watercolor tunic tutorial

I am super excited to be blogging for I Love to Create and once a month I will be sharing a tutorial that makes use of my FAVORITE products. IMPORTANT side note- I don't promote just anything- in fact I MUST use and believe in the things that I share with all of you. ALL of the products that come from I Love to Create are simple, easy to use and affordable. I have been using so many of their products for YEARS so it is really exciting to join their blog team!

Ok, lets get started!

I see watercolor inspired dresses everywhere and I decided it was time to put my twist on this trend!

Because I love of tunics I had to transform a white tunic.

(this tunic is from the clearance rack at Target- yes, I love Target!)

I used the Tulip dye from a Dye Technique Kit.

The Tulip dyes are one step dyes and are SOOO easy to use- just add water to the applicator bottles, shake up and use!

I took it a step further and mixed up different shades of dye in spare jars.

(For example I mixed turquoise and lime dye to make a new shade of green, fuschia and turquoise for a dark shade of purple.)

I prefer to use dye like I use paint- with a brush.

I started by wetting down areas of the surface- this causes some of the dye to bleed and you get that nice watery look.

I began to paint splotches of color all over the tunic.

I varied the size, shape and color of the splotches.

I let them bleed into each other.

I went back and added details with a darker shade of dye.

I covered the entire surface but held on to some areas of the white tunic for variation and contrast.

At this point the tunic could have been finished but I wanted to add a little more detail so I let everything dry overnight- yep that is all you have to do- just let the fabric dry 4-6 hrs and then wash...SO EASY!!

Once it was washed and dried I use fabric markers to go back into the dress to add details.

I outlined the flowers with different colors and added small details.

The end result is a SUPER colorful, watercolor inspired tunic perfect for the last few days of summer!

Finally...

I spent the weekend up in the mountains

with friends and family who made a 24 mile trek up and down the highest peak in Southern California.

My husband was in on the hike- a long time goal on his to do list.

And while the group was doing this,

and this,

and this,

I was doing this.

(Its ok, don't feel bad. I have been on plenty of amazing hikes and there will be more in the future- just when things calm down a bit and I can afford to be tired and sore for days!)

The weekend was fabulous!

Treasures were found.

R&R was attained.

Delicious food was consumed.

and fun was had...FINALLY!

mini lemon blueberry trifle

When it comes to dessert, I am a fuity kind of gal- though I enjoy chocolate I crave sweet and sour fruit flavors. I have been wanting to put my own twist on a simple trifle that incorporates some of my favorite flavors.

No time over here to make cake from scratch so I used a boxed lemon cake mix and turned it into a pound cake-

1 box of cake mix

1 package 3.4 oz of lemon instant pudding

4 eggs

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes

I cut it up into cubes.

The best part of this dessert is making homemade whip cream.

Start with a cup of whipping cream.

1/3 cup of sugar (optional)

Whip with a mixer for about 5 minutes or until it is thick and fluffy.

YUMMM!!!!

Next I filled the cups- I have a set of cute little trifle cups that are perfect for this dessert.

I started with whip cream,

added a layer of cake,

added a handful of blueberries,

and continue building layers until the cup is full.

add a big dollop of whip cream to the top.

Then I added just a pinch of toasted coconut to the top.

I wanted a little extra lemon so I added a little squeeze of lemon to the top.

OH GOODNESS....YUMMMMMMMMM!!!

simple tunic tutorial

I love tunic style tops so when I found a plain tunic inspired t-shirt at Target, I knew that it would be perfect to alter.

I purchased a larger size than normal- for a little extra room- tunics can't be tight!

I just read that lace is everywhere in fall 2010 fashion so I decided to use a little lace and beads to add to the shirt.

I picked out a two different shades of green lace.

I sewed two pieces of dark green lace together.

Then I used a piece of lighter green lace and turned it into a ruffle

and sewed it- down the middle- to the top of the dark green lace.

Next I used a a piece of silk ribbon that I folded up

and sewed it to the top of the lace.

I knew that I wanted to add gold beads for a little sparkle but I just didn't have the patience or time to hand sew them all on..insert Aileen's Super Fabric textile adhesive here. I love this stuff- heavy duty, dries clear and is great to use with embellishments.

I added little gold beads down the surface of the ribbon.

Last, I used Fabric Fusion (fabric glue) to adhere the lace and beads down the very middle of the shirt and let dry.

And there you have it- a lightweight and SIMPLE tunic that can be worn by itself....

or under a jacket!