How to sew a Twofer dress- Take 2

I made another twofer dress! I made this one a little differently and it turned out so cute! I attempted to take some pictures showing "how" I made it. Enjoy! I am loving my new outfit!

First, I cut a "pattern" out of wrapping paper. I cut pockets for this dress! The long side of the pattern is placed on the fold. Cut two, but cut the back piece about 6-8 inches wider than the front.

After sewing the side with the pocket.

The pocket opening, right side out

I sewed pleats on the front of the skirt so that it fit the front of my waist and the pockets sat on my hips

Imagine this picture horizontally. I shirred the back of the skirt so that it fit snuggly but I could still get into the dress. This actually was some trial and error. I actually had to rip out the seam from the waist to top of the pocket so I could sew about 8 rows of shirring. Then I resewed the seam from the pocket to the waist.

Next, sew the shirt to the skirt. I tried it on before I did this and marked where I wanted the skirt to sit with tailors chalk. Then I safety pinned the two pieces together and sewed. Be sure to stretch the shirred part of the skirt to fit the shirt so that it is nice and stretchy and easy to get on and off.

I sewed a sash and then hand sewed it to the dress. This took a little while but it was worth it. I ended the hand sewing where the shirring started.

Here is how the sash looks in the back. I just untie it in order to get into/ out of the dress.

The finished product!

I paired it with my boots the first time I wore it and I got a lot of compliments. I love these dresses. I have plans to make a few more for the summer.

How to make a Twofer dress

Ug! I felt like I was drowning in grading and emailing students this week. So, that said, I either wanted to do one of two things: shop for new clothes, or sew something cute. Since money is a bit on the tight side, and I was feeling extra creative, I decided on the later. Enter the "twofer" dress!

What is a "twofer" dress, you ask? Well, it is dress that looks like a skirt and blouse combo. I am a daily (and I mean daily) stalker of modcloth and I drool over their dresses. I find the twofer dresses especially cute, but since I don't have $50+ bucks to shell out over every dress I crave, I decided to try and sew my own.

I made a quick trip to Joann's yesterday afternoon before class an picked out some fabrics that coordinated with a knit shirt from my closet. And JOY! Joann's was having a sale! I got my fabric (1.5 yard for the skirt and 1/2 yard for the belt) for only a little over $7! Add a few spools of thread (also on sale!) and some tailors chalk, my grand total for this project was $10.02!!! WOOT!

So, here is what I did. I first measured my waist and then the distance from my natural waist (where I wanted the skirt to sit) to my knee.

Then I made a really long belt (basically a long tube that I sewed, turned, and sewed the ends in a diagonal)

I then cut two rectangles of fabric for the skirt: width = 2 inches shorter than the circumference of my waist (26") and then the length = the distance from my waist to my knee (25" but I ended up shortening this a lot when I hemmed)

I hemmed the top of each skirt piece and then did eight rows of shirring (see last summer's blog on making an Easy Summer Dress) on each piece. I then sewed each the skirt pieces together (right sides together).

I then sewed the skirt to the shirt. This took a bit of creativity and help from my BFF Candace. She stretched the skirt for me while I safety pinned the shirt to the skirt. After sewing the shirt to the skirt, we hemmed the dress to right at the top of my knee (I just machine sewed the hem).

I tried on the dress and tied the belt in a big, sassy bow! The whole project took me about 3.5 hours and VOILA! Twofer dress! I love it!

A close of up the yummy fabrics! I love this color combo!

This dress is so comfortable! The shirring keeps it close to the body but it is easy to get on and off because of the stretch. I wore my dress today and got a lot of compliments. I have a brown shirt that is the same style as the tourquoise one and I think I am going to make another dress sometime soon!

Sex ed?

Tonight I was talking to the boys and having them repeat all of my siblings names. They were having a lot of fun saying "Chelsea!" "Amberley!" "Kalina!" "Baby Hunter!"

My sister Chelsea is pregnant so I decided to tell the boys. Here is Benji's response:

Me: Benji, there is a baby in Chelsea's tummy!

Benji: Ewwww! Yucky!

LOL. And so it begins....

Good Spring Break

I am on my last day of Spring Break 2010. It has been a good week. I am sad to see it leave. The weather has been wonderful so we have been able to play outside with the boys every day.

I was able to do some sewing! YEA! Check out the cute pics of the little birds I made. The project is not complete. They will be a mobile...someday. Probably not until after school is out for the summer. But I had a great time being creative and sewing them.

The boys call them "chickens"

We took Goldie for a walk almost every day this week. The boys actually walked on the walk! WOW! I have to offer them lots of encouragement and remind them to "keep walking" but they have done really well! We only walk about 4 blocks round trip but I think that is pretty good for a two year old! I think are stroller days are over--which I am sad and glad about.

I also planted some flowers this week! I have this overwhelming desire to plant things now that it is spring, even though my better judgement (and personal history) reminds me that I am not a good plant mother. Well, I can change! I am determined to water my plants, give them sunshine, and not kill them this year! Stay tuned for updates on this daring resolve. Enjoy the pics. The flowers are still alive. :) And I feel very Spring-y. :)

This is what your porch looks like when you plant flowers with two-year-olds....and a grown woman who doesn't have a green thumb....

My flower set up. I feel like I should be in Better Homes and Gardens...ok maybe not. I got a little excited about watering...if you couldn't tell. Too bad you can't see them better. They are really pretty! I promise!

Love the pink!

I wish you could see the colors better. They are really pretty.

I also had to do a lot of grading this week and homework. Bleck. But I got all the grading done and um...SOME of the homework. :) I jump right back into school this week. I have a presentation on Tuesday and I need to work hard core on my thesis proposal. That is the other thing I really work on this week: thesis. I have been avoiding it in my mind because my mind was way too full of other things, which is not usually my style or way I approach deadlines or projects. But the thought of the thesis was too overwhelming. Well, there was no avoiding it any more. I HAD to work on it...considering my proposal is due April 1st, which is um....a week and a half away. AHH! I am trying not to freak out--too much. I got some good reading and thinking in this week and I think/hope/pray I am going in a good direction. The proposal is only 10-15 pages so that shouldn't be too hard to write. Heh...shouldn't.

So, spring break it was a nice week. And I have made it half-way through my first semester of teaching, going to grad school, wife-ing, and mothering. It was a well earned break.

Did it hurt?

This story is a little off-color--BUT super funny...you know you want to keep reading.

We were eating dinner the other night and the boys were pretending to be dragons, complete with loud roaring!

Aaron, not wanting to be left out of the fun, decided to join in on the dragon game. In typical man-fashion, he burped loudly and said, "The dragon is coming out of Daddy's mouth!"

The boys thought this was hilarious. Mommy pretended that she didn't hear (and tried not to laugh).

Aaron then (here I am shaking my head, and questioning my choice of mate) *ahem* passes gas loudly at the table (which is always very funny for any male audience).

Aaron: Oh no. The dragon is coming out of Daddy's butt. (I am horrified at this point)

Benji: (not missing a beat) Did it hurt?

We about died laughing. I think the mantra after some passes gas now, after the polite "Excuse me!" of course, will be to ask, "Did it hurt?"

Throw it in the "basket" (?)

I have been trying to teach the boys about chores and responsibility lately with having them take their dishes to the sink, etc. One chore I have been trying to work on is having them put their dirty clothes in the laundry basket.

Today, I changed the boys out of their jammies in the living room and told them to "go throw them in the basket!" Benji promptly grabbed his pj's and ran out of the room. Micah was a little more reluctant. I coaxed him and we trotted off to the bedroom where I thought I would see Benji. He was not there.

Me: Benji?

Noise: CLUNK! (sounds like the toilet lid!!!)

Me: (dashing out into the hallway) Benji! Did you throw your jammies in the toilet??

Benji: (very proud) YEAH!

I ran to the bathroom and lifted the toilet lid--and there were Benji's jammies. I guess I need to be more specific about which "basket" I ask the boys to throw their clothes in (though we have never called the toilet a "basket" before...go figure!) Hilarious!

Twin-isms

(Sorry I haven't blogged in so long. It is Spring Break this week. Enough said)

Here are some adorable things the boys say these days:

Benji: "Reckle! Reckle!" (he wants to wrestle)

"Oh goo-less!" (oh goodness!) Apparently, I say this a lot...

"Oh Tallah!" (Thomas the Train. He actually doesn't say this anymore but it was so cute and funny when he did!)

"TB" (TV)

"Bap" (Bath)

Micah:

"Snugs" (Snuggle + hug) We say this often in our house now

"Tiss!" (Kiss!)

Why is it when you want to write down the cute things they say, you can never think of them? Hopefully I can add to this list later...

Here are a few more I thought of that are funny, but a little naughty...

We watch a movie that has a crab it in and the boys get really excited and say, "Crap! Crap!"

We also have a Veggie Tales DVD about Esther. Benji calls it "Baster"....you get the picture.

Who's here??

This is an old story but I don't want to forget it so I am blogging about it now.

Over New Years, we were in FL visiting family. We were staying with Aaron's dad and stepmom who have a beautiful, new house. The only problem with this beautiful, new house is that the doors, for some odd reason, sometimes lock behind you when you go out. And I know this by personal experience.

The side door of the house is made of frosted glass with a pretty pattern. You can't see through the door very well unless you squint up your eyes and squish your face up to the glass, peering through the 1/4 inch "clear" glass lines that make up the pattern of door.

So, here's the story. I went out to the car to grab something. It is FREEZING (yes, freezing! Florida was super cold this January!) As I was only planning to be outside 30 seconds or less, I didn't bother to put on a coat. Well, you guessed it. I got locked out. Aaron and the boys were in the house so I knocked on the glass door. And knocked again. And again. I though, "Surely, Aaron will walk around the corner....right....now....nope" ::knock, knock, knock::

Well, guess who did come around the corner? My firstborn, Micah. He said, "MOMMY!" I said, "Micah, go get daddy!!" He runs away. "Ahh..." I thought, "Now I will get in!" LIke I said, it was FREEZING!

I wait. And wait. I decide to go around to the other side door (they apparently wanted a lot of exits out of their house) and ring the doorbell. I wait by that door. Nothing, no one. I go back to the other door and pound on it. Micah comes around the corner again. "MOMMY!" "GET DADDY!" I bellow through the glass. Off he runs again. I am wondering now if my husband has died and my twin 2 year old are running rampant through my in-laws' immaculate, beautiful, new home.

Micah does not come back. I knock. I knock again. FINALLY, squinting through those little clear lines in the glass, I see my husband make his way toward me.

Aaron: Did you lock yourself out?

Me: Um...yeah. Where were you?

Aaron: In the bathroom.

(I should have guessed)

I asked him if he had heard me knocking. The answer: No. I asked him if Micah had said, "Mommy is at the door!" Or something like that. The answer: No. Micah HAD run in and out the bathroom, repeating over and over again, "Who's here. Who's here. Who's here. Who's here."

He had heard the knock and the doorbell and was repeating the question that we ask the boys whenever someone comes to the door at our house: "Who's here?"

It's gonna getcha!

Micah as a severe phobia of bugs. Yes, bugs. Especially stink bugs that have somehow survived this horrible Virginia winter by taking up residence in my house. (FYI, stink bugs are like a small beetle). Whenever Micah sees a bug he will point and say "bug! bug! bug!" over and over again until someone does something about it. Usually Aaron will sweep it off the ceiling or wall and kill it. Micah gets very anxious while Aaron is doing this. He usually cries a lot, fearful of whether Daddy is going to be eaten by the bug.

Tonight at dinner, Micah got something on his finger (not sure what. It looked like dusty cheese. He probably found it underneath the skirt of the table or in his booster seat. Note to self: give booster a good wipe down...) He held up his dirty finger and said "bug?" Aaron, feeling mischievous, as Daddies sometimes are prone to get, said in a concerned voice, "Is it a bug?? Oh no! It's gonna getcha!"

Micah's eyes got huge. His mouth got huge. His face turned red and he burst into tears, wailing at the top of his lungs.

I, of course, chastised my husband (while choking back my laughter) and told Aaron to comfort Micah. He did. And then he asked Micah again if the bug was going to get him. More wailing ensued. And more laughter from mom and dad. We are so mean.

Here's the real kicker of the story though. We finally got Micah calmed down and then Benji decided to chime in. Not with wailing but with being a typical two-year-old: repeating his parents.

Benji: It's gonna getcha! It's gonna getcha! It's gonna getcha!

So the sibling taunting has begun.

Working Mom

It is really hard to be a working mom. People always talk about balance. I am still searching for that magic pinnacle—the point where I will be balance between home and work. I’ve heard other working moms talk about the guilt of leaving their kids when they go to work. I haven’t felt guilt per se. Just sadness and stress. I feel like I am being stretched very, very thin.

Mondays are really hard. I am gone from 7-4:30, then I have to go back to class at 5:45. When I am hope for that brief hour the boys are SO happy to see me. Benji, especially, wants me to hold him, hug him, and sit on the couch and watch Veggie Tales with him. And I need to get dinner on the table. The other Monday I was dashing back and forth from the kitchen to the couch, stirring spaghetti and sauce and then snuggling with my little son. It helped. A bit. Benji cried a lot that night. And both boys fell apart when I dashed out the door to go to class. My heart hurt. Maybe that is what the other moms mean by guilt—a heavy, hurting heart that is trying to stretch from home to work and never seems to reach.

I know (hope?) I am doing the right thing by teaching this semester. Having teaching experience will help me get a job when I graduate so that Aaron can go back to school. But, I’ve gotta say, the working mom’s load is a heavy, heavy burden. This is going to be a hard semester.