Sewing a Knit Neckband, plus a Giveaway!

Guess what! Today we have a video tutorial *and* a fabric giveaway! Happy Friday! But first a little background...

If you've been around to see our CKC boy patterns for long, you will probably recognize this handsome face: 

And you probably have also noticed the AMAZING fabric that his mom always seems to score for him. Talk about a lucky kid! (And his brother too.) I had to find out where she got this awesome Jack fabric so I could get my hands on some!

Fast forward a week later, and these gorgeous knits arrived on my doorstep!  They're not only super cute, but the quality is fantastic. (I'm really picky.) I ordered these from an online group called Making Madie Knit Prints. She has super cute prints available for pre-order  (and some for retail) and I must say, they are quite addicting. I already have another shipment on its way to my house!

CKC Virtual World Fair 2015

We are so excited today to announce our Second Annual Virtual World Fair, and everyone is invited to participate!  It will work much like county or state fairs that you might have heard of or participated in, but in our Virtual World Fair there are no borders to worry about.  Finally you can earn ribbons for your gorgeous creations! And what's even better is that your entries will donated to help a wonderful cause.  Because your creations will be judged based on appearance AND your sewing skills, you will mail them to us where they will be judged in person and then they will be donated to a really great children's hospital to brighten the lives of the patients there.  Everyone deserves to feel pretty!  Note: Many of the outfits can be donated directly to children receiving care (we will definitely let you know when this happens!) and if any of the more over-the-top entries can't be received (determined by the staff there), those items will be auctioned off by us and the money donated. All proceeds go directly to the children receiving care. I have had close contact with this children's hospital and they are amazing. 

So let's talk details!  Please read all of the guidelines carefully. 

Back-to-School Ribbon Bows

What better way to celebrate our kiddos' first days in school than with a special mama-made hair bow? Katelyn Boehm made these super cute crayon and pencil hair bows and shared them in our patterns group last week. She agreed to make the pencil bow tutorial for our blog today and I'm so excited to get started!  Here's Katelyn! 

 

Making a Casual Version of Vera's

Hi. It's Cynthia! A few weeks ago CKC released the beautiful Vera’s. I fell in love the moment I saw it and couldn’t wait to get my hands on some chiffon. My modified top was so well-received in the group that Kristi asked me to make a blog post, and of course I’m super honored and thrilled to do so. So here goes!

My “casual” Vera’s modification has smaller chiffon pieces that hit at the thigh and there is also less chiffon on the top of the blouse. I hope you find this little tutorial to be a super easy twist on this amazing top.

Materials:

Vera’s Women’s Hi-Lo Fan Top Pattern

All supplies listed in the pattern

Paper to make a pattern piece

Pencil

Ruler

Scissors

Step 1 - Choose your version.

I made two tops and used different sizes for the chiffon so you can choose the one you prefer. I will show each version below:

Red Flowers Version- I used a smaller rectangle shape for the chiffon. To wear it you simply fold the edge of the chiffon under, when crossing it over your body. This creates a very slim and smooth look across the bust. You do need to make sure and wear a supportive belt, though, to hold the chiffon in place. My black belt has a nice wide elastic in the back. Because the chiffon is much shorter than the pattern, it might still shift a tad if you were to head out for a night of vigorous dancing at the club. Just glance in the mirror every once in a while and you’ll be golden!

           

Pink with Owls Version- I cut the top line of the chiffon pieces wider so that there’s more chiffon reaching across the body and down toward the belt. This will create a fuller look across your front, which may be nice if you want to enhance your bust. The bottom cut line is the same, though, so it still hits at the thigh.

How to Add a Second Circle Layer to Libby's Leggings

Hello again! It’s Shannon Buckbee from the CKC tester group. I'm here today to show you how to modify the adorable Libby’s Circle Leggings, by adding a second circle layer to the leggings. Really, adding an extra circle ruffle just brings the cuteness factor of these leggings up 100 extra points! Best of all, it is very easy to modify and make these. Let’s get started, shall we?

Nap Mat Cover

If your little one has kindergarten or preschool coming up soon and will be using a nap mat, it's definitely time to start thinking about making a cute cover for it! Kelly Hodge from Simply Tutu is here to show us two different versions in her super easy tutorial. You can use all one fabric for a quick sew, or you can choose the fancy version using coordinating fabrics and extra embellishments. Either way, your little one will be delighted with his/her Mommy-made nap mat! We're ready to get started, so here's Kelly:

Kindergarten Nap Mat  Cover Tutorial

Suggested Fabrics- Fleece, woven cotton, flannel, and cuddle dot

Supplies Needed:

 Main fabric -1 3/8 yd

Coordinating fabric- 1/3 yd

19 inches of 1" wide velcro 

Ruler

Scissors/Rotary Cutter

Cutting Mat

Optional- buttons, snaps, and decorative trims