Are you ready to branch out beyond sewing with quilting cotton? Last week Jaime shared the details on Sewing with Knit Fabric and today Jessica from Sew Homegrown is here to share the basics of Sewing with Rayon. With designers like Amy Butler launching rayon collections, it’s so tempting to jump into sewing with this gorgeous draping fabric. With just a few basic skills you can sew lovely items in rayon like Jessica’s Anthro-Inspired Headband(above), our Sleep Shorts or the Baby Peasant Blouse or Long Sleeve Peasant Dress. And not to leave out the mamas, how about the Freestyle Hot Mess Mommy Dress or Jessica’s recent Simple Cardi? Read on to get the scoop on Sewing with Rayon and see more rayon-friendly projects to get you started!
Peasant Blouse
Sleep Shorts
Freestyle Hot Mess Mommy Dress
Link Love
Now is the time to start planning those car and airplane activities to keep the kids occupied on those holiday trips. Amy, from Eat Drink Chic, created this adorable memory game and even included a free PDF Popsicle download.
Keep those Halloween ideas coming. With so many costumes to choose from it is hard to pick just the right one. Is it bad that I wish Halloween came up more than once a year? Then I can get use out of all these ideas like this precious little parrot.
With our busy schedules, on-the-go games are just what we need. The simpler the better. Something like just rolling out a rug would be nice.
We must kiss our long summer days goodbye now that Fall is here. Time to bring in that homemade outdoor theater. Don’t worry though these DIY basic and intricate shadow puppet theaters will do just the trick in keeping those playwright imaginations running. The show must go on!
I can honestly say that I don’t own any of these crazy and wacky gadgets, yet. I could definitely use a soda chariot and a burger form at the next barbecue.
One of the cutest dress patterns I have seen in a while and she even has patterns for shoes.
If your kid has never flown before or is nervous about flying this is a great activity to do with him or her to help with those pre-flight jitters.
This Fall time recipe always makes my mouth water when I read it. I think it’s time to start cooking.
Do you ever wonder how photographers get that perfect shot of a sleeping newborn?
While Jaime and Jacinda are almost completely identical in every way, they are not actually the same person. To prove it they have created their own style pinboards unique to their own interests and personalities. What would you add to your own style pinboard?
If you are like me, you can always use some good new kids music to listen to. That is why I was so happy to find that Zooglobble just posted their top five kids music CD’s on Small Magazine.
The smell of pumpkin bread is in the air.
From ribbons to flowers to fabric galore. The Ribbon Retreat has it all.
As a kid we used a very uncomfortable book on our lap to make a desk. Now these look a lot more comfortable and you can make it yourself.
Remember those pictures of children’s bedrooms from around the world? Now get a glimpse into these children’s true Toy Stories of around the world.
Christmas is creeping up on us which means it’s time to start brainstorming those ideas. To get you started here are 18 easy Christmas craft ideas including our easy and fun to make stocking.
Costume Inspiration!
You know how I feel about costumes, so of course I adore Halloween. What are you dressing the kids up as this year? Are you planning to dress up too? If you need some inspiration, or just your fix of crafty cuteness. Check out these slide shows to see what other crafty mamas around the web have cooked up! The little Dwight Schrute pictured above is so adorable, and the cardboard robocop is pretty amazing too. Check them out here: 10 Awesome Costume Ideas for Little Dudes.
Dot candy cuteness! And the sweet scarecrow! See these costumes and more here: 15 Awesome Costume Ideas for Little Ladies.
Maybe the whole family wants to coordinate. Get inspired here: 15 Group Costume Ideas for Families.
Follow our dress up pinterest board for more fun costume tutorial linkage. And tell us what you & your kids are planning to dress up as in the comments!
We Salute General Adorableness
Sorry, inside joke, my husband and I salute every time someone uses the word “general.” We’re nerds. I think it’s from a TV show. Anyhow, I want to introduce you to the lovely little places that help make Prudent Baby possible. Our sponsors!
KLT: works is a shop with serious style for boys and girls (and their parents!) Woodland lovers, you will not be able to resist their adorable illustrated shirts. Adding to Xmas list immediately.
Looking for a fresh take on art for the kiddo’s room? Visit Urban Tickle for unique growth charts, custom birth announcements and artwork.
Stop by The Ribbon Retreat for all kinds of sewing supplies and FREE SHIPPING on orders over $40.
Baby invitations by Storkie.com has an enormous assortment of invitation and announcement designs at great prices.
You’ve witnessed the magic of First Friends Toy Portraits here before. Clare’s mermaid portrait is a prized possession. Order a toy portrait for someone you love in time for holiday gift giving.
And if you are ready to take your blog or shop to the next level, take a peek at our advertising opportunities that start at just $50. And if you have questions about advertising, just shoot us an email. We have a few spaces available starting October 1st!
The Beginner’s Jersey Baby Dress: A Free Sewing Pattern
Earlier this week we gave a primer on sewing with knits in our post How to Sew Knit Fabrics: Sewing With Jersey 101. Now we are going to share a free pattern for a knit dress and do a tutorial on how to make it.
Knit clothing is so fun to sew, and I think it’s even easier than cotton, because it is very forgiving (no buttons or zippers necessary), and kids think it’s cozy…
So here we will share a basic free pattern for a jersey baby dress. You can make this dress a million different ways. Here’s a few versions…
And you can embellish to your heart’s content.
I’ll show you how to make the ruffle version (and a sleeved version) of this beginner’s jersey baby dress soon, but today let’s start with the basic dress. This will allow us to review how to create a neckline and finish arm holes with jersey fabric. Let’s get started…
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25 FREE Pincushion Tutorials
I can’t get enough of adorable pincushions. They are a quick project, useful and you can’t seem to ever have too many. Why is it that whenever I reach for one, it’s never there? I need more. In fact, I’m considering becoming an official collector of pincushions. It will be my thing. Speaking of which, pincushions make an adorable little gift for the crafty folk in your life. Here are 25 FREE tutorials for your pincushion pleasure. Even my own Porq + Beans made it in on slide 11!
Jacinda’s Craft Cave: BEFORE
A few weeks ago I was debating “aloud” on Facebook whether or not I should tidy up the Craft Cave before I shared “before” photos so as not to humiliate myself and my family and destroy any credibility I may have. In an effort to build up my courage, I asked you to show me your messy craft spaces and the emails came in. I realized I wasn’t alone! I guess not everyone’s craft space looks like Heather Bailey’s or Anna Maria Horner’s (swoon, I want that.) So here goes… if you are ready to see a big hot mess and offer your advice on how to make my space tidy, functional and beautiful, read on. Eeeeek, I’m nervous and ashamed!!! And just so you are fully prepared, the above photo is the only shot that won’t make you feel like bathing. I wanted to ease you in. Don your hard-hats mamas, let’s do this!
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How to Sew Knit Fabrics: Sewing With Jersey 101
Babies love wearing cozy knits! Ladies love wearing cozy knits! When we asked the Prudent Mamas, we discovered everyone is nervous about knits. We get that! Since we have a bunch of cute patterns for knit jersey dresses and such planned for you, we thought we’d start by getting everyone comfortable with sewing knits. Let’s start with a little primer on sewing with jersey knit fabrics, including what equipment you need (or don’t need), the different stitches, and some basic tips to help you get on your way to Cozytown. 
From the feedback on our Facebook page and Twitter, we see that the Prudent Mamas have concerns about stretched out seams, popping threads, and slippage while sewing. The overall conclusion was that knits are scary. No! Knits are just stretchy. Sewing with jersey knit fabrics should not scare anyone! Let’s take the mystery out of sewing these stretchy beasts.
Then you can make these cute dresses I share a pattern and tutorial for here: Beginner’s Jersey Baby Dress!
Learn the basics of how to sew with knit jersey fabrics…
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