This week Bella went on her first pony ride at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. I was bummed that I forgot my camera. Cell phone to the rescue! I was worried that she’d be nervous or scared, but she had fun. I have a feeling we’ll be spending a lot of time at the zoo this summer. We’re just loving our museum/zoo pass.
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new on julie-k: wardrobe refashion: comfy shorts
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Does every guy have a pair of these? These are T’s comfy shorts. He has literally worn them threadbare. My attempts to replace them didn’t really work. They either didn’t fit right or didn’t have pockets. I think he bought these when we were dating. It is past time for letting them go.
I found this pair of really big sweatpants at a local church sale, and now that I’m refashioning, I figured I can make new comfy shorts! I tried to just trace around them, but the front and back panels were two very different sizes, so I had to deconstruct them. It was a very delicate operation.
I am really impressed with the results, if I do say so myself. They turned out much more professional looking that I would have thought. (Pat myself on the back!) They also fit well and T approves!
Sewing knits has always frustrated me, so to prepare for this project, I got Wendy Mullin’s Sew U Home Stretch from the library. I used an overlock foot for the inside seams and a walking foot for the hem. Both worked really well.
I think with the small amount of sewing with knits that I do, I really don’t need a serger. It’s not like I’m going to be making t-shirts and comfy shorts for the whole family. I am planning to make some sweats for Bella with the leftover pants legs, but will wait until closer to Fall to measure her.
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Remember when I won second place in Crafty Nation’s contest for Christina’s denim messenger bag? One of the prizes was a free month to Christy’s Craft Challenge. Our local Lincoln Handmade Team is sponsoring the prize and I’m donating my challenge entry to the gift package!
I made a tote bag, because that’s what I do best. There’s plenty of room to carry a crafty project, plus two small notebooks and a pen for recording creative inspirations. Here’s how I used the challenge items:
I was excited to find the blue floral fabric in my stash. It matched the challenge fabric perfectly. The rest of the tote is made out of cotton I got at a garage sale, of course.
I’m excited to see what everyone else puts together with the same “ingredients.” Go check them out and vote for your favorite at ChristyNelson.net!
I’m giving away this tote bag as part of Sew, Mama, Sew’s May Giveaway Day. Details over at julie-k.
I’m participating in Sew, Mama, Sew’s May Giveaway Day. Remember that beautiful tablecloth I was going to make into tote bags? Here’s the first one!
The top has a slight curve because the tablecloth is round. I love how the trim fabric contrasts with the floral print. The lace tape really pulls it together!
I’ll be making three more for my etsy shop, but I’m giving this one away! I’ll even ship internationally.
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. Yep! That’s it! You have until midnight, May 31st to enter. I will choose a winner with a random number generator. After you leave a comment, check out Sew, Mama, Sew for more fabulous giveaways!
recycle: original tablecloth purchased from garage sale here
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I spent most of the weekend designing and sewing. Today I’ll be taking lots of pics. Tomorrow, I’m having a giveaway! Stay tuned!
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new on julie-k: recycling sweaters from my stash
tutorial featured on whipup.net:
how-to: sew a placemat zipper pouch with only four seams
I’ve had a shift in focus over the past few months. I’ve been slowly moving away from felted wool bags to try new things. I’m not completely abandoning them, but I need room for my new adventures. This hit me over the head on Saturday when I found some really nice things at a local church garage sale. I have a small amount of storage space, so whenever new stash comes in, other stash must go. I packed up three bags of sweaters, which I’m putting up on freecycle today if you are interested. Some are already felted!
I’m spending most of the long weekend sewing and last night I needed something to help me unwind. Ha! I’ve always wanted to unravel a sweater, so I grabbed one from the giveaway pile and went to it. It was very relaxing. I find desconstructing just as exciting as making. My mind starts racing with the possibilities: a baby blanket? matching scarf and hat? thick, wooly socks?
I have no idea what I am going to with this yarn. I certainly don’t need any more in my stash. There are knots at the end of every color change. I was thinking it would be cool to work them into the design. Something in seed stitch might be nice. What do you think?
recycle: There are so many beautiful wool sweaters that have been discarded. Try unraveling one for your next project. Where else can you get yarn to make an entire sweater for just a few bucks?
We received this puzzle on Wednesday from my parents. Thursday morning Bella asked if we could put it together. This is before she even asked for milk or breakfast. She was super excited and did really well.
Friday morning, after breakfast, she asked to put it together again. I was busy posting pictures to the blog and told her I’d be over to help her in a bit. I wasn’t really paying attention and when I finally made it over, she had half the puzzle together. I couldn’t believe it!
I told her she was smart. She said, “I’m a smart cookie!” Some days I am just blown away by the cuteness.
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new on julie-k: wardrobe refashion: pants to skirt
I finished the refashion of those denim pants that made me look like I was waiting for a flood. It was much easier than I thought. I have a pair of khakis that are the same style. I think I’m going to to take some pics next time and write up a tutorial.
refashion: sewing a cute skirt is a great way to transform out-dated pants so you can continue to wear and enjoy them.
