DIY: (One Last) Tree Skirt to Lady Skirt, Y'all!

 Merry Christmas, all y'all! This Christmas, I'm thankful for Sudafed, tissues with lotion added to them (can we please give the inventor of that monumental awesomeness a metal or something? Those Puffs with Vick's are my JAM) and your kind words and well wishes after my sickly last post. I'm feeling so much better! The hubs and I just returned from a pre-Christmas trip to the Smoky Mountains (I've shared oodles of photos here) where we hiked with buddies, dined on gloriously delicious carbs that only the folks in the South know how to prepare and shopped. I'll be sure to share all that with y'all in an upcoming post. But, until then, Merry Christmas and One Last Tree-Skirt-to-Lady-Skirt Hurrah!

This would be my second tree-skirt transformation for this year (I've lost count of how many of these bad boys I've made over the years but you can see 'em here) and I gotta tell ya, this one almost didn't happen. I seemed to run outta gas that last week of school so this sat on my cutting table for a while. Which was just plain silly as making one of these takes no more that 45 minutes. Seriously.

All ya gotta do is start with a tree skirt. I found this one (it was actually a table covering) at an estate sale this year for a whopping $2. The ones my teacher buddies and I made for tacky sweater day were scored from Big Lots for a mere $7. Wait for those after-Christmas sales and start stockin' up, kids. 

Of course, my personal rule of thumb is the kitsch-y-er, the better. Make sure the length is decent. This is the shortest one I've made and it is 19" in length.

 I like to work from a pattern so I used a circle skirt pattern from Anna Maria Horner because I feel comfortable with it. 

I will say I did cut some corners out of sheer laziness. It saved on time and anguish. Rule #1 of Tree-Skirt-to-Lady-Skirt Club: There Shall Be NO Anguish. 

 Following the pattern, I simply folded my skirt twice, pinned the pattern and place and commenced cutting. 

By the way, always check your sizing. I'm not an XS in the shops at the mall (especially For-never21) but according to this pattern, I am. Which is why Anna Maria Horner is my personal hero and I've built an XS shrine to her. Bless you, Anna Maria!

 From there, I cut an opening along the edge of the fabric. 

Using the pattern, I cut out a waistband, added some interfacing and stitched it with a 5/8" seam with right sides together. The pattern actually calls for you to install the zipper first then do the waistband. If you go this route, the zip stops at the waistband and a hook and eye is stitched in to keep the waistband closed. I decided to have my zipper go all the way to the very top of my skirt. For that reason, I put the waist band in and then added the zipper.

 Stitch the skirt back together with a regular stitch from the bottom all the way to where the zipper install will begin (I used a 9" zipper so I measured 9" down from the waistband). Then switch your stitch setting to a basting stitch as those stitches will be ripped out once the zipper is in place. You can see my terribly easy and horribly tacky way of installing a zipper with Scotch Tape here. 

 Here's a peek at the final zipper-y product. 

Let's just hope I don't eat too much more pie so that I don't have a zipper that decides to slide itself down. 

Obligatory skirt twirl. One must do this in a circle skirt. It's, like, the law, y'all. 

Meanwhile, it's Christmas day...and there seems to be plenty of this happening at Casa de Cassie. 

The hubs did good this year with this present. I can't wait to try it out. Although that 12 needles thing sounds like it could end in a bloody mess, I ain't gonna lie. 

I hope Santa treated you right, this year! Happy Holidays, y'all!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #152

 Monday, Monday: I know it looks like I'm wearing a completely oversized pair of culottes (80's friends, 'member those?!) but I swear I'm not. Instead it's just an oversized dress with a super oversized crinoline underneath. I mean, y'all. I can't even fit through most doors with that partic'lar crinnie on! sweater and dress: Anthro; shoes: Clarks; brooch: vintage

Hey, buddies! First of all, I wanna say thank you for all of your kind words after last Sunday's blog post. I appreciate you allowing me to whine and the happy thoughts y'all sent my way. I took a little day off this week to have some time to myself and it truly made a world of a difference. Mental health days are always a good idea, in my book! 

Second thing is HOLY MOLY, Y'ALL SUPER DUPER WANT YOU A PALETTE HAIR CLIP! If I had all the time in the world, I'd open up my very own Palette Hair Clip biznatch and start rackin' in the big bucks! But until that day, I'll just have to award the Palette Hair Clip to (drum roll please...)

CHALLEN BAKER! Here's what she said about creating a homemade gift: 

My favorite gift that I ever created for a loved one: a paper dress that I made for my mom when I was a wee preschooler. (My parents always said that I was the creative type). I wrapped little pieces of paper around my mom so I could measure out her size and then I proceeded to tape them together. I even made her matching paper shoes! I recently inherited a sewing machine so I would love to start making some dresses out of fabric. Once I get the hang of this sewing machine I would LOVE to make some paint palette hair clips for myself and my friends! (Thanks for the tutorial Cassie!).

Yay! Congrats, Challen! And thanks to everyone for playing along. I've not done a giveaway in a while, this was so stinkin' fun. Might have to get all Oprah and start giving stuff away more often. Until then, have a super fun week, kids!

 Holiday Party Tuesday: So holiday party season has begun and I'm lovin' it! In fact, I had a wee Christmas craft night this past Friday (more details on that this coming week, our craft was epicly awesome, if I do say so and I just did) and I'm heading to one tomorrow night. I love any reason to get all dolled up, eat delish food and chat with buddies, don't you? sweater: DIY, here; dress: thrifted; dotted tights: Target; shoes: Shii

 "It's Tacky...And Yet, Somehow Tasteful" Sweater Wedensday: Says the checkout clerk at the grocery. I swear, I get more tips and tricks on my ensembles from the grocery store, y'all. Also, did I tell you that I have kindergarten convinced that the color of my legs is all dependent on the food that I eat? This time, with my sparkle tights, it was speculated that I had eaten glitter. They are so funny! sweater: thrifted; skirt and tights: Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina

 Blue Christmas Thursday: I dunno if you can see it very well but this dress is about as lit as I was Friday night (ahem). The kids loved seeing that my dress could light up and I loved sharing with them how I made it. I think it's good for them to realize that you can create your own clothing, you know? Of course, they kinda know that about me at this point, I suppose. sweater: thrifted; dress: DIY here; shoes: DIY here; belt and crinoline: amazon

 Craft Night Friday!: I love hosting craft nights, y'all. It's become one of my fave things and it's really the only time I bother with cleaning the house so it's nice to not see dust bunnies the size of my head for a change. I'll share more details soon but I will say that we dined on breakfast, complete with big a## pancakes, egg scramble and cheesy potatoes (along with Bloody Marys and mimosas!) before diving into a glitter-tastic craft. If you follow me here, you've already seen a sneak peak! dress: DIY here; tights: Amazon

I sometimes get asked if I get all fanc-ified on the weekends. Well, only if I leave the house...and how could I possibly do that when I have this hunk of love holding me down. It's nearly impossible for me to even write this here blog post. Until next time!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #127

 Monday Mayhem: Oh, the Monday before break, always a beast. But I seriously had so much stuff to do that I couldn't seem to focus on anything else but my Titanic-sized To Do list. vintage dress: etsy; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing; tights: Target; shoes: thrifted

Hey, y'all! I hope you dudes and dudettes have had a super fantastical week before the holi-daze that you're sure to experience. I feel like I definitely bit off more than I could chew this past week (blogging everyday? giving stuff away? what was I even thinking?!) but I've really enjoyed every bit of it. And I hope y'all have as well. I truly appreciate y'all playing along. I've got a coupla more fun goodies in store for you before the big day (including in this post!), so be sure to keep dropping by!

In other news, I recently discovered that my craziness has been shared on Buzzfeed's 21 Teachers Who Nailed the Holidays (I'm #14 and #15, yippie!). Something tells me y'all aren't surprised, le sigh.

So, without further jib-jab, here's a lil what I wore and a look-see at today's giveaway. Until tomorrow, friends!

 Well, Hello There, Boots Tuesday: So I was not completely prepared for the response that these kicks would receive. The kids loved them and the dude at the grocery store really loved them. My feets? Well, by the end of the day, not so much. dress: made by me, DIY here; belt: thrifted; tights: Amazon; boots: ebay

 Don't Nobody Get Paint on this Skirt Wednesday: I mean, really. This here outfit is not art room safe. And, yet. Ima wear it anyway. Just everybody keep their distance. tacky Christmas sweater: DIY here; tulle skirt: DIY here; gold-leaf shoes: DIY here

 Santa Called, He Wants His Clothes Back Thursday: Oh, whatever, Santa. I look way cuter than you in this, you just peanut butter and jealous (anyone else so sad about not being able to see The Interview on Christmas Day?!). sweater: Anthro; blouse: thrifted; skirt: DIY here; boots: Lucky Brand

 Guten Tag, Friday: The last time I wore this dress, I was asked if I worked "at one of those sausage places in the mall". Um, no. Just an art teacher. Sorry to disappoint. dress: A lovely find in Germany; two-toned Christmas tights: Amazon; fishnets: Target?; boots: Seychelles

 Sunday on the Appalachian Trail: The hubs and I are in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for the weekend before joining the fam for the holidays. We've been spending our days hiking the AT (not staying overnight, mind you. I do enjoy me a hotel bed). Today we discovered that this patch of the trail had been decorated! It made me so happy, we had to stop and snap a picture!

And now for today's giveaway...

 A vintage collection of Workbasket magazines! These lovelies have retro knitting, crafting and sewing patterns on each and every vintage-lovin' page. Here's how you can enter to win:

1. Lemme know what your fave crafting/artsy pastime is. Do you knit? Sew? Decoupage? When you have time, what are you creating?

2. Don't forget that lovely little email address so I can reach you!

As for yesterday's giveaway, the winner is...Darlene! Congrats, my friend and enjoy your art doll and fabric stash!

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DIY: A Candy Cane Christmas New Dress

Well, hello there, friends! Welcome back to my lil ole 10 Day Giveaway. Thank you to all y'all that have participated, the response was super great and I really appreciate those of you that took the time to become a follower of this here craziness. So, just who won that lovely Christmas-y fabric cache?!

 (Please pardon my still-painted-covered hands, we've been working on this wild -n- wacky 4th grade legacy mural [you'll find out more in an upcoming giveaway post!] and I'm finding paint everywhere). Congratulations, Charlotte! I'll pop the fabric in the post tomorrow in hopes that it reaches you before the holiday. 

So, what's up for grabs today...?

Two whole yards of this amazing Tammis Keefe vintage reproduction fabric by Michael Miller! This here is enough loveliness to really create something marvelous. If you aren't familiar with Tammis Keefe's designs (or my obsession with her), you really outta visit here. Since I had you jumping through a coupla hoops for yesterday's giveaway, I thought I'd make this giveaway a pinch simpler...

To enter to win these two yards of glorious fabric, simply leave a comment on what'd you'd make with the stuff and add your email address so I can contact you tomorrow afternoon. Thanks and good luck! By the way, non-fabric lovers: Don't fret! I'll be giving away all sorts of fabric-free goodness over the next coupla days as well so pop back by!And now...on to the dress!

 I've actually had this fabric for a while. Anytime I see Tammis Keefe repros, I scoop them up. She's simply one of my faves. The prob with buying fabric without a solid plan is that, if you're like me, you over-buy. Which is way better than under-buying cuz running out simply sux. When I was digging out some holiday fabrics this fall, I knew I wanted to work with this fabric and decided that candy cane striped stuff would make a perfect bodice for this dress. But what pattern to use?

 One of my fave stitching blogs is Roisin over at Dolly Clacket. She always stitches with the cutest prints and makes me feel better about always sewing with quilter's cottons (I know there are those out there that oppose sewing with quilter's cottons but I just find the prints are the cutest thing ever!). One pattern I've noticed that she and several other sewing bloggers use is Christine Haynes' Emery. So I decided to get outta my comfort zone, pick up this popular pattern and try something new!

By the way, it wasn't until I was deep into stitching that I noticed what was happening on the fabric...is Santa beating his reindeer?! DUDE, that's not cool. I definitely wouldn't challenge that deer wielding that candy cane. Cuz, Claus, it might end up somewheres that you might not like, ya feel me? Ho-ho-OH NO YOU DIDN'T. 

And I totally love the dress! It's not without it's issues which had nothing to do with the pattern, it was all me. My zipper install looks like some sorta botched plastic surgery which really ain't no thang if I wear the belt. AND I prolly shoulda made a muslin (haha, as if. My laziness knows no bounds, y'all) cuz the back is a lil gappy. Of course, who's gonna notice that when you're trimmed in faux fur, riiiiight? Speaking of, sewing that stuff was a barrel of (un)fun. That stuff was flying outta my sewing machine and goin' straight up mah nose. I've had furry boogers all day and I'm almost positive all my coughing is due to the early stages of fur-lung. 

 Oh, but the pockets. I do love them so. I used the striped fabric for those which is all kinds of cuteness, if I do say so. I also love the pocket placement way better than the sewing pattern I usually work with (which I've dubbed "piddlin' pockets"). AND the sleeves were actually a painless install! Hurray! 

To top off this Christmas-masterpiece, I wore these lovely kicks which I found on ebay (can you believe I was the ONLY bidder?! Wait, don't answer that). The kids thought they were the best thing ever even if I felt like Hooker Claus in 'em all day long. My feet are  not happy but, hey, it was worth it. 

And there you have it! A new Christmas dress just in time for the holidazzzze. 

Good luck on today's giveaway, friends! I'll announce the winner and what's up for grabbies tomorrow. Until then!

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What the Art Teacher Wore #126 and Ghosts of Christmas Past

Christmas Tablecloth to Lady Skirt Monday: This bad boy is easily one of my fave vintage Christmas finds. Upon close inspection, I do believe it's prolly from a late 1960's DIY kit. It's all glue, felt, fringe and sequence which is simply my kinda party. sweater: vintage, thrifted; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing; skirt DIY: deets here, y'all; tights: prolly Target; boots: Lucky Brand score from Marshall's

Well, hello, friends! Are you feeling as frazzled -n- fried as I am?  It's the most Wonderful(ly) Wacky time of the year, amirite?  Thankfully, there's a light at the end of the tunnel (or is that just a Christmas tree I see?) in the form of two weeks off! My apologies to those of you who don't have the luxury of sitting around in your pjs whilst eating ice cream outta the carton and catching back episodes of Project Runway for 14 consecutive dayzzz. Your mama done tole you to become an art teacha, ya shoulda listened. Now if only I can muscle my way through these last 4.25 school days and conquer that mountain known as my To-Do list, I'll be well on my way to sloth-doom. 

Now, I gotta tell ya, I'm like way behind on some blog posts. I've got a lil backlog of art projects, DIYs and Christmas-themed whut-nots to share with y'all. So, for that reason, I have decided to post everyday for the next 10 days on this here blog. That's right, you heard me. AND I plan to have a giveaway EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Because I'm feeling all Christmas-y and giving-ish. So! Please be sure to report back here tomorrow to find out all the free-goodie goodness that I've got in store for you over the next 10 days.

Until tomorrow, here's a lil peak at some DIY's of Christmas past with linky-loo's and how-to's for your craft-astic pleasure. Hope y'all have a great week and I'll see you tomorrow!

 A coupla years back, I got on this painting-from-vintage-postcards kick. I found this sweet image on pinterest, sketched it out and painted on canvas. Every year I place it on my (rarely used) painting easel along with that house I painted (found the wooden cut out of the house at the thrift store years ago). A sweet parent gifted me the Merry Christmas sign one year and I love how it goes with everything perfectly. Says me. All the Christmas-y details here, friends. 

 Yet Another Tablecloth Gives It's Life for a Tackitastic Cause Tuesday: I shared this debatable beaut with you earlier this week. I still loved it regardless of what the holiday-haters say. By the way, do y'all like my one-legged flamingo pose? What in the world...? top: vintage, thrifted; skirt and headband: made by me, details here; shoes: Converse

 Yet another Christmas painting I copied and painted a coupla years back. I've since added a big red and white stripped bow to the top. Inspo was a vintage ad. All the snore-y details here. 

 My Kind of Christmas Colors Wednesday: I love pink and turquoise. Together. Forever. One day when I retire, I'll live in an Airstream trailer, complete with pink and turq interior and I'll pull it behind my big fat vintage pink caddy. I'm serious, y'all. That'd be livin the dream. sweater and tights: Target; big belt: Amazon; cuckoo clock dress: made by me, details here

When I finished off that cuckoo clock dress, I found I had a ton of tiny and, so I thought, useless scraps laying around. Bein' the hoarder that I am, I couldn't handle throwing 'em out. So I kept 'em thinking I'd come up with something to do with them. Which is where the idea to create ornaments with the remnants came from. 

 Light Up Dress Thursday: Oh, when created this dress a couple Christmases ago, it forever cursed me. Since it's creation, the kids are all, "yeah, your new dress is cool and all BUT DOES IT LIGHT UP?!" sweater: thrifted; belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing (guess who likes belts from Pin Up Girl Clothing...?!); crinoline: Amazon; light up Christmas dress: made be me, go here; Santa shoes: visit here 

A coupla years ago, my school began what has since become our annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Day. I attacked an otherwise innocent thrifted leopard print number with (totes itchy) garland and dominated with my tackiness. View it here, friends. This year, my school is doing something a lil different. Because we are doing a Be Nice campaign at our school, we decided that teachers and students should "pay" to be tacky in the form of pet supplies that will be donated to the local animal shelter. Super nice, right? We thought so. It's this Tuesday, wish me luck!

Big Fat Christmas Skirt Friday: Whoever originally created this tree skirt sure did put in their time. It's totally embroidered and just so vintage-y sweet. Let's hope they never find out what I've done to the poor thing! vintage sweater: thrifted; tree skirt to lady skirt: here

What's a Tacky Sweater Day without being rewarded for your efforts, hmmm? Here are the rewards I created in the past. WHICH were handed out after school hours, just in care you are wondering. I've gotta dream up new ones for this Tuesday. No worries, I'll share 'em with ya. Until then, see ya tomorrow! 

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