february ready to ship sale photo shoot!

my girlies had to get their twirl fix today so they tried on a few things today to help me gauge sizing! they always ask, mama, is this for me or for another little girl?" and sometimes they cry when i say it's not for them!! :) i promise i sew for them! but like they say about the cobbler's kids...so it is with mine! anyways, on to the photos!

pennant banner tutorial!

I wrote this little tutorial for a sweet little blog and figured I would post it here too!!
Handmade touches sprinkled throughout our house make it feel more like a home and certainly bring smiles to my kiddos!
I always find our house to be a little sad and in need of some cheer after we take all the Christmas decorations down...so if you're like me and want to add a splash of color and some fun to your late winter decor, maybe you'll find this little tutorial helpful!! 

I just love the look of banners in a room or entryway--just a touch of spunk and liveliness! Each of my kids' rooms and our playroom/sewing room (okay, it's mostly my sewing room now!) have a banner (or two!) and if you've visited Sassy Babies in the past, you may have seen some banners I made for the shop a few years ago! Banners are also great for birthday parties and festive occasions! And best of all, they are sooo easy to make! So let's get started!! We just had a baby boy and after two girls, the nursery desperately needs some boy decor, so I'll be making a banner for his room in this tutorial!
you will need:
-a sewing machine (all you need is a simple straight stitch, so you don't even have to have a fancy machine!)
-fabric (yardage amount will depend on how many different prints you'd like to incorporate and how long you'd like your banner to be...rough guess--if you have 1/4 yard of 6 prints, you'll be able to create a 3 foot banner (9 yards) aren't these just the cutest fabrics by the way!
-one package of double fold bias tape (or two if you'd like a longer banner!) i love making my own bias tape and getting to use fun prints but store bought packages work just as well!
 
-thread in the same color as your bias tape
-pinking shears (if you like the jagged edge look to your pennants)
-I like to use my rotary cutter, straight edge and cutting mat, but those aren't necessary
-a room or wall or party that needs a little pop!
alright, here we go!!
-I decided to do without the pinking shears this time around and just made straight edge triangles for my pennants... so layout one of your fabrics and cut a triangle in the shape and size you'd like...for this banner, I cut my triangle like so: about 10 inches per side.
-once you have that piece cut, you want to be sure all the pennants are that same size, so fold that pennant in half and use it as your template to cut all your other pennants out of each of your other fabrics... cut, cut, cut until you have all the pennants you would like! I like to divide them by prints and then stack them up in the order I'd like them to be positioned in the banner...
 
-unfold your bias tape and insert your first pennant an inch in from the bias tape edge.
-fold the edge of the tape inside itself so no raw edges are exposed. pin.
- then pin your pennant into the fold, making sure to catch the entire top of the pennant and both sides of the bias tape.
 
-continue pinning the pennants into the bias tape...you don't have to pin them all in at once, but can pin then sew and then pin again until the banner is complete.  
-finish the end of the banner in the same way you began it...by enclosing the raw edges--just fold the bias tape in on itself and sew to secure with back stitching. Once you reach the length you'd like--you're done!! Go find a wall and hang up that beautiful banner!! I usually use push pins to secure the banner to walls or ceilings!

you can see more pictures of our little guy's almost finished room here!

Thanks for reading this tutorial!! If you have any questions or want to share your projects, feel free to email me at chickadeechickadee at gmail dot com

my new obsession...

is most definitely sewing up this style of dress!! all of these will be in tuesday's ready-to-ship sale!!

 i needed miss r to model a few so i could get a gauge for the fit since this is a new pattern for me...she just loved the style and the happy little ric-racked sleeves!

 verdict is still out on this last one...hummm...i thought it would be cute to do one in denim...sort of a modern twist on an old school jumper... still deciding on the cuteness factor of this dress...

auction for ashley of lil blue boo

i mentioned a few weeks ago on facebook that a sweet mommy and shop owner is putting together an auction to benefit ashley from lil blue boo. ashley has been diagnosed with a rare and quickly-growing cancer, but she has weathered the recent months with a strong willingness to choose joy despite her circumstances. her remarkably positive outlook and the peace she has in what each day brings her way is astounding.
amy from evy's tree has put together an amazing fundraiser to show ashley love and support from the handmade community that she has led and helped to cultivate.
i am excited to participate in the auction, as i have learned so much from ashley and want so much to help send some smiles her way.

the big event takes place february 27th, 28th and 29th. it would be amazing if you all could take a look at all the wonderful goodies that have been donated and join in raising money for ashley and her family. here are some sneak peeks of the chickadee chickadee pieces that will be included in the auction!

i'll remind you again when the bidding begins but wanted to let you all know more details so you can get ready!! :) and go check out ashley's shop if you have never visited before...such cute and unique knit creations!