DIY GAP Poplin Midi Skirt - 7QT Style

Have you seen this skirt at GAP?

It hits just below the knee which is my sweet spot.

It's all cotton and it comes in cute colors.

It's $59.99.

Wha?

So I made one my ownself for under $10 and I'm here today to tell you how you can do this too.

1. Assemble your ingredients.

Go to Wal Mart (or Hobby Lobby or Joann's etc.) and get 2 yards of cotton fabric in the color of your choosing. I chose Prussian Blue. The fabric was $5.97 for 2 yards pre-tax.

Grab a pack of 1 inch wide no-roll elastic for the waist ($1.77) and a spool of coordinating thread if you don't already have some.

Wash, dry, and press your fabric. With an iron, Sara. With an iron.

2. Cut your fabric.

Fold the fabric in half and cut two rectangles. My rectangles were 28 inches wide and at least 30 inches long. That gave me plenty of length to make the waist band and figure out a cute wide hem.

Those measurements are good for a GAP small. If you want to make a custom size, take your hip measurement and add 16 inches or more if you want a fuller skirt. If you're tall, cut longer rectangles. Two yards should be enough for everybody. Divide by 2 because one rectangle is the front and one is the back. But you knew that.

3. Sides.

I did my own version of a French seam on the sides. That's a fancy term for saying I sewed the rectangles together up the sides with a scant quarter inch seam allowance. (Apparently I was supposed to trim the seams to 1/8". Oops.)

Then I turned the giant tube inside out and ironed the seams.

Next, I sewed the sides again with a slightly more generous half inch seam allowance. This way, the side seams will never fray, and look super neat and tidy.

It helps that my fabric looks the same front and back.

4. The waistband.

 Choose the top edge. Iron a half inch fold all the way around.

Next, fold over that edge and iron a generous inch and a quarter all the way around. We are making a tunnel for the elastic to go through.

Sew this edge down but leave a couple of inches open to fit the elastic in like so.

Use the biggest safety pin you can find, pin it through one end of the elastic and feed the elastic through the tunnel.

When you've worked it all the way through, try on the skirt and adjust the gathers to your liking.

Stitch the ends of the elastic together and clip off the excess.

Stitch down the rest of the seam to conceal the rest of the elastic.

I did sew through the whole waist band at the side seams for a vertical inch or so, just to keep the gathers even.

5. The hem.

This may or may not be the same picture from up above.

Decide what length you want. Get a second opinion. Lucy helped me settle on 23 inches.  I cut the whole skirt length to 25 inches, and repeated the tunnel steps I used on the waistband. Half inch, then inch and a half hem. Ran it through the sewing machine one more time and done!

6. Commence awkward backyard photo shoot.

7. Caveats.

The Gap skirt has pockets. Carry a purse or wear a fanny pack or pay $60 for pockets.

The thin cotton fabric needs a slip. On it, Mom. FYI, the Gap skirt needs a slip too.

My apologies for the photo quality of this post, or lack thereof. I can only master one piece of machinery at a time. This time I beat the sewing machine into submission but let the camera be the boss. No time for photo editing or this post would never see the light of day like many I have in my drafts folder.

Susan and Lucy have fabric ready and waiting to be transformed. Lucy's is red, and Susan's is seersucker. Way to choose the wrench, Susan.

Linking up with This Ain't the Lyceum for Friday Quick Takes and you know I'll be back on Wednesday. I never miss the first Wednesday of the month because WHAT WE'RE READING WEDNESDAY!

"I'll be back!"

7QT: Car Trip Tricks and DIY Renovations

1. First things first. Someone is making me this Banana Split Icebox Cake for my birthday. Or Mother's Day. Or both. Even though they're only 3 days apart.

No Image of Banana Split Cake Until I Take a Photo Myself. Copyrights etc.

Or maybe Easter. Meg, can I make this for Easter?

My mother used to make this, way back when. It was heavenly.

2. Heads Up!

The April What We're Reading Wednesday link-up will go live this Wednesday on April 1st. No joke.

I'm going to be road-tripping it to D.C. with my brood and I look forward to reading your posts all the way there.

3.

 Remember when the older gentleman behind me at mass told me I have a blessing and a challenge?

While we are on this 12 hour journey, I have shoved a few tricks up my proverbial sleeves to entertain my *ahem* challenge.

Wikki Stix Rainbow Pak like play-doh, but cleaner, and good for mid-air use, or for making letters on a piece of cardboard.

Little Cuties Activity Tin. Magnets. Cutie pets. Lots of teeny tiny pieces to keep little hands occupied.

Magnetic MightyMind. Jill loves Mighty Mind. Plus, the box says it "makes kids smarter!" My set is not magnetic, but I can retrofit it with MightyMind Magnetic Design Tray & Tile Magnets.

24 Creative Plastic Stencils from Highlights and a sketchbook.

Crayola Color Wonder Travel Tote No mess. Nuff said.

You could call these my five favorites, so I'm linking up with Jenna @ Call Her Happy.

4. You know there will be some movie watching in the car.

To see my Holy Week movie picks, go here and here.

5. But I myself am a bookish person and so I have stocked up on audio books of a historical nature.

Ben Hur (Radio Theatre) abridged and performed by Focus on the Family's Radio Theater because Holy Week.

The rest of my choices are all U.S.A./D.C. related.

Betsy Ross: The American Flag and Life in a Young America by Ryan Randolph. It's only an hour. I think even Jill can handle that.

Hana's Suitcase - A True Story by Karen Levine because the Holocaust Museum is on my to-do list.

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman - which we've already started listening too. You'd think you'd need to see the photos, but you don't. In any case, I have the book too for reference.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin - see my review here.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson because Ford's Theater is in D.C.

Did you know that Laura Hillenbrand edited her epic story of Louie Zamperini? Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive is abridged for younger, sensitive readers (such as myself ;)).

I found these comments from an Amazon reviewer encouraging:

As a middle school librarian, I wanted to share this unbelievable, inspirational tale, but the more graphic & violent scenes in the adult version were disturbing and overwhelming.
Laura Hillenbrand has taken out some of those more graphically violent parts of her adult version, but still communicated the depravity and inhumane treatment of Allied POW's by the Japanese.

Edmund is especially excited about Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive because he and Peter saw the movie.

6. Challenger Jill will play games on my phone too. Thank you Jesus.

She uses cheap-o noise blocker AUVIO® Kid's Headphones that have been surprisingly durable.

I won't deny that she plays Disney Princess Palace Pets and the free Princess Maker Dress Up game, but mostly she plays Starfall.

She's done Starfall ABCs so much, she knows all the letters and sounds. She also loves Starfall Learn To Read, Starfall Numbers and Starfall FREE which is nursery rhymes and fairy tales, seasons, shapes,colors, etc.

I did pay $35 for unlimited access to all of the Starfall content. It has been worth every peaceful penny.

7. Lots of beautiful changes around here.

Remember this hideous china cabinet?

Peter made it beautiful with leftover wall paint and new hardware and we had the room painted. Lighter and brighter, baby!

Then, I made some DIY Pottery Barn-esque white cotton drapes using twin flat sheets, curtain ring with clips and and extra-long special-order oil-rubbed bronze curtain rod.

We hung the rod high and wide so that when the curtains are open, not on square inch of sunlight is blocked. Also, it makes the room look huge. Cathedral like.  Not bad for an afternoon's work.

I have read about people transforming their front hall closets. With eight, sometimes nine people in the house, not counting guests, my coat closet is at capacity.

I convinced Patrick to build me this (even though he said it's my worst idea ever), upon which we will hang many hooks.  Squee!

Linking up with Kelly for 7 Quick Takes.

Have a blessed Easter with much candy!

7 Quick Takes

1.  Audition Jitters

Audition time again!  Remember this post on Expectation Management?  Tonight, I'll be suffering for two, as Edmund is hoping to make his stage debut in this spring's production of...

 

2. The World's Best Non-Iron Blouse for Pears

I had never been in a Banana Republic before last week.  For several weeks, I have been on a quest for the perfect chambray shirt.  I saw a light blue blouse in the window of BR and thought it might suffice.  After a horrendous experience, in which I discovered the original fitting rooms were for storage, the underfed wraiths are employees who appear, then disappear when you need another size causing you to put on your blouse, sweater, coat, purse and go get it yourself, and lastly, swallowing my pride because the blouse runs VERY small, I invested in one. 

Except I'm not a tucker.  Looks much better untucked.

At checkout, I was given that online customer survey which rewards one with a 20% off coupon.  So, I reamed them out online, and went back this week to get another blouse at 20% off.  I also got another survey opportunity.  Soooo.....I might be picking up a third blouse next week.  How many can I get before a) they discontinue them, b) they pick up on survey/coupon scheme, c) it becomes apparent to all around me that I wear the same shirt/different color every day?

This magic blouse has wonderfully deep side darts to emphasize a small waist, and flares out enough to cover ample hips without being snug.  And it's long enough!  And it has enough buttons in all of the right places.  None of that awkward "do I button this one and go Amish, or unbutton it and throw on a cami too?"

 The fabric has a lovely sheen that says, "This woman showered today and put thought into her outfit, and has a clean house.  She never does the dinner dishes in the morning."

Oh, did I mention, it's Wrinkle Free?  But miracle of miracles, when I was wearing blouse #2 on Wednesday, both Peter (age 16) and Susan (age 15) separately told me that they liked my shirt!  Cue Twilight Zone music.  It's a magic blouse.

3. Craftastic.

Last Saturday was "Support Religious Freedom by shopping at Hobby Lobby Day," as well as the day before Edmund's 10th birthday. 
I scoured Ravelry and Pinterest and wrote down my list of ingredients for Epiphany Day Cake, these DIY bookmarks, Charlotte's bandana baby quilts, and this Gap-tastic Cowl. 

4.  What?!  Birthday presents for a boy at a craft store?

One hour and lots of $upport later, I had some of my supplies and the following birthday gifts for a 10 year old boy:

sketch pencils in tin box with sharpener and eraser $5-6
hardcover sketch book $8-9
Paint-by-number kit of boss looking wolf $5

They also have cool circuitry sets, models to build and paint, science kits to grow crystals, and leather and woodworking stuff. 

5. Less about the Lobby, more about Joann's

Half of the stuff on my list (the bookmark supplies, fancy thread like Sulky or Gutterman) is not sold by HobLob.  Would you believe those nice folks suggested I hit Joann Fabrics?  Personally, I prefer Joann's.  HobLob has trouble keeping things in stock, their tiny yarn department is laughable, and the sale ads are very confusing.  Also, Joann's takes competitor coupons, such as Michael's and the Lobby.  But the Lobby doesn't.

Joann's cake babies don't have mohawks either.  I discovered this too late for this year.

Hobby Lobby baby above, Joann's babies below

6.  Riding on the tails of her fame...

One of my roommates in college, fellow UD grad, Chicago transplant, and also a mother of five is Jen Mayfield.  We were/are so alike, sharing tastes in music (Blues Travelers, Janis, and Squeeze), books (Possession by A. S. Byatt), and beer.  We both have degrees in English with concentrations in Medieval/Renaissance Studies (jealous?).  We are like twins separated at birth.  Except that I'm from the Midwest and she's from Long Island.  And she is dark and I am fair.  And she runs marathons, and I run to Chik Fil-A.

A couple of years ago, she invited me to try out for her roller derby team.  Her derby name is Hellenor Throwsevelt.  But, alas, I was pregnant at the time, or I could have been Barbie Machete or something. 

Amazing Jen is now the star of a Diet Dr. Pepper commercial!  You can catch glimpses of her kids and husband, Andy, too.  She's in lots of their ads and even some of their radio spots.  She's also in an interview available on YouTube.  She didn't mention me, because she respects my privacy. 

I'm going to invite her to my bootcamp class.  She's done an Iron Man Triatholon, but can she roll around Tobias style with me?  We shall see.

You can watch the commercial here:

 

And here is her interview...

 

7.  We are looking forward to a nice, warm weekend here in Chicago.  Highs in the upper 50s!  It should be a relaxing respite from the non-stop skating parties we had last weekend.  I'm looking forward to some mentally challenging bridge games as well as some delicious micro-brews. 

Seeing as how it's STILL the Christmas season, and how I was too sick to bake during Advent, I have slowly been chipping away at that giant pile of cookie ingredients.  I have to say, I didn't plan to celebrate like this, but it has been truly lovely, and delicious.  Last week, in addition to Edmund's obligatory Star Wars cookies for his class (that turned out EXACTLY like the images on the box), I made Oatmeal, Pecan, Cherry, Chocolate Chip cookies.  (I made them half as big and baked them a wee bit less.) The Chef said they were the best cookies I've ever made.

Come Monday, you can join me in praying for freezing temps to get the rink frozen again.
Until then, you can pray for bedridden, pregnant Jen.