We had a wonderful day at the zoo with friends today. The weather was beautiful! The girls were cute! And I forgot my camera! Oh, well. Cell phone pics are better than no pics, right?
wardrobe refashion: red linen skirt
So, what was I doing Friday evening instead of writing a blog post? Sewing! Unfortunately, I didn’t finish until it was too dark to take pictures. But to make up for it, I’ve got a before pic for this one!
Another long skirt — this one I originally bought to use for tote bags. That was before I started refashioning. But there were a few nit picky things that bugged me about it, so I had to weigh my options.
Pros
- Pockets!
- Beautiful red color.
- Linen/rayon blend.
Cons
- Really wide elastic waistband.
- Drawstring.
- Faux zipper flap. (Seriously? What the heck?)
I figured I could fix two out of three and live with the wide elastic, so out came the scissors! First I cut about 10 inches off the bottom and finished it with a
This skirt comes with a bonus matching top. I plan on using the leftover fabric from the skirt to make this a little longer. I think it might also need some shaping. Any other suggestions?
thrifted: Both of these were garage sale finds. I think it’s kind of funny that I bought them to make totes and now I’m going to wear them!
she’s a very kinky yarn
After working with my white sweater wool, which I took the time to soak and unkink, I’ve decided that I prefer its smoothness for granny squares. So, tonight is bath night for the rest of this sweater wool!
recycle: I’m also in the process of unraveling another sweater. Just because. Maybe I should start listing some in my shop!
my creative space
In my creative space today (and tomorrow and the next day…) are granny squares. I had no idea how relaxing these were until I stopped making them. Then I felt a hole, like something was missing, and I realized it was clusters of double crochet!
I’m using my recycled sweater yarn for this one simply because it’s so soft and nice to work with. Whenever I start to feel stressed, I take a deep breath and grab a square.
What’s in your creative space today? Why don’t you pop on over to Kirsty’s blog and join the fun!
how to make a ruffle scarf in 3 easy steps
The other day I saw a woman wearing a cotton scarf that was layered and unfinished in the most beautiful way. She looked like she just walked off a catalog shoot. I’ve never been able to pull off that “I just threw it on and it looks perfectly ruffled” look, so I decided to design one that made it easy.
Step 1
Cut a large triangle of fabric on the bias. I chose a lightweight cotton, but anything with a nice drape would work. (Flannel would be nice for Fall.) My piece measured 80 inches across the base and 32 inches high. Run it through the washer and dryer to fray the edges.
Step 2
Fold the ruffles. I figured a diagram would be easiest to understand. I folded mine 8 times, but you don’t need to see that many steps to get the idea.
Step 3
Stitch the ruffles in place. I didn’t back tack and pulled on the threads to create a little gather before I tied them off.
That’s it! You can wear it with the ruffles hanging down or wrap it around a few times with the ruffles facing out for that perfectly unfinished look.
happy little airplane
I attended a Baby Sprinkle over the weekend for Baby D2. It was like a Baby Shower, except when mom has a lot of what she needs from her first baby, you’re supposed to give things like diapers, lotion, baby shampoo, etc.
I didn’t follow directions very well. I believe every baby should have something new, especially when so much is being handed down from his big brother. Better yet, he should have something handmade especially for him.
Isn’t this little guy the cutest thing ever? I especially love his smile.
I also sewed him a lightweight blanket that coordinates with the quilt I made for his brother. I forgot to take a picture of that, but it’s a single layer of the same fleece trimmed with the Snoopy fabric. Maybe I’ll get a photo in a few weeks with a cute baby bundled inside? (Hint, hint, Lauren.)
stash: Everything came from my stash of thrifted yarn. The pattern is Happy Little Airplane from Amigurumi Two! by Ana Paula Rimoli.
first dress of the season (and other milestones)
It’s official. Dress weather is here in Nebraska. I’m so glad this one fits. My daughter is growing too fast. It’s a size 4 and some of the 4s in her closet will barely make it to June. I found the cutest fall jacket for her this weekend that’s a size 5 and the sleeves are too short. I am not ready to buy size 6 clothes!
Already this year we’ve crossed a few milestones. Bella has been sleeping in a Big Girl Bed for a few months. She no longer looks small in it. Yikes! She’s also swimming like a little fish and has graduated to the Eel level at the Y. She’s doing simple math, and get this, she’s already reading.
I’ve encouraged the swimming lessons, but everything else has been her doing. She insisted on the new bed and refused to sleep in her toddler bed until we bought one. Yep, she slept on the floor until we could get up to the mattress store.
She’s completely in love with letters and numbers. I got her a Leap Frog dvd about the “silent e” because I was having trouble explaining the concept to her. Something just clicked and after a few different dvds, she just started reading. Whole books at a time! Of course, now we have to watch what we leave around so she doesn’t ask, “Mom, what’s a hooker?”
You can find the tutorial for the flower flip flops here. A close up of the Liberty of London dress is here.
I have to include a hair shot in this post, because Bella’s going to get her first haircut soon, hopefully this week. It’s never been cut and needs a little shaping. I think this milestone is the most difficult for me. I’m still leaving it long, but it kills me to cut any of these curls.
moags
I had planned to post a Ruffle Spring Scarf tutorial today, but I left my computer unplugged, it ran out of juice and I lost all of my work. Bwaa!
Normally I would redo everything right away, but I’ve got to get to bed. Tomorrow morning my friend is picking me up early for MOAGS: the Mother of All Garage Sales.
I’ll have a spring scarf tutorial and a thrifty update for you next week. Have a great weekend!
custom bag: tropical lunch tote
When I posted pics of my Tropical Tablecloth Tote, I received a request for a lunch tote. The bag is a little smaller, but a lot wider to hold lunch containers and a water bottle. I think it’s pretty darn cute!
There are two more totes worth of fabric cut and waiting to be sewn. I admit that I wish I had this idea on my own. Anyone out there looking for the perfect tropical bag? Let me know!
. . . . .
Thank you for all of the great suggestions on the sweater upcycle. I’m seriously considering pillow cushions now, too!
my creative space
I’ve got some tough decisions in my creative space today. I was given this beautiful hand-knit sweater from my friend Tana. It’s big. Really big. Too big to be refashioned with my ’80s sweater tutorial. She was thinking I could use it to make a felted tote bag. I can’t bear felting it. The stitch work is so beautiful.
This is what I’m thinking: take apart the seams and make smaller bags out of the front and back each. I would serge the edges to keep them from unraveling. I really like the colorway of the yarn, which is Cascade 220. I think I might unravel the sleeves and use the wool for some granny square scarves.
What do you think? What would you do with it?