DIY Photography Backdrop

I have had a lot of people ask about my recent DIY photography backdrop project, and I love it sooo much, so I thought I would share the details here so you could make your own! This was pretty simple and in about an hour I had made and set the whole thing up. I wish I would have taken a pull back photo so you could see how I set it up, but at the time I didn't realize people would want to see how I did it, so I didn't take one. But I will do my best to explain. The pink with white dots base of the backdrop is just a paper backdrop I got from Hobby Lobby. It was on sale for $4 so I think its been discontinued, BUT Im awesome so I found one that looks like it online HERE! (The white floor is also for sale on the same page AND they are actually cheaper than they were at Hobby Lobby). So I started with that pink paper, and just attached it to a piece of plywood to hold it smooth and steady. You can use tape or whatever works for you. I ended up using a staple gun after several attempts with tape lol. So now that that is on, I made the beautiful paper pinwheels from scrapbook paper! I used this tutorial I found on pinterest (CLICK HERE) from SoHo Sonnet, and just added circles to the middle when i was done (with tape lol). You can also find scrapbook paper at Hobby Lobby or any craft store really. My local Wal Mart even carries it. The books of 12X12 sheets is what I used. For the bigger ones I used two full sheets and for the smaller ones I used two sheets, but I cut off about 3 or 4 in from the height. (To save paper use these scraps for your circles). Now after I made all those (which only took about 45 min) I used hot glue to attach them to my backdrop paper. Then I took everything outside (bc I shoot with all natural light) on the side of my house to make sure I wasn't in any direct sunlight) and put the backdrop against the wall. Now I just unrolled the white floor paper and put it flush against the wall and rolled it out under me. I was on my patio so I had a good flat surface to work with underneath the paper. Last I added a white baseboard so it looked like a real room (you can find one at any local home/hardware store... I found mine in the attic LOL) and TA DAAAAA! You have a a full set up! Easy peasy, right? You could do this for so many new looks too! Hope you enjoyed my post, and Id love to see pics if you use it!

Best Dressed Girl

Here I am!! New Year, and like I promised.... BLOG posts haha. I have not sewn much lately, but I got some new fabrics and I just had to sew something. I looked through all the newly released patterns and decided I wanted to go with The Best Dressed Girl dress from Little Lizard King. The pattern has a lot of options, and I felt sort of overwhelmed since I had not really sewn anything in a month or so..... so me and this dress had it out a few times haha. And also, when youre almost done sewing, and you just cant go anymore but you want to be done, babyville snaps work just fine in place of buttons! I have mostly been playing with my new camera and lens, so I snapped a pic of Lilly in her new dress when I was done so I could show it off! All these fabrics came from Hobby Lobby. The skirt and the red fabric are twill  and the bodice fabric is denim.  If you want to get The Best Dressed Girl pattern, you can find it HERE!

I really must start blogging more lol

So I know I always say this, but I MUST start blogging more lol. In all reality, I think I want to get away from selling boutique clothing for a while. I have too much other stuff going on in my life right now, and I feel like I am always trying to sneak away. To sneak away when my husband isint paying attention and package orders, to sneak away when my kids are playing to cut out fabric, to get them to nap time early and get upstairs to work on orders. I feel like I am stretched TOO FAR and too thin. Four kids is a lot! Not saying I dont love having four, I do... BUT I want to spend time with them. So I am thinking maybe less time sewing for money and more time loving on them and sewing for them is what I need. So I think think this time you really will see more of me here lol. Its time to do something for ME.

Now, moving on.... I recently got my first DSLR! I am thrilled and I love it sooo much! I am already asking santa for a 50mm 1.8 lens lol. Just what I needed, another expensive hobby haha. But I have spent tons of time online reading and trying to learn to use the camera. There is so much to learn about manual shooting (bc I refuse to use the auto settings, there's no point in having one if I am gonna do that :P) But in short, I will leave you with a few pics from my new camera, and a promise to be more blog active - FOR REAL this time haha!

Thanksgiving Tunic

I decided to get an early start on my girls Thanksgiving dresses/outfits since I got Halloween done way ahead of time (Im already thinking Christmas dresses too lol) and I got this BEAUTIFUL idea in my mind and couldn't get it out, so here it is. Again, they are watermarked Emmy Lou bc thats my shop name. Im in love with this dark rich brown fabric. It has a thicker more fancy feel to it than regular woven cotton. Id be lying to you if I said I remembered what it was called though :( Sadly, my husband was rushing me through Hobby Lobby and I just grabbed it off the wall. But it was perfect. And this cream was the perfect coordinate considering the wheat embroidery I was planning to add to the bodice with GOLD metallic embroidery thread (my first time using it btw and it went amazingly well!) I got the embroidery design from Urban Threads. I have a sick obsession with their designs. And this shows you exactly why! Look at that perfect stitch out!

 So when I was walking out I passed this gold ribbon that is really for decor but i just pull the wire out and use it in bows, and I grabbed it bc I knew it would match the gold glitter trim around the bottom (also Hobby Lobby... everything here is Hobby Lobby lol). SO I made a bow with that glitter ribbon lined with a piece of brown ribbon I already had at home. And this is the result!! Oh, and this is the Lazy Susan pattern from Brownie Goose. My first time making it but it WONT be my last bc this is TO DIE FOR CUTE! Also the tights Emmy has on under the tunic are gold and from Wal-Mart! <3

Scallop Shorts Tutorial

At this point I have realized my blog will always be random and I will post what I can when I can lol. SO please just bear with me. Also Emmy Lou is my shop name thats why its watermarked that way. Anywho, I have been wanting to make my girls some scalloped shorts FOREVER. I just keep putting it off. But today I decided to do it, and I am going to show you how. You can pretty much use any shorts pattern you already have. I used this free one from the Calia Made blog bc I already knew I liked the fit on my daughter :) But you can use whatever one you want... OR you can trace a pair of shorts your little one already has and add seam allowance. Whatever works for you.

Now you will want to add length to your shorts pattern. See here i added about 3in to the length of the shorts to make room for your scallops. MAKE SURE to add the same amount to BOTH pattern pieces or it will not work. Add your length and cut out your pieces. I am providing the template I used for my scallops BUT if you want bigger scallops just zoom in some with your printing or draw your own. Or do whatever you want lol. But make sure you add the appropriate amount of length to make it work. So cut that out too.

Now cut out your fabric pieces and make sure they are nice and pressed and assemble them according to your patterns instructions, but do not add the waist elastic yet or hem the legs. When you get to this point just serge or zig zag stitch along the bottom of your legs.


Take your shorts right side out and fold up the bottom hems just enough to make sure you can fit your scallops, like this.

 Press them nice and crisp and then take a fabric marker and trace the scallops around the bottom of the shorts. Make sure where you have to restart the pattern that everything lines up and if it doesn't make sure the unperfect parts are on the inside along the inseam lol where no one should be looking.

Now after you have done both, sew along the lines you have just drawn. It is somewhat figidity but, it makes it easier if you stop at each point, pick up the presser foot, and pivot the fabric in the direction you want to go. So do that to both legs.

Now you want to clip your seam allowances and cut out each point. MAKE SURE you do not cut your stitches, it will suck if you do lol. Clip a lot bc pretty much everything here is a curve.

Now, flip your scallops right side out and your flap should be to the inside. Push out all your scallops. It will be kinda hard, I found it easier to press each one as i pushed it out. Still they weren't perfect lol but Emmy wont care. I also sprayed some starch and gave them all a good press together once I was done with that. Now, take them to the machine and top stitch along each scallop. Again its easier to pick up your foot at each point and pivot the fabric. Now you are almost done. just flip the shorts wrong side out and sew down along that flap like you would a normal hem, then add your elastic and VOLIA!

 Scallop shorts for your little!!! <3

The Fiona Suspender Shorts

I wanted to share a new pattern (like released TODAY kinda new!) that I tested, the Fiona Suspender Shorts from HoneyDew Kisses Patterns. This was my first pattern from this designer and I am happy to say it was a very well written pattern with great instructions and photos. I really like that it was very neat and professional looking. Best of all, I LOVE the shorts I created with it. There are so many options for this pattern. Flutters on the straps, a bow on the front or back, and even just shorts with no suspenders. I went with the shorts with suspenders and no flutters or bow and my girls LOVED THEM! They fought over them lol. So click HERE if you would like to buy the pattern - WHICH IS ON SALE RIGHT NOW - so... you really need it haha and here are my Fiona shorts!

How to create rolled hems with a serger

I know this has been addresed over and over again, but I still see people asking all the time and it wont hurt to have one more persons method out there so here it is... MY ROLLED HEM RECIPE!

These are my settings. You dont need to see the setting for the left needle since you will remove it, and dont forget to take that stitch finger out as well! And on the side all my settings are set to R!

And just like that this is what my rolled hems look like. Way less scary than it seems, I promise! I also always see a lot of people asking how to finish a rolled hem of things like the leg of shorts. What I do is simply clip the tail, serge over an inch or two past where i started, clip that tail, and dab some fray check on it. Thats it! I hope that makes it a little easier for you guys and I have included a video HERE that I made just in case you are more visual! Good luck!