Photo mounted on wood

Dear Monica,

I have been meaning to get this post up for a while.  Well since Father's Day. But we had a massive thunder storm that knocked our internet out for a few days.  So here it is, Sam's Father's Day present.

I couldn't be more thrilled with the way it turned out.  I had been wanting a large canvas of the kids for a while but the price tag on a wrapped canvas was more than I wanted to pay.  This project cost me about $12.

I started out using one of those museum trays we got from the Scrap Exchange last summer (thank you Margaret for picking those up for me). 

This is the back...

and this is the front.

It is very light weight, probably about the same as a canvas.  The back side measured 20"x 30" which is exactly poster size.  I ordered a 20"x30" of my favorite photo of the kids, taken at the beach last summer, from Costco.  I thought the picture would be a bit grainy but I was thrilled with the quality.  It is very crisp and the colors are so vivid, and it was only $8.

I painted the sides and part of the back with Annie Sloan's chalk paint, mostly because it is what I had on hand.

Then, I spread Modge Podge all over the top.

And carefully mounted the photo onto the top and smoothed out all the bubbles with a rag.

After it was dry I used some sand paper to distress the corners or the photo and the "frame".

Then, I sealed the photo with more Modge Podge, slightly watered down (since I was running out).

It looks fantastic hanging on the Family Room wall and the colors in the photo are perfect with the hutch and the rocking chair.  

Perfect Father's Day gift!

XOXO,

Emily

Birthday Part Dress refashioned to Tunic

Dear Monica,

Yesterday I posted about the Oliver + S Birthday Party Dress.  I really love this dress and kept thinking that it would make a really cute and comfortable tunic.  Since that is not an option for the pattern I decided to make my own changes to the pattern. And because so many of Natalie's clothes are sleeveless I thought I would add some cap sleeves for something a bit different.

I really loved how it turned out so I made her a second one!

(Super windy day at the Arts Festival)

To start modifying this pattern, I decided that I wanted the finished tunic length to be 16", so I adjusted the front and back side pattern pieces to be 17" long for seam allowance.

Because the finished dress had a slightly curved edge, I placed the bottom facing piece on my new tunic line and traced it to get the slight curve.  I also figured the new facing pattern piece. As you can see in the picture the tunic cutting line for the facing piece is 1/2" longer.

To figure the length for the front center and back center panels, I matched up the dots on the pattern pieces (see the arrows) and matched the new tunic lines from the side pieces.

To get the front lining piece, I placed the pieces across the front side panel pattern piece and the center panel pieces and drew the new tunic line 1/2" longer than the other two pieces. (Sorry the picture is so grainy.)

Next I made the cap sleeve.  To do this, I overlaid the front and back side pieces by 1/2" for the seam allowance and measured the arm.  The arm for the size 4 is 11".

So I cut a piece that was 10.5" long by 3" wide and rounded out one side.

To assemble the tunic I followed the pattern and assembled the front and back pieces.  BUT I sewed the pieces together at the shoulders (not the sides as the pattern calls for).

Then I attached the cap sleeve and pressed the seam towards the tunic.

Next, I sewed the shoulder seams of the facing pieces together.  Then I attached the facing to the tunic following steps 1-3 in the pattern, which will attach the facing around the neck line of the tunic.

Then, I pinned the facing to the armhole being sure to sandwich the sleeve to the inside.

After sewing the facing to the armhole, I pulled the back piece through the tube created by sewing the armhole facing, to turn the tunic right side out.

Finally, I sewed the side seams of the lining and the dress in one long line.  

Then I finished the rest of the tunic just as you would finish the dress.

I paired it with the Oliver + S Puppet Show shorts.

XOXO,

Emily

Birthday Party Dress

Dear Monica,

I made Natalie the Oliver + S Birthday Party Dress. Have I told you how much I love Oliver + S patterns?  They are fabulous!

 I made it a few months ago with Mermaids from Storyboek Two by Birch Fabrics and have been waiting for it to get warm enough for her to wear.  Well, it is finally warm enough and it is such a cute dress.

As with all Oliver + S patterns, the details on this dress are lovely.  There are two options for the front panel, a tab or a tie.  I chose the tab and used a red Kona cotton.  I love turquoise and red.

I made her a headband to match.  I made up a little pattern for this and made it reversible but then decided to add a yo-yo to add a little more detail.  She doesn't like things in her hair but she said this was "comfy".  I will do a post on this soon.

We had a fun little photo shoot at our community dock this evening.  And I got so many cute shots.  

XOXO

Emily

Just one more.  This is my favorite.