Ucreate

Creative Guest: Party Skirt Tutorial by Creative Spaces

2010-09-10T05:01:00.002-06:00

I am so unbelievably excited to be a creative guest here at UCreate today! Wow- seriously, can't even contain my excitement!!

So let me try and share a little about myself with you first. My name is Genevieve. I have been married to my best friend for 4 1/2 years now and I am a stay-at-home mom to our darling (almost) 22 month old daughter Miss M. And I run the blog Creative Spaces. It started out a few years ago as a place for me to post about digital scrapbooking and Photoshop and what I was learning with it. Well that soon fizzled out! It then kind of just became dormant for quite sometime with the occasional random post as I hadn't really sewn much since my mom had taught me when I was little and then I was pregnant with Miss M and was just too sick to even think about being creative! But once Miss M was a few months old, I pulled out my old sewing machine and started sewing just small little projects here and there for her. 2 little quilt tops for her. A diaper clutch. Baby leggings. Her first Easter outfit. I then started sewing a little more and pushing myself a little farther. I now love sewing and I think I sew almost every single day! If I don't- I'm kind of cranky to be around. :) I couldn't even stand to be away from my sewing machines as we were moving across country (and living the gypsy lifestyle as we didn't have a place of our own for almost 3 months!) and being able to sew some projects here and there- that really helped me keep my sanity!

And like I said, I really am so excited to be guesting here today and can't wait to share with you my latest projects! I had originally envisioned a skirt for me but after making my Party Skirt, I knew that I had to have one for Miss M but pint sized. So that is what I'm here to share with you today- a tutorial for a mini sized Party Skirt!

Let's just jump right in! What you'll need:* Fabric- this can be linen (like used in the adult version) or cotton. And the amount is based on your model. Oh and wash and dry it first. You'd hate to have your brand new skirt shrink after the first time it's worn!* Elastic* Thread* Scissors* Sewing machine (and serger if you have one. If not- just zig zag your edges)* Iron and ironing board* And of course a cute little model to measure!You'll want to measure around the waist and the length you want it to be.My daughter's waist is 16" and I wanted the length to be 9"(yes- she is a peanut!)

This is what I used for the elastic. I prefer the non-roll in a nice wide width

Alright so lets going!

The main portion of the skirt: the length you measured with 2 inches added by her waist measurement 2 1/2 times. Make sense? No. So for example- my piece was 11 inches wide (I wanted the final length to be 9) and 40 inches long (16+16+8=40).The waist band: the length is 1 1/2 times your models waist and for width- it'll be about an inch extra to double the width of your elastic. Again- my piece was 24 inches long (16+8=24) and 4 inches wide (1 1/2+1 1/2+1=4).Elastic: I wanted mine to come out to be 16 inches exactly so it barely fits her now. So I cut the elastic 8 inches- or half of your waist measurement.

This is what you should have:

This is your skirt and all of the material you'll need.

So we'll start by making the waistband first. It is the most time consuming part! First serge your long edges. It is easier to do this now instead of later I found out! Then we're gong to fold it in half and iron a crease. To do this, I tucked the elastic inside the fold and then if you're sewing a striped material, carefully match those stripes up so that they will be straight once finished.

After ironing a small area, go ahead and just slip that elastic out and iron a nice solid crease in the whole waistband.

We're now going to topstitch just as close to the edge as possible down the length of the whole piece to keep that crease there.

Now measure down half of your original waist measurement, add about 1/2 inch for the side seam, and pin.

You're now just going to sew straight seams that length. (so from the end to your pin) This will be the front of the skirts waistband. I wanted it to lay flat and the seams will help with it keeping its shape when washed.

Once you've finished, we're going to sew in the elastic! Tuck it right up snug in that crease/top stitching and push it as close to the seam ends as possible. Sew it horizontal now. I sewed 3 seams on the blue stripes to help keep it in place and strong against being pulled at.

Now with your elastic inside, sew a casing down the rest of the material staying pretty close to the edge of the elastic.

Oh but wait! Before you sew your whole casing, attach a safety pin through the end of the elastic and hook a ribbon (this just happened to be right nearby) through the pin. This will help you in the next step.

So after sewing the casing all the way down, we're gonna pull that elastic through. This is where the ribbon comes in handy! Now don't just try and pull that ribbon because trust me I learned, the safety pin will pop off. :) It will still work, it is just trickier threading that elastic through the casing. So instead, use it like a handle and just gently pull the material back on the elastic, pushing it back. Once you've reached the end of your elastic, sew it in place again as you did on the other end. But leave about a 1/2 inch or so for the side seam. Your waistband should look like this:

Now that the hard part is over, let's whip the rest of this skirt up! What'd ya say?

Take the main portion of your skirt and serge all edges. This isn't neccessary but it sure does give it a nice finished look when your done.

Gather the top. If you haven't ruffled before, it's easy! Lengthen your stitch to the longest setting. Loosen your bobbin. And don't backstitch! Now you're just going to sew along the top edge and then pull just one side of the strings (either your top thread or the bobbin- not both!) to gather it into a nice ruffle. One tip- break your skirt up into portions. That way if a thread breaks, it's not the whole skirt that has to be redone. You can see this in the picture below:

Now your going to pin your skirt portion to your waistband. Now this gets a little tricky. First pin the flat portion of the waistband to the ruffled skirt portion. Now when you pin the elastic portion, stretch it out! This will make your material not as ruffled as the front so that when the elastic scrunches back up, the material scrunches. And when the elastic is stretched out, the material will still look slightly ruffled. Does that make sense? Hope so!

Now sew those two pieces together where you have just pinned.

Now just iron that seam flat and iron in those ruffles a bit. Not much, just a little to help it lay nicely.

This is a great time now to check for your ruffling thread. If you see some, no biggie! Just carefully unpick it.

You're almost done!! All we have left is to sew your side seam, press that open, and then hem the skirt bottom. Yay- you have just made an adorable party skirt!

But if you want to add on the cute bow in front, don't leave me just yet. When I made my party skirt, I made a detachable sash. But that would be tricky to keep in place on a crazy little runner and dancer! So instead, I made a half of sash and attached it. We're going to first make 2 sashes. You'll want to cut these double the width of your waist band and as long as the entire waist measurement. So my two pieces: they were each about 3 inches side and 16 inches long.

Now fold each in half with the right sides together, iron this crease, and cut one end at a slight angle.

Sew around three of the sides creating a long tube. Snip your corners and flip it right side out.

Iron these again keeping those seams nice and flat.

Now just tuck in the one end to close it off and topstitch around the entire sash. I chose to finish these off with my double needle but that was just for style. Any regular topstitch would work great!

Now you should have 2 little sashes (and check your angles at this point to make sure they are laying correctly). Lay these wrong side out and pin just inside or in front of the sides. Sew back and forth a few different times on each side.

Now tie into a bow and voila! You know have a mini Party Skirt- complete with a big bow!

I love the finished look!! And with that elastic back, it'll be sure to last for quite sometime!

Front: Flat fitted look with a gorgeous big bow!

Back: nice and stretchy for easy on and off and to adjust for growth!

It is the perfect little complimentary skirt to the fitted (with a zipper) adult Party Skirt! You can check out that tutorial over at Creative Spaces. And if you have any questions at all about this tutorial, please don't hesitate to email me. I would love to hear from you and help you out the best I can! creativespacesblog@gmail.com

I hope that you each love making your own Party Skirts- whether big or small!

Thank you so much again Kari for inviting me to guest here today. It was so much fun! And if you're interested, come stop by and say hello at Creative Spaces- I'd love to have ya pop in and visit anytime- my blog is always clean and ready for visitors! Have a great day UCreate fans!

Ballard-Inspired Laundry Sign

2010-09-09T15:01:00.008-06:00

Check out Beckie's Ballard-inspired laundry room sign

at Infarrantly Creative!! Gotta love a great knock-off to save some bucks!

Laundry Sign Tutorial

Lovin' the fancy knobs that are everywhere right now!

Sponsor Love:

Huge selection of fun DIY jewelry!

Anthro-inspired Scarf Tutorial

2010-09-09T17:01:00.001-06:00

Kelly from Sewing In No Mans Land shares how to make this gorgeous scarf!!

She made it so she could wear it to Rome...I'm so jealous (going there is on my bucket list)!

Gorgeous Scarf Tutorial

While you're there check out this fun owl door stopper tutorial!

Sponsor Love:

Check out these amazing before

& afters using Dutch Boy Paint!

Bathroom Wall Makeover!

2010-09-07T10:50:00.003-06:00

So I'm sure many of you have seen this gorgeous bathroom by House of Smith's, but I have to share just in case you haven't!! I love everything about it...the soft color scheme, the damask vinyl, the cute towel racks, etc!

Bathroom Wall Makeover Tutorial

I can't wait to do this in our downstairs bathroom...I'll show you all pics when I'm finished!!

Burlap "BOO" Wreath Tutorial

2010-09-07T11:12:00.002-06:00

Linda @ Craftaholics Anonymous shares how to make this Halloween wreath using black burlap!

Burlap "BOO" Wreath Tutorial

Love the shaggy look!!

Beautiful Cake Stands!

2010-09-07T15:23:00.003-06:00

You have to see these beautiful cake stands that Bee In Our Bonnet made for a wedding reception!!

The scallops spice it up and the white dishes they place on top look so classy.

Cake Stand Tutorial

How fun is that bright turquoise color?!

Messenger Bag Tutorial!

2010-09-07T20:44:00.002-06:00

Alida from I Make Stuff shows you how to make this fun messenger bag!

Messenger Bag Tutorial

Lovin' the quatrefoil fabric!

{and thanks to Jen I actually know what quatrefoil is}

Creative Guest: Luxe Lovey Tutorial by Aesthetic Nest

2010-09-09T05:01:00.000-06:00

I'm Anneliese and my blog, Aesthetic Nest, journals all the creative things I enjoy. I love nothing better than making something for one of my wee muses: my three little girls. And the opportunity for hand me downs helps me rationalize spending the resources on fun things for them!

Because I am a "finisher," meaning that the satisfaction of crossing off a project on my list (and posting it on my blog) far outweighs the enjoyment of the process, I love things that can be done quickly. This Luxe Lovey is just such a project. It's perfect for an assembly line approach to making a bunch at once. And great to have on hand for baby gifts. When Kari asked me to be a Creative Guest on Ucreate I thought it would make the perfect tutorial. I'm so happy to be here today to share it.

When my daughter, Scarlett, was born, a friend gave her a "lovey." I wasn't familiar with the concept, just thought it was a cute, portable, baby-sized blanket. But she explained that the mother is supposed to sleep a couple nights with the lovey to imbue it with her scent, and then give it to baby so that baby will be comforted by it when mommy is in the other room sleeping, or away for an hour or two. So it's soft and cuddly and portable, and smells like mom--perfect!

I love that these minky and satin loveys are luxurious. A little bit of luxury goes such a long way! And if you make a batch of them the price per lovey is scandalously low--such a nice secret for a luxe baby gift.

The potential combinations are endless, but I picked Retro Dot in bubblegum pink and Dimple Dot in white for one lovey, and ...

...Minkee Tween Fresh Flowers in mandarin orange and Minkee Tween Cheetah in mandarin orange for the other. This would be a fun group project--split the bill to buy minky for a multitude of different combinations and go home with a variety.

To make your own Luxe Lovey you will need:

-1/3 yard each of two coordinating minky fabrics (with 60" minky you will actually have enough fabric for 6 loveys!)

-1 package Wright's Satin Blanket Binding (1 package is enough for 3 loveys; buy two packages to make 6 loveys)

-Matching thread

LUXE LOVEY TUTORIAL

To start, cut 10" squares of each of your minky fabrics (1/3 yard of 60" minky is enough for 10 squares).

Then, round the corners. I much prefer the rounded look and it makes adding the satin ruffle much easier. I used a small tin as a template for the curve on one corner.

You can trace the curve on the wrong side of the fabric and cut, or use a rotary cutter to cut around whatever you are using for a template.

Once you've established the curve on one corner use it as the template for the remaining three so all are identical. Repeat this for each minky square you are using.

for the satin ruffle: Take your packaged binding and cut it in thirds. You will have three pieces, each about 58" in length. Take a length of binding and sew the ends right sides together to form a ring.

Press the seam open and then fold and press the entire length of the satin binding to remove the packaging creases.

With the binding folded in half, as it came, gather along the open edge. Stitch 1/4" from the edge (aligned with your foot as shown above) using your longest (basting) stitch and with your tension set at the highest (9 on my machine).

I found I didn't need to pin the binding to do this but since the satin will inevitably creep you can make a small pleat in the top layer occasionally to compensate. It will blend in with the gathering.

Now divide the binding in four, mark with pins, and pin right sides together to the centers of each side of your minky, as shown above.

Pull your thread to adjust the gathers and pin the binding all the way around the edges of your minky. Baste stitch the ruffle in place with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Now you will take your coordinating piece of minky and pin it right sides together with the ruffled piece, being careful to fold in the satin ruffle so it's lying flat and clear of the edges. (The satin ruffle is "sandwiched" between your two pieces of minky with edges of the the two minky pieces and satin binding aligned.)

Leave a two inch opening to turn right side out, as shown above between the red and blue pins.

Stitch on top of the basting to avoid having to unpick any basting stitches (which is impossible to do on the satin without pulling up extra threads).

Turn right side out (so cute!) and stitch the opening closed as close to the edge as possible. The minky hides the stitching rather nicely, especially if it is patterned.

And there you have it: your Luxe Lovey!

It's hard to stop with just one. You'll want to make them in all sorts of combinations. And why not give away two at a time--it's great to have a backup of your child's comfort object as you know what a nightmare it is if it goes missing.

The Freckled Flower Shop Giveaway!!

2010-09-08T06:00:00.004-06:00

Welcome The Freckled Flower Shop to Ucreate today!!

If you're looking for fabulous, fun jewelry at affordable prices you have come to the right place today!

Chante also creates gorgeous pettiskirts and tutus!!

"At The Freckled Flower Shop you will find vintage-inspired jewelry pieces, hair accessories and boutique style children's clothing. All of my clothing is here on my site, but all of my jewelry is in my etsy shop. I offer unique and quality items at great rates because I know I love to find a deal on great things...so I try and offer that with the things I make and sell."

Check out some of Chante's creations...

Poppy Earring Studs

Blooming Flower Earrings

Chrissy Flower Rings

Pettiskirts, Tutus, and so much more!!

GIVEAWAY!!

"I call this the 'UCreate Grab Bag Giveaway'. Every item in the giveaway is brand new to my shop."

Chante is giving away...

Autumn-inspired feather headband

silver sparrow earrings

oval rose earrings and necklace

cheetah pettiskirt w/ cheetah headband

baby leggings

What a fun variety of boutique items!!

How to enter: Visit The Freckled Flower Shop and their Etsy shop, come back here and let me know what your favorite item is.

{random winner will be announced Friday night, Sept. 10th}

Thanks Chante!!

Groop Dealz Giveaway!! Hobby Lobby, Joanne's, and Michael's Gift Cards!

2010-09-06T13:00:00.003-06:00

Are you ready for a rockin' crafters giveaway?!

Groop Dealz is a "Deal of the Day" type of website launching...

Sept 13th!

They will have a daily deal with a fabulous discount from awesome companies like...

Target

Frogurt

Platinum Car Wash

Incredible Pizza Company

Nail Port

Smoochies

and MANY more!

Are you ready for this? They are giving one lucky Ucreate reader...

...a $25 gift card to Hobby Lobby...

...a $25 gift card to Joann's...

...and a $25 gift card to Michael's!!!

Just think of all the fun craft supplies you can add to your collection!

How to enter: Go to Groop Dealz and simply enter your email address. {leave a comment telling me you did this}

Go HERE and and Like Groop Dealz on Facebook {leave a seperate comment telling me you did this}.

Seriously...How cool are they?!

We'll announce the random winner Friday night!

Good luck!

Daybed w/Storage Plans!

2010-09-06T09:07:00.002-06:00

So I stopped by Kara's Korner and fell in love with her daybeds immediately!!

She made two of these using the amazing plans from Knock-off Wood {check out her updated site-it's fabulous}!

Storage Bed Plans

The storage space is a genius way to use up the space!!

Love. This!

Grapevine Wreath Fall Centerpiece!

2010-09-06T08:50:00.001-06:00

Brenda @ Deck The Halls of Home With Joy shares how to make this festive fall centerpiece!

Lovin' how you can put anything in the center! The apples and wooden sign are so much fun!

Fall Centerpiece Tutorial

...and of course I think these fabric pumpkins are fabulous..gets me super excited to start mine!!

New Craft Blog: Young and Crafty

2010-09-04T23:50:00.000-06:00

Meet Hannah.

Hannah created a new blog called Young and Crafty in July.

She submitted a tutorial and I had so much fun looking around at her projects...as you will see, she's super creative and you'll want to check out her blog!

She says...

"I'm a crafter of all kinds. I love projects. I scrapbook, paint, and attempt to build things. I'm nothing more than an amateur DIYer and loving every minute of it!"

If you stop by, you might see this...

...turned into this! Her yellow damask fabric looks gorgeous with the paint!

She'll show you how to Mod Podge a fan!

I also love her remodeling projects! One of her most recent creations is this beautiful new flooring!

Hannah's also shows you how she created this fun kitchen backsplash!

Make sure and stop by Young and Crafty where you'll get to know Hannah, see her fun ideas, scrapbooking talents, and you might even find a yummy recipe!

Thanks for sharing your creativity with us Hannah!!

Winners Announced and great discounts!!

2010-09-04T06:01:00.000-06:00

First I have to thank Piece N Quilt, Becky, Bead Creations International, and Pampered Princess Tutus for amazing giveaways this week and celebrating Ucreate's anniversary!!

Natalia from Piece N Quilt started off our giveaway week with these amazing fabric giveaways!!

Check out Natalia's high-quality and great selection of fabrics at her store, HERE.

She is having a Labor Day Sale and you get 40% off your total purchase!!

The winner of the "Adoring" layer cake is...

Andrew & Tara said...

Congrats!

My question is two part. Where do you go to find all of your ideas and links? AND How many of the ideas that you link do you usually do yourself?

...and the winner of this "Adoring" jelly roll is...

Jean Burke said...

How many of the ideas/crafts do you actually have time to make....and what's your favorite type of crafting? Keep up the good work - love the blog and all the creativity you showcase and inspire. Piece....

Congratulations on winning this gorgeous fabric!! You can see my answers to most of the questions on the next post!

Next we'll go to my sis Becky who totally blew me away with a surprise post and giveaway. Becky you are forgiven, but be aware of paybacks!!

I LOVE how she asked you to share what makes you unique.

We had a blast reading all of your comments!

You had us laughing, shocked, and saying "WOW" constantly.

The winner of Becky's vinyl plaque is...

lacey said...

I have THE most unique talent ever. Not everyone can say they have this talent, in fact ... I bet you've NEVER met anyone who has the same claim to fame.

I CAN TURN MY BELLY BUTTON INSIDE OUT!! ... Beat that.

That is unique, Lacey! So.hilarious!

Everyone else is in luck because you can purchase Becky's one-of-a-kind vinyl kit for only $8.50, HERE.

Next, let's announce the winner of Natalie's custom Halloween tutus!!

I'm so glad you all LOVED them as much as I do...I love how gorgeous and unique they are! Thanks to everybody for sharing your fun Halloween costume ideas!

The winner is...

Ida @ contagiously creative...

These are the cutest EVER! Oh, my goodness! I don't usually dress up for Halloween, but plan on it now that my son is getting old enough to understand. I haven't decided what to be and I'm not sure about the kids yet either, but my son will want to be something along the lines of a garbage man or construction worker since he loves machinery!

Congratulations Ida!

Purchase your customized tutu at Pampered Princess Tutus!

Many of you commented and said how much you love the quality of Bead Creations International and their beautiful jewelry! Well..they are giving Ucreate readers a discount, but first let's announce the winner of this fabulous keychain!

I read every one of your comments sharing your favorite tutorials you found...thanks for sharing!!

K, the winner is...

Amy said...

I love so many...but my most recent favorite is the zipper rings. So cute! kevinamymartin@yahoo.com

Enjoy your keychain, Amy!

DISCOUNT TODAY ONLY!!

Bead Creations International is offering a personalized hand stamped necklace like these...

Regular Price: up to $51.50

Today's Special: only $37.00

Click HERE to purchase your personalized gift today!

Your Questions Answered...

2010-09-04T08:01:00.036-06:00

I received over 400 questions...WOW!

I tried to answer the most popular questions and luckily most of you wanted to know the same things.

So...I'll start with the most asked question:

How do you do it all?

I don't do it all. That's the secret!
I don't answer every email.
I don't feature every tutorial.
I don't spend more than 2 hours a day on the computer.
I don't blog on Sundays {a girl needs a day of rest and Sunday is a special day for me}.

Here's what I do to help:
I pre-post {schedule them ahead of time} all of my posts. If you see a post scheduled at 5AM I probably did it a couple of days before when the kids were asleep.
I have a Ucreate calendar and organize all of my giveaways, posts, features, and ideas.
I check my emails on my phone if I'm bored. Examples: waiting forever in the Dr.'s office, hubby shopping in the tool store, etc.

How often do you actually make the tutorials you feature?

I was addicted to crafts...that's why I started Ucreate. I was constantly trying new tutorials in the beginning. I have four little ones that need my attention more as they get older and I don't create as much as I used to. I've had some readers that told me they want to see what I make and create...this woke me up to the fact that I don't share my projects enough. I knew I needed something to motivate me and that's what started "Create With Me"! Now I create at least {sometimes way more depending on the project} once a month with you and this has been more fun than I ever realized! It brings me back to the reason I started Ucreate in the first place.

What do you think about the social media explosion?

I have mixed feelings because I've met many bloggers through Facebook and Twitter. It's a place where you can be casual, get to know people and companies, etc. The hard part about social media is that for me it can also be an easy way to waste my time. I'm not knowledgeable with social media ettiquette and I'm always hopin' that I'm not offending people. Someone said {and for the life of me I can't remember who it was}, "The hard thing about social media is that it can make us feel insecure. People tend to only share the extraordinary things instead of the ordinary things."
My favorite thing about social media is the ease of getting the word out about something. Family events, special occassions, news, etc. It's also super easy to find people with your same hobbies & interests!

How do you choose what/who you feature? Do you search them or do they come to you?

Most of my features come from tutorial submissions, however I try to keep up on trends and try to check out craft blogs often. If I see a continuing style that I like in a blogger, sometimes I will contact them to be a guest.

I'd like to know if blogging is a money-making job, or just a hobby to you?

Luckily, both. I didn't start this blog to make money at all...actually, when I started I didn't even realize you could make money blogging...it was so new to me! I also have people ask me all of the time how to make money blogging...I just say don't blog if it's just about money. Blog because you have a passion about something!

Have you ever had somebody tell you that they don't want their tutorial featured? Have they asked you to take it down?

Nope. Most bloggers want the traffic. I never post a full tutorial on Ucreate...I send my readers to the tutorial on their blog. If you see a full tutorial it is because they have been created by a guest specifically for Ucreate.

Does putting yourself out there ever give you the jitters? Do you ever get "stage-fright"?

When I'm at home blogging I am in my comfort zone and pretty much say whatever I'd like. The time I received the jitters pretty bad was when I attended my first conference. I wasn't used to bringing my blog world and my real life together and that was really strange for me!! I can't describe it...maybe some of you bloggers have had the same feeling. Anyways, the more I meet other bloggers and attend conferences the more comfortable I feel. So basically to answer your question, I don't get the jitters blogging, just in real life!

What new trends do you see coming out in the world of crafting?

Wallpaper is definitely coming back with a bang!! I think we'll see lots of this in upcoming crafts and decor projects. Zig zags are huge and I'm seeing lots of tie dye!

What religion are you? When did you find Jesus?

K,so I told you that you could ask me anything...it's personal, but a few of you asked this and I would love to answer. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. When did I find Jesus? I honestly can't remember an exact moment...I strive to have Him in my life everyday.

When are you launching Ucreate Foods, Kid's Create, and Ucreate Parties?

Last week I finished hiring all of my contributors and I am sooo excited to introduce them to you soon! I had so many fabulous applicants and it was super hard to decide. I'm so happy with these three amazing women!
The plan is to launch all sites this October.

What are some tips to get more comments and followers?
Don't judge your post by how many comments it has received! I made the mistake of doing this and deleting some tutorials last year and boy did I have some upset readers...."where's this tutorial?"..."I wanted to make this today." etc. Think about it. How often do you comment on blogs? Most of us do not comment very often if ever! How often do you hear "I've been a fan of your blog for a long time and this is the first time I've commented"...most of us hear that a lot!
As for followers, I used to do a "Follower's Rock Giveaway". I wanted my giveaways to be geared to my fans rather than a random person coming from somewhere to enter a contest. I had tons of fun with this until my followers were hitting the 3,000 mark and my readers told me they had a better chance to win a giveaway from random comment entries...that's why I stopped a long time ago.

What made you decide on mainly featuring other blogs over all content done by just you?

Two years ago, I was searching the internet for a pattern and I was finding tutorials...are you kidding me? I was basically finding free patterns! I started compiling them and saving them for my personal use. Next, I had some followers, I have no idea where they came from and little by little it just started to grow. This motivated me to find more tutorials and eventually grow Ucreate into a hobby business.

Just wanted to know if you "inherited" the creative gene from someone in your family or did you just find it on your own?

My great-grandmother was a fabulous seamstress! She taught my own mother to sew and I love to hear her stories. My grandmother knits and crochets. I have aunts that knit, cross-stitch, scrapbook, quilt, etc. I have a sister that can create ANYTHING!
So yes, I am surrounding by crafty women.

What's the best handmade gift you've ever received?

When I was getting married my mother gave me a gorgeous framed cross-stitch of a bride getting ready for her wedding. This was a total surprise and it took her two years to finish...I treasure it!

I hope this helps with some of your blogging questions and gives you an insight on how Ucreate started. You guys are the best!

Thanks again for celebrating this 2nd year with me!

I have lots of ideas in store and am looking forward to another amazing year with you!!

Creative Guest: Word Wall Decor by The Crafting Chicks

2010-09-03T06:01:00.001-06:00

Hi! I'm Jen, one of the six 'chicks' from The Crafting Chicks.

We are six friends who love to share our crafty ideas with each other and all of you! :) We love being moms (there are 21 little ones with one on the way between us) and we love to be creative. Our blog has lots of fun crafts, recipes, tips, home decor ideas, and fun ideas for moms & their little ones.

I love this blog and I am so excited to be guest posting today!

I am the mom to six beautiful children. Two of them are girls, Kylie & Lily Pearl, who are seven years apart in age. My Kylie was SO excited to have a sister after having four brothers, so she insisted that they share a room. So, I had to come up with some decorating ideas that were 'big girl' but still really sweet and cute. I came up with this for the wall above my Kylies daybed...

I wanted something cute and personalized. I LOVE photos and my girls sweet little faces, so I printed a 12x12 photo of each of them at Costco (love it) and put them in a 12x12 frame (I got mine at Hobby Lobby). Next, I made the word art.

You will need:
Scrapbook Paper
Mod Podge
Wood (cut in different sizes)

I was going to have my husband cut me some wood, but I found these wood boards in the wood section of Hobby Lobby. They are WONDERFUL!!! They are already cut in some fun sizes, they are already sanded, and they were inexpensive.

I traced each board on the back of my scrapbook paper and cut it to fit.

Next, I Mod Podged the paper onto each of the boards and let it dry.

Finally, I used my handy dandy Silhouette to cut some words out of vinyl. I let my daughter choose some of the words. I loved that she wanted sparkle and shine. :) She does sparkle and shine, so it is perfect! I wanted words that reflected their personalities.

I then hung my photos in the center and just hung the words kind-of randomly all around them.

I LOVE how it turned out!

Happy Crafting Everyone!!!

xoxoxo Jen

Ucreate Anniversary Giveaway...Pampered Princess Tutus!

2010-09-02T15:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome Natalie from Pampered Princess Tutus!

"Hi and welcome to my boutique that will allow you to pamper your little princess. My name is Natalie and I am the creative force behind Pampered Princess Tutus. My inspiration comes from a wonderful husband and SPUNKY 4 year old daughter. For the past 4 year I have been designing and creating Tutus and Accessories to make your little princess sparkle. Halloween is such a fun and busy time for alot of moms and dads, and that is why I thought it would be fun to team up with Kari for a Giveaway!!! Really who doesn't LOVE free stuff. The giveaway will include one Halloween tutu with all the accessories, if there is something different that your little princess was wanting to be I can get it made. Thanks again and just remember "Every Little Princess Deserves to be Pampered"

Warning: Adorable Tutus to Follow...

So. Darling!

Visit Pampered Princess to see the full gallery!

~Giveaway~

Win a custom Halloween tutu of your choice!!

{$55.00 value}

To Enter: Tell me what you're going to be for Halloween...if you don't dress up, let me know what your kids are planning to be!! This will give us lots of fun ideas!

{all giveaways will be announced Saturday morning}

Thanks Natalie!!

HELLO U-Creators!!!

2010-09-02T08:24:00.004-06:00

It's Beck again...you know, Kari's little sister. I thought I would hijack the UCreate blog today in celebration of the UCreate Anniversary this week.

You may have realized that Kari is a somewhat private person...or maybe you didn't. Well, I am just the opposite! I share it all...maybe a little too much. :) So I thought I would share some things you may not know about Kari (without her permission, of course).

THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT KARI

(or more appropriately titled: The Last Time Becky Gets to Hijack UCreate)

-She was asked to be on the Dr. Phil show discussing balancing time and family...or something like that. She turned it down and never looks back.

-She won an 'all expenses paid' trip to Disneyland for her whole family.

-Her family is first and foremost in her life...above everything!

-Kari got Reye's Syndrome as a first grader...and survived with no lasting affects. (I am convinced God knew I couldn't make it through this life without a sister so he spared her).

-She is a Black Friday junkie. We will be fighting the crowds and freezing our butts off when we're 80.

-Two words: TEAM EDWARD!

-She is not entirely comfortable in the spotlight...in fact, she prefers being "behind the scenes."

-Kari and I talk to each other everyday for at least an hour...sometimes more. Wanna know what we talk about? Absolutely nothing...and I love it!

-Has some classic embarrassing moments. Here is one that she recently posted on Facebook:
Went to Costco and was ready to check out and gave the dude my membership card. He said, "Um..this won't work...it's your Lagoon [theme park] pass! The funny thing is that's what I flashed the person who let me in the store...that was EMBARRASSING!!

-Here's another one:
While working at a fast food place at the age of 16, Kari was working the drive thru when a woman asked for a "large diet coke, half and half." (This means half diet coke and half coke). Kari was a bit confused, but proceeded to make the woman's order by pouring a large coke and adding half and half coffee creamer to it. Funny thing is the customer didn't come back or complain...maybe she like it!

-Kari's current reading obsession is the final book of the Hunger Games series, Mockingjay. That girl loves to read!

-She is genuinely surprised by the growing success of UCreate.

-She owes me $100 dollars if she has a Coke before the end of the year...and I owe her a Coke if I cut my hair before the end of the year.

-She is one of the most giving people I know. Everyone else always comes first with Kari. She will drop everything for anyone in need.

(Christmas morning at grandma's house)

And last but not least:
-Kari will kill me for posting pictures of her.

Happy 2nd Blog Birthday, Kar. :)

Well, I can't make a stop at UCreate and not do a GIVEAWAY!!! You cannot celebrate a birthday without presents. I will give one lucky reader this beautiful HOLY NAMES plaque Friday morning:

How can you win, you ask? Well, I have told you things about Kari so you can get to know her better...so, leave a comment stating one thing that makes you unique. Let's get to know the UCreators!!

(Giveaway will be determined randomly)

Ucreate Anniversary Giveaway...Bead Creations International!

2010-09-02T05:01:00.001-06:00

Today we are celebrating Ucreate's 2nd anniversary by doing a day of giveaways from some super awesome companies!

I'm sure you've heard of Bead Creations International! Debbie is known for her beautiful hand stamped jewelry/items and to help us celebrate she is giving away this GORGEOUS keychain...

"I Love You To The Moon And Back" Hand Stamped Keychain

{Valued at $42.50}

How to Enter:

Tell me a favorite tutorial you've used that you found through Ucreate!

{all giveaway winners will be announced this Saturday morning}

Zipper Ring Tutorial!

2010-08-31T11:17:00.001-06:00

Zipper crafts are everywhere right now and my jaw dropped when I saw these zipper rings at That's So Cuegly! Super cool and also fun for the teens!

Zipper Ring Tutorial

Thanks Lindsay!

Create With Me: September Project!

2010-09-01T08:30:00.005-06:00

I was going back and forth with tutorials to use for September's "Create With Me"...should we do a Halloween project...or a Fall project that is versatile over the next few months?
After asking my fabulous Facebook fans, hands down you wanted a Fall theme {about 90%!!}.

So...your wish is granted!

The tutorial that came to my mind immediately and that has been extremely popular for fall is...

...this amazing fabric pumpkin tutorial by Holly Brimhall!

Fabric Pumpkin Tutorial

I love how you can make a bunch to display on an entry table or mantel...

...or you can make a couple to display as a centerpiece or accent to any fall decor!

So. Gorgeous!!

I can't wait to see what shapes, fabrics, and embellishments you choose!!

Thank you Holly for so graciously allowing us to use this as September's project!!

Wanna play?

Here are the simple details:

1. Take a photo of your finished pumpkins.

2. Email me your photo and the name and/or link you want displayed with it to ucreatecrafts@gmail.com.

3. Due date for pics is Sept 29th at 5pm {mountain standard time}.

4. I'll post everyone's photos in the Create With Me gallery on Sept 30th for all of my readers to see!

HAVE FUN!!

"Create With Me" Table Runner Gallery...

2010-08-31T12:51:00.001-06:00

I had a blast this month creating with you!!

Amy's table runner tutorial was a HUGE hit and let me tell you...I learned sooo much!!

I've pieced many quilts before, but I've always been super nervous about binding and doing the finish quilting myself...it's way easier for me to hire that out! Thanks to Amy {and some help from my crafty mom!} I feel empowered that I machine quilted this and did the binding!

Now for the best part...are you ready to see some BEAUTIFUL table runners?!

Here we go...

Let's start with the creator of this month's amazing tutorial...

Amy @ Diary of a Quilter

As you can see Amy's a pro at quilting and coordinating fabric. Her table runner is absolutely gorgeous and that's why so many people wanted to make one!!

Here's mine...

I had a bugger of a time taking a photo because my runner is so long and skinny! I decided to do super fat and skinny stripes with a touch of ric-rac. My kitchen has a french black/white/red theme so I wanted to continue the theme in my runner...this was such a blast to make!!

Becky @ I Show Off

Becky {as most of you know she's my li'l sis} loves purple! Sewing comes so naturally to Becky and her table runner shows it...it's just about as beautiful as my nephew and nieces in this photo! Her wonky stripes look so good!

Brittany @ The Happy Bumbler

Love Brittany's fabric choices and think it's perfect to display any time of year!

Gorgeous!

Katie Holm @ Holm Made

I'm lovin' Katie's square look and if you look closer you can see her amazing machine quilting! Love it!

Chris @ Pickup Some Creativity

Check out Chris' fun table runner!! The aqua and red pops of color really look fabulous on her gorgeous table...and while we're looking, how cool is this pedestal using a plate and a candlestick?!

Rhonda @ Quilt Nut Creations

Rhonda's been a busy chick! She sent in both of these beautiful table runners and all of the fabric choices are just fantastic!

Super talented!

Andrea @ Knitty Bitties

Polka dots! We all love polka dots and Andrea's version is simply gorgeous...the bright colors look so great against her black table!

Krystle @ The Noble Wife

Krystle and I had the same idea when it came to the longer size! Her scrappy look is fabulous and I'm so amazed to see how much color these add to a kitchen!

Heidi Cosseboom

Love the contrast between this gorgeous, light pastel fabric and her bold green buffet table! Great job Heidi!

Angela Nash @ My Three Sons

Angela's color combinations are amazing...orange and turquoise are definitely hot colors this year!

Tonya @ The Cozy House Crafter

Tonya's table runner makes the perfect fall decor! Don't you love the fall fabrics?!

Those pumpkins are cool, too!

Ali Martin @ Blissful Memories Photography

Did you spot Ali's embroidered "yum" in her table runner?

K, that's creative and fun!

Kelsey @ For the Love of Squirrels

Love that you can display this table runner anywhere! Kelsey's runner is so great and I'm especially lovin' the yellow binding...such a fun contrast!

Susan Christiansen

Check out all of the fun plaids Susan used!

Love the country look and it looks fabulous on her piano!

Debbie Cook @ Stitches and Seams

I'm also in awe with Debbie's two runners! I fell in love with her line quilting and decided to copy her!

The rainbow theme above looks amazing with the white in between the colors and below is one of my favorite color schemes right now...amazing!

EmmaLee Hammond

Another fabulous fall runner! EmmaLee's placement of dark and light fabrics is fabulous and that floral pattern pops...beautiful!

Catherine @ 100 Projects in 2010

Catherine also shows how fabulous turqouise and orange coordinate!

So. Beautiful.

I also have to say how cool it is that she has a goal to finish 100 projects this year...way to go Catherine!

Thank you so much for participating this month...you all seriously did an AMAZING job!!

"Create With Me" is one of my very favorite things about Ucreate because you motivate me to actually make time to create and realize why I started this blog in the first place...let's face it...I'd look like a loser if I didn't fulfill on my end so the motivation is great! I have a blast seeing all of your variations and creativity...holy talented people!

If you still want to create this table runner, please feel free to share a link on this post sharing yours...I would love to see it!

Make sure to come back tomorrow to see what September's project will be!

UCREATE TURNS TWO...and a special THANK YOU!

2010-08-30T15:10:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it!!

These past two years have really been a journey for me. I've learned so much about this ever-growing blogland {which can honestly be overwhelming at times!}, the social media explosion, and I can't even tell you how many amazing crafters and readers I've met!

Two years ago I never imagined that people would actually want to read my blog...heck, three years ago I didn't even know what a blog was!!

I want to share random ways to celebrate throughout the week and first off, I thought it would be fun to...

answer YOUR questions!

Is there something you'd like to know about me? Maybe you have a blogging question? a personal question? Ask me anything you'd like!

...and of course we have to have a giveaway!!

One of the many creative ladies I've met these past 2 years is Natalia. You probably already know her from PieceNQuilt!

I'm dead serious when I say Natalia has some of the most amazing quilt designs I've ever seen in my life. I'm more of a modern quilter, and I think her style is fabulous! Check out her blog!

Natalia is giving away this "Adoring" Moda fabric...

one Adoring Layer Cake...

...and one Adoring Jellyroll

How to enter: all you have to do his ask me a question on this post.

{random winners will be announced when I post the answers this week}

I especially want to tell ALL of my readers today how much I've appreciated every single one of your comments these past two years! Thank you for your uplifting emails, your tutorial submissions, your compliments, your suggestions, stopping by to say "hi", etc.! You make everything worth it!

I also want to thank all of my creative guests and those MANY bloggers who let me feature them and share them with my readers. Tutorials are not easy to create! Lots of time and effort go into each one and I'm honored that you share them with us.

THANK YOU!!

Printable Thread Bobbins!

2010-08-28T13:39:00.002-06:00

Check out this fun way to store your thread! Mollie Johansen has this free printable on her creative blog, Wild Olive.

Printable Thread Bobbins

...on may way to print some out right now!!

{found via I Am Momma Hear Me Roar}

Fall Leaf Garland {made using an old book!}

2010-08-26T05:31:00.003-06:00

Fall is quickly approaching and I'm excited for a couple of reasons!

1. It's my favorite time of year! The weather is cooler, the holidays begin, the fall colors are fabulous, and I could go on!

2. I've been craft blogging for a couple of years and it seems to me that the craft tutorials increase significantly over the fall and holiday seasons! Crafters LOVE the holidays and they are so willing to share their creativity with blog land...

...which brings me to this fun fall leaf garland by Ticklish Moose!

Fall Leaf Garland Tutorial

I love the distressed look...heck I distress everything and the fall berries add the perfect touch.