Silhouette Ornament Tutorial

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I know, I know... I bet you thought I had fallen off the face of the earth. I assure you that despite my poor neglected blog, I am doing well. When life gets busy (when is it not, right?) the blog goes on the back burner. I've put together a little tutorial to try and make it up to you. Christmas is coming up and I'm always antsy to make ornaments. These are similar to my other silhouettes, except I use a digital silhouette printed on iron-on transfers instead of cutting... I know there are people that can cut a silhouette the size of a quarter, but I am not one of those people, so there you have it. Hope you enjoy!

Materials:

♥ wooden plaque (small 3" to 5" size, any shape, unfinished)

♥ acrylic paint

♥ Iron-on transfer sheet for LIGHT fabrics

♥ small piece of cotton fabric, light color and pattern

♥ Mod Podge

♥ ribbon

Step One: Prep your wooden plaque. Smooth with fine grain sand paper if desired. You can purchase these small wooden plaques at most craft store for 50 cents each. I purchased mine from my local Hobby Lobby, but they also sell them online here.

Step Two: Paint the plaque. I just used classic black acrylic paint, but feel free to go wild and use any color of your choice. I only painted the sides and the back, leaving the top unfinished, since the top will be covered by the silhouette.

Step Three: Create your digital silhouette. This is the most tedious part of this project, but it's worth it to make digital silhouettes of your children because then you can use them to make a countless different projects. The best way to draw your digital silhouette is by creating a vector image in a program such as Adobe Illustrator. Vector images are created using "paths" such as points and curves that connect. Like this:

This means that your image will retain its same high quality whether you enlarge it to the size of a house or shrink it to the size of a peanut. Very cool indeed. Drawing vector files takes practice, but it's definitely a handy thing to know. I taught myself by watching this excellent tutorial on YouTube. I will not attempt to teach vector drawing in this brief tutorial. If you are familiar with creating vectors, great, but if not then here is an alternative method to creating your silhouette:

1. Take a profile picture of your child. Good luck trying to get them to NOT look at the camera. Take at least 10 pictures and use the best one out of the lot.
   
2. Upload the photo onto your computer and print the head/shoulder profile picture as large as possible onto an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper. Print as is, in color.
   
3. Lay a plain white sheet of paper on top of your printed picture. Tape at sides to hold sheets together.
   
4. Tape to a window with lots of natural light. Use a pencil to trace the silhouette. Free-form draw the shoulder bust as desired.
   
5. Remove silhouette from window and using a fine-tip permanent black marker, carefully trace the silhouette over the pencil lines. Since you used a permanent marker, you can now go back and erase your pencil lines without the black marker smudging.
   
6. Scan the silhouette image into your computer and use a paint or photo editing program to fill the silhouette in black. Also, clean up your image by tweaking the brightness, contrast levels. Crop and save as a jpeg.

A third alternative is to hire someone to draw your vector image for you (not me). There are a lot of sellers on Etsy that will do this :)

Step Four: Size your silhouette and add text. Determine the size your silhouette should be based on the size and shape wooden plaque you are using. Size silhouette accordingly, add text. Once you are happy with your layout, you will need to REFLECT/MIRROR/HORIZONTALLY FLIP the image so the text is mirrored. Now print a test page and lay it over your plaque to make sure it lines up nicely.

Step Five: Create your iron transfer. It is important that you buy the iron-on transfer sheets for LIGHT fabric (not dark). The iron-on transfers for light fabric are transparent, and will allow your cute fabric to show through, as well as laminate it nicely and prevent fraying. Follow the instructions for printing your silhouette.

Step Six: Apply your transfer. Cut your fabric piece to roughly the size your need to cover your plaque. Your transfer should be laying on the RIGHT side of your fabric. Tip: Before you iron your transfers, run a lint brush over your fabric to remove any unsightly fuzzies that will be come forever trapped beneath the transfer.

Now use your superwoman strength to firmly iron your transfer, using the highest heat setting, and NO STEAM. Iron in circular motion.

Cool completely and peel away paper.

Step Seven: Mount your silhouette. Cut your iron-on transfer to the shape of the wooden plaque. A good way of doing this is making a template first. Lay a sheet of paper over your plaque and use your finger to trace and crease. Cut out paper template, center it over your iron transfer, and cut out your image.

Tip: To center your template over your iron-on transfer, hold up to a window with a lot of natural light.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge and adhere your silhouette. Hot glue a ribbon loop to the back to finish.

Now go make a bunch... the grandparents are going to love these!

♥♥♥Happy crafting♥♥♥

Fully Lined Ruffle Apron Tutorial

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♥ Consider this tutorial my early Christmas present to you ♥

Aprons make fabulous Christmas gifts and I wanted you to have plenty of time to sew them before December. Aren't I nice? I'll even go one step further by adding this disclaimer:

I do not mind if you use this pattern for personal use, or even to sew and sell the aprons. However, please do not sell the actual pattern for profit... it is for everyone to enjoy free of charge.

Materials:
1 1/4 yard patterned quilting cotton
1 yard solid cotton (or fun coordinating fabric)
3/4 yard muslin

Seam Allowance: 1/2 inch
*Note: This pattern is very versatile so feel free to adjust the measurements as you see fit (shorter apron bottom, longer/shorter ties, etc).


Before I begin with the steps, I want to share one big tip for "cutting" this pattern. SNIP & RIP your fabric pieces (I see you quilters cringing!). Almost all of the pieces are rectangle. It's fast. It's easy. And it keeps your pieces on the grain of the fabric and nice and symmetrical. Don't boohoo over the loose strings and damaged raw edges of your pieces... it's nothing that a 1/2 inch seam allowance won't hide. Well worth it! Here's the quick "how to" on snipping and ripping your cotton fabric:

You're going to want to start with a nice edge that's on the grain, so snip and rip the cut ends of your fabric. Snip about an inch in then pull apart using a steady ripping motion.

When ripping your actual pieces, you'll need to make sure the ripped corners of your rectangle pieces meet up without doing too much ripping into the rest of your fabric. Do this by measuring and sniping the width and length of your fabric piece. Then do a gradual ripping from each side until they meet at the corner (shown below).


Step One: Snip and rip (or cut if you tediously wish) your pieces

- ruffled hem: 4"x44" rectangle (solid cotton)
- apron bottom: 25"x17" rectangle (patterned cotton)
- apron lining: 25"x17" rectangle (muslin)
- waistband front: 24"x4 1/2" rectangle (solid cotton)
- waistband back: 24"x4 1/2" rectangle (muslin)
- apron ties: two 38"x4 1/2" rectangles (patterned cotton)
- neck strap: 22"x4 1/2" (patterned cotton)
- top trim of the bib: 18"x5" rectangle (solid cotton)
- bottom of the bib: 18"x6" rectangle (patterned cotton)
- muslin bib back: sized to front bib piece after it is sewn and cut
- pocket (optional): You can do any pocket you like (plain, pleated, or gathered)... I usually just cut out a random pocket on the fold.

Step Two: Prep the bib pieces

Ok, I said almost all your pieces are rectangle... the bib is the exception because although you rip it as a rectangle, you'll need to trim it to a trapezoid.

So, sew the solid and patterned front bib pieces together along the long edges. Press and top stitch along the solid side.


Now you're going to cut/angle the bib so it's smaller up top (trapezoid). To do this fold this piece in half and measure 3 inches in along the solid side. From this point, your going to cut diagonally to the corner of the bottom patterned piece, so when you open it up, you have a symmetrical bib that is 12 inches on top and 18 inches on bottom.


Use this piece as a guide to cut your muslin backing:


Now you have all your apron pieces prepped. Here's what all your pieces should look like:


Step Three: Make the bottom ruffle

I like to start with the bottom half of the apron. To make the ruffle, fold your 4"x44" ruffle piece longways right sides together and stitch both short ends. Turn, crisp corners and press in half. Use a baste stitch to gather along raw opening. Adjust the gather to 24".



Step Four: Make the apron bottom

Sandwich the muslin and pattern rectangles ride sides together, with the ruffle in the middle facing in so the raw edges of all three pieces are lined up along the bottom (pin layers well). You'll want the ruffle ends 1/2 inch inside the 25" width of the apron bottom on both sides. Sew along the bottom of the apron.

*Note: You may want to break this step down by first pinning and sewing the ruffle to the apron front only, THEN going back and sewing the muslin lining on top of that:

Or if you're comfortable with sewing through that many sandwiched layers all at once, it'll look this this:


*Optional: At this point, you may want to sew on the pocket on the patterned side.

Next, tuck or pin away the corners of the ruffle, then sew down the two 17" sides of the apron. Turn right side out and press. Top stitch if desired.

Tuck away that ruffle corner. Notice the 1/2 inch allotted for your side seam allowance :

Sew around bottom and sides:

Turned right side out:

Top stitch along bottom:

Use a baste stitch to gather the top opening as desired (or you can add a couple of fun pleats instead).


Now that your apron bottom is finished, you can work on the apron top (bib and neck strap).

Step Five: Sew the neck strap

For the neck strap, fold in half longways right sides together and sew along two edges. Turn right side out, press and top stitch strap. Set aside.


Step Six: Sew the bib.

Pin the neck strap on one side of the bib top as shown (keep it 1/2 inch away from side to account for your seam allowance). I angle it in so it is consistent with the trapezoid angle when turned right side out.


Sandwich the bib pieces right sides together (with the neck strap pinned in between). Sew around three sides, leaving bottom of bib open.

Turn right side out, crisp corners and press. Top stitch along the three sides.


Now that the bib and bottom are finished, next you're going to bring it all together at the waistband.

Step Seven: Sew the Waist Ties

For the ties, fold, press and top stitch three edges of the tie rectangles (tiny... about 1/4 inch double fold).


Step Eight: Attach waistband to apron bottom

Center the waistband on the top gathered side of the apron bottom (you'll have about 2 to 4 inches of extended waistband on each side of the apron bottom). Sandwich/pin the waistband muslin, apron bottom, and waistband solid (in that order) right sides together. Stitch waistband solid and muslin to apron bottom across the entire length of the waistband.



Step Nine: Attach the ties

Sandwich each tie inside the ends of the waistband solid and muslin pieces (so that the right sides of the ties and waistband solid are right sides together... the tie tails will be facing inside the apron while you do this). Sew both ends of the waistband to secure the ties on. Turn and press.


Step Ten: Attach the bib

Flip your apron to the muslin side. Center the bib with the waistband. Pin right sides together (muslin bib to muslin waistband) and stitch along bottom of bib (you'll only be stitching through the bib layers and muslin waistband... NOT the solid waistband piece).


Now turn apron to right side and press the top of the solid waistband in on itself, so the top edge of the waistband pieces match up (pin well, making sure that your pressed edge covers your stitching from the bottom half of the bib.) Top stitch along length of the top waistband through all layers.

Top stitched waistband:

Step Eleven: Finishing

For the neck strap fasteners, I use an industrial snap press, but you can do a button and buttonhole to attach it to the bib. I like to make the neck strap adjustable, so I space out three snaps.

I do love my snap press and justified buying it because I make cloth diapers for my babies and also use the press for my baby bibs and other projects. It's super fun :) Here's where I got mine if that's something you think you'll want to invest in someday:

I bought mine from here years ago and use the industrial size 20 dies and polyresin snaps, and my friend got hers from here and uses the standard size 20 dies and polyresin snaps.

♥♥♥♥♥