cut some off the future waistline.  All cut my fabric measured 60 by 44 inches.  (Detailed measurements below.) 

Then, I sewed a straight stitch up the side, connecting the two cut ends and making one large tube of fabric.  I finished that off with a zig-zag stitch for fray protection.  

Next, I grabbed a package of two-inch wide elastic I purchased awhile ago at JoAnn’s for this exact purpose.  (It should read “Underwear & Pajama & Maxi Skirt Elastic”…note to Dritz.)  :)

Then I folded and pinned down a hem at the top of the skirt into which would fit the elastic.  Since I was using 2 inch wide elastic, I made a 2.5 inch hem.  You want to make sure the pocket that houses the elastic fits around the elastic snugly so that, once installed, the elastic doesn’t have room to twist.  (Side note:  the top and bottom ends of this fabric didn’t need to be hemmed since I was changing the length of the skirt.  I just left them the way they were – you can see how they looked in the above picture.  If your piece of fabric is cut on either of those ends and needs reinforcement or if you just want a sewn hem, you’ll have sew that in now before you continue to the next step.)

Starting close to my sewn side hem just because, I sewed a straight stitch all around the top of the skirt, making sure to leave a 3 inch opening through which to feed my elastic.  I also made sure to backstitch at each end…very important if you want your stitch to stay intact.  This just involves sewing a few stitches, reversing over them, and sewing forward.  At the end of a hem it’s the same – reverse a few stitches and go forward a few stitches.

After cutting my elastic to the desired length, I attached one end close to one side of my hem opening and to the other I attached a safety pin.  Attaching the safety pin helps you feed the elastic through the hem.  

You just push and pull the elastic through while holding onto the safety pin through the fabric, like so:
(Just make sure you feed the elastic through without twisting it!)

Eventually I maneuvered the elastic all the way through until the ends met once again.

I sewed those together…

…and then sewed the opening I left to thread the elastic through closed, making sure to backstitch at each end again.

Just in case you want some measurement technicalities to make your own:
The piece of fabric I used measured 60 inches (hip/waist and bottom hem) by 44 inches – a big rectangle.  I’m 5’9” so without cutting the length, 44 inches allowed me a 2.5 in hem at the top to house the elastic with the bottom of the skirt grazing the ground just a tad…just the way I like it.  I cut the elastic to 27 inches long, allowing a 1 inch seam overlap once the two ends were sewn together.  So, the finished elastic piece measured 26 inches.  I’m a size 2-4 generally so this length fit snugly around my hips and will hopefully accommodate a growing belly…thank God for elastic.  For each size up I’d say add an inch, however it’s always best to pin it around your hips first before cutting.  I tend to wear skirts on my hip vs. my waist.  Keep how you wear yours in mind when figuring out elastic length.  :) 

I did all of this in a half hour time period yesterday morning and wore it to church last night like this:

Top:  Goodwill – altered
Skirt:  Home.Made.
Flips:  unseen but Wally World
Baby belly:  Well, you know.  ;)
-Linking up with Fine Linen and Purple for (drumroll) What I Wore Sunday!-

But hold up!  I’m not stopping there.  I got a little crazy and went all “How We Wear It” with Shana and Camille. 

I typically wear maxi skirts with a form-fitting shirt, tucked in.  See?  So blahzay, I know.  But, to amp up my plain jane pairing, I figured out a few ways I could “maximize my maxi.”, if you will.  Here’s how:

> > >By adding a sarong over the top.  If I had an orange or even a yellow piece of extra fabric lying around, I would’ve used it for a blast of color with a hint of pattern buuuuut, all I had was the excess fabric.  So, I grabbed it and tied it around, creating a multi-layer skirt.

(Throw an intermission into the photo sesh…a twin awoke.)

> > >By adding a belt.  It’s as simple as it sounds.  Throw a belt around the elastic.  Could work for a grocery run but since I hate, hate, hate those, I’ll wear it to Target instead.

> > >By tying a scarf around the waist.  This might be my favorite.  All I did was grab a coordinating scarf (really any color would work) and tied it in a big ‘ole knot under the 19 week fetal bump.  Bam!  Ship me to Barbados, I’m ready!

How do you wear a maxi skirt?  Head over to Ain’t No Mom Jeans and Life In Mod and share (or use hashtag #howwewearit on Instagram!)  And, as always, comment with any questions or send me a line at beaninlove.gmail.com!  I won’t ‘skirt’ around any issues you might have, promise.  ;)