Doing Soak Off Gel Nail Polish at home....my first time

Okay, so I did it. I got my nails done for free at by my hair gal with OPI gel nails that are soak off polish, not length, just for polish and loved it. After 2 weeks I went back and got it done and paid for it and love them...but just can't afford to keep paying that...

so...I went online and did some research and found places to buy opi gel polish kits (ebay and amazon), but it was expensive-- ($100 and you still need a uv light), and I wasn't thrilled with color choices at the salon (which are the same as found in the kit). So I started looking at all the other companies and found on ebay and sally beauty supply stores the IBD gel nail polish system.

FYI: I got my uv light and all ibd products on ebay--I got a bonder, clear gel, color gel, top coat

The pictures below and the lessons learned by my husband and myself... (yup, he helped me--he used to be an artist and doesn't mind doing nails--does Alexandra's (4.5yr old) all the time)

1st lesson--NEED LOTS OF LIGHT--there is a reason that salons are bright and they have the spotlight at the manicure table! If you can't see well, you paint against your cuticle and edgewall--which we/I did alot. As seen in the picures.

The chips in the pictures and at the cuticles are from me trying to remove the extra gel stuff over my cuticles and the sidewalls.

Secondly--I put on WAY WAY too much bonder. It is really runny and it will roll down to the sides of your nail as it cures and turn out too thick on the sides and attach to the skin and lift lift lift . I found this website info helpful about bonder and how to apply AND a removal system that isn't the normal "soaking" but wrapping in soaked cotton and foil. I will be trying this as a mom with hands is better then one with her hands stuck in a bowl of acetone!

Next, I finally went looking for any more "at home" tips and had forgotten about Utube! Duh. I found a bunch of videos on applying gel polish. Worth looking there.

Tonight--trying out the wrapping nail off system to take off the messed up polish and try anew on Thursday or Friday!

Olivia dress in owls and ottobre leggings in velour

Excuse the fat mama in the picture...didnt kow daddy was going to snap the picture. But Lilly looks so adorable in the picture that I had to post it!

Here you can see the leggings from the 06/08 Ottobre called "Lelle" I made them in size 74 for my 8month old....just didn't add a seam allowance. I am going to be sizing up soon. I am pretty sure that I am not going to make summer clothes till she stablizes in size or sumer is here!

The Owl interlock is from buytheyardandmore coop on yahoo. I love owls, so even though she was called a boy today, I don't care, I love them!

The dress is the Olivia from Farbermix. I traced it yesterday, cut it and sewed it all in one evening after she feel asleep at 10pm. Less then an hour for this dress!

It is size 1/2 and she will easily be wearing this all next winter with a new pair of leggings of course!

HMMM>....now what do I make next...someting to match the orange leggins before they are too small! :)

Nails Done!!! So Pretty!

So, I have joined weight watchers and have been good all week and been working real hard to make this house stay clean and have done really well....

So.....

I treated myself to a gel nailpolish manicure from my fav hairstylist!

2.5 weeks ago, I attended an "nail party" by my stylist Jessica, but was only one of 3 who said they would show who did. So, she showed me her gel nailpolish on me for free.

I have bad nails, I used to bite, I bite my cuticles and it looks bad. My nails are brittle and crack and peel.

But the gel polish is hard and stayed great for 2 weeks without chips or any problems....just shows the grow out, which is nice.

It made me put on makeup, do my hair, take time for myself, join weight watchers. It made me want to look and feel nice. And all for free....so I went back and got it done as a treat for trying to be good to myself.

I SHIR had fun making this Ottobre outfit for Lilly

I made the "Elly" raglan shirt with shirring on the front and the "Goofy Tweed" pants from the Ottobre 06/08

I used FOE to bind the neckline and didn't do the greatest, but I loved loved doing the shirring! It is super cute and much easier then I expected. Having sucess on you first try is a great thing! :)

I did have a problem with the foe and have to figure out what I did wrong, will have to ask my ottobre english yahoo group.

Here she is in her new outfit. Pants are a fine cordurory and the top is melon check lycra knit from Chez Ami.

Got more done!!! Love feeling accomplished! :)

So, here is Alex in a hilda/tilda 07 ottobre tunic, but no matching pants...did make those. As seen here...but they are not finished, wanted to wait till she could try them on before doing the waist and the hem.
























Next I made the tunic from the 1/10 ottobre that has all the shirring--that is seen left, and that is size 74--12 month size...yep, looks like it is for mama...not baby. It has all the hems done and the only thing I need to do is to shirr it....but I want to practice first, as that is really cute fabric and I want to try it on cheap stuff first. I have some 2$ tinker flannel that I will make the same shirt in for Alex (this blue is for Lilly) and do my first shirring on it! :)





Now...the Cord pants here are the "goofy" tweed pants from 6/08 ottobre
I need to do the hem of the leg vents and then finish the bottom then they are finished. Few places there are "user errors" but I don't think it will be too noticeable. Making for my SWAP for Lilly's spring clothes. (not finishing them b/c I need to get a different machine out for it and it is 1AM right now...)

The last two pictures are of a top from the 4/09 ottobre the anome tunic, made out of an old shirt of mine and a clearance PJ pants with tinkerbell on it from walmart. Not sure ow the neck is gonna look. It has a bit of starch on it , so it might lay better after washing....Or I hope so at least. Goodness, I hope I can figure out the binder attachment for my coverstitch machine when it comes b/c I NEED the help for sure! The pants do look wonky, that is b/c I just sewed. No pattern... I had the fabric and just sewed. I will fix it once I put them on her and see what it looks like. If they look like pants, then she can wear as is, if they are looking more like leggins and the shirt is too short for it (she is long torso-ed), then I will have to make another piece to go with it to hide her bottom. I do have a green w/ white sm polka dot pincord fabric that is from chez ami that I *think* is a match with Tinker's dress. If it is, I will try out that new skirt in the 1/10 ottobre. One of the few skirts that I will make and allow my little crazy to wear....she has no concept of how to "be a lady" she is a bit of a tomboy 4.5yr old....but she loves dresses...so this might work. When something is ACTUALLY Finished I will post more, but I feel very good. Before the Colts win the superbowl tomorrow night, I will have at least 3 of the 4 above projects finished....and I am sure I will have started another one or two! :)

Got something accomplished

Actually got a few things done....

other day I did my tracings of my ottobre patterns for my swap. still have a few more to do, but made a good dent.

I took my machine into be serviced....will have to do all my serging and coverstitching as much as possible so I can be ready when my basic machine comes back.

cleaned up my mess of a sewing area....and diaper fabric store storage area. Still have a little more to do to be efficient. But to be more efficient, I need to move out some things that are just laying about and not needed or being used...

so....I posted things to be rid of on DS--things I don't use, so great prices...and I have 2 already gone...well, pending as the $$ isn't in my account yet, but as quick as it was jumped on, I think it will be gone soon. Just need to get the prefolds gone and the diapers, then I will have a good size crate to put pkgs in that are waiting for their shipping payments for my store.

I did get all orders cut and weighted and ready to go when shipping is paid....

Not really tired yet, but should be as it is midnight...so I think I will put the snaps on the romper that does fit Lilly. Looks good, just *almost* done. will post picture later...maybe with her in it!

Still have 2 or three things to finish and then I begin one project at a time...well, maybe two, but only because projects have different stages...like, I am making 3 bonnets for my SIL for her birthday....for her country deco for her home. But I can't always be working in my sewing area with the kids around, so I may be working on my cutting or tracing for my swap projects when kids are playing around in the main part of the house.

Okay, so off to do the snaps on the romper and also on Lilly's coat too...then I will have to post pictures too.

Lilly's Spring SWAP plans

I am doing a SWAP...sewing with a plan.

I am making clothes for Lilly for spring in fun colors and nothing that is a dress....she is starting to learn to crawl, so for the next 6m or until she walks, dresses are not the best for her.

So here is my plan

These are a pair of pants to make...not doing the wiggles at the bottom, but the pattern is subject to change if it is too hard for me. :) I plan on making 2 of these raglan shirts with shirring, the aqua stripes will match the above and the fleece dots jumper below....the pink will match the dots jumper and can go under the apples/pear shirt below too

Fleece to make the jumper-have a melon color rib knit that I will use for the binding.

This jumper is of 2 interlocks--lime, blue and orange stripes and orange interlock, I think blue binding...

The top will be of the butterflies, the binding is going to be of the stripes.

The dots will be for a pair of pants to match, but I couldn't find the pattern for the picture.

I have a RTW (ready to wear) long sleeve onesie to match nicely that needs a home.

The apples/pears will be made into the shirt

if all goes well, I will do a few more pieces before going on to the summer, which is VERY lacking for both my little gals!

Yea! new ottobre done!!!

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Originally uploaded by aprice522

one new dress...and the beginnings of a full mama sewn wardrobe begin!!

Some finished Ottobre stuff-and one great one!

Hello....
Here is my Jamine Jumper that I made from a free pattern on the diaper sewing divas website. Bonnie made this and it is a 0-3 that I sized up to try out on Lilly...but she is asleep, so I will leave her be and will try it tomorrow! It is a purchaseable pattern from nb-12m on her fishsticks website...just google it! she has several patterns and I just purchased this one and one other...I know how easy this one was, so I figure it is a good buy.
This is my first try at an ottobe shirt that I posted about eariler. I tried to size it up to a 4 T and wasn't great at it. The neckline is bad, but it is fine for the pjs they have become. But she won't wear it to bed until I make pants to match...so that is on the list to do!

And here is the worst item I have sewn yet...okay, so I haven't sewn many things, but this is bad. :) I tried to take a pattern for a shorts type romper to long sleeve/long pants and they ended up being uneven...then I misread the instructions on how to make ribbed binding and stretched it...so it ended up making the front all wonky...but overall a great learning experience! Plus, she can still wear them as pjs to bed. Screw ups always end up as pjs! :)

Tonight's goals

Yep, it is 9pm and my baby is still awake. If she goes to sleep, I will go and clean and then sew sew sew. I want to finish her jumper tonight and finish her big sis's outift. Just need to make one hem and I am finished.

After all that, I will take a break from sewing and do some serious fabric inventory. I have made the decision to open my cloth diaper fabric store back up....and have 200 yards of pul coming from fabrite now and want to have all the stuff here nice and organized and catagorized so I can open up the store easily and stock it quickly!

October Goals

Okay, so my goal of October is to sew everyday, even if it is just 4 or 5 seams in a project, it is moving me forward. My second is to finish cleaning up and organizing my roll top which has gotten to be a catch all for paperwork that needs to dealt with, but nothing that has to done in a time table....

Granted that half of my sewing today is being ripped out again, but live and learn!

Will post once I actually get these ladybug outfits finished. :)

Ladybug Raglan Tee and Romper for Lilly and Alex from Ottobre

So, I had a subscription to the Findland Ottobre Magazine and I am finally making something from it, actually two things. Below it is the first that I am making for Alex out of blue ladybug fabric. the info is all here that you see....no more.



This is the Romper I am making out of the same fabric but making long sleeves and pants for Lilly.


This is half of one of 6 pattern sheets--crazy I know! Tracing it is a super crazy and I am sure everything I make will end up wonky cause of my poor tracing, but we will just have to see. I guess that in order to put 30-35 patterns in 6 pages, you have to have it this way!


SO>>>> this is why I am watching Survivor with a seam ripper...I attached the ribbing edging to the romper, then sewed a seam down before wrapping the edging around before sewing it down on the outside, securing on the inside at the same time. Anyways....I sewed it WAY too wide and now.....in the second picture, you can see there is not enough ribbing to go around the edge. So, Seam rip and redo....hope I can get it done and resewn during comercials!

Here is the romper for LIlly, no sleeves on it, the right leg is rolled up so I know how long to make it as I tried it on her this afternoon to figure it all out....hope it works--and SHE will wear it for sure...she has no choice! :)

Here is the raglan top for Alex, I need to finish the neckribbing and then connect the sleeves and sides, and finish the wrists. Hopefully she will like it and will be willing to wear it so I can have a picture of it! :)

Today's Tutu....

Don't have it finished yet, ran out of tulle, but have been working on a tutu for alex and if it works out well, I will make one for a bday party that we have coming up next weekend. I think I will make a tutu and a hairclip with a pretty flower on it for the little girl. I am looking forward to making matching tutus and flower clips/headbands for gifts for all the little girls we know.

here are the tutu tutorials i used to guide me!

#1
#2
#3


I am on a Sept Sewing challenge at the Divas, so that is why I have gotten things done...finished several diapers, and hair clips. Coming soon, a few more diapers for Lilly and a few for Isaac, then I have a few things I need to finish...coming soon!! PIctures too!

Off to watch a movie with my sweet hubby which will be leaving on a trip to Germany on Tuesday.

Goodnight!

Big Flower Headband for babies--I made some!!

Such a tired baby! I had to wake her up so I could try on her new daisy headband that I made. I have been wanting to try this type of accessory without spending 10-20 bucks for one, so I went to Joanne Fabrics and found some daisys and the pink ones on clearance and then some fall mums and sunflowers on sale. I bought some elastic grab bags some time back that had this wide elastic that I almost tossed....good thing I didn't do that!

I figured that he headbands would be easy to make, as long as you just tried and they were super simple. I could have figured it out on my own, but I found some tutorials online and then tried it out.

Here are my first two tries--Daisys and lace on Lillian and Pink Peonies on lace for Alexandra.

I have made a third that needs some glue gun used to adhere the flower to an aligator clip so they can be interchangeable on the headband...it is a mixture of red and yellow mums.

I can't wait to go back to Joanne's and look for more flowers. I am thinking that next I will get little flowers and make a headband with 3 smaller flowers on it. Like sweet peas. I think I saw those on clearance, but knew the rage was all about big flowers and bypassed them, now as my mind gets going I see that some smaller clusters would be adorable too....and Alex would love love love the pink as it is her favorite color.

Isaac's & Lillian's Newest diapers! Cute Print Pocket diapers....

Here are 5 of the 10 diapers I made for Isaac yesterday and today.

He will only wear "cool" print diapers or else will throw a fit...
So...rather then fight it, I got busy and made my life easier at diaper changing time!

I also made 4 diapers for Lilly and can I just say, Minky is the best best bestest PUL EVER!!!

In my last batch of DIY PUL that I sent in, I had 4 different minkys in it and this purple bubbles is the first diaper I have made from them and WOW I LOVE LOVE her cute little bottom in such a fluffy soft diaper!

my next diy will have a TON more minky in it!! LOVE IT!!!

I got something done YEA!!

Actually, I got two things done so far this evening and plan on getting a 3rd finished while unwinding for bed....which I should have been in 1 hr ago! :) oops!

I finished a MT or Mei Tai infant/toddler carrier.... I had this bad boy started over a year ago and never finished it....but I did tonight. Finally...which is good because Lilly now has better head support and I would love to start her in on it. I like it the best for around the house...doing chores, cleaning and running after my other 2 rugrats.

I will get a picture of us in it tomorrow as I am getting some help from my neice...a 14 almost 15yr old who is bored out of her mind right now waiting for school to start! :)

I also got a pillowcase dress type shirt finished for my little 4yr old. It is a Dora the explorer purple fabric and purple ribbon straps. I love it and hope it looks nice on her. I hope she wants to wear it. Maybe if she actually likes it I will get other fabric for her and make more things for her. Can't guarentee she will model it for me, but will try.

Now I am off to finish putting the latest photos of Lilly into scrapbook pages...not in a book, b/c I don't have an actual book for her yet, but I have many of the pages finished. Once I finish that, it will be a 3rd off my to do list.

Oh...and I think I will go straight to my jewery box right now and put my wedding rings back on...5 weeks after I have deflated from having a baby and I still keep forgetting to go put that darn thing on! :) Glad it will fit now....but I do still have a few more pounds to get off...I might start to try running/walking in the mornings before anyone wakes...but of couse I need to get my lazy bum out of bed thought!

Good night....pictures to post tomorrow!

Angie's Free Cloth Diaper Pattern Nb-Lg

These patterns are JUST patterns with no instructions, no elastic markings and only approximated the snap and hook/loop placements. I am making posts on this blog with instructions.

These patterns have two drawn lines--a trimmer line at the crotch for day diapers, a wider line for night pocket diapers or covers.

At the back of the diapers there are two lines drawn, one for a front snapping and one for a side snapping.

This is a trim, nice fitting diaper on my kids and a few testers. I did not do a very intensive testing, but would love to hear any feedback on these, especially on the newborn and small sizes. I feel those two sizes are off some, but I do love my side snap that I made as a tester on my now 4 week old. I need to get some pictures of her in it. She is abou 10lbs and fits in it in nicely.


Newborn pattern 1
Newborn pattern 2

Small Pattern 1
Small Pattern 2

Medium 1
Medium 2
Medium 3

Large 1
Large 2
Large 3

Sewing your first cloth diaper

I have someone who I may be helping though the process of sewing her own cloth diapers and decided to start a few pointers, helpful hints on how to begin and refine the process to end up with nice diapers that look nice, work great and don't waste wonderful material that you probably spent a pretty penny on.

First....find a free pattern, sewing machine and old cotton garments/towels, elastic and thread

don't use snaps or velcro/touchtape/aplix--on the first, wait until you like it for those things. Your first diaper might be unusable for you --and if you really want--you could use it as a fitted using pins and a cover.

depending on the thickness of the fabrics, I would use only 2 thicker "body" layers and with thinner fabrics you could use 3.

Cut out several layers for the soaker layer and zig-zag the edges or serge if you have a serger.

Sew the soaker pad to the inner layer of 2 or middle layer of 3.

Place the right sides together (if using 3, make sure the hidden layer is showing on the outside) and pin together. (use more pins if using knits or stretchy fabrics)

Sew around the edges from one side of the front to the other side of the front, leaving the top of the diaper open for turning the diaper right side out.

Turn the diaper and pin the opening closed.

Two options here... some people sew all around the diaper--which is called topstitching. You can see this diaper here is like that. At the legs, it makes a "casing" around the elastic.

Some people don't like to topstitch the legs because the extra holes might encourage leaking.

Some people don't like to do the extra work.

But I *usually* do it b/c I feel the explosive or runny BMs are usually contained better this way then by not "casing" the legs.

Below if a picture of a fitted diaper where only the wings/back and the front have been topstitched and the legs have not. This was b/c I was lazy....plus my machine doesn't like to

sew through several layers of fabric and gets rather grumpy when I do.

At this point, make your decision about what you are gonna topstitch and do it!

You are done...try out the diaper on your wonderful child, who I am sure is gonna hold perfectly still for you to see how the fit is on them.

Once you have found a diaper pattern that you like, start making the diapers you want to make.

Stay tuned...sometime in the next week I plan on talking about how to sew the other types of diapers and the pros/cons of different diapering systems!

More unfinished business COMPLETED!!

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Here is something I made that I am so happy about...
A fleece top with pockets and trim from another fleece, then pants to match.

We just love Dora the explorer and she love loves these yoga pants and top. I have started to make some aqua colored pants for her and have some dora cotton fabric that I serged around dora and boots to make little "patches" for the pants and the matching top that will come ONLY when the pants are complete and the other unfinished items are CoMPLETED!