Yo-Yo Head Bands

Here's a tutorial for hairbands using yo-yos!

Materials:

• Fabric
• Circular object (size will influence size of yo-yo)
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun
• Needle and Thread
• Button
• Elastic

1) Cut the fabric that you want to be the headband into strips of fabric, about 18 inches long. Turn wrong sides together, sew, and turn right side out!

2) Cut elastic (based on your head size) and insert it into the two ends of the band creating the headband. (Make sure your headband or the elastic isn't twisted when you sew the final side together!)

 

3) To make the yo-yos use a circular object to trace circles out of a contrasting fabric to the headband. The yo-yo will be about 2/3 the size of the original circle. I used the base of a water bottle and a cup for various circle sizes.

4) Sew around the top of the circle, creating a seam. (So fold a little bit of the fabric inside so it will create a clean edge along the top).

5) Once you have sewn all the way around the top begin to pull it tight, creating a gathered effect.




6) Pull the thread tight or until the circle is the size you want it to be, then tie off the thread.

7) Complete steps 4-6 for each headband until you have the desired amount of yo-yos. For flowers I'd recommend 5 yo-yos, for non-flowers then I suggest three with a variety of sizes.



8) Attach the yo-yos to the headband, either through sewing or hot glue in the desired arrangement. Add buttons or embellishments for an extra touch too!

Here are some variations on the yo-yo headband! You can also use lace as the base of the headband for a more sophisticated look, and try different fabrics to get a more textured look. 

And tahh dahh!!! You are all done and ready to wear!

*Joy of the day: An adventurous morning running a 5k "with" some sweet friends!

Fabric Flower Hair Clip Tutorial

Here is a little tutorial on how to make little flower hair clips:

Materials:

• Fabric (great way to use up scraps)
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Circular object (size depends on how big you want the flower)
• Hot glue gun
• Felt (neutral color)
• Clip (aligator clip or a normal hair clip)
• Coordinating button

1) Use a circular object to trace and cut out circles to make the "petals." I used the base of my water bottle and needed about 9 circles to complete the flower.

2) Cut a circle out of the felt about the same size of the petals, but make sure it will cover the clip.

3) Take one circle and put a small dab of hot glue in the middle. Fold the petal in half like a burrito, squishing the glue so it will stay. (*warning the hot glue is HOT and can go through the fabric depending on what type of fabric you use! And yes this comes from experience...)

4) Put another small dab in the middle of the petal, and fold the petal in half once again. So know you have a petal that has been folded into fourths. Repeat steps 3 & 4 for all of the petals!

5) Put a small dot of glue on the back of the first petal and place the tip in the center of the felt circle. Continue to do this for the rest of the petals, overlapping them slightly to create a "flowered" look.

 

6) After all of the petals are on flip the flower over to the back to attach the clip. Cut a small piece of felt, the same size as the bottom part of the clip. Open the clip so when you put glue on it you won't glue it shut! Place hot glue on the top of the clip (the part that normally goes up when you would put a clip in your hair) then place the clip on the felt. Glue the small piece of felt between the top and bottom of the clip to prevent it from getting glued together and it will prevent it from getting stuck in your hair!

7) Add the button or whatever embellishment that you wish to the front center, and your flower is complete!

Tadahhh!!!! All ready to wear!

You can also use less formal fabrics, for a casual feel!

Let me know if you have any questions or difficulties!

*Joy of the day: Watching 27 Dresses and eating ice cream with my suitemates!

Rainy Thursday

            I love the rain. I love the sound it makes when it hit my umbrella. I love the way it seems to dance as it falls. I love the way it has of calming everyone down a little bit. I love how everyone’s umbrellas, rain jackets and rain boots make the gray pop with color. I love how beautiful the rain truly is.

            Sometimes rain does have a way of changing your plans, but they usually just make your plans a little cozier. You’re given a free pass to curl up with a blanket and a cup of tea, or to do crafts, or to snuggle up with friends and watch a movie. While there may be other things that you’d like to be doing that the rain has prevented, look around and see what you get to do because of the rain!

            If it weren’t raining this morning I wouldn’t have worn my favorite scarf, to have that extra hug around my neck. I wouldn’t have come back right after class, snuggled in with my fuzzy blanket, turned on calming music and gotten a lot of work done. I wouldn’t have changed lunch plans to eat with a friend who I haven’t seen in weeks. I wouldn’t get to see little pieces of personality on campus through people’s umbrella choices. I wouldn’t have made myself a cup of my favorite tea and eaten a cookie from my grandma. There are so many things that I would have missed this morning if it were sunny!

            Like so many other things God puts in my life, rain has a way of making me calm down. This week I have been rushing around getting ready for this test, trying to keep up with my other classes, trying to keep myself healthy, and still stay in touch with society. It’s already Thursday, and I am tired. I had a list of things to do today, but because it’s raining I just want to stay wrapped in my blanket and do those things later. So that’s what I plan to do! God gave me rain today to rest. To calm down, take a step back, and just listen. This is why I love the rain. It forces me to let God be God, and for me to rest. Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” The rain forces me to be still, to let God fight for me because I am only going to wear myself out.

            On days when I wake up and it’s raining, I’m excited! I’m excited to rest, to be snuggly and to put my to-do list aside because it will still be there tomorrow. The rain is a reminder that I am human, and I am constantly wearing myself out and if I don’t take these moments to rest God will give me opportunities to seek His peace. Today I am thankful for rain.

*Joy of the day: Dry socks! I didn’t realize my rain boots had holes in the bottoms of them, so when I cam back from class my feet were wet and cold. I’ve never been more excited for dry and warm socks!

Some of my favorite rainy things: 

• A website that sounds like rain (very calming)
•  Singing in the Rain
• Colorful Umbrellas 

"Sarah Logic"

     Whenever I seem to have a big test or project coming up I always find a way to avoid it. I am not necessarily a procrastinator, doing work at the last minute makes me nervous, instead I seem to find myself doing other work that isn't due until days after the test or project. This week I am starting to study for two tests; anthropology and physiology. The -ology at the end means "study of..." and it certainly does mean the study of... a lot of material!

     I am most nervous about my physiology test. The material is very interesting and I am fascinated by the class, however there is a lot of very specific information and technological terms that I'm going to have to learn before this test. At the beginning of the semester I planned on studying a little bit every day, reviewing my notes later that day after class, going to my professor's office hours when necessary; the usual requirements for staying on top of a lot of material. But I never fully implemented that plan, I've kept up with parts of it but not enough where I feel prepared for this test! 

     Now it is over a week before my tests, and I am trying to start studying while keeping up with my other homework. But I'm doing classic "Sarah logic." I'm avoiding the tough part. I'll do all my other work, maybe even read a little bit ahead just so I don't have to open my physiology notes and find out all of the information I don't know. I'll bribe myself with little breaks if I can make it through six slides of information... SIX! That's pathetic. I know that if I studied and worked hard that I would learn the material with plenty of time to spare before the test, but because I am so apprehensive about it, I'm avoiding it. If I don't know about it then it doesn't exist right? This is the "Sarah logic."

     I was thinking about my "logic" this afternoon, and God pointed out to me that school work isn't the only area that I apply my "Sarah logic." In my life I will avoid making changes that I know are going to be difficult and lengthy, because I know they are going to be a challenge and I am afraid of failing. If I pretend those areas of weakness aren't there, then maybe I won't have to fix them for a while longer. But this "logic" doesn't fix anything, in fact it tends to make things worse.

     When I avoid I get anxious, I get tired, and I try to control things that I have absolutely no control over. Through spending time in God's word I've realized that the changes he wants me to make are for the best, always. That I have to start with baby steps to end up going anywhere, otherwise I'm going to become cemented in one spot or complacent. God also realizes that this isn't going to be easy, which is why he promises to never leave me and to love me through the challenges. He throws my "Sarah logic" out the window.

Philippians 4:6-7  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

1 Peter 5:7  "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

1 Corinthians 9:26-27  "Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

Romans 8:28  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

      Don't doubt that the Lord has given you anything you can't handle, any change that is too big. He is with you and knows your worries and fears. God has a perfect plan for those that love him, but you must surrender control. And in this trial and change don't be aimless, do the hard work so you can bask with God in the joy that will come!

*Joy for the Day: Beginning the week after a fabulous weekend with family and a sweet friend! And then having God use something very concrete in my life to speak truth into my life.

Thank You

            The other day I found a quote that said “what if you woke up today with only the things that you thanked God for yesterday?” It made me take a step back. What did I thank God for yesterday? Did I thank Him for everything? What if I forgot something important? Then in the midst of these “me” centered questions I realized it has nothing to do with me.

            God has blessed me continually, and I have been too buried in myself to say thank you. I began to think of all the things that I didn’t thank God for last night as I fumbled to say a prayer before falling asleep. There are the obvious ones that I would miss; my family and friends are a probably the most important. As I began to list all of the things I would miss I began to think of the littlest things that make my day so much brighter.

            I love pictures, I love all the decorations around my room and I would miss the little things plastered to my wall that give my dorm room/prison cell some personality. Pictures also contain memories and stories, things that you can’t get back but can capture in a photo. I would miss music. There are so many types that can go with any mood or feeling, it’s a form of pure expression and creativity, and it often articulates what words can’t convey, particularly in worship. I would miss my walk to class in the morning, the peace that falls over my campus and the stillness. I would miss the sound of laughter. I’d miss fruit and peanut butter. I absolutely love fruit and would probably starve without peanut butter!

            Luck for me God doesn’t take things from me just because I forgot to say thank you. He blesses me when I least deserve it and does so continually! Psalm 37:4 says “take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” All I need to do is find joy in God, who has graciously given me eternity, and he will bless me abundantly. It doesn’t say if you do x, y, and z only then will God give you something good. Trust God for your salvation and you will be blessed, even if you forget to say thanks.

            “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” 1 Chronicles 16:34. Say thank you because he has been good to you! Not because you’re afraid he’ll take away his blessing but because you are truly grateful for the abundance that you have, the big things, the little things, and everything in between.

            So “what if you woke up today with only the things that you thanked God for yesterday?” What would you miss? What are the little things that bring you joy throughout your day? Look around and you’ll be amazed with all that God has blessed you with!

I'd miss his beautiful artwork!

*Joy of the Day: spending time with a very dear friend and seeing the Lord work in her life and through her willingness to serve!

Easy Dress Tutorial!

My First Tutorial! How exciting, hope I don’t confuse anyone!!!

Simple Dress

Material:

-shirt

-fabric

-thread

-scissors

-ruler

-chalk

-calculator

-pins

-iron and board

Amount of fabric for the skirt:

1) Measure your natural waist (we’ll call this measurement X)

2) Measure from your natural waist till 2 inches below where you want the skirt to hit -for me this was a   few inches below my knees (we’ll call this Y)

3) Take Y and multiply it by 2 (for each side of the skirt) this is how many inches of fabric you need. If you want it in yards divide Y by 36”.

-I needed 2 1/3 yd of fabric

Now you’re finally ready to start!!!

Steps:

1) Pre wash the shirt and fabric, if you plan on drying the dress pre dry them too! This will prevent any shrinking after all your hard work.

2) Lay the fabric flat on the floor with the wrong side facing up

 3)Measure the X of the skirt, if you want it twirly go ahead and use the whole length (you’ll still have to measure it for calculations later)

4) Measure the Y of the skirt, marking it with chalk

      5) Do steps 3 & 4 twice for the front and back, then cut these pieces out for the skirt

       6) Calculations (not fun but necessary): 

         X + 1½” (seam allowance) + ½” (ease) = Z

       Length of fabric – Z = a number. Whatever this number is find an odd number like 5 to divide it by. This is the amount you will measure for each pleat, V. (This isn’t a perfect science so be prepared to alter here and there to get the right numbers)

      7) Mark the middle of your fabric (the X way), measure V and place a pin to the right. Fold the second pin underneath, pin the fabric, creating a pleat. 

      

     8) Do the same thing, this time measuring V to the left of the center pin. This will create one big center pleat,

     9) Measure V from the furthest pin, creating another pleat. Do this until you have the desired number of pleats.

      10) Measure the pleated skirt to make sure it measures Z, if not make alterations in the last pleats       

                         

      11) Repeat 7-10 for the back part of the skirt

      12) Baste across the top of the skirt, close to top to hold the pleats in place

    13) Place the right sides of the skirt together and pin the sides together, sew together with a ¾” seam allowance

     14) Turn right side out and play around with where 

    you want it on the shirt, when you find where put a pin to mark the spot

     15)  Measure around the shirt at the pin, also measure 3 inches lower to allow for space to attach the skirt, then cut off the bottom of 

      the shirt AT THE LOWER LINE

       16) Pin the skirt and shirt right sides together at the higher line, and sew the skirt to the shirt                                

      17)  Put the dress on, have someone help you pin the hem. Measure from the ground and pin where you want the skirt to fall

       18) Measure one inch below the hem, cut off the excess fabric, fold the fabric twice over and pin it at the hem level, sew it to complete the hem

    

    19) Top stitch the skirt, pull the shirt and the top of the  skirt underneath and sew as close as possible to the top  of the skirt. This'll help make the skirt a little bit flatter.

TA DA!!!! You are all done! Wasn’t that easy?! (at least I hope it was) Enjoy your lovely dress!

 

This is another one that I made that turned out really well! And it is super easy to wear, the only thing I tend to add to these is a belt or something in the middle to help it fit a bit better and help break up the dress to give it more of an "outfit" feel!

Clearly I had too much time over winter break!