Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!: June 2011

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Tutorial de Cómo hacer una corbata para niño a partir de la de un adulto

One of my most popular tutorials is now available in Spanish! Check out Chicka Perika to see the Boy's Tie from a Man's Tie in Spanish.

Spanish version on Chica Perika

Versión española de Chica Perika

My Wonderful Sponsors!Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

If you can spare a few seconds, I would really appreciate your vote for Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! in the Babble Top 50 Craft Mom Blogs. No sign-ups, just one click. (Currently ranked between 30-40) Thanks!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

PlanetGear and PACT Giveaway!

Now that you're going to be wearing skirts all summer, we need to make sure you have something pretty on under there (under where?) just in case you have a Marilyn moment.

PlanetGear.com and PACT would like to give one of my readers a fresh pair of organic knickers. Yes, I am giving away underwear! When I say No Pants, I mean No Pants.

PlanetGear.com is a members-only online retailer that offers gear, apparel, and travel destinations at prices up to 70% off. Membership is free and signing up is easy (I'm a member! And don't worry, they don't sell your email address or send you a bunch of spam.). They also have a great referral program, so if you click over using any of the PlanetGear.com links in this post, you'll get $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more, and I'll get $10 for sending you. Once you become a member, you can invite your friends to join, too. If you like outdoor lifetsyle, eco-friendly products, you can find some awesome deals in their 72 hour sales events.
If you want to keep up with the latest products on PlanetGear.com you should Like PlanetGear on Facebook. (This is NOT how you enter the giveaway, by the way. Details on how to do that are below).

From today thru Tuesday, July 5th, PlanetGear.com has PACT underwear on sale. PACT underwear is organic, eco-friendly and made with fair labor practices. PACT gives 10% of their sales to causes such as Sierra Club, Creative Growth, Oceana and several other organizations that promote the well being of our planet and those of us that live here. When you're not buying PACT on PlanetGear.com, you can find PACT for men at Nordstom.

Here's how to win:

Only ONE entry per person:
Become a member of PlanetGear.com and let me know which pair of PACT undies you'd like to win (they can be for you or a special someone else).

Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win - an email address or a username to message you via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy convo, Blogger, etc.

I will select one winner from the comment pool using random.org.

Giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents only. Must be 18 to enter.

Giveaway ends Friday, July 1, 2011, at noon PST.

THE FINE PRINT

Giveaway closes on Friday, July 1, 2011, at noon PST. Comment datestamps must be recorded by that date/time to be eligible. Winner will be chosen by random drawing and will be announced on the same day the giveaway closes. The giveaway is open to US & Canada residents. Must be 18 to enter. I will announce the winner on my blog and make every attempt to contact the winner. You may wish to leave your email address in your comment, or a place where I can message you via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, etc. If the winner doesn't respond within 10 days, a new winner will be chosen. Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! (Marigold Haske) is not responsible for loss/damage and/or disputes concerning the winning item. If there is a concern about the giveaway itself, please contact Marigold. Once a winner has been selected, all concerns will be handled between PlanetGear.com and the winner. All PlanetGear.com Shipping and Return Policies apply to the winning item as if it was a purchased item from PlanetGear.com. Please familiarize yourself with all shop policies before entering the giveaway. By entering this giveaway, you are complying to the official rules as they have been laid out here :)
Blogger's Full Disclosure: Marigold Haske has not received any monetary compensation or product from PlanetGear.com or PACT.

My Wonderful Sponsors!
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Monday, June 27, 2011

Shrinky Dink Cake Toppers!

This is a project that has been in the making for a very long time. My friend Sara is getting married in less than a month (!) and she has honored me with the title of Matron of Mayhem. She asked me to make their cake toppers and I wanted to make something that was simple and modern, but would still fit into the beautiful rustic setting of Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota where they will be saying their I-do's.
I made the figures by using a lightbox to trace pictures of them and then scanning the drawings into PhotoShop where I refined and colored the illustrations. I printed them onto inkjet printable Shrinky Dink paper, cut them out and shrunk them down. I then sealed them with a matte acrylic spray. Once that was dry, I carefully painted over Sara's dress with clear nail polish so that it would have a glossy shine to it. They are held up using bamboo kebab sticks-I drilled holes in the base and used E6000 to secure the sticks. Once they were in place and the glue was dry, I applied E6000 to the sticks and glued the figures to them. The live orchid is sitting in a little vial that used to be a container for seed beads. I had trouble finding a flat-bottomed vial that wouldn't break easily until I went rifling through my crafting supplies and came across a tube of Toho seed beads (from Micheals). I used a Dremel to cut off the threading and sanded it down a bit, then swiped the edge with clear nail polish. It is the perfect size and material! The birch base is actually a coaster from Urban Forest on Etsy.
And that's how I done it! I love that they can change out the orchid with other fresh flowers or leaves and the whole look can change with the seasons.

My Wonderful Sponsors!
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Friday, June 24, 2011

Dirt Cosmetics Review & GIVEAWAY!

Look at my huge face! Eeesh. I always feel so silly taking "model" pictures of myself. It is hard for me not to make a goofy face. So what's the reason for sticking my big face all up in your bidness today? Because I want to give you stuff! More accurately, my very generous sponsor, Dirt Cosmetics wants to give you stuff. And I'm wearing some of that stuff on my face and showing it to you here all nice and huge and goofy on your computer screen! (Now, before you start writing your kind, affirming comments, please know that I am totally kidding and I think this is a purty darn good picture of me.)
Brenda from Dirt Cosmetics is a friend of a friend from college and we virtually "met" in the blogosphere several years ago when she was looking for a midwife and I was blogging about every detail of my pregnancy. We ended up having our babies at the same midwifery with the same amazing midwives. A few years later, she started a line of natural cosmetics and she and I did a personal swap where I sent her some crafty goodness and she sent me some of her Beet Red lip and cheek stain and eye shimmer in Mustard. I wear the lip stain several times a week and have been surprised at how long-lasting it is. There are a few ways to apply it, and keep in mind that since it is a stain, you'll need to allow it to set for several minutes before you eat or drink anything. Sometimes I put it on thick and let it settle in while I dry my hair, then swish it with a wet tissue to lighten and soften it. Other times I put a small dab in the center of my lips and use my pinky to smooth it out. I love that I can wear this color deep and dark or soft and pink. It takes a teeny bit of experimenting to figure out the best method of application for you, but is definitely worth it if you want to make the switch from the usually chemical-laden drugstore lipsticks. The Mustard eye shimmer is also made from all natural ingredients and can be swiped on lightly for a touch of summery shimmer or thicker as a dramatic gold.
Brenda handmakes each batch in her kitchen using only food-grade ingredients. Dirt Cosmetics products do not contain chemical preservatives, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemicals or mineral colorants. She uses organic materials whenever possible and has a nice selection of vegan-friendly products.

And now she would like to offer you guys a chance to win a set of Bee Stung Natural Lip Plumper and Organic Beet Red Lip & Cheek Stain. Here's how to win:

Only ONE entry per person:
Dirt Cosmetics just launched a Facebook Fan page and could really use some love. Become a Fan and then leave a comment letting me know.

Alternately, for those of you who are, like, SO TOTALLY OVER Facebook already, visit the Dirt Cosmetics storefront and let me know in the comments which product is most appealing to you.
Once again, pretty please, only ONE ENTRY PER PERSON.

Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win - an email address or a username to message you via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy convo, Blogger, etc.

I will select one winner from the comment pool using random.org.

Giveaway is open to US residents only.

Giveaway ends Friday, July 1, 2011, at noon PST.

THE FINE PRINT

Giveaway closes on Friday, July 1, 2011, at noon PST. Comment datestamps must be recorded by that date/time to be eligible. Winner will be chosen by random drawing and will be announced on the same day the giveaway closes. The giveaway is open to US residents. Minors under the age of 18 must have parental/guardian permission to enter (if you are under 18, we will need to contact your parent(s)/guardian if you win and make sure they said it was okay-so ask permission before you enter). I will announce the winner on my blog and make every attempt to contact the winner. You may wish to leave your email address in your comment, or a place where I can message you via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, etc. If the winner doesn't respond within 10 days, a new winner will be chosen. Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! (Marigold Haske) is not responsible for loss/damage and/or disputes concerning the winning item. If there is a concern about the giveaway itself, please contact Marigold. Once a winner has been selected, all concerns will be handled between Dirt Cosmetics and the winner. All Dirt Cosmetics Shipping and Return Policies apply to the winning item as if it was a purchased item from Dirt Cosmetics. Please familiarize yourself with all shop policies before entering the giveaway. By entering this giveaway, you are complying to the official rules as they have been laid out here :)
Blogger's Full Disclosure: Marigold Haske received product from Dirt Cosmetics as part of a personal swap. Dirt Cosmetics is a paying sponsor of Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!

My Wonderful Sponsors!
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Monday, June 20, 2011

The Summer of No Pants Ending and Beginning!

Aaaaannnnnndddddd STOP!
That's it! The sewing challenge part of the Summer of No Pants is over, it is time to go forth into the sweet summer sun and show off those gams in your new skirts and dresses! Together we made 99 new pieces!

www.flickr.com

This is a Flickr badge showing public items from the The Summer of No Pants 2011 group pool. Make your own badge here.

The Flickr pool will remain open for you stragglers out there who would like to add a few last-minute items to the group. Here are five of my favorites from the final two weeks:

You should know by now how much I love a t-shirt knit dress! Kate from needle and spatula was inspired by an Ann Taylor top and drafted her own pattern. So simple, but the ruched shoulders add a lot of style.

Krista from Thar She Sews performed some surgery on an thrifted Target dress and added those cool lacey crochet shoulder details.

Another clever upcycling project, this time from Liz of haphazard musings and creations. I've seen a lot of men's shirts refashioned into skirts and dresses, and this one is one of the best. Check out her blog to see how she did it.

The Professor's Wife made this pretty seersucker dress based on Simplicity 2177. Check out her blog to read about making the dress and her pattern review.

I have to squeeze a skirt into this list since the SONP sewing challenge started out as a *skirts only* challenge:) I love the contrasting white line on this blue skirt by Jagalily. She also made the cute ruffle tank. For a how-to, check out the tutorial she used on Sewing in No Man's Land.

There were about ten other pieces I wanted to show you, but you'll just have to check out the Flickr Pool to see the rest! Also, remember to check out SONP Link Party, which has a few links to skirts and dresses that didn't get uploaded into the Flickr Pool.

Thank you to everybody who participated in this year's sewing challenge! I am truly humbled by the number of people who took interest in The Summer of No Pants, whether you sewed one skirt or six dresses, or just enjoyed reading and commenting on the blog and in the Flickr pool, I hope you're taking away some inspiration from the sewing challenge, and some of you will continue with me in a Pantless Union until September!

Keep it right here, because I have a brand new idea already brewing for the next challenge. And this time, there's gonna be prizes!

Special thanks to the sponsors of The Summer of No Pants 2011!

Megan Nielsen Patterns ❀ marie-madeline studio ❀ One Perfect Day

The Scientific Seamstress ❀ Serendipity Studio ❀ Hearts & Home

Support Handmade
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Thursday, June 16, 2011

SONP No. 4: Pencil Skirt (a.k.a. the "I'm Gonna Need Tighter Spanx Skirt")

Here is my final skirt for the Summer of No Pants! This is a project I started over a year ago. I had already cut all of the pieces for Simplicty 2403, but after starting the bodice, I wasn't satisfied with the way things were going and I set it aside and forgot about it. I found the pieces again and decided to modify what I already had into a skirt instead of a dress.

I love a lot of things about this skirt. The color is a nice coral pink that goes well with my skin. The front pleats are very slimming and it has pockets! I added a zipper to the back and added the bow. The skirt material is textured and it goes beautifully with the gauze bow. I left the bow edges raw to tone down the stuffiness of the pencil shape.

I do need to add a slit to the side because it is a little hard to move without one. And the main problem with it is that it is soooooo fitted. I am wearing a corset/spanx thingy here, and I don't think I could wear this skirt without some extra help to suck it all in. It is definitely not a casual, everyday skirt.

I do like it a lot, though. I wish I had made it a size bigger. Actually, I wish I was a size smaller.
I think one thing I have discovered in this year's challenge is that I like working with patterns. I had always felt a little confined by them, but this skirt and the Street Fair skirt turned out so professionally. I am also a more confident and experienced sewist that I was the first time I tried a pattern, and so I was comfortable making a number of modifications to this pattern.

Special thanks to the sponsors of The Summer of No Pants 2011!

Megan Nielsen Patterns ❀ marie-madeline studio ❀ One Perfect Day

The Scientific Seamstress ❀ Serendipity Studio ❀ Hearts & Home

Support Handmade
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Sewing Circle Interview on Thar She Sews!

I am honored to be the featured guest today in The Sewing Circle series on Thar She Sews! Grab a cup of coffee and then go on over and read my long, rambling interview where I go on and on and on about how great I am.
And don't stop at my interview! Krista is a journalist by trade and the blog is a great read. Be sure to check out her tutorials, too.

Thanks for having me, Krista!

(On the SONP tip, I think I'm going to finish up my last skirt today!)

Friday, June 10, 2011

SONP Swimsuit Edition: Bathing Suit Cover-up Wrap Skirt

I kinda felt like I was cheating with my last skirt being so easy, so I squeezed in a bonus skirt this week that I have been meaning to make for a long time. My bathing suit is a very bright red with white polkadots, and I have been wanting to make a cover-up wrap skirt to wear over it at the beach or pool. I figured my options were to go either very plain, or go nuts with patterns. I chose the latter. You may recognize many of the fabrics from my Street Fair skirt. I had just a little bit of fabric left over from that skirt and I thought that the greens and yellows would be fun with the bright red. I added in a few more fabrics from my stash and made a total of seven panels to make up this wrap.

Are you up for the challenge? Sew four skirts or dresses in four weeks!

Join the Summer of No Pants Flickr Pool where you can share the skirts and dresses that you make between May 23-June 17, 2011.

Special thanks to the sponsors of The Summer of No Pants 2011!

Megan Nielsen Patterns ❀ marie-madeline studio ❀ One Perfect Day

The Scientific Seamstress ❀ Serendipity Studio ❀ Hearts & Home

Support Handmade
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Five Faves and Things to Note!

There have been so many beautiful skirts and dresses entered into the Summer of No Pants Flickr Pool. If you haven't checked it out lately, you should pop on over and see them all. Here are five of my favorite entries from the first two weeks of the challenge:

mamaturtle made this dress from a pillowcase and a knit top. She blogged about this dress and wrote a tutorial on her blog, Casa Crafty. Also check out her Anthro copy maxi dress.

sewinluv made this McCall's 1 hour dress and posted a review of the pattern on her blog Love. Laugh. Sew. Go check it out and see if it really took one hour ;)

I love everything about this dress from simplybeu. She writes about it on her blog, The Pretty Pickle.

Horray for making your own fabric in addtion to making your own clothes! I love this modern, screenprinted skirt by nottheactress! Read about this project on her blog, excess.mental.energy.

Blue Dirt She writes about making this Simplicity maxi dress on her blog, Blue Dirt. She also made a really fun skirt refashioned from a men's Hawaiian shirt.

This is just a handful of the skirts and dresses in the pool! It was hard for me to pick just five! By the way, you are NOT too late to jump in on the challenge. We are early in week 3 and there's a whole other week after this one. You can still squeeze in one or two skirts. You know you've been thinking about doing it, so do it!

Also be sure to check out the blog posts that the SONP participants are posting. Many of them are putting up tutorials and/or writing reviews on the patterns that they used. There is so much inspiration to be found on these blogs! You can always access the SONP Link Party by visiting the SONP 2011 tab at the top of this blog.

If you haven't heard, there is another fun bloggy skirt competition going on over at Crafterhours. If you are already participating in The Summer of No Pants, you should definitely check out Skirt Week 2011. Be aware that the competition is for skirts only, not dresses. But any skirts that you have made for yourself or for a child since July 1, 2010, are eligible for the competition. And there are lots of cool prizes. I'll be entering some of my projects, and I'd love it if one (or more!) of the SONP participants won!

And finally, I'd like to ask you for a favor. I was recently nominated for Babble's Top 50 Craft Mom Blogs and I could use some support. If you have 30 extra seconds to spare, I would appreciate it if you would pop over to the Nomination Page and "like" Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! Unfortunately, there's no direct link, so you'll have to hunt me out on the list. At last (obsessive) check I'm at #56 on page 2, or you can sort the nominees alphabetically. Thanks!

Are you up for the challenge? Sew four skirts or dresses in four weeks!

Join the Summer of No Pants Flickr Pool where you can share the skirts and dresses that you make between May 23-June 17, 2011.

Special thanks to the sponsors of The Summer of No Pants 2011!

Megan Nielsen Patterns ❀ marie-madeline studio ❀ One Perfect Day

The Scientific Seamstress ❀ Serendipity Studio ❀ Hearts & Home

Support Handmade
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Monday, June 6, 2011

SONP No.3: White Knit Maxi (Refashion!)

I am super early with this week's skirt because it only took me about 15 minutes to make! Huck's last birthday party was Star Wars themed, and I had dressed up like Princess Leia:

So, since I had all that white material fashioned into a dress/costume that I never planned on wearing again, I decided to cut it off at the waist, and I attached it to a piece of wide elastic. And because it's a t-shirt knit there was no hemming involved! It is just a little bit see-through, but a slip took care of that problem.

And I was able to throw it together in time for our 10th anniversary staycation on Catalina Island :)

Are you up for the challenge? Sew four skirts or dresses in four weeks!

Join the Summer of No Pants Flickr Pool where you can share the skirts and dresses that you make between May 23-June 17, 2011.

Special thanks to the sponsors of The Summer of No Pants 2011!

Megan Nielsen Patterns ❀ marie-madeline studio ❀ One Perfect Day

The Scientific Seamstress ❀ Serendipity Studio ❀ Hearts & Home

Support Handmade
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Friday, June 3, 2011

Dress No. 2: Vintage Style Cotton and Ribbed Knit

Here is my second project and my first dress! I did not follow any pattern for this one, I just sort of winged it, and I am semi-happy with the results. I think there is still some tweaking that could be done to make it wear a bit better. I think I need to hand-stitch the sash into place in a few spots so that it stays in the right spot, and the top needs some tweaking so that I'm not flashing the whole world every time I bend over. Overall, I do like the style and it is very comfy.

I'm not sure I'm in love with the colors, though. They are kind of fall-ish and from a distance the top colors blend together and the resulting effect is a little too close to my skin tone. I do like the ribbed knit feel and color, so my first dress dress may end up chopped up and made into a skirt!

Are you up for the challenge? Sew four skirts or dresses in four weeks!

Join the Summer of No Pants Flickr Pool where you can share the skirts and dresses that you make between May 23-June 17, 2011.

Special thanks to the sponsors of The Summer of No Pants 2011!

Megan Nielsen Patterns ❀ marie-madeline studio ❀ One Perfect Day

The Scientific Seamstress ❀ Serendipity Studio ❀ Hearts & Home

Support Handmade
Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms
DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth

Thursday, June 2, 2011

A Question of Chaffing

We had a really great question pop up on the SONP Flickr discussion board last week. Sew and Sew Much More asked:

Ok, so I'm just going to put this out there. Please forgive me as I'm not trying to be rude at all. I just need tips/advice on skirt wearing. I'm a bigger gal (14/16) so my thighs tend to rub while wearing a skirt. Biker shorts work to help this problem but I end up feeling hotter and less feminine in them. Baby powder works for awhile but not forever. Does anyone else experience this kind of skirt wearing issue? If so what do you recommend?

I can totally relate! I have a "pear" shaped body, and no matter what my weight is, my thighs touch each other. And when it gets hot, that can be uncomfortable. So after rolling the idea around for a bit, I thought about bloomers! I really wanted to do a tutorial for you guys involving cutting up cotton leggings and sewing on elastic lace, but I could not get it to come out at all. So I turned to the pros! Here are some pretty underthings from Etsy. Enjoy!