Full confession, I adore the movie The Greatest Showman.  And anyone who knows me would be shocked to hear this from me.  Why?  I don't do musicals.  Seems a big counter intuitive since I grew up LOVING cult classics like Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Mary Poppins.  But I would never really consider those babies "musicals" - even though they technically are.


Anyway, that's not what this post is about.  If you love The Greatest Showman as much as I did, perhaps you are on the hunt for party ideas.  And that's what this post is all about.  I found these incredible photos and ideas over at Sage and Thistle Events and was just blown away. 


Can you even imagine?  They actually created a tent inside of a venue - complete with a ticket booth at the entrance of the "tent".  How awesome is that? 




The tabletop decor kept with the vintage circus theme with elephants and giraffes atop stacked boxes and golden accented table runners and plate chargers.



Aside from the subtle nod with the peanuts + shells on the table, these are perhaps my favorite table decor pieces.  I love the fact that the Animal Crackers played a central role in the setting as well as my favorite quote from the movie - "No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else" - PT Barnum.  It's perfect.



And rounding out the vintage-themed decor is an awesome photo area so guests can be their own ringmaster or try their luck at being eaten by a lion.  Of course, there wouldn't be a circus-themed party in any way if there was no popcorn.  Right?  This popcorn machine is perfect for this party - and any other Greatest Showman party.




I hope you were inspired with this Greatest Showman party idea post - and don't forget to be a part of the party with one of our custom costume aprons!  Maybe your little one wants to be the ringmaster of her own Greatest Showman birthday party - don't worry, we got your back on that too.  Just shoot us a message and we'll see what we can do.

Talk soon!
- Kate

Image Credits:  First Image - (Google Search - Images) // ALL Sage & Thistle Party Images from Sage & Thistle Blog // Last Two Images are from BambinoAmore

In this Learn to Sew (LTS) post, we're going to show how to easily add piping to your sewing projects - and then we'll tell you how we use this technique in more complicated ways to create really special trim detailing on our aprons.

You're going to need extra wide double fold bias tape and yarn - and of course a project to add this technique to.  For this example, we're going to add "piping" to a pocket for the Jessie Pattern so we are going to need the pocket pieces as well.  And, of course, you'll need a sewing machine, thread, and pins.


Let's get to it.

The first step is to measure the required length of your extra wide double fold bias tape and yarn. 


Now sandwich your yarn in between the two main flaps of the bias tape.  Make sure that the yarn is all the way at the bottom and pin in the bias shut along the top.


Now you will need to put your piping in the seam of whatever it is that you are working with.  In this case, it's the top portion of a pocket and the curved bottom portion.  Simply pin along the right side edge of the fabric and cut any excess piping you may have.  With right sides facing each other, you'll want to pin the top portion (or whatever the other side of your seam is for the project you're working on) to the pinning you just completed.


Now you're going to stitch your seam using a normal seam allowance (ours is a 3/8" seam allowance which works perfectly for this technique).  Once you stitch your seam all the way across, "open" the top portion up and press flat.  Top stitch the seam and you are all finished with adding piping!


See, that was super easy!  And by taking these few extra steps when you are creating a project, you can step up your sewing game so easily it's ridiculous.

What else can you add this piping technique to?  Pretty much anything with a seam.  We have added this piping to bodice seams (see the gorgeous one below), skirt bottoms, pockets, waistbands, and even my nieces twirl skirts.  You can add piping like this to pillowcases, sheets, pillow shams, dresses, towels, and so many more things - seriously, the sky is the limit!    



And because you created the piping yourself, you are not limited to the colors or fabrics offered in packages.  You have complete control over how thick or stiff to make the piping - depending on the type of yarn you use.  And the biggie (for me anyway) is that you don't have to worry about the stitch line of the piping itself not catching in the seam that you are putting it in.  Becuase let's face it, every one of us sewists have had that stitch line show through a time or two!

Hope you enjoyed this LTS post and if you have any questions, post the below.

Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore
 

Sometimes, the design process is wicked easy when you stumble across awesome fabric like this Rainbows + Unicorns fabric we snagged at Joann Fabrics last summer.  It was a no brainer to pair it with a classic rainbow stripe.  The result?  A vibrant summer apron that is sure to make you happy all year round. 


The finer details are really what make this apron pop.  By carrying the rainbow theme to the ric-rac around the bodice and pocket, you get a super cohesive look as opposed to if we had just picked a color from the rainbow and used that instead.  Seriously, that would have changed the entire look of the apron.


Moral of this story, don't be afraid to take a theme and RUN WITH IT.  Go all out.  If you're a little apprehensive about going too far with it, you can always use a solid color fabric instead of the rainbow print.  Or use a solid ric-rac in the color of the rainbow that you are most fond of.

We hope you're inspired to take harness the power of a rainbow this summer (and beyond)! 


Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore //Last Photo of KONA Cotton: Craftsy 
 

It's all about the cotton when it comes to the fundamentals of many of our aprons.  And probably many of your sewing projects as well.  For us, if we're talking about character aprons, it's crucial that we pick the right cotton.  So what's up with the love for KONA?


  

 

NUTSHELL RECAP:  WHY WE LOVE KONA COTTON

• It's a  light-weight quilting cotton created + manufactured by Robert Kaufman
• It's 100% Cotton (not a blend)
• It's durable - weighing in at between 4.3 + 4.35 oz. per square yard
• It has minimal shrinkage + doesn't bleed when wet or washed so you can mix colors easily
• There are over 300 color options available in the KONA line
• It's soft and non-scratchy fabric
• It is the only quilting fabric that bears the Oeko-tex certification stating no harmful chemicals were used.

What is your favorite cotton for your projects?  Do you use KONA?  Let us know in the comments below.

Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore // Bottom 3 Photos of KONA Cotton: Craftsy

So maybe Chambray isn't a new obsession per say, but, it has been seen all over the runways for the Spring/Summer 2017 fashion shows.  And for good reason since it's the perfect alternative to denim + is super comfy - those are just facts.

WHAT IS CHAMBRAY?

Chambray is often confused with denim.  But, it's actually denim's light-weight cousin.  It's a cotton fabric that combines colored yarn (in the warp or top of the fabric) and white yarn (in the weft or back of the fabric), which is actually the same manner that denim is woven in.  However, Chambray is a plain or sometimes crisscross weave whereas denim is a diagonal weave.  In plain English that means that Chambray is a lighter, airier weave that exposes more of the white yarn in the top side of the fabric.  Whereas denim is a dense, tight weave (and therefore heavier) that keeps the white yarn on the back side of the fabric - giving it a darker color than any Chambray.

WHAT TO MAKE USING CHAMBRAY

We know that Chambray has the appearance of a lightly colored denim and that it is a little bit heavier than basic quilting fabrics, but, not as heavy as denim.  So the question becomes - what can you make using Chambray?

The answer to that question is pretty endless.  You can go traditional and create a top like the one pictured above or you can get creative with it and create nearly anything you can think of for your Spring/Summer wardrobe.  Think: button up shirts, dresses (both flowing and structured), pantsuits, pants, and even shoes (Espadrilles look amazing in Chambray).

WHAT ABOUT HOME-GOODS USES

Can Chambray be used to create home-goods?  Of course!  It is perfect for tablecloths, napkins, pillowcases, duvet covers, and yes - especially aprons.  It is tough + durable while staying soft + comfy, which, in my opinion makes it ideal for a workhorse apron.

Washed Chambray will give you a similar wrinkled look of linen,.  As I'm sure you've seen all over Etsy and Pinterest, that wrinkled look is crazy popular these days.  So, with that in mind, I am thinking that a revamped bistro apron or gardening apron would be the perfect style choice for Chambray.  Mix it with pops of color - sparingly or all over for an unexpected surprise.  Like the soft pink seen in the image above. 

NUTSHELL RECAP:  WHY CHAMBRAY IS THE PERFECT DENIM ALTERNATIVE

• It's lighter than denim, but a bit heavier than standard quilting fabrics
• It's generally 100% Cotton (not a blend)
• It's durable - weighing in at 4.9 oz. per square yard
• It's soft and non-scratchy fabric + will only get softer with each washing
• Its composition makes it more versatile than denim + can be used for clothing and home-goods alike

What do you think of Chambray with pink?  I have tons of ideas swirling around and can't wait to share the end result with you!

Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore // Top Photo of Chambray: Fancy Tiger Crafts

For some reason I have loved this fabric combo for years.  It made its first appearance in our shop when we were still selling the Jessie Apron.  I think the pops of animal print in the main Santa fabric are just fun - and a great way to add a little of an unexpected pop.



This fabric can be purchased at Hobby Lobby - and if you catch it on a sale, snag a bunch of it to make your family and friends some awesome aprons!  If you want to make this exact one, you can snag the Jessie pattern in our Etsy shop. 

Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore // Jessie Apron Pattern + Tutorial by Bambino Amore // Wild Santa Jessie Apron by Bambino Amore

Christmas is the perfect time to really get creative with your fabric combos - it's almost like Halloween all over again, except with a sweet twist as opposed to a scary one.


Like this custom Gingerbaby apron that we made for a clients little one and her friend.  We began with a light brown gingerbread background for the body of the apron and added some white icing up the middle in the form of white ruffles on either side of a middle panel.  Inside that middle panel we added bright green braided trim + buttons in red and green.  The crisp white icing bias around the bodice was topped off with red ricrac and a sweet red bow.  The traditional red + white striped fabric ties the whole look together in the underskirt and the ties.


What do you think of this fabric combo?  It's a nice spin on a traditional gingerbread, isn't it?

Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore // Last Two Photos - client thank you photos.

There is something special about this time of year, isn't it?  The air turns crisp and chilly while the house gets decorated with leaves + pumpkins.  The smells coming from the kitchen are both spicy and sweet - a beautiful juxtaposition of the season itself.

This month's fabric inspiration comes directly from this juxtaposition.  The vanilla bean half apron is the ideal hostess apron, although I wouldn't recommend cooking in it as it's a creamy white KONA with a crochet lace overlay.  We'll do a tutorial for this apron if you'd like - just drop us a comment below letting us know!     


The two aprons above feature vinyl iron-on appliques that I made and cut on my Cricuit.  The combo of the spice and vanilla colored KONA cotton with the pumpkin colored skirt with golden pin dots is topped off with golden trim along the waistband.

What do you think of these three combos for Thanksgiving?  Do you have a favorite?

Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore // Aprons by Bambino Amore - found at Bambino Amore

So...it's been a little bit and we have been crazy busy!  If you've been following us on social media then you know we lost the matriarch of our family, my grandmother, on January 21st and that sent us all in to a sort of tailspin.  It was completely unexpected.  She was not sick and she had just had a checkup the very day she died and everything was all good.  Except it wasn't.


I think she was just tired and ready to see my grandfather who passed in 2009.   Either way, it sucked then and still sucks now.  It's hard to not be able to pick up the phone and call her or hop in the car to go see her.  The house that they shared is no longer theirs - it sold quickly - and it was devastating to see happen.  But, life will always go on, whether we want it to or not.  Granddaddy once told me that everything in life is a choice.  Even the things that you think you have no control over, you still have a choice - and that is how you will react to it and then what actions you will take afterwards.  I hope that my choices will honor them and their memory.


About four months later, after mom did the things she needed to do for the estate, we packed up all of our stuff and headed north to Missouri where my Aunt + Uncle (and several cousins) live - and the house hunt began.  For nearly 6 months we went all over the state and even in to Kansas looking for the "right" house.  I was worried we would never find it and have to settle for something that was available and ok.


Then we found this beauty in a little town about one and a half hours away from my Aunt + Uncle and we just knew it was perfect.  Well, it's perfectly imperfect and I just love it!

It was built in the 1920's and has such amazing character - hardwood floors, large rooms, super tacky wallpaper, and two fireplaces, just to name a few.


Honestly, I can't wait until the spring so we can get to work on painting, adding trims, and doing a yard redo.  It will be awesome to put our own stamp on the house and add to the extensive history that we are now a part of as the new owners of this awesome home.

I really wish grandmom and granddaddy could see this house.  I know they would both think it's great!

What do you think?  What is your favorite style or era of home?

Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore // Wedding Photos part of our family collection

As some of you may know, I used to have an Etsy shop where I created little kids clothing and I have been yearning to create some clothes.  The perfect opportunity arose when my beautiful niece needed some clothes for her trip to Universal Studios + Florida.

Mom chose to go the more traditional route and create the gorgeous set you see above - using nothing but fat quarters!  Can you believe that?  Check out those fabric combos - little Lia's nursery has these very color combos.  The yellows, soft greys, and crisp white all create a cute + soothing color scheme (or so I'm told!).    


I, on the other hand chose to let my geek flag fly and created her two drop waist skirts with a totes adorbs Harry Potter Quidditch theme fabric coupled with a yellow polka dot fabric for one and a blue stars fabric coupled with bright red and + yellow trim on the second one.


I then took basic onesies and added a bit of pizazz to them.  The Harry Potter one was created using a Snitch graphic and the HP with the lightening bolt.  I took those graphics and loaded them in to my Cricuit machine and made iron-on appliques with glitter vinyl.  It really ended up looking great!

For the Wonder Woman outfit, I just added a store bought iron-on applique + then top stitched it for added durability. 


So what do you think about these fabric combos?  Would you like to see a tutorial for the skirts?  Perhaps one for the snitch applique?  Let us know in the comments section below.

Credits // Author and Photography: Kate Mark for Bambino Amore