Bikini Bottom Revamp

I purchased a black bathing suit recently, but I wasn't able to find bottoms with ties. After a day wearing the bottoms I hated them!! So I decided to transform the decorative ties on the sides into actualy adjustable ties.

Here's how I did it...

Step 1: I used a seam ripper to remove the decorative ties.

Step 2: Using the seam ripper again I removed the stitches holding the side seam together. Once seperated I could see how the suit was put together.

Step 3: My suit lining was attached to the exterior piece, so I wasn't able to insert the tie the way I'd hoped. So I folded over the part of the seam where I removed the stitches and sewed in place.

Step 4: Cut the original tie in half.

Step 5: Tuck ends in and pin ties to each end and sew in place.

Wahla!!  Super Easy! And it turned out really well!

And no I won't be showing a picture of the suit on!




(Copyright Information: This pattern, including text and images, is copyrighted to Heidi Cogdill, Hip Chicks Craft Too. No part of this pattern can be copied, shared, distributed or sold. All rights reserved. No commercial use of this pattern is allowed (which means you cannot sell the finished product).

Antique Finds

While at the coast we stopped into a Antique Shop to look around. I went in looking for black & white photos, but instead found these items.

I'm not sure what I'll do with these wooden spools, but I LOVE them.

These package of stamps turned out to be mostly from the early 80's, but there were some pretty neat ones from Australia, Japan and Canada. I'll be using these in the backgrounds of my paintings.

Bottle caps with cork inside...I have no idea what these were used for...Anyone know? I just thought I'd one day regret not having these, so I bought them.

I bought this pattern solely for the pattern paper. I needed it for my backgrounds, but I love this pattern so much I think I'll make one for myself. I'll have to go find another one to tear up.

I didn't buy this at the antique store. This is just a picture of the yarn I'm using to make a Comfort Connor doll. It's for a special someone...shhhh, I can't say who...she might be reading this. I'll show you pictures as I make him. I just love the color combo.

(Copyright Information: This pattern, including text and images, is copyrighted to Heidi Cogdill, Hip Chicks Craft Too. No part of this pattern can be copied, shared, distributed or sold. All rights reserved. No commercial use of this pattern is allowed (which means you cannot sell the finished product).

Camera Case

There isn't a tutorial for this...just thought I'd share. I made this camera case to protect my new camera. The camera has a touch screen on the back and I'm known for throwing my camera into my purse without thought...so I decided to make a padded cover to protect it from the many objects in my purse.

I've also noticed I've done a lot of sewing tutorials lately...I realized I get into these funks where I work with a certain type of medium and kind of stick with it. I have a few more sewing tutorials, but I am working on a few new things.



(Copyright Information: This pattern, including text and images, is copyrighted to Heidi Cogdill, Hip Chicks Craft Too. No part of this pattern can be copied, shared, distributed or sold. All rights reserved. No commercial use of this pattern is allowed (which means you cannot sell the finished product).

From T-Shirt to Tunic

I repurposed another one of my Twilight t-shirts for my daughter. I already posted the t-shirt to tank top tutorial. If you want…check it out here. This time I wanted to try something a bit different. I wanted to incorporate my new obsession…Elastic Thread. My life had no meaning before. My life is now complete! I swear, you add a little elastic thread to a project and it takes it from great to FABULOUS. I have to warn all of you…there will be lots of elastic thread tutorials coming.


What you’ll need: Old t-shirt, sewing machine, elastic thread, regular coordinating all-purpose thread, scissors, coordinating ribbon.

Step 1: Lay out t-shirt on your cutting table and cut off the sleeves, just inside the seam at the armpit. Do this for both sleeves.

Step 2: Cut around the neck, just inside the seam. You don’t necessarily have to do this. If you’d prefer your tunic to have the t-shirt neckline.

Step 3: Mark the back of the shirt where you’ll want your (elastic). I ended up doing it to the bottom of rib cage. Using sewing machine (with elastic thread wound on bobbin), sew lines across the back. I did ( ) rows and they were ¼ - ½” apart. Make sure to lock your stitch at the beginning and the end. This will help hold your elastic in place.

Step 4: Fold and pin neck line ¼”. Sew using elastic. This will make neck line ruffly.

Step 5: Repeat step 4 on arm holes. I left the arm hole open so my daughter could wear a tank underneath, but if you want you can add a side seam to close up the arm hole a bit.

Step 6: Cut ribbon into two-4” strips. Use fray check on the ends to keep from unraveling. Then tie over shoulder seam. This will create a gather effect.

Your daughter will love this cute and comfy tunic!

(Copyright Information: This pattern, including text and images, is copyrighted to Heidi Cogdill, Hip Chicks Craft Too. No part of this pattern can be copied, shared, distributed or sold. All rights reserved. No commercial use of this pattern is allowed (which means you cannot sell the finished product).

Mini Tote Bag

We celebrated our 13 year anniversary on Sunday and instead of gifts we decided to spend two nights at the Oregon Coast. The weather was supposed to be sunny and hot...turned out to be gray and cold...that's Oregon for you. Nevertheless, it was a nice few days away. We took no work with us and our inn had no Internet, so it forced us to just relax. We slept most of the time. It's amazing how exhausted we felt once we stopped going a hundred miles an hour.

Anyway, I wanted to make myself a cute tote back for the beach and I found this adorable fabric at the fabric store. Although, by the time I was finished the tote bag was so much smaller then I'd hoped...I'll be giving it to my daughter and making myself a bigger one.

I used the basic tote bag tutorial found in Shona Cole's book Artistic Mother. I used her tutorial for the assembly of the tote rather then the design of it.

What you'll need: 4 - 5" x 5" squares of fabric for front, 1 - 3" x 11" strip of coordinating fabric for ruffle, 2 - 4" x 19" fabric strips for handle, 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" fabric for back. 2 - 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" fabric for lining (I used muslin), medium-weighted interfacing, coordinating thread, sewing machine, iron and scissors.

Using a cardboard 4" x 4" trace around square on all four pieces of front cover fabric.

Pin together and sew along traced edges.

Iron seams to flatten in between each seam sewn.

Front view after ironing.

This is what it'll look like once you sew all four pieces together.

Iron interfacing to the wrong side of this front cover.

Take ruffle strip fabric...iron in half and then fold each end in and iron. To create a ruffle by sewing a basting stitch across center of ruffle strip. Pull top thread to gather. You'll want to gather until the ruffle fit across the center of the cover piece.

Pin in place and sew in place. Remove basting stitch afterwards.

Place back fabric piece to the front cover piece. Pin and sew two sides and bottom.

Snip bottom corners and turn right side out.

Should look like this. Set aside while you get liner started.

Place both liner pieces right sides together. But you need to make sure to leave a 3" opening along the bottom edge. I make my opening in the center of the bottom and then sew from each point to the top edge.

Handles: fold strip in half and iron. Then open and fold each end in and iron. I then ironed interfacing into the center section (I wanted the handles to have more solid feel to them). Then you'll fold ends in again and iron.

Then sew along the edge.

Take handles and pin in place. Take first handle and pin to the front. I centered my handle ends with each square. Then to the same for the back handle.

Next slip entire outer piece (with handles pinned to it) into the lining. Make sure you have the lining with the wrong side still facing out.

Pin and sew along the raw edges using a 1/4" seam allowance.

This is the opening in the bottom of the lining. Pull the handles to pull outer shell through the opening.

This is how it should look when you are down.

Fold the raw edges in and sew closed.

Tuck lining into the tote bag like this.

All done!! This one is small. Truly a perfect addition to any young girls outfit. Great for carrying journals or library books.

I will be making a larger one for myself very soon!

(Copyright Information: This pattern, including text and images, is copyrighted to Heidi Cogdill, Hip Chicks Craft Too. No part of this pattern can be copied, shared, distributed or sold. All rights reserved. No commercial use of this pattern is allowed (which means you cannot sell the finished product).