Building Block Dress- 2

Yesterday I shared my first building block dress. 

Today I'll be sharing the other dress I made with different customizations.

This dress has an empire waist and a tie for a bow.  It also has cap sleeves.

It has a box-pleated skirt and in-seam pockets which show a fun peak-a-boo of fabric from sister's dress.

She looks so lovely in her cute dress. 

And here's the girls being so cute together. This picture was taken Easter Sunday morning.

Next week I'll be sharing one more dress I've made using the building block dress.  

With so many features, the possibilities really are endless.

The Olive + S Building Block Dress Book

Have you heard, Oliver + S just published a new book?

The Building Block Dress. 

The book is really amazing. 

 It shows you just how to take her building block dress and modify it to design the exact dress you are wanting to make.  She gives you all the tools to essentially make up to 6,000 + different types of dresses. The book teaches you how to do so many different designs and guides you through each step of the way.  I have loved using it and exploring dress making in such a creative way!

Several months ago I was contacted to see if I'd be interested in testing for the book.  Of course, I was so thrilled!

I modified the dress to have an external hem facing (at the neck) and a gathered skirt.

I chose tulip sleeves (my favorite) and gathered-edge pockets. 

Here's the look on my dear girl. 

I love these huge buttons in the back.

She's a big fan of pockets.

Today Oliver + S is sharing the other looks the other pattern testers made.  Be sure to check it out!

 Come back tomorrow where I'll share the other dress I made with this book.

Make Your Own-- Easy- Skeleton Costume.

Each year for Halloween we kind of discuss our costume plans and some years we do a theme and some years I let the kids be whoever they want.  Both are fun.  Last year each of the kids decided to do their own thing.  I love how their costume choices were a perfect reflection of their personalities.

This girl wanted to be a spooky skeleton  Remember this was the one that wanted to be a scary bat when she was three.  She's such a crack up!

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, I'll admit, I saw very similar costumes all over town for like $20.  But I win, because my only out of pocket cost was a $3 t shirt.  Everything else I had on hand. And you know me, I really Love making the kid's their Halloween costumes-- even if it looks like I bought it.

Here's how to make your own!

MATERIALS:

1. Freezer paper (found a grocery stores)

2. White and Red Tulip brand fabric paint

3. Long sleeve black shirt

4. Black leggings or sweats

5. Sponge brush

6. Iron

7. Print out of Skeleton Bones

STEP ONE: Print out the Skeleton Bones pages and trace the bones onto the non-shiny side of the freezer paper.

STEP TWO: Cut out the bones from the freezer paper. 

 Place cardboard in between the shirt and pants for extra protection.

Iron the bones stencils in place on the shirt and pants for about 30 seconds or until you have a good seal.

STEP THREE: Once cooled, paint all the bones with the white fabric paint.  Wait until dry (about an hour) before adding more coats.  I added about three coats of paint. 

STEP FOUR: Once the paint is completely dry, remove the freezer paper.  I used an exact-o knife to help get around the tiny designs. 

 STEP FIVE: Add the red heart!  For me, I just free-handed the red heart.  But I added a heart in the pattern if you're not as comfortable free handing it. 

STEP SIX: There were a few parts where my paint bled through. ( Maybe it's because my freezer paper is old?  Or maybe I wasn't careful ironing every down well enough??) I'm not sure why.  But it was an easy fix.  I just went back over the areas with black fabric paint and fixed it up.

 STEP SEVEN: Once everything is completely dry and looks how you like it-- place it between a towel and iron everything down for about 30 seconds. 

 All done!

Who girl!  

As a special request from her, I made her felt "bone weapons".  

And just to be cute, I made a bone for her hair.

  

 I requested one cute smile picture.

Then it was back to being a fierce skeleton girl!

Make Your Own-- Easy- Skeleton Costume.

Each year for Halloween we kind of discuss our costume plans and some years we do a theme and some years I let the kids be whoever they want.  Both are fun.  Last year each of the kids decided to do their own thing.  I love how their costume choices were a perfect reflection of their personalities.

This girl wanted to be a spooky skeleton  Remember this was the one that wanted to be a scary bat when she was three.  She's such a crack up!

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, I'll admit, I saw very similar costumes all over town for like $20.  But I win, because my only out of pocket cost was a $3 t shirt.  Everything else I had on hand. And you know me, I really Love making the kid's their Halloween costumes-- even if it looks like I bought it.

Here's how to make your own!

MATERIALS:

1. Freezer paper (found a grocery stores)

2. White and Red Tulip brand fabric paint

3. Long sleeve black shirt

4. Black leggings or sweats

5. Sponge brush

6. Iron

7. Print out of Skeleton Bones

STEP ONE: Print out the Skeleton Bones pages and trace the bones onto the non-shiny side of the freezer paper.

STEP TWO: Cut out the bones from the freezer paper. 

 Place cardboard in between the shirt and pants for extra protection.

Iron the bones stencils in place on the shirt and pants for about 30 seconds or until you have a good seal.

STEP THREE: Once cooled, paint all the bones with the white fabric paint.  Wait until dry (about an hour) before adding more coats.  I added about three coats of paint. 

STEP FOUR: Once the paint is completely dry, remove the freezer paper.  I used an exact-o knife to help get around the tiny designs. 

 STEP FIVE: Add the red heart!  For me, I just free-handed the red heart.  But I added a heart in the pattern if you're not as comfortable free handing it. 

STEP SIX: There were a few parts where my paint bled through. ( Maybe it's because my freezer paper is old?  Or maybe I wasn't careful ironing every down well enough??) I'm not sure why.  But it was an easy fix.  I just went back over the areas with black fabric paint and fixed it up.

 STEP SEVEN: Once everything is completely dry and looks how you like it-- place it between a towel and iron everything down for about 30 seconds. 

 All done!

Who girl!  

As a special request from her, I made her felt "bone weapons".  

And just to be cute, I made a bone for her hair.

  

 I requested one cute smile picture.

Then it was back to being a fierce skeleton girl!

Birdseed Valentines with FREE Printable

 

This year my preschooler and 1st grader decided we wanted to make Birdseed Valentines to pass out for Valentine's Day.  Every year I think about buying valentine's from the store and every year I just can't quite do it.

Homemade one are so fun, right?

Once we decided to make the birdseed valentines, I knew just the poem I wanted to go with each card.  When I was younger, my mother was a teacher and each year she gave her students a baggie of bird seeds, with this poem attached.

VALENTINE

by Aileen Fisher

I gave a hundred Valentine's.

A hundred, did I say?

I gave a thousand Valentine's

one cold and wintry day.

I didn't put my name on them

or any other words,

because my Valentines were seeds

for February birds.

It's so cute, I quickly taught it to my kids and they thought it was a great match.

We followed this post for the recipe on how to make our birdseed valentines.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:

1 cup hot water

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (5 tsp)

1 1/2 cups flour

6 tbs. corn syrup

8 cups of birdseed

cookie cutters

pam spray

bamboo skewer (or straw)

cookie sheet

parchment paper

String or bakers twine

Valentine Paper printed off 1 and 2

 STEP ONE:  Mix 2 packets of gelatin in hot water.  Stir with a fork until most of the clumps are disintegrated. 

Add flour, corn syrup and birdseed in a large bowl and mix.  

Then add the stirred up gelatin and water.

STEP TWO: Mix everything together!

STEP THREE: Lightly spray cookie cutter with Pam spray (repeat spray every 6 or so uses). 

On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, place your cookie cutters down.  

Then fill each cookie cutter with the seed mixture.  Use back of the spoon and fingers to press in tight and solid.

STEP FOUR: Once packed in, place a bamboo skewer towards the top middle of each cookie cutter and make your own hole, going all the way through to the bottom and wiggling around a bit.

STEP FIVE: Once hole is placed, remove cookie cutter and  repeat until all seeds are used up.

Allow to try for 6-8 hours or over night.

I found my more complicated cookie cutters (like these shown) were actually really hard to deal with.  They were tricky to get the seeds into and the cutter off.  Towards the end I just ended up making a lot of stars, because they were the easiest.  But I will admit the animals looked pretty cool. 

STEP SIX: Print off Valentine Poem cards.

At first I just made pink ones.

Then deciding maybe my son wouldn't want to give everyone a pink valentine, 

decided to make these colorful ones, too. 

STEP SEVEN: Once the birdseed valentines are completely dry (6-8 hours or overnight), tie them up with string and attached your signed valentine poem cards to them.

STEP EIGHT: Place them all in baggies and Enjoy!

 Aren't they so cute hanging there on this freshly snowy day?

 "One cold and wintry day" is right!