SOCIAL MEDIA

Monday, December 5, 2016

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

Hi There!
I know it's already December and I am late to the party, a lot happening at home but not enough to take away my desire to create for my loved ones. I just took some time to finally create Julia's Christmas dress, well dresses really and a couple of stocking stuffers, wanna see what I made so far?

1. A Christmas Harper Dress (pattern by Made for Mermaids available HERE)

This is such a classic style, I've made many since the pattern was released but this one is by far my favorite. The fabric is perfection, Pixie Noel by Tasha Noel for Riley Blake Designs, Can you tell my little one loves it?



2. A Newly released Holly Dress (pattern by Made for Mermaids  available HERE)

This dress is just so cute and flirty, a combination of boho and classic, it was love at first sight and the perfect pattern to use the very last yardage I had of this fabric, which is now sadly out of print.




3. For a more casual look? Nothing better than a pair of Target leggings and top paired with a Jilly  Atlanta Criss  Cross Cape (available on etsy, link HERE) Amazing how just the cape makes this outfit stand out and look truly unique.


4. Stocking stuffers anyone? This book mark might be just what you needed to give the book lovers in your life, a perfect scrap buster and super easy, part of Made for Mermaids yearly 12 days of Christmas freebies.


Hope you got enough inspiration to get your creative juices flowing, if I could get in the mood to sew, you can too!

See you soon with more projects!

Paola
Monday, November 21, 2016

The Perfect Little Wallet

Hi there!
I am so happy to share that I am now a contributor for Crazy Little Projects ! This is such an amazing opportunity share some of my favorite projects to a large audience of crafters. My first contribution is up on the Crazy Little Projects site and I am sure you will love it!
Here's a sneak peek, for the full tutorial, follow the link HERE


Enjoy!

Paola
Friday, October 28, 2016

Team Spirit Bandanna Wreath

Hello!
Fall is here and in my house it means Football! My husband and I are big football fans so Springs Creative sent me the perfect material for a fun project, a wreath for my door, just to welcome all my football loving friends. I am in the Dallas - Fort Worth area, can you guess what team has taken over my heart? Let the colors tell you!

Want to make a Bandanna wreath for your home? Here's a quick tutorial. The process is super simple, it just takes some patience, straight stitches and pressing to create memory creases to follow and keep our stitching straight.

For this project I used:

15 Bandannas
14" Diameter Embroidery Hoop
Coordinating Ribbon (with wire)
Glue gun and Football embellishments
The good thing about working with bandannas: All the edges are already finished!

Step 1: place 2 bandannas right sides together, pin and sew (I used a 1/2" seam allowance). Repeat with the remaining 13, joining the bandanna ends in a long, long piece of fabric. Make sure all your sewing stays on the same side.

Step 2:  Press all the seams open and fold along the super long side, keeping the wrong sides together and creating a seam at the fold. From there, you will create two creases/marks with the iron, approximately 3.5" from each other. I know, you are now thinking, does all this pressing ever ends? Believe me, it does and it helps tremendously!
Step 3: Take that super duper long piece of fabric and sew along the crease lines, using the crease lines as a guide. See? Told ya those lines had a reason for being! Repeat for second crease line and you are just about done!
Step 4: Use the casing you created to insert your embroidery hoop. Close the hoop and join the open ends by hand with needle and thread. You can now create a pretty bow, glue embellishments to the center and add to your wreath with a piece of ribbon or twine. 

You are Done!
Are you feeling the team spirit yet?



Thanks for stopping by, it was a pleasure to welcome you into my football loving home.
Until next time,

Paola








Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Halloween for boys!

Hi There,
I'm so happy I got to finally sew a Halloween costume for my boy, woohoo!!!  This is a rare occasion, me sewing for him and him letting me take photos, it was a win-win in the end.

My 6 year old is obsessed, I really mean obsessed with Pokemon so he asked me to make him an Ash Ketchum, the main character, costume. After doing some image research, I finally narrowed down what I needed to make, and what we already had or needed to purchase. We already had a pokeball and Picachu plush toy, so everything else (except for pants and shoes) had to be made to accommodate this demanding, but sweet, boy.



For the shirt, I modified Made for Mermaids' Charlie button up shirt, removing the pin tucks and changing up some of the steps so I could add bias trim at the bottom and faux pockets and a 3"x2" tab to add a button. The good thing is, I didn't need all the buttons and buttonholes, just one at the top, secured by the added tab. For the gloves, I traced an existing pair of adult gloves and sewed with 1/4" seam allowance and then cut the fingers off. The green backpack was self drafted, a first but definitely not last for me. The cap was purchased from amazon.com for about $6.00.

The Charlie button up shirt pattern is available HERE (Affiliate link)

Here is a quick overview of the steps I took to modify the pattern to turn it into Ash's, I changed the order in which I followed the steps so I could have an opportunity to hide the bias tape and created the faux pockets with the same bias tape. 
I think I can say: Mission Accomplished! Can you tell little man is happy?


Thanks for stopping by!

Paola

Friday, September 16, 2016

Four weeks later...

Can you believe it's been 4 weeks since school started? I am still amazed at how fast time just went by. I was so excited about my little girl starting preschool that I made her a pretty cool wardrobe so she could go to school in style pretty much every day this school year.
Now, don't think I left my boy out, I made him a first day of school shirt too, up cycling a shirt my husband no longer needed, it turned out amazing!
For these creations I used Made for Mermaids patterns' Katelyn Jumper , Charlie Button Up Shirt and Riley Peplum Top and they turned out very school code friendly.





 For this look, I used Brownie Goose's Allie Oop top, perfect for this fabric and to wear with leggins, jeans and shorts.


I couldn't consider my mission complete without a custom shirt, so I used my Silhouette Cameo to create this shirt with heat transfer  vinyl, it says "Hello Preschool" and I paired it with a Samantha Skirt (modified) by made for Mermaids patterns. The combination of these Riley Blake fabrics, Bethany Lane buttons and shirt is just amazing, and of course little miss J had to add some glasses to look studious, this girl is too much!


I hope you enjoy this school themed inspiration, next on the sewing table is some fall apparel, so stay tuned!
Love, 
Paola

****This post contains affiliate links****
Wednesday, September 14, 2016

I'm a Springs Creative Brand Ambassador!

Well, can you tell I'm excited? I am extremely happy to have been selected to collaborate with Springs Creative fabrics as a Brand Ambassador. As a creative person there's nothing more rewarding than being given the opportunity to well, create. I will have the opportunity to work with different fabrics and create different looks or projects, how fun!
My first project was a series of looks made with Mary Fons' newly released line called Small Wonders, which features designs that reflect different parts of the world, being from South America, I chose the lively Brazil Collection.



This collection features a variety of vibrant colors that worked perfectly for my little girl's wardrobe. First, I used Little Lizzard King's Hoya pattern, a perfect button down dress that could easily be layered with a shirt underneath to extend its life during the cooler months. It also features perfectly sized pockets for all the little treasures my daughter likes to collect in our outings and a lovely bow belt. 




Second, I used the Samantha Skirt from Made for Mermaids patterns, modified to include side ties and paired it with a  Charlotte shirt from Made for Mermaids as well that features a coordinating collar.




Everything about this collection screams fun! I hope you are as excited as I am  about this new release, this collection is now available and ready to be turned into amazing creations.

Until next time,

Paola
Saturday, August 13, 2016

I made totes!

Hello there!
Yes, you heard it, I made totes! I have to admit I mostly enjoy sewing apparel but every now and then I see a project that makes me feel like trying something new. I ran into the Railroad Tote from Purl Soho on Instagram and couldn't resist making one, well really two. Since my lovely grandma is visiting from Peru, I couldn't help to use her as a model for my newly completed projects and she was cool with it, so here they go.



Did I mention she is 85 years young? I think she looks amazing and she is just so full of joy and energy, totally contagious!

The only thing I changed from the original instructions was making them both lined and I can say I love the result! I used a light canvas fabric from Sarah Jane's Sommer collection for Michael Miller fabrics lined with coordinating quilting cotton from the same line. For my second one I used some fabulous Wove it or Weave it by Michael Miller fabrics and since this line has a heavier weight it worked out perfect for the outside as well as for the lining.



If you want to check out the original project from Purl Soho, click HERE

See you next time with more sewing finds!

Paola



Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Ready for Back to School?

Hi There!
Today I am posting at the Made for Mermaids blog again, this time with a  super fun, back to school friendly project: The fabulous Samantha Skirt with Side ties.
Check it out HERE!
Samantha Suspender Skirt pattern is available HERE
A Little Sneak peek for you here....


Did I mention I got a silhouette Cameo just recently? I loved creating this coordinating shirt for this back to school skirt using heat transfer vinyl.
I hope you enjoy this project as much as I did, until next time!

Paola

Monday, August 1, 2016

Circle Skirt with Built-in Shorties

Hi There!
Where has summer gone? It seems the last couple of weeks just flew by and now we are getting ready  for back to school, unbelievable!

Want a super quick project, perfect for back to school and of course, the park? Check out my most recent post in the Made for Mermaids blog, featuring the Juliette Skirt and Bonny leggings pattern.

You can get the Juliette dress and bonny leggings patterns HERE  (affiliate link)
And for more details and my post, click HERE

Here's a preview!


I Hope you enjoy this project as much as I did!
Love,

Paola


Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Mermaid Tails!

Hello!
Well, today is an exciting day! The Mermaid tail pattern by Made for Mermaids is being featured at fabric.com and I couldn't be happier. Megan, designer and fashion guru at Made for Mermaids allowed me to use her mermaid blanket pattern for a fun tutorial that includes a lined blanket, perfect for those times when you want to use quilting cotton (check out  Michael Miller's fairy frost!)


The tutorial for a lined blanket is featured in fabric.com's website HERE 

For the original tutorial, go to Made for Mermaids website HERE

For The Made for Mermaids pattern group on Facebook, follow the link HERE, the group is full of information, support, contests and freebies for all Made for Mermaids fans!

And, if you need a video tutorial on how to create the original blanket, Megan has created a video just for you! 


This is a really fun project, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Many thanks to Megan for allowing me (and fabric.com) to share her pattern and also for taking fabulous photos of my girl and hers together, they are the cutest little mermaids!

Love,

Paola

*****Fabric Courtesy of Fabric.com*****
Wednesday, July 6, 2016

My Sewing Room

Hello!
So, this is where it all happens! I finally decided to quick my children out of the game room we have on the second floor and took it over with all my sewing treasures, I never realized how much stuff I had until it finally happened. I am beyond pleased with having a dedicated space, hardwood floors make it so much easier to clean up after I'm finished and all the light I get during the day is just lovely. The only downside is that it gets hot, I mean, I call my sewing area the sweat shop during the Texas summer for a reason, but the ceiling fan sure helps. So here is my photo overload because I am really super happy with the space. Enjoy!

Paola


Some Target cubbies were perfect for some of my fabric.

Love my sewing tables, they are not only perfect but have enough room to store fabric and notions.



Notions and Trims, in clear glass containers because I like to see them all!...and to help the environment of course!


And my first pastel painting to add a personal touch!






Wednesday, June 1, 2016

The many looks of Tweet la Vie

Hi There,
I really hope your days are going as great as mine, at least in Texas warm weather lasts a while, so this is the time of the year I sew the most, and this time I used Michael Miller fabrics Tweet la Vie collection to create a batch of awesomeness!
This fabulous collection includes a couple of prints with metallic effects and coordinating soft prints that create beautiful and feminine looks.
First on the cutting table was a Norah dress by Mouse House creations (Link to Pattern HERE). Have I mentioned this is the first PDF pattern I completed? The collar and A line cut are vintage perfection!


Next, I got invited to test Violette Field Threads Mila dress and romper pattern (Pattern HERE) and couldn't think of a better collection for the looks the pattern offers, a beautiful romper or dress.



The cherry on top was Made for Mermaids Quinn pattern, the perfect opportunity to use the last bit of this collection that I had left and using my ruffler foot for the A-Line tunic option, adding the included side pocket pattern piece for detail. The look was just precious! Did I mention this pattern has a mama version too? Both patterns are available HERE
A full review of this pattern is also available on my post HERE





This fabulous collection is brand new and available now.

Love,

Paola



Friday, May 27, 2016

Bed of Roses Round-up!

Hi there!
With summer upon us, I started getting more than inspired to create beautiful outfits for my little girl, and the perfect wardrobe needs the perfect fabric right? I was lucky enough to receive the Bed of Roses collection from Michael Miller fabrics, and I got inspired enough to create even something for me! Now that is rare, I mostly sew for the little ones so a fabric line that inspires me to sew for myself must be special.

I first self-drafted this dress, another first for me and was extremely happy with the result.


Second, I made Brownie Goose's Junie dress, a summer must have! A very quick sew with a elastic waist.

And last, but not least, I made Julia and I matching tops using the newly released Made for Mermaids Quinn top for girls and Mama Quinn top for ladies, using the beautiful border print that is part of the collection and coordinating floral for my little one. Both patterns can be found HERE


I Hope you enjoy this fabric collection as much as I do! The Bed of Roses collection is available at many retailers nationwide!

Love,

Paola