Homemade Flannel Shirt

I always have trouble finding the colors, fabric and designs I want to wear...call me picky. Really it comes from when I was a kid and Mom and Dad couldn't afford to buy my Barbie dolls clothes. I had to start making them myself...either that or my dolls would have been naked and hanging around with Ken like that...I couldn't bear to hear what my brothers would have called Barbie...so I made clothes for them myself (without any patterns). I had to learn to crochet and sew from left over fabrics and yarn that Grandma didn't want to use.

I guess that's why I still do it today.

I wanted a flannel shirt for the holidays but all the ones I could find were cowboy'ish - not the look I was going for. So I walked up and down the aisles at the fabric store, just touching the bolts and feeling for that one special material. And when I found it - it wasn't on sale - but I only needed a little piece - if I made a tank top. So, that's what I did.

I just pulled out an old tank top and used it for my pattern.

There was only one problem - I forgot that flannel doesn't stretch. So after I sewed the tank top together, I realized I had to pull out my handy-dandy seam ripper and tear the seams out and insert some stretchy fabric.

It wasn't hard to do. All I had to do was cut two evenly sized pieces (to be the same on either side) and then I pinned them in place and started sewing.

I even had a little left over material to make a head band...yeah, I'm dorky like that.

So this holiday outfit cost me about $7.00 - not bad for an evening out.

Homemade Holiday Outfit

This year we're trying to limit the gift-giving frenzy. I don't know about you but, for me, I'm tired of racing around to find the perfect gift that the kids don't end up loving. So instead, I'm trying to make some of my favorite recipes, sharing some secret tricks and tips I've come across over the years when it comes to baking and I'm even sewing a few things and MAYBE I'll even knit a gift or two (small projects). Plus, I'm making my Christmas outfits this year.

Here is a sample of what I've made, (two sequined shirts, two skirts, a couple headbands and scarves and a quilt but I'm still working on some of my projects and I have a long way to go before I'm done.)

But take a peek. I'm no model but you can see that sequins go a long way and, sometimes, a little is more than enough. Don't worry, you can tone the sequins down with a dark jacket and pants and still feel sparkly and in the party mood:

And if you're feeling daring you can throw off the jacket and dance a little - well not me - I have the rhythm of an elephant in high heels, but you might want to dance.

I know this takes time too. But you can probably come up with a few ideas and share some of your skills, talents and abilities without investing too much time or money in the process.

Some of my projects are a secret (since I'm planning to give them away) but I'm willing to share a couple things I've been working on that are on the same line - homemade for the holidays.

Like I said, I wanted to have a couple new outfits for the holidays but didn't want to spend much money so what did I do? I sewed a couple skirts and shirts.

Here's what I made and how I did it.

I bought a yard and a 1/2 of skirt material on sale for about $9.00 and a yard of sequin material for about $3.00. Then I came home and laid out my favorite tank top on top of the black sequin material (yeah, I'm cheap and patterns are expensive - so I used what I had) and cut out the material. Then I repeated the process using the black tank as my pattern for a green tank top (see the layout above.)

I sewed the seams and WAH-LAH Christmas Outfit for $12.00. That's a deal - or maybe even a steal ;D

Of course my son said the flannel skirt (see below) I made looked like some granny thing out of a fairytale. He said it reminded him of something out of Hansel and Gretel.

But, "Wait," I said, "there's no granny in Hansel and Gretel - it's a witch."

He grinned, "Yeah...?"

So maybe it's not as fancy as some outfits gals have for Christmas but it's something new and comfortable. Plus, it fits me really well. And I'll be wearing it a lot.  (The picture isn't so great - I took it with my new phone and I'm just getting used to it - but here's a peek so you can get an idea.)

Then I made another skirt. This material came with the waist band already attached. "SEW" simple. All I had to do was cut it and sew the seam. Super-simple. Of course my son said it looked like something Minnie Mouse would wear. Oh well, I grew up a Tom-Boy and never was a fashionista. But it
cost less than $10.00 to make, that's like two cups of coffee at Starbucks. And, I like it.

I showed my sis and she agreed with my son. She said, "Minnie has got to go." Oh well, maybe people will see me and smile because I'm definitely going to wear it :D

How 'bout you? Have you made any Christmas gifts? Are you planning on baking? Share some secrets...? Or...what are you thinking of for gift-giving?