Mock-Kariza Tutorial

Merry Christmas!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day.  I got to give my cousin the Kariza I made for her.  She LOVED it and started experimenting right away with different ways to wear it.

For those of you who don't know what a Kariza is, it is a multi-wear dress/skirt. They are very popular in Hawaii and resorty places.  You can wear the same dress over 100 different ways.  Pretty cool!


I still have to make mine, but I'll show you how we made my sister's and my cousin's.  I can't wait to get mine done and wear it in the Caymans!  


We learned a few things while making these. 
1. Use a serger or rolled hem foot rather than spending a couple hours pressing under tiny rolled hems on slippery fabric.
2. Make sure you calculate the amount of fabric you need correctly.
The first time.
I won't mention any names........................


MOM!!!!


That is why the skirt that is shown here is different than the fabric I posted earlier this week...


We got the idea from here, but we will expound upon it a bit.


Make Your Own Kariza/Wrap Skirt


Supplies:
2 Contrasting Fabrics (lightweight and flowy: silk, silky polyester)
3 yards of 1" double fold bias tape (opt)
matching thread
serger or a rolled hem foot (big time saver!)


Figuring out your fabric dimensions:
1. Determine the Circumference you need.  Measure around the widest part of the chest, then overlap it by half.  For example, my chest measured 32", so I add half of that (16"): 32"+16"=48".  Now double that number: 48"x2=96".  The Circumference=96".


2. Figure out the Radius:  Time for a little Math Application!
    Circumference=3.14 x 2Radius
    96=3.14 x 2R
    96/3.14=2R
    31"=2R
    15.5"=R


3.  Short Kariza = 14" (top fabric) and 17"(bottom fabric) long (Audrey's)
     Medium Kariza =25" and 28" long (mine)
     Long Kariza = 33" and 36" long (Secret Santa)


4.  Decide what length you want.  Then add the length measurement (plus 1" for hem/seam) to the Radius measurement and DOUBLE that (that's the part Mom forgot...).  That is how much fabric you will need to purchase.  
For mine: 
28" + 1" + 15.5" = 44.5"
44.5" x 2 = 89" aka 2.5 yards


I needed 2.5 yards of EACH fabric, plus a little extra of the top fabric for the band (or use bias tape instead).


5. Wash and dry fabric!


6. Fold the fabric in half and mark the radius using a measuring tape at several points from the top corner (15.5" for mine).

7. Repeat using the measurement of the radius + the length desired, adding 1" for hem and seam allowance (25 + 1 + 15.5 = 41.5" for the top fabric and 44.5" for the bottom fabric).  Connect the dots to form an arc and cut through both layers of each fabric.

8. Narrowly hem or serge the sides and bottoms of each skirt.  

9.  Line up the top arcs of the two skirts; pin and baste together.

10. Pin the bias tape in place, lining up the middle of the bias with the middle of the skirt.  

Sew in place. 

OR

Make a 3-yard-long bias strip 3 inches wide from your top fabric.  Serge/Zig-zag the edges. 

Press the edges to the WRONG side of the fabric.

 Press the strip in half lengthwise.  

Line up the middle of the strip with the middle of the skirt; pin together and sew it on.  Make sure you catch both sides of the strip or you'll wind up doing some hand-sewing.

11.  Find the middle of the skirt band and sew a buttonhole there, going from the top of the band to bottom of the band.  Then measure 3 inches over from that hole (doesn't matter which way) and sew another buttonhole.  Rip out the centers of the buttonholes.

YOU'RE DONE!!!!

Google how to wear a Kariza or Magic Wrap Skirt for ideas on how to wear it.  Experiment with your own as well.  

Have fun and enjoy wearing it!!!

What was your favorite present you GAVE for Christmas?

Mine was definitely the Kariza!

Pumpkin Bars Recipe

It's your lucky day!!  

We finally made Pumpkin Bars!  

Yeah!!! 

(applaud wildly)

I invited my cousin Callie over to help me bake, 

and we quickly whipped up two batches.  

The first one was completely evil.  

No alterations.  

The second one had some experimentation with the fat and sugar.

After they were completely cool, we got to taste test.  

Yummm!

It's funny, they came out of the oven looking very different, 

but tasted almost identical.  

We had a small panel of 5 taste-testers.  We all agreed that they were both delicious.  The "Fully Loaded" version seemed thicker and sweeter from the very beginning.  It definitely rose more, so it was fluffier and had a lighter crumb.  The modified version tasted "lighter but creamier" and had a tad bit of an appley taste.  It was also a lot more dense.  But still very delish.

Then we frosted them.  

It's funny, because the tastes actually changed once we put the frosting on.  Again, they were both really good, but some (the adults) thought the modified version was better because it wasn't quite as dead-sweet.

 

So, there you have it.  The results are in.  They are both fantastic.  

Hope you all enjoy making whichever version you feel like indulging in!

A little side note: 

 Mom wanted to make a third version completely healthy, 

but that was turned down by the two bakers...

Pumpkin Bars: Fully Loaded
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups (1 16-oz can) pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 heaping tsp. pumpkin pie spice* (see note below)

Frosting:
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar

Directions:
Beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in pumpkin pie spice.  Add to wet ingredients and stir well.  Spread batter in an un-greased 15x10x1 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely.
For the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Add in powdered sugar and beat well.  Spread over cooled pumpkin bars.

Pumpkin Bars: A Little Healthier
4 eggs
2/3 cup agave nectar or honey
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*

Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves

Question of the day:
So, when are you planning on making these and which version?
I look forward to hearing your responses!  Let me know what you think of the recipe!!

A Little Set-Back...

This is the Heidi part of Heidi's Alli filling in for Alli today.  I'm more commonly known as "the more boring part" of the team... aka Mom...

We have had the stomach flu going around our house since last week, and today is Alli's turn.  Needless to say, she has not been sewing her Kariza today.

But I have!  I decided to sew Audrey's (Alli's little sister) as a trial run so that Alli's will hopefully go more quickly and smoothly.  I have definitely learned a few things along the way.  I think I would have caused a few tears if Alli had been doing all the work...

Tip #1:  Before you begin to sew, make sure to buy or borrow either a serger or a rolled hem foot for your sewing machine.  If you are going to serge the edges, make sure you buy multiple spools of thread for your fabric!  The couple extra bucks will save you several hours of time.
Yes, hours.
Personal experience.

Tip #2:  Be sure to buy enough of one of the fabrics to sew 3 yards worth of bias strips OR buy bias tape and NOT the pretty satiny quilt binding material...

I think we'll need to go back to the fabric store tomorrow...

Tune in tomorrow for the Tutorial!  I promise we'll get it posted... barring some catastrophe!!!  Sorry for the delays! :)

I would post pictures of today's work, but... my photo program is being temperamental... grrr....
Guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow!

Kariza Time

WOW!!!

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE AMAZING COMMENTS AND SUPPORT!!!

I can't believe it! I asked for 15 comments or more, and I got about 18 (minus mine)!

Maybe I should have raised the comment bar higher! Mwhahahahahaha!!!

I feel sooo happy that people actually take time to read my blog.  The main reason I set this comment challenge up was because I really like it when you guys comment and have something to say.  

Now I see that people really do read my blog and care, and it makes me feel really happy right now... a little too happy in fact!

Anyway, to begin my epic journey on the countdown to Christmas, I bought my Kariza fabric today.  Let me just say, that I'm SOOOO glad that I didn't get one in Hawaii.  No joke, I think I spent only $45 on the fabric for all three of the dresses I'm going to make!!!  

WOW!  

$45 for three Karizas vs $80 for one Kariza... 

Hmmm... let me think about that... DONE!

Ok, so my fabric was all 40% off... BUT STILL!  Even at full price, they would still cost less than the ones at the kiosk.  I'll start sewing the Karizas tomorrow.

I'm so excited for my Secret Santa to see his... I mean hers!  Just kidding! My Secret Santa is a girl. :)

Tune in tomorrow for the tutorial on how to make a Kariza :)

Abort! Abort! Change of Plans!

Mom and I are headed for the Loony Bin again if we continue at our current pace (never said I haven't been there before).





After the Santa Cookie madness, we decided not to do any more cookies until things have settled down a bit.

HOWEVER, we are still going to make the Pumpkin Bars (I LOVE THEM!!!).  Let me know if you are interested in buying some.  They are super yummy!  They will be $12/pan (12"X15") or $1/square (1/12 of the pan).  I can have them ready for your Christmas party!  Just let me know when you want them delivered! :)

Since it's almost Christmas, I decided that I better hurry up and make my Christmas presents.
I'm planning on making Karizas for my Secret Santa, Audrey (my little sister)... AND ME!!! :)
I saw some in Hawaii and automatically fell in love with them... but I didn't want to spend $80 on one...
Yeah.
No.
Not gonna happen...

Then, I hope to make Audrey a matching Ruffle Skirt.

And maybe a cowboy quilt for Aiden.

I still think that I'm gonna be in the Loony Bin by Christmas!  

Oh, yeah...  One more thing:
I will post the Pumpkin Bar recipe ONLY if I get at least 15 comments to this post.
Do you want the recipe?
Yeah.
The recipe is THAT good!
I'm not giving out freebies anymore unless I know you really appreciate me! :)  Pass the blog along and get your friends, relatives, pets, etc. to comment.
I'm not going in the Loony Bin for nothing!!!
I'm bringing you all with me!  You ready?!!!

How I Calculate My Sell Prices

Running a business is a lot of fun... except for the math part.  


I really hate math!


Unfortunately, I have to do a lot of math when it comes to figuring out my costs, making purchasing decisions, and how much to charge.  But, it helps me realize how much math really applies in real life situations.  It is unescapable!!!  Ohhhh, the torture!!!


BUT, my favorite type of math is counting out my money after I've sold everything!  At first, I thought that the money I collected was how much I made, but my mom quickly pointed out that that wasn't quite so...  


But, I digress...


This is how I figure out my prices:


1.  I create a spreadsheet listing all the ingredients, packaging materials, and the amount of time I've spent making it.

2.  Then, I create columns for Amount of ingredient used, Price per Unit, and Total Cost for that ingredient.


3.  Next comes the tedious work, which I REALLY detest...  
Figuring the Price per Unit.  
To do that, I divide the cost of the ingredient by the number servings/units.  For example, say a 5-pound bag of flour costs $3.00.  There are 20 cups of flour in the bag.  So, to figure out how much 1 cup of flour costs, I divide $3.00 by 20 cups, which equals 0.15.  Therefore, 1 cup of flour = $0.15.  I do that for each ingredient...

4.  Then, to figure the total cost of that ingredient, I multiply how much I used of it by the price per unit.  Going back to my example, say I used 3 cups of flour.  I multiply 3 cups times $0.15, which equals 0.45.  My total cost of flour is $0.45.  Again, I have to go through and do that for every ingredient.  


5.  Next, I add all the Total Costs together and divide that by the number of servings it made.  For instance, for the Santa Cookies, my total cost was $4.37 (not including time/labor).  The recipe made about 30 cookies, so $4.37/30=$0.15/cookie.  Add in 2.5 hours of time at $8/hour... $24.37/30=$.81/cookie.  

 6.  To that, I add the cost of the packaging.  The boxes I packaged the Santa Cookies in were $0.35 each.  Six cookies fit in a box.  $0.81x6+0.35=$5.22/half dozen.

7.  Finally, I mark up the price to what I think sounds fair and reasonable.  I want to make it worth my time, but I don't want to gouge my customers either.  It's a tricky thing to do...  
In the case of the Santa Cookies, I actually took a bit of a loss because I didn't thing people would want to pay that much for sugar cookies.  I charged $4.00/half dozen.  That one was a bit of a learning experience.  


I think we'll stick to easier projects!


After it's all sold, I get to count out my money!! :)  But Mom burst my bubble by telling me that I have to subtract my costs from the money I brought in.  Hmmmm... guess I didn't make quite as much as I thought I did...  This is a lot of work!  And math!!!!


I LOVE MATH!!!!!   NOT!!!!!


In case you were wondering, this was not my first choice for a blog entry...  Mothers can be so persistent!! 


What is/was your least favorite subject in school?

Body Butter

Next in the skin care line-up...  Body Butter!

Like the lip balm, it was really pretty simple to make, and I LOVE how it makes my hands feel!

We experimented with two different types of body butters: a Melted Body Butter and a Whipped 

Body Butter.

The Whipped Body Butter was the quickest and easiest to make, so we made a lot more of those.  I love this product because it is really smooth and adds a lot of moisture to your skin.  But, beware, a little bit goes a long way.  It actually melts on your skin before soaking in, leaving your skin a bit greasy feeling for about a minute.  But if you have "alligator skin" in the winter time, it really makes your skin soft and smooth.  

It was really fun to experiment with different essential oils to mix for the scents, but we finally narrowed down the choices to:

Wintergreen-Clary Sage

Citrus Bliss (my all-time favorite)

Peppermint-Frankincense

Lavender

The Melted Body Butter took quite a while since we had to wait for all the solid stuff to melt together, and it did not make very much.  BUT, a little bit goes a long, long way and it is awesome for dry, chapped skin because the beeswax really coats your skin and seals in the moisture.  Again, we had fun experimenting with scents, but chose to make:

Lavender

Citrus Bliss

Mexican Hot Cocoa

Here are the recipes:

Whipped Body Butter
14 oz Shea Butter
5 oz Coconut Oil
Essential Oils

Combine shea butter and coconut oil and whip for 6-7 minutes in an electric mixer on medium/high.  Spoon into jars and stir in 5-6 drops of essential oils for 4-oz jars and 2-4 drops of essential oils for 2-oz jars.

Melted Body Butter (aka Coconut Butter Body Moisturizer)
2 Tbsp Beeswax
2 tsp Distilled Water
4 oz Cocoa Butter
4 Tbsp. Sweet Almond Oil
2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
10 drops Essential Oils*

Melt the beeswax over low heat with the water.  Spoon in cocoa butter and blend.  Gradually blend in oils.  Pour into containers (makes about 6 oz total) and stir in essential oils.  It will thicken as it cools.

*For the Mexican Hot Cocoa, we added Cinnamon Essential Oil.  The cocoa butter makes it smell a bit like chocolate, so it smelled like a cinnamon hot chocolate.  Yummy!!!

Again, these are for sale, so leave me a comment if you are interested!

Prices are:
2-oz Whipped Body Butter:  $3.00
4-oz Whipped Body Butter:  $5.00

2-oz Melted Body Butter:  $5.00
4-oz Melted Body Butter:  $9.00

Santa Sugar Cookies

Today we made Santa Cookies.

We used my mom's favorite sugar cookie recipe and cut out stars for the Santa bodies.

Then came the decorating part... Let's just say that the red food coloring we used did not produce a vibrant red hue like we had hoped...  

BUT we did successfully pull off a very nice hot pink :P

As you can see, Mrs. Claus revamped Santa's wardrobe this year.  

Then, I ran out of black frosting, so Santa got a purty silver sparkle belt instead.  It's the year of Santa's fashion overhaul!  Hope you like it as much as I do! :)

Santa Sugar Cookie Recipe

Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

*Warning: these take a really long time to make, but are fun!*

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

2-4 Tbsp milk

red food coloring (NOT Wilton gel...)

1 tube (4.25 oz) black decorating icing

1 tube (4.25 oz) white decorating icing

1 tube (4.25 oz) yellow decorating icing

red mini M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.  In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium, beat granulated sugar and butter.  Stir in egg, sour cream and vanilla.  Add flour mixture, stirring until a dough forms.

On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.  Using a large star cookie cutter, cut out shapes; place on prepared baking sheets.  Bake until edges are golden, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer cookies to racks immediately; cool completely.

In a bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough milk to make a thin icing; tint red.  Spoon icing over the hat and suit portion of cookies; set aside to dry completely, about 1 hour.

Using the black icing fitted with a writing tip, pipe the mittens and boots.  Pipe a black belt on each cookie.

Using the white icing fitted with a small star tip, pipe the beard and fringe details.

Press red M&M's onto beards for the mouths.   Pipe on white icing for the eyes; pipe black icing for eye centers.  Using the yellow icing fitted with a writing tip, pipe buckles onto belts.

Mock Burt's Bees Lip Balm

I'm currently DONE with cake balls and onto developing my own skin care products!  

Beginning with lip balm!  

I LOVE Burt's Bees, but my wallet does not...

Anywhooo, to remedy this problem, I am making my own version of Burt's Bees lip balm, personalized just for me.  

It's really quite simple and inexpensive.  In a matter of one and a half hours, I whipped out 25 of the little suckers, with a little help from my LOVELY assistant Sarah. 

It took 5 simple ingredients:

1.5 ozs of beeswax 


1 oz of coconut oil 


0.8 ozs of sunflower oil


10 - 20 drops of Vitamin E oil


10-20 drops of essential oils 

Melt all the ingredients over very low heat except for the essential oils.  We microwaved it on 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one.

  

Remove when heated through and then add the essential oils.  We are DoTerra fans.  They smell the best!

Pour into lip balm tubes, let harden, label and seal.

This is what we learned:

For beeswax, pearls may be helpful.  I had a 1-lb block of it, and Mom had to hack away at it with a knife to chop small pieces off.

Work QUICKLY!  The liquid solidifies pretty quickly, but you can always re-melt it easily.

Cover your work area with newspaper.  Cleanup is a little messy...

Feel free to experiment with the essential oils.  We finally decided to make some with lavender oil, some with peppermint oil, and some with a combination of lemon and grapefruit.  But the possibilities are endless!  Use less of stronger oils like peppermint and more of milder oils like lavender.

I LOVE the finished product!  It is just as good as Burt's Bees, but now I get to choose my own scents!!  My mom loves to rub some of the leftover scraps on her hands and swears that the cracks on her hands are healing after only 1 day!  It's pretty great stuff!  

Of course, I am selling these wonderful creations, so let me know if you want some and what kind you want.  

They cost $2.00 per container.  A lower price than Burt's Bees... and made by me with local beeswax (from Cox honey)!  I will deliver them/ship them on Wednesday.

Leave a comment to order, and leave a comment about how you like it after you've tried it.  Or just leave a comment just because you care! :)