bandana dress

DSC_0255

I have so many sewing and craft projects in my “to do” pile, that I get dizzy thinking about them. But since I had the luxury of kid-free time today, I thought I’d tackle one that promised to be quick: the bandana dress.

bandana dress (to be)

I’ve read tutorials for bandana dresses and pillowcase dresses and honestly, I think the end product looks pretty much the same, but since the bandana version did not require any cutting, I went with this tutorial from Trey and Lucy. And yes, it was every bit as easy as she makes it sound! I spend more time fussing with the ribbon and getting the bows just right. Truth be told, I would prefer to have lime green ribbon, but white was the only thing in my stash that matched. I can easily switch it out later. Also, I think the 1.5-inch ribbon is a little overwhelming. I’ll have to see it on Laura. The next one (because there will be a next one, oh yes!) will use narrower ribbon.

The cool thing about this dress is that you don’t really have to use bandanas. Just cut fabric you like to the size of a bandana (well, I suppose you’ll want to sew back the raw edges, but you know what I mean. I can’t wait to make these using holiday or seasonal fabric. I think this type of dress will look really cute over a turtleneck in the winter!

 

bandana dress

And, of course, I’ll have to make a hair bow to match 🙂

feeling rosey

baby hat with oversized rose

Last night I had great success with the alternate rose pattern I was crocheting! Here it is on one of the hats bound for my friend. I hope she loves it as much as I do.

The rose isn’t directly attached to the hat, this way she can mix-and-match. But rose and brown is one of my favorite color combinations and I wonder if I’d look goofy if I made this hat in my size 🙂

I’m going to make a cream rose to send along, as well. Who doesn’t need more oversized flowers in their life?

ubp giveaway

hair bow for giveaway

One of my favorite things about parties is putting together little favor bags for the guests. And while it would be impossible to give a favor to each and every blog visitor from the Ultimate Blog Party, I can host a giveaway for a little something. So whether you’re a longtime reader, or someone who has just discovered my blog through UBP11, just leave a comment on this entry for your chance to win this springy boutique hair bow. I made it from three different ribbons: a polka dot grosgrain, a lime green grosgrain, and a pink and green printed satin ribbon. The center is embellished with a silk flower and a tiny rhinestone.

I’ll accept entries for the duration of the blog hop (until April 8). I’ll use Random.org to pick the winning comment and post the name here bright and early Saturday morning! Good luck!

hats off

DSC_0005

Although you can probably crochet anything (well, maybe not hot tub spa covers), I’ve been busy on the basics lately. Namely: hats. One of my best friends recently started her own photography business and asked if I’d crochet some baby hats for her photo shoots. I was honored that she thought my skills were that good! Of course, I said yes and I set to finding two patterns: a feminine pattern and one that could be used for either little boys or little girls.

The hat in the photo at the top of this post was crocheted using The Dainty Daisy’s Shell Stitch Beanie pattern. I have since made several other hats using this pattern and I love them all! The pattern is easy, hooks up quickly, and is pretty true to size. This is a 6-12 month hat and you can see that it is too small on Laura (who loves wearing this test hat anyway!)

DSC_0008

The other hat is just a basic HDC stitch. It’s a little more boring and a little slower, but I still love the results:

DSC_0006

I’m also making some embellishments for the hats (crochet flowers, loopy bows, and buttons) on clips so she can use them in any of the hats. With a little luck I’ll be finished up by the end of the week. I hope she likes what I’ve come up with!

st. patrick’s day sale

160

I just wanted to give my blog readers a “head’s up” that starting on Monday I’ll be offering free shipping on all St. Patrick’s Day bows in my Etsy shop. I only have a few holiday-themed items left, but I hope to make a few more tomorrow. If you’re nervous about “electronic pickpocketing” and ordering online, Etsy is a completely safe place to purchase vintage goods as well as handmade items from independent crafters. You’ll find so many amazing artists, so be sure to browse other shops!

etsy update: st. patty’s day hair bows

This afternoon I had a chance to upload a few of the St. Patrick’s Day hair bows I’ve been making. Sadly, I totally missed the boat on Valentine’s Day (it’s just been a crazy time), but I’ll be stocking up for Easter once March 17th has passed. I’ll also be designing a line of First Communion bows, so feel free to send me a message if you have something specific in mind that you’d like me to create.

Here’s a peek at what’s new in my Etsy shop:

DSC_0124
Set of 3 classic tails-down bows: $9

DSC_0125
Twisted boutique bow: $4

DSC_0052
Awesome 80s-style braided ribbon barrette: $3

I love dressing Lulu up in clothes that go along with whatever holiday is closest. She just needs to grow some hair so she can wear some of my bows, too!

Oh, and don’t forget: now you can follow Pure Sugar Bows on Twitter as well as liking us on Facebook. Stay connected for the lasted sneak peeks and exclusive discounts!

etsy shop updated: awesome 80s barrettes

retro 80s barrettes

Do you remember wearing these barrettes in the 1980s? I wanted one so bad and finally my mother gave in and bought me a hot pink and white barrette that had silk flowers at the ends. I think we might have been on vacation at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, but I’m not sure. Anyway, there are a lot of retro styles at the moment so I thought it would be fun to make up a few of these braided barrettes. I have a few available in my Etsy shop, and I will be making up more as I have time. (My telecommuting husband has been conference calling up a storm this week, so Laura has been super clingy and I’m not working as fast as I’d like. Usually he can take a quick break so I can get some things done.)

At any rate, pricing on these barrettes is $3 each. I will be offering sets of two for $5. And as always, I am more than happy to make one (or two… or ten) up especially for you! Just send me a message including the following information:

1) What colors you want (pick 2 or 3: light pink, hot pink, light green, green, light blue, royal blue, navy blue, red, cream, white, brown, black, purple, yellow, orange)

2) Hair length (chin, shoulder, long)

3) What side of the head the barrette will worn (left, right, doesn’t matter).

These barrettes are great for any girl from preschool age right through the teen years. I do not recommend them for babies three and under because the streaming ribbons present a choking hazard.

And because I am so tired of the snow and cold (and I think most of the country is too at the moment) use the coupon code THINKSPRING to get an extra 20% off through Friday!

bows for the big game

Honestly, we are not football fans around here, but I know many people who get really into it. And since not everyone can be in Texas for it (oh, to be sipping iced tea while sitting underneath ceiling fans instead of warming my hands around a cup of tea while sitting in front of the wood stove!), parties are super popular. My friend Anita is probably the biggest Steelers fan I know, so I decided to make a bow for her daughter using the team’s colors. And then I figured I’d make a couple more (and I couldn’t leave out the Packers) and list them in my Etsy shop. Check ’em out:

super bowl-inspired bows

If your team didn’t make it this year, there’s always next year, right? And don’t forget that I take custom orders. If you have a favorite sports team let me know — I can make any kind of bow you want so even the littlest of fans can cheer ’em on!

ideas are spinning

partygirl

Lately I have so many ideas for hair bows and so little time to actually make them. They never said that creativity was a good treatment for insomnia, and with good reason — I can barely fall asleep at night thinking of everything I’d like to do! The other day I did have the chance to play around with my ribbons and this is one of the bows I made. I am totally in love with it and I am still debating whether or not to list it on my Etsy shop or keep it for Laura. I think I need to make a duplicate bow.

I just placed an order for a bunch of ribbon and clips. I’m excited for it to arrive so I can experiment with some new styles. I also ordered some really gorgeous printed ribbon I plan to use for headbands. These will actually be better suited for older girls and teens. The ribbon designs are less “cutesy” and a little more sophisticated.

Hopefully I can get some Valentine’s Day-themed bows up soon. There is just never enough time to do everything I want to do, unfortunately!