Happy Halloween!

Man this year is just flying by!  Today is my favorite holiday and I want to share with you a trip down memory lane.  Here are some of my past costume creations!

 

And for this year's costumes, we have GI Joe and a Vampire Mermaid!

Happy Halloween to all of our Beauties!  Have fun and be safe tonight!

I can't wait to see everyone's costumes in the group tomorrow for Saturday Share!

Pre-Quilt Market 2014

Wow, what a week it's been!!!  But the good news is that we made it to Houston and are ready for Quilt Market in the morning!!!

I had no idea when I headed to the Beehive one week ago just how crazy and hectic things would be over the next seven days.  I got to town Friday evening, enjoyed a nice dinner out with my parents and the kids, and that night started work on an Elsa dress for a customer.  I'm getting out of the costume business, so she was my last official custom order.  In between chasing kids and cutting out Elsa and also Layna's Halloween costume (a vampire mermaid), I was also making sure the website was ready for our Second Annual Quilt Market Sale.  Little did I know that that was the calm before the storm.

Sunday at 4:00, the sale went live.  I gotta say, my abs were hurting so bad after all the laughing we did!!!  Things were going fast, we had minimal issues on the new website, it was a blast!  Granted, our previous plan of starting to cut fabric as orders came in was pretty much shot.  Here's what the shelves looked like before the sale:

Nice and full, right?  Like I said, calm before the storm.  I wasn't able (ok, I forgot) to take a picture of the shelves when I left the Beehive today to head to Houston.  However, the night of the sale, I did manage to get a picture of Queen Bee for you all!

After the chaos of the sale, we needed that drink!!!  But the work was only beginning.  We spent the next few days cutting like crazy, and I was also still sewing like crazy to finish the Elsa dress.  I finished Elsa on Tuesday afternoon and I cannot wait to see my customer in it with her hair and makeup all done!  She loved the dress and is going to be a beautiful Elsa!!!  Here is the dress on the dress form before she picked it up.

   

Of course, Layna didn't want an Elsa dress until she saw this one.  I told her tough, she's getting a vampire mermaid.  Which I will be working on here in the hotel room this weekend.  Nothing like confusing the bellhops as they unload sewing machines from your truck.  They were really confused by the serger.  I was amused.

Now it's time for me to get off here and get the sewing machines set up.  I want to make a new infinity scarf to wear tomorrow out of some Art Gallery voile.  Be sure you follow us on Instagram to see what we're up to tomorrow!

~*~Princess Bee~*~

Tula Pink has done it again

Oh my, how I love Tula Pink!!!  Her designs are always so bright and fun.  She has one of those styles that stands out in a crowd and she knows it!  I got to meet her at Quilt Market last October and look forward to seeing her again this year.  And I cannot wait to see her new line in person!!!

For those who may not know, I'm a huge history fan.  Especially European history.  More specifically, Tudor and Elizabethan history.  I love historical fantasy books and movies, I love going to the Renaissance Festivals (most of them are set during Henry VIII's reign), I love all the pretty dresses!

That being said, I was really excited yesterday when I got a phone call from Mom, telling me about Tula Pink's new line.  Here's a little sneak peek at Elizabeth.

I cannot wait until March 2015 when this is expected to ship!  The colors are amazing and I'm already picturing dresses and skirts and purses and all sorts of other fun sewing projects!  Right now, you can get your order in for it in our facebook group, Bee Quilted Beauties.  It was just posted yesterday!

Leave a comment and let us know what types of projects you would work on with this fun fabric!

~Princess Bee~

Mashed Up Halloween!

Halloween is around the corner and it's time to start planning costumes!  But what happens when you can't find the ONE perfect pattern for what your little one wants to be?  You improvise and mash together two (or more) patterns!

My daughter was obsessed with The Pirate Fairy and wanted to be Zarina.  But I couldn't find the perfect pirate fairy pattern.  So I raided my pattern stash on the computer and picked two patterns to mash up.

We needed a peasant style top with a flat front, so I picked the FooFoo Threads Sugarplum Princess Dress and lengthened the sleeves.

Next to figure out the skirt.  Zarina's skirt is kinda bunched up and gathered, so I wanted something that would have that look but still be long enough to pass the "Daddy Standard".  I landed on the Create Kids Couture Poppy Dress.  I used shirring to gather up the side instead of a casing and tie.  That way, we don't have to worry about ties coming undone while playing!

My little Pixie has gotten so much wear out of this simple mash up of mine.

She's played Pirate Fairy dress up.

She wore it to Krispy Kreme on Talk Like a Pirate Day for some free donuts.

She wore it to our local library for their Pirate Day celebration!

Of course, every fairy needs a good pair of fairy wings!  

These are from my shop, MaeFlowers & JuneBugs

What's on your cutting table this weekend?

~Princess Bee~

1. Knight Hoodie + Bimaa Sweater by Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts
2. Alleycat Daydream Dress by Call Ajaire
3. Rainbow Princess Dress by Rae Gun Ramblings
4. Ash Jumpsuit + Vintage Style Flutter Sleeve by Amanda Rose
5. Burda Harem Pants + McCalls Dress by Lil Bit and Nan
6. Sugar Plum Princess Dress + Poppy  Dress by Bee Quilted Beauties
7. Dress #13 + Pants #2 by Sprouting Jube Jube
8. Katie Fancy Pant + Field Research Pant by Scientific Seamstress
9. Jumpsuit Mashup by Sew Like My Mom
10. Lullaby Line Body Suit + Grand Slam Tee by Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop
11. Cherry Pie Skirt + Socialite Peplum by Sewing Sober

Napped Fabrics: Things to keep in mind

This week, we shipped out some beautiful corduroy fabrics to all our Beauties and thought we might offer up some tips for sewing with corduroy and other napped fabrics.

What does "napped" mean?  A napped fabric is one with a "nap", meaning that the fabric is textured and will look different from different angles.  Types of napped fabrics include corduroy, velvet, velveteen, Minky, faux fur, suede, and velour.

So, what does that mean when sewing?  Well, the main thing to remember is pattern layout.  Before you cut, you should "pet" your fabric to find out which way the nap runs.  Think of how your dog or cat's coat feels when you pet them.  Going from head to tail, the fur lays down nicely and it just feels "right", doesn't it?  Now pet them from tail to head and see how different it is.  The fur doesn't lay down at all, it sticks up, it's just not "right".  That's what nap is like.  And when you're cutting out a pattern from fabric with a nap, you need to pay attention to which way the nap is running.  It does make laying out pattern pieces a little more complicated, just like with a one-way print.  You can't flip pattern pieces over to get the most out of the fabric or your finished garment won't look right.

Another thing to keep in mind is pressing fabrics with nap.  Some of them can be damaged by heat and can't be pressed, some of them need a press cloth, some of them are just fine.  For this, you'll just have to take a few scraps and experiment.  Look at the settings on your iron for a starting guide to what heat setting should be used.  See how the fabric reacts without a press cloth.  Try with the press cloth.  Just remember to do this step before it's time to iron your garment/project that you're working on so it doesn't end is disaster!

When sewing fabrics with nap, I've found a walking foot is a blessing!  Especially on fabrics like velvet and Minky!  A walking foot will ensure that both the top and bottom layers of fabric are being fed through your machine at the exact same speed, unlike a regular foot where the bottom fabric is being fed through and the top layer is just along for the ride.

Those are my top three tips for sewing with napped fabrics.  What would you add?  Please comment with any other tips and tricks you've learned by sewing with napped fabric!

~Princess Bee~

Bee Inspired: In the Kitchen

Hey Good Looking, What ya got cooking?  Moms spend a lot of time in the kitchen, why not make some goodies to use while you're in there?  I've rounded up some tutorials on Pinterest that are a little different than most of your usual kitchen sewing projects.

If your kitchen is anything like mine, and your kids are like mine, there is never a hand towel to be found when I need one.  My kids think that after drying their hands just one time, the towel needs to be thrown in the laundry.  I try to keep one or two hanging from the oven, but they don't stick around long, the kids don't take the time to re-hang them right so they're always on the floor.  What if they just had to toss the towel in the direction of the oven and it would just stick?  Wouldn't that be awesome?  This easy tutorial walks you through how to make that happen.

Picture from www.instructables.com

On the topic of towels and such, have you seen the latest craze of "un-paper towels"?  Talk about a way to save in the budget, not having to buy any more paper towels!!!  I've seen a few different ways to make them, but this way looks to be the easiest.

Picture from www.seasonedhomemaker.com

Another thing I've noticed in my kitchen is that I have a problem finding two pot holders when I need them.  Usually, I've got one or I have two of the glove style ones, but they're for the same hand, so I'm still out of luck.  This pretty pot holder solves that problem!  And it's so sweet, too!  Perfect for a housewarming gift!

Picture from www.craftsnob.com

I think I have a few little projects to do this week for my kitchen!  These are adorable!  You can find more on our Kitchen Craft board on Pinterest.

~Princess Bee~

Adventures with Layna, Holly and Molly

Today, we had to go into Dallas to pay Layna's Girl Scout dues and the Council office is within 5 miles of the Dallas American Girl Store, so we just had to stop in!  Especially since they just re-released Samantha and I wanted to see her.  Samantha was the AG doll that my parents got me when I was about Layna's age and I still have her.  She's put up in storage for now.

We recently added a new AG doll to our family and Layna has named her Holly.  I was so excited to find a genuine American Girl doll at a resell shop for only $40.  She's one of the My American Girl dolls and Layna loves her.  But for an outing to the AG Store, she needed a new outfit.  So Layna helped me out in the sewing room thing morning.

She did a good job cutting, ironing and sewing this morning!  Shortly after lunch, Molly and Holly had new matching outfits and were ready for a day out!

However, they were both in need of a trip to the salon!  So off we went!

Layna liked looking around while we waited for Holly and Molly to get their hair done.  My favorite part was seeing Samantha on display all over the store!  Layna wanted to take home Samantha's Ice Cream Parlor.  Maybe for Christmas!

After their hair was done, we had to stop by the Bistro for a treat!  Holly and Molly got to enjoy a nice cup of tea with us!  Don't they look great?

Here are my girls in their matching outfits, all made from Henry Glass Fabrics.  

Bye-bye AG Store!!!

Patterns we used: 

Layna's Top: Daphne's Wrap Top by Cottage Mama

Layna's Capri Pants: Skip and Play Pants by Cottage Mama

Doll Tops: Sweet and Simple Shirt by Carla C Dolly Designs (I cannot find the link for this pattern, if I find it, I will update)

Doll Wrap Skirts: Twirls for Girls by Carla C Dolly Designs on YouCanMakeThis.com

We had a blast today making our matching AG outfits and having a fun day in the American Girl Store!  Now it's time to get Layna and her girls in bed!!!  G'night!

~Princess Bee~