Posted on

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.

amigurumi airplane

Isn’t this little guy the cutest thing ever? I especially love his smile.

amigurumi airplane

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.

Posted on

wardrobe refashion: white cotton skirt

Three skirts down! I really wish I would have taken a before picture of this one. When I cut off the waist and flattened out the fabric, there was so much!

refashioned white cotton skirt

I used an a-line pattern I drafted for myself from Sew What! Skirts. I took about 5/8 inch off of each side after trying it on and will be adjusting my pattern for the next one. Aside from that, this was super easy. I cut it out a few weeks ago and sewed it up today in about an hour.

Usually I shy away from white of any kind on my lower half, but I fell in love with the detail at the bottom. Isn’t it lovely? (Yep, I kept the original bottom hem, which made this project go really fast.)

refashioned white cotton skirt

The skirt is a little sheer, but I’m thinking slip instead of lining. Any suggestions for fabric type? I worry that a traditional polyester slip might be too hot in the summer.

thrifted: I think this might be my last skirt from the Goodwill 99 sale. I can’t remember! Time to dive back into the stash.

Posted on

tropical tablecloth tote

I’ve started making some things for my shop again. There is some thrifted fabric in my stash that needs to be repurposed before I can go garage sailing again this year. I used a little bit of this tablecloth to make a small sock knitting basket a few years ago. Now I’ve gone in the opposite direction and made a big beach bag tote.

tablecloth beach tote

When I washed the table cloth, it lost a lot of the canvas-like stiffness that I liked, so I had to line it with something sturdy. I chose some heavy duty upholstery fabric to do the job.

tablecloth beach tote

I also tried something a little different with the gusset and added these vintage buttons on the side. Aren’t they cute? I love them!

tablecloth beach tote

I’ve got the rest of this tablecloth cut and ready for more totes. Not sure if I am going to make something different or make more of the same.

What do you think?

recycle: Tablecloth from the thrift store, lining from a garage sale, thrifted buttons. More photos in my shop.

Posted on

wardrobe refashion: linen skirts

It’s no secret that shopping for pants drives me nuts. And the capri pants I complained about last year didn’t even make it through the season. So, I’ve decided to make a bunch of skirts for this summer and yesterday I started with these two linen lovelies by Laura Ashley.

laura ashley linen skirts

No before pictures because I didn’t change that much. They were really long and too big in the waist. Here’s what I did to them.

  • Washed in hot water and tumble dried to preshrink them.
  • Chopped off about 10 inches and made a 1/2 inch double fold hem.
  • Used a seam ripper to open up the elastic waist casing.
  • Cut the elastic down to the right size and then sewed everything back up.

I am absolutely in love with the result. The linen is so lightweight and soft—perfect for summer. I thought about making them a little bit shorter, but spending time at the park today with our crazy Nebraska winds convinced me they are the right length. Also, I’m loving the fact that they have pockets!

thrifted: Bought these at the Goodwill 99 cent sale. That’s right! My Laura Ashley linen skirts cost me a whopping $2.

Posted on

momi the mermaid amigurumi

My daughter is in love with Momi the Mermaid. My parents gave her Tropical Water Hide-and-Seek last year and I found Land of Delight at Neat Repeatz last week.

momi the mermaid by yuko green

A few weeks ago, she asked me to crochet a Momi. She opened to a specific page in her book and made sure I understood that Momi needed a “flower necklace” and a flower in her hair.

She was a tricky little mermaid with a multi-colored tail and that hair! Let’s just say, I’m not the best doll maker in the world. Hearts, flowers and hats I can do great, but arms with hands? (Yes, Mom, she needs hands!) The hardest part was her lei. I used an incredibly small hook (1.3 mm!) and embroidery thread.

momi the mermaid by yuko green

I think I did a pretty good job. My daughter is a little bummed that I didn’t crochet flowers all the way around her neck. (But Mom, she’s missing part of her necklace!) I guess I’ll be adding a few flowers to her lei. In the meantime, Momi has been released into the wild, i.e., my daughter’s bedroom. I think she likes her new home on the shelf next to Octopus and Orca.

momi the mermaid by yuko green

thrifted: I don’t have a lot of pastel yarn, especially pink. One day when I was running errands I felt a pull to the nearby Goodwill. I went in and followed The Force back to the craft section. There was a big bag of pastel yarn with everything I needed. I love crafty kismet!

Posted on

thrifty thursday

It’s that time of year again: Neat Repeatz. I feel like there was even more clothing to go through than years past. I’m so glad I went while my daughter was in school or I might have come home with a lot more dresses!

red white and blue dress

She loved everything I bought, but these are my two favorite. I almost put the red dress back on the rack, and she told me that it’s her favorite. So glad I decided to get it!

red strawberry dress

thrifting: This is such an overwhelming event, but I’m always glad I go. I looked at both 4T and 5T sizes. Hopefully, everything will fit my string bean!

Posted on

my creative space

pink fabric for purse

In my creative space today is this beautiful pink fabric. I think it should become a purse. Not a boxy, tote-like bag, but a fancy, dressy purse. It’s got this shiny, metallic thread woven in it that glitters in the sun. It was hard to get a close up, but you can kind of see it here.

pink fabric for purse

It would make a sweet Spring purse, don’t you think?

You can visit more creative spaces over at Kirsty’s blog.

thrifted: I think this was originally a long, wrap-around skirt. I bought it at a church sale last year and figure it’s about time I did something with it!

Posted on

wardrobe refashion: the first of many t-shirts

nebraska t shirt

You know you’re getting old when the phrase, “They don’t make them like they used to…” creeps into your conversations. But seriously, can someone explain to me how my Gap t-shirts from college are still going strong almost 20 years later, but t-shirts from the past few years are falling apart?

I have this grand idea of updating all of those boxy, over-sized tees into a more modern and flattering fit. First, I need some practice. I’ve made a few patterns from existing t-shirts that I like and I’m also trying out the t-shirt pattern in Wendy Mullin’s Sew U Stretch.

My first try was a thrifted XL Nebraska shirt. It turned out pretty good for a beginner shirt. The sleeves are kind of tricky, though. I definitely need a little bit more practice before cutting into my ol’ Gap favorites.

thrifted: I always try to practice on thrifted material and clothing first. I’d rather mess up on a 99 cent t-shirt than on the good stuff!

Posted on

crafty retreat

crafty retreat

I spent this weekend thrifting and crafting and it was lovely! My friend Kaitlyn of Owl People organized a getaway at a local bed and breakfast for those of us who needed some time away from home to concentrate on our work.

crafty retreat

Before the event, Kelly of refibered and I met up for some early morning thrifting. (I think Goodwill’s 99 cent sale has officially become a standing date for us.) Then we headed over to the B&B for an afternoon and evening filled with creativity. So many crafts were represented: crochet, cross stitch, sewing, scrapbooking, decoupage, floral arranging. The next morning, Kelly and I checked out a Flea Market/Antiques Show before heading home.

This was such a great idea and everyone who attended insisted this be a biannual event. I know I’ll definitely be attending again!

Posted on

how your child can make wrapping paper in 3 easy steps

handmade eco-friendly wrapping paper

A few months ago I found these stamps while digging through the craft section at the thrift store. One of my daughter’s favorite things to do is stamp — anything and everything!

handmade eco-friendly wrapping paper

She already makes birthday cards for her friends by hand, and I thought it would be fun to have her make wrapping paper for the gifts, too. Fabric gift bags are great, but sometimes kids just need to rip paper.

I usually use kraft paper for this, but a paper bag works just as well.

Materials
kraft paper or paper bags
rubber stamps
washable ink stamp pads

Step 1
If using kraft paper off the roll, tape it to the table first so your child has a flat surface on which to stamp. If using a paper bag, cut it flat and use a low heat iron to smooth out the wrinkles. (They won’t disappear, but will flatten out.)

Step 2
Roll up your child’s sleeves. We’ve had elbows in the stamp pad many times, which is why washable ink is a good idea.

handmade eco-friendly wrapping paper

Step 3
Wrap the gift! If your child wants to help with this step, hold the paper and let her apply small pieces of tape.

Bonus!
Have your child stamp the envelope to match the paper.

handmade eco-friendly wrapping paper

recycle: If you missed my post with the frightening statistics about wrapping paper, you should really check it out. I’m happy to say this is one resolution that I’ve had no problem keeping! (Price for the stamps: $4.)