Lacy Baby Kimono Jacket

I normally don't try to post 2 a day, but since my dad is having surgery tomorrow and I will be with them for a couple of days, I thought I'd go ahead and show you what I did this evening.

If you scroll down, you will see one of the cute kimono jackets that I made earlier this month.  Today a friend was showing me a kimono jacket with a peplum and my wheels started spinning.  I thought now I can do that with lace and make it look similar to the cute tops and vest that a lot of the women are wearing with their leggins. So I set out to do just that!

This is such an easy project too.  Your supplies are:  blank baby kimono jacket (any color is fine, I just happened to have a white one.)  4" lace, either gather or straight will work. Small elastic lace for sleeves, Sewing machine, Serger (optional), rhinestone embellishments, glue

When preparing the lace, I don't pre-cut the size I will need.  I keep it on the spool.  I slightly fold the end (about 1/2") and using a zigzag stitch, I run it through the machine before I start.  This will leave a nice finished edge.  Next, line your lace top right under the double stitch on the jacket. Zigzag between those double stitches (like a guideline).  My zigzag was on #2. Go slow so you don't go astray or stretch the lace. Try not to pull or stretch the jacket while stitching for this part. About 2" before you get to the other end of the jacket, back stitch and cut your thread.  Remove the jacket; then measure the lace to the end and add 1/2"-3/4" extra. Again, fold over the extra 1/2" from the end and stitch with zigzag.  Put your jacket back under the machine and finish the rest of the lace to the jacket.  (You don't waste lace doing it this way).

I also cut off the sleeves only because this is going to Corpus Christi, Tx. and the baby is due in April, so it will be rather warm.  To do this, measure from the hem of the sleeve up to 5 1/4" then cut off of the sleeve.  Take it to your serger and slightly pull the sleeve as you serge around the arm of the sleeve. Be careful and don't let the sleeve get caught.  When you finish, this will leave a ruffled edge. Or  you can take stretchy ribbon (like in photo) and again using your zigzag on your machine, zigzag the lace around the arm.  The key to this, is to stretch the lace elastic as you zigzag.    It's that easy.

Next just find pretty rhinestones and attach (either glue or stitch) them to the jacket. You can use other embellishments like bows, flowers, buttons etc...  I used 1/2" sq rhinestone.  Now you have a OOAK beautiful jacket. Add it to cute lacy leggins, or a sweet bloomer to complete the set.  You can also give it an antique feel, by tea dying it.  If you do, your lace might take longer to dye, so I would dye it before you attach it to your jacket.

Hope this has inspired you to give it a try.

Fabulous Baby Fascinator Headband

Oh the creative mind!  I do wish I was much more creative than I am.  I love the cute bows and headbands, but these fascinator's are just fabulous!  Would love to take the credit for them, but as you are aware, these have been around for a while.  I really never had any reason to give it a try.  With that being said, I auditioned several flowers, rosettes, and jewels to see what looked the best for what I needed.  Below are photo's of those auditions, and then the final.

These were fairly simple.  Supplies are:  headband, flowers/feathers/jewels or other embellishments like bows, ribbons.  Whatever suits your fancy.  You also will need scissors, glue, felt, needle and thread (or you can do what I did and stitch it with the serger), and netting.

Place your embellishments so they are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  It doesn't have to be symmetrical. I'm a throw it together type of person, most of the time.  I go by what feels right to me.  Many of you might like it more balanced or some symmetry to your design.  I do recommend trying different ways to see what feels right for you.

Once I have found what I like with my combination of embellishments, I then glue them together.  Most people will use a hot glue gun and there is nothing wrong with that.  I tend to use Fabri-tac.  You will start from the bottom and build up and out.

Hope you give this a try.  Once you have decided it only takes a few minutes to put it together.  It's the auditioning process that takes a while.

AUDITIONS

 Here I tried two colors of the flowers with small gray florettes with pearls

This is just the gray flower with large sparkly embellishment and tulle

 Here is one with a smaller crystal embellishment and tulle

Here it is with a beautiful pearl with rhinestones  Although I love the way it looks, it was missing the gray/silver look that would work with the dress

My final decision.  I used the smaller rhinestone and made the netting a little shorter.  

Very simple yet elegant.  And goes perfectly with the fabric of the bunting.