Super Easy Top Re-Do

Have I mentioned that I'm tall?

Pretty sure I have. But in case you didn't know... I'm 6'1". Yeah, not just kind of tall.

I have the same issues that every other tall girl has. I have trouble finding pants long enough, sleeves long enough, and most mid-length skirts end up looking like mini skirts on me.

Oh, and then there's my torso. The torso is a story within itself. My torso is WAY long. Like, almost too long for the rest of my body. Really, the length of my torso almost suggests my legs should be a few inches longer...which we all know I don't need...

I have to preface that because, due to my extreme lengths, I tend to have devastating results when items shrink up in the dryer. I need every inch of fabric my clothes can offer, and if any of it gets lost...I'm outta clothes.

Well, unfortunately it happened. A shirt I loved previously ended up in the dryer, and shrunk in the torso length. The cry of death for any of my tops.

The top had previously been one of those loose, boxy-fitting, v-neck shirts. It was a very silky and slinky knit, a peachy pink color, with light grey feathers printed here and there on it. After washing it, I felt like a little kid wearing it, because it was too short, but not intentionally short. Like I was a 5 year old wearing a 3T.

I just couldn't let the shirt go, so I thought about what I could do. Make it into a dress for one of the girls? No. Make it into a shirt-dress? No, it's too loose fitting in the sides for that. But wait... if I were to cut it, and make it intentionally short, then I might be onto something!

I thought about it, went back and forth, decided to scrap the idea in fear of looking too much like Bill S. Preston, Esquire.

But no, I couldn't let it go. The day before Thanksgiving, I made the cut. And the hem. And got one of the easiest, flub free refashions, I'd ever done. No regrets.

So here's what I did:

The shirt...after the wash, before the cut.

The pattern

 As seen below, I cut an arched line from left side to right side. Then I hemmed it, but you don't have to, if you use a top with a knit fabric.

Another variation could include making it a "hi-low" shirt with the arched cut in front, gradually descending into a reverse arch down in the back, so the front is cut high, and the back is cut low.

And here's how it looks all put together:

 These pictures are not the best quality...we are looking into getting a new camera since our camera broke...so these are with my phone, hopefully you get the picture.

Simple Gifts: Memory Game

For Christmas this year, we decided to hand make a lot of the gifts. Some were Simple and easy, yet very appreciated. Some were complicated and made me more angry making them, than I should have been in a happy season. 

Of the simple ones that left me feeling happy and crafty, I found particular joy in the ease of the Memory game.

I used 20 of the thin, unfinished wood sqaures from Michael's. I think they were 25 cents each. 

I also used paint, scraps of fabric from 10 different types of fabric, and mod-podge (I suggest using a matte, it's a little less tacky feeling). 

These are so easy, I feel silly even posting instructions... but I will, just to prove to you haw easy, and how possible it is for anyone to make a cute gift. 

1. Paint your squares front and back with desired color. (Easy enough, right?)

2. While paint is drying, cut out 2 squares of fabric from each of your ten different kinds of fabric. The squares should be slightly smaller than your wood squares, so there's a border around the fabric when you attach it to the wood. If you're concerned about finding ten different types of fabric, look through old clothes, or heck, you could even use scrapbook paper!

3. Apply a layer of Mod-Podge to the square. Add a layer of Mod-Podge to the back of your fabric piece and attach it to the square. Let it dry.

4. Once it is dry, apply mod-podge over entire square, front and back to finish it off. Repeat for all Squares.

I added a few more pairs after this, so not all is shown, but you get the idea. 

I printed out a fun design and covered a box I had, but since not everyone will have a perfect square box lying around, I didn't include this in the instructions!

Completely Simple, right? Now, stop telling me you're not crafty, and go make this for someone!