Monday, March 31, 2014

The Billy Ray Lounge Pants

The Billy Ray Lounge Pants are ready for YOU to sew!
 
Available in sizes 12 months - 6 years 
 Perfect for BOYS and GIRLS!!

 
The pattern includes:
*Full size printable pattern pieces
*Lots of color photos for each step
*Step by step instructions for garment construction
 
All available for INSTANT download.
 
The pattern also includes an option for a faux drawstring, for an extra pop of color and detail.

 
Baby boy loves his flannel pair to match his Nautical Bedroom

 
And anything soft and fuzzy gets an A+ on Goldilock's list. Hers are made of super soft fleece.

 
There's extra room in the legs and rear, perfect for a cloth diapered baby! I know it can be hard to find a good fit over all of that fluffy goodness.

 
Whether they are for pajama pants, comfortable play, or lounging around the house...your little one will love these!

 
You can find them in my Pattern shop on
along with your other Grits & Giggles favorites





Thursday, March 27, 2014

Product Review: Artistry Gift Wrap

I was recently sent a beautiful collection of luxury giftwrap items from Artistry Giftwrap.
 
Artistry Giftwrap is a monthly giftwrap and accessory subscription site that sends unique and lovely giftwrap items to its customers.
 
The papers I received were simply beautiful. The package included a description of the items inside. These paper are made from recycled cotton and printed with eco-friendly inks. The texture of these is amazing. They feel soft but sturdy, not at all like the cheap see-through paper at some big chain stores.

 
The wrapping accessories were unique and pretty. Ribbons, a garland, and glue dots! I have never thought about wrapping a gift with glue dots, but now I don't know that I can go back to tape!

 
I had a small gift that I needed to wrap, and I must say that it became much prettier using the products from Artistry Gift Wrap.
 
I used the floral paper. I has great texture that you can almost see in this picture.

 
I wrapped the package with the large gold ribbon, and borrowed one of the butterflies from the garland as a topper.

 
This is probably the prettiest package I've wrapped, and it didn't take any longer than wrapping it "cheaply". Just using quality and beautiful products made all the difference.

 
Wedding season is approaching fast, and we will all be attending our share of wedding showers, weddings, baby showers, and of course a summer of birthday parties. Why not invest in something that will WOW your recipient before they even open their package?

 
It's almost too pretty to open.
 
 
 
As a gift to YOU, Artistry Gift Wrap is offering
 20% off a 3 month subscription with the code
 
GIGGLES20
 
 
Thank you Artistry Gift Wrap for the opportunity to try out these wonderful products!




Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Testing Round-Up: The Billy Ray Lounge Pants

I had a FABULOUS round of testers for the Billy Ray Lounge Pants! Not only did they make some adorable pants for their little ones, but they gave some great feedback to make the pattern better for YOU to sew!
 
Here is some of their awesomeness:
 
Shelly from Giggles and Beans created this sweet little pair with....flip flops! Goldilocks would love these.
 
She's blogged about hers HERE


 
My friend Evan, from Such Big Dreams used a stretchy striped knit for her little man!
 He's testing out the stretch...and it looks like they fit great!
 

 
 
Brooke from Grace Nuts Blog dove into color with a vibrant red pair! I'm a little jealous they still have snow on the ground!


 
Karissa made this cute little pair for her boy. I love the baseball drawstring.


 
Julie from That's Sew Julie made this adorable pair with apples!
How spunky is her little model?
 

 
 
Don't all of those little ones look super-comfy?
 
Get your own pattern for INSTANT DOWNLOAD at




Monday, March 24, 2014

Handmade vs Homemade


Handmade and Homemade always meant the
same thing to me...until I started sewing.
 
Most of the time, each person is their own worst critic when it comes to making things, and I am no different. What some people see as wonderful, I see all the flaws and what I should have done better.
 
I was looking through my albums of pictures of things I have sewn in the last couple of years, and two words came to mind: Handmade, and Homemade.
 
When I saw something I was very proud of, my first thought was "that was handmade with love". It took time and effort and lots of care to make it looks its best.
 When I found something that I wasn't particularly proud of, I always thought "that looks homemade", kind of like a bad craft project.
 
I started making myself a list of the qualities in both projects that I felt gave them their titles of Handmade and Homemade and wanted to share them with you.

 
*these are all related to sewing, as that is what I spend most of my craft time doing*
 


How to make your sewing projects
 HANDMADE
 

-Take care matching patterns
 
If you are using a patterned fabric, try to make the pattern repeat, stripes, dots, plaids meet nicely at the seams. This isn't always possible, but it looks great when your pattern is even all the way around!

-Use special feet

I was always scared to try new sewing feet for my machine, but once I learned to use them they made a huge difference! Give your zipper foot a try, use a walking foot for thick fabrics to avoid shifting and puckering. They really can make your sewing easier, and make your finished product look great.
 
-Press as you go
 
As you are sewing, especially with garments and quilts, take the time to press your seams as you go. Not only will it help lining up seams and sewing go quicker, your finished product will look more crisp.
 
-Press when you're done
 
This seams like a no-brainer to me now, but for a long time I didn't do it! When you're finished sewing, whether it's a clothing item, pillow cover, or curtains, press your seams. They will lay nice and flat and look more professional
 
-Topstitch where you can
 
This is another trick to getting a really professional look. Once you are "finished" with a garment, see if there are places where you can topstitch. Not only does it add some final detail, but it will lock those seams in place and keep them neater through washes and wear.
 
-Add little details
 
Use fun buttons instead of "functional" ones. Sew a decorative stitch on the edge of a hem. Add a little monogram to a cuff or pocket. It's the little additions to garments that make them so personal and truly one of a kind.




I know sometimes we just want to "throw together" a quick project, and that's okay too. A pair of fleece pajama pants just doesn't require the same attention to detail as a boutique-style dress. But just a few little adjustments in your sewing process can really take your finished project from looking "homemade" to being "Handmade" and handcrafted with love.

Give these tips a try and see how your next project turns out!



Sunday, March 23, 2014

{Giveaway} Free Craftsy Class

If you haven't tried a class at Craftsy yet...then you're missing out! There is a wealth of information presented through easy-to-follow and easy-to-use tutorials and classes. Whether you're into sewing, knitting, crochet, cake decorating, quilting, and so much more, there is something for you.

I'm excited to be able to offer one of YOU a free class at Craftsy.


Click the link below to enter to WIN

 
Enter to win a Craftsy class!
 

 
Here are just a few great classes I've had my own eye on!!

Online Bread Making Class Online Jewelry Making Classes Online Knitting Class

 
 
This giveaway will run until Midnight on Friday, March 28th
 
A Winner will be chosen and contacted by Craftsy



Thursday, March 20, 2014

Free Printable: Gift Wrap Station Labels

Here are the FREE printables to set up your own gift wrap station!




There are lots of colors to choose from!

Print on plain paper, white cardstock, or label paper if you want, then stick it to your drawers.
There are two blank labels per page to add any extras you may need.


Monday, March 17, 2014

Organize a Gift Wrap Station

Have you ever been invited to a party at the last minute (or remembered to buy a gift at the last minute...whoops!) or needed to throw a gift together quickly, only to not have or not be able to find your wrapping supplies?? You need a gift wrap station!!
 


I've seen people hide them in trunks, or inside closet doors, and those are great options too! But I need to be able to drag mine around sometimes to avoid wrapping near the kids. This one is more portable, and still super organized!

First:

Get yourself one of these! Mine is by Rubbermaid, but you can find these at craft and home improvement stores in the storage section. It holds LOTS of wrapping paper, and keeps everything nice and tidy in the back of the closet.


Second:

Where to put all of the "things" you need to wrap and make gifts pretty??

Enter...the wrapping station.

This is just a bin with see through drawers. They come in lots of sizes, and drawer amounts to fit your needs.


The most important step in keeping things organized....

LABELS

And because I love my readers, I'm working on making these labels in LOTS of colors for YOU to use on your own wrapping stations. They'll be available for download soon.

The labels in LOTS of colors are available HERE for download.


I have a drawer just for tulle and curling ribbon. I like to wrap gifts with tulle these days, because it's pretty, and my cat eats the curling ribbon. It's not pretty when that happens.


Another drawer is dedicated to gift bags. I keep a few gender and occassion-neutral bags in my wrapping station so I always have a go-to bag when I need it! Solid colors are great for this. You can dress them up with ribbons and tulle to make them manly or girly.


One good investment to make if you're creating a wrapping station is to have a large stash of tissue paper.
Go to your favorite party store and pick up one of every color that you see (or would normally use). There's nothing more irritating than getting ready to wrap a gift only to find out you are out of the one color tissue you need! Having a good stash will be of benefit to you.


There are hundreds of ways to organize your gift wrap as well as lots of places to put it in your house. The best place is for it to be out of sight, but still accessible so that gift wrapping isn't a chore! After all, it's supposed to be joyful to give a good gift!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Half Marathon....check!

I did it!! My goal for 2014 is complete. I finished my first Half Marathon earlier this month.

                                     
 
The training paid off and I finished with a smile on my face. Hubby even jumped in and ran the last "0.1" with me. Never mind I had already run 13 miles....but it was nice to have him with me.
 
I run slower than some people walk, so I finished in 2 hours and 30 minutes, but I was proud of my time and happy to finish strong.
 
While my knees were hating me the next day, I was already looking forward to the next one. I've got my eye on a couple of 5Ks for the rest of the year, but I'm definitely keeping the 13.1 mile distance on my mind. It's a fun accomplishment, great exercise, and lots of fresh air.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Craftsy Class SALE!

Craftsy is having a HUGE sale on classes this weekend only!


Save Up to 50% on All Craftsy Classes!
Don't miss out on Craftsy's Endless Creativity Sale! Get ALL online classes at up to 50% off for a limited time only. You won't see hundreds of classes with prices this low again soon. Hurry, offer expires March 17 at midnight MT.



Check out some of these classes that have been catching my eye!


Online Quilting Class

Online Knitting Class



**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links


Thursday, March 13, 2014

15 Beautiful DIY Spring Wreaths

 Even though the weather around here can't make up it's mind as to whether it will be warm or snowing... I decided I needed a little "Spring Wreath" inspiration. I thought you might like some too, so I rounded up 15 beautiful DIY wreaths perfect for Spring.







You may remember my Robin's Egg wreath from a couple of years ago. Some of these other wreaths are made of some fun and surprising materials too!




I can't believe it's almost time for spring. It's almost time for flowers and LONG days of playing outside with the babies! Can't wait.







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