Hats off... but preferably on!

Today we will show you how to turn any simple novelty into a beautiful and unique adornment. Embellishments can transform your store-bought accessory into an exclusive, distinguishing, and one-of-a-kind feature.

We started off with this simple black mini-top hat that was intended to be a hair accessory. Seeing as my dress was tuxedo themed, this seemed particularly fitting. Upon closer examination, it didn't match the rest of the outfit we had created. We decided to use the rhinestones we purchased from Amazon.com.

 

We found that gluing these rhinestones to the hat was harder than we thought; here's a little bit about technique. We used some tweezers to grab the rhinestones and then dipped it in
Aleene's Original Tacky Glue, which is really nice because it can be cleaned up with water. 

This process is a little meticulous, so I would practice grabbing the rhinestones before pouring the glue.

It was better for us to use a lid to place the glue and then either dip it in the glue, or use a toothpick to grab the glue and place it on the back of the rhinestones. Either way is fine, but just dipping them in the glue results in a lot of glue-covered rhinestones.

We placed the the rhinestones in the spot we wanted them, and then pressed them lightly

to insure that they wouldn't slide. In our case it was on the black dots already on the fabric.

Inspired with how this turned out, we applied the same technique onto this plain cummerbund. We forgot to take a picture of how it started, so either click the link or just take a look at the finished product below. We think it looks awesome.

And finally, here's the finished top-hat. 

And just in case you're feeling adventurous, we found this video on how to make your own top hat. With some ribbon, feathers, tacky glue, and patience, you can have your own home-made accessory. 

Mama Nieves to the rescue!

I am actively involved in my kids High School Band programs.  I came quickly to be known to the kids as

Mama Nieves

I even had it added to my shirts (for the kids that didn't know, LOL).

   In a later post, I will show you how to add simple writing to your shirts with fabric paint.  It involves the same technique as adding words in icing on a cake.

Now that you have the history on the name, here is this week's post. 

I am working on getting my college education from Western Governors University.  On Thursday as I had finished the day's assignment, I received a frantic phone call-it was my daughter's best friend's Quinceanera, she was having a wardrobe malfunction.  The gown was lovely, but due to several circumstances the dress did not fit as well as it was intended. So here came Mama Nieves to the rescue!  A few simple alterations with some fabric and tools I had on hand, and the princess was adorable, beautiful and amazing!  Hopefully I will get permission to post some additional photos.  

Rush Week

Part of the reason Briana and I started this blog is because next year she's going off to college, and we wanted to build memories, and craft some innovative items, with the hopes this will continue after she has left the house. So far, we have plenty of ideas for the future and anticipate a healthy blog for the next upcoming years. 

 When Briana moved to her new school, rumors had been going around that Student Council was planning on having the school's first Winter Formal. She went into Winter Break without hearing any news about the dance, so it was assumed that it wasn't going to happen. As a result, in early January after the Holidays, we (as my Dad called it) went "window shopping".  No plans to purchase anything, just see what options were available to us. We hit the mall and tried on prom dresses, looking to see which styles looked best. After hours upon hours of searching, we found the perfect dress. It was a cream-colored dress with navy blue lace over the top of it. The top was fitted while the skirt was shaped in an A-line. It was perfect and decided to end our search... Until we looked at the price tag. $200 without tax, and this would be on the dress alone. Our eyes bulged out of our heads as we contemplated a solution, and that's when I remembered the Serger sitting in our craftroom collecting dust. We could get the same kind of fabric, have it perfectly fit and spend way less on the material than on this dress. And thus, DIY Prom was born! 

Having our heads full of dreams, we walked into Hobby Lobby and later JoAnn's to discuss our plans for prom. We decided to make an almost-exact match of the dress we saw and took a stroll through the fabric department for an estimation of the price. Feeling a little more comfortable we bought two patterns and were going to combine the two to make the dress we wanted.  

Realizing that it had been a while since my last sewing project, we bought some "practice" fabric to see what it would look like. The fabric Briana chose was a silver polka dotted blue fabric, not my first choice, but we immediately got to work.  The dress took about 6 hours for completion, not bad.  This was easier than I thought.   

We forgot to buy the zipper, so that didn't get done until the next time we went to the store.  Also I was going to put pockets, and then opted not to after all.  

Feeling good about our work, Briana went to the movies with some friends wearing the new dress.  And the polka dots really turned out well, sparkling in the sun.   

We took a last look at the fabrics that Saturday and were stopped by an old lady complimenting us. Mission accomplished.

However, the Monday after an uneventful weekend, the school revealed that tickets were going to be sold for Winter Formal, which was to take place at the school that Saturday. 

 WHATTTTT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

We didn't have material, shoes, nothing! So off to the store we went!  

After two hours of heated discussions in a very quiet fabric store over the eminent deadline, color, style, and the simplicity of design, my daughter reluctantly agreed to this red material--a little more bold than she is used to.  

I worked my fingers to the bone, and the day before the Winter Formal, Briana tries on the lackluster dress and shoes she worked on.  The wedges we bought turned out to be a little too casual for the setting of Winter Formal, so in an attempt to spice them out, Briana used the same rose lace from her skirt to cover the sides of the wedge.  

The next morning, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, I get to work adding the final bling touches.

Here is Briana wearing the dress with her hair, nails, and shoes all done!  Beautiful!

Despite our disagreements, we were able to complete a H U G E project in record time, and have a dress that looked pretty *darn* good. Briana was able to dance the night away without feeling self-conscious thanks to my handy-work.