Woman in the striped pajamas

Seriously made these babies in about 5 min. One leg is wider than the other and I didn't even size them. I think even at 37 weeks I can fit 2 of me in them. But I was seriously out of pajama pants. Actually I am down to 3 pairs of pants that fit at all. I wish it would warm up a touch so that I can rock the dresses.

handkerchief dress

I made my first real dress for a grown up. It was an easy one. I bought this fabric during the memorial day sale at Joann's for a steal. I wanted to make a different dress, but I realized the pattern on the dress wouldn't work. So I made a handkerchief dress.
It is bulkier than I thought because I had to line it all. But I do feel like a greek goddess in it!


Sorry for the super messy office/sewing room. I have been up to a lot of projects lately. I do have a stack of books to catch up on so maybe I'll slow down a little.

Shower curtain

My neighbor Marianne from the house we used to rent got this fabulous Waverly toile from a yard sale for $1.00! It is an amazing texture and it's black and white and was 5 yards!!
She has been wanting a new shower curtain for her 2nd bathroom for a while. She asked me to make a panel out of the toile, but of course I added a ruffle. I think mainly because Ed would never allow a ruffle in our bathroom, and any man who would allow toile would allow a ruffle. It is the project I am most proud of so far. I love it!

By the way. This is the kids bathroom, that is why it is so narrow and has a turquoise curtain on the side.

Inspiration came from Ashley at Make It and Love it. I did alter it a bit for my purposes and fabric amount and size.

Daisy Maisy dress

When Kelly posted her Daisy Maisy, Shabby Apple knock off I knew I HAD to make it. My friend has a daughter who we all call Maisy. So I took a stab. Not as hard as it looks, the waistband is the worst part.
Then I made it in a 12 mo. for a customer. She bought the fabric I put it all together.

It took me a few hours. A lot of adjusting. It really is a great dress, it would be perfect for a wedding or whatnot.

ruffle tank

Sorry these pictures are horrible. This is the softest, most comfy shirt I own and I made it in about 10 min. Love it. Another Boden knock off. Tutorial here

produce bags

Those of you who know me know that I am a little environmentally friendly. I almost never get plastic bags at stores. I always have my reusable ones in the car or hanging on the garage door. If you know me well enough to come through my garage they have probably beaten you up at some point.
Anyway, I hate that I have to use plastic bags to get my produce. So I was super excited when Delia did her rainbow series and made these. These 3 are my version. Love them. They gray is huge and we use it for beach toys, it was Ed's old t-shirt. They green is mine and super light. The small one is one of Anya's old t-shirts that was gymboree and super cute and stained beyond repair, so I made into the cutest produce bag ever!!

Warning: they are not good for green beans, or cherries. That is all I have found so far.

Mini Boden knock off

A friend of mine asked a few months ago if I had ever heard of Mini Boden. No, so I promptly got on the internet checked it out and requested their catalogs. Oh my cuteness. It is a tad out of my current price range so I decided to make a knock off for my friend's daughter. She wanted a 4th of July skirt that looked like theirs. She didn't want to pay quite that much, so I came up with my version. I used Dana's exposed waist circle skirt and diaper cover tutorials. Merged them and came up with this little number. Super cute. I can't wait until they get home from vacation so I can see it on her.

Play date

Kevin has a few friends that he does weekly play dates with. Kevin and F came up to me and said that they were playing knights and we didn't have any shields, so can we go to the store right now? Ummm, let me think for a minute, No.
So we did the next best thing. We made them. They were made out of the largest flat rate box the US Post Office offers. Thanks! I cut them out sewed about 5 inches of elastic on the back and told the boys to decorate them. 10 minutes later, they were knights for 2 hrs. Priceless!!

house warming

My step-sister just bought and built her first house. I wanted to send something that was small and light and easy to tell her congratulations! Here are some quick throw pillows I whipped up in a few minutes(literally) for her kids. I hope they match the colors.

Finally done

I am so excited about this project. It has been in the works since winter.

I love to thrift shop, I blame thank my Mother.

I found the perfect dress at Goodwill. It was dark purple, white small polka dots, fit me like a glove and had pockets! Really does it get any better.

(Insert before picture here) Oh yeah forgot to take that one!!

Let me use my awesome writing skills to describe it for you. You know the secretary/business dresses of the 80's like this one.....

Sorry this picture is so huge

Picture the buttons all the way down the front and a straight neckline, oh it was a hottie stage!!

I knew the neckline, shoulder pads and sleeves had to be revamped. So I worked on them.
As I said before the neckline was straight across, so I made it a small v-neck, and the sleeves came to the elbow, with amazing shoulder pads.

Here are the pictures, sorry again, 6 yr old took them.

I paired it with a thick black belt that I got with a sweater dress this winter and a pair of ridiculously high heels- thrifted also.

I have learned that you should not trip over things with a pencil dress with buttons. The buttons pop off if you do, creating more work for yourself!! Lesson learned.

Baby gift

This little number is for one of my best friends new baby. Her 3rd she got a girl so of course she needs an outfit and since they live in FL she needs something nice and cool.

front view
back view

And what is an outfit for a little girl without butt ruffles. Rock them while you can little Stella. Hope you like it!

Sweet quick baby gift

When I good friend has #4, what do you give them? Seriously 3 other siblings all close in age... I had no idea, so I whipped up this quick little blanket for little Owen.

It is a thermal knit with a truck, stoplight pattern. And a silky binding to keep it all together. Perfect for wrapping and rubbing.

Best part I whipped this baby up in about 1 hr, while Kevin was having one of his weekly play dates and Anya was at school.
It also cost under $5.00 to make.

Victorian or clown

This is a project that I made this winter from Ruffles and Stuff I didn't do it right, at least I am not wearing it right. But it was so different and fun, and I used up the fabric that I bought but didn't use for Anya's Halloween costume. I think if I ever figure out how to wear it I will rock it.
Also don't mind the awkward I can't take a picture of myself.

More cheap projects

You know how I love a good Old Navy sale............

40% off clearance plus damage rack creates some cheap fabric, or in this case clothes!!Can you see it? .07 !!!! That is right 7 cents for a t shirt

I forgot to take a before picture, but it had a few holes in the front of it.

I get those all the time, mostly when I am at the playground with the kids. Leaning over something and your shirt snags, bummer there goes that shirt. Not anymore.

Plus I figured if it didn't work I had some scrap material to make things out of.


I took my scissors and cut a ton of little holes, I didn't want it to be too symmetrical but I wanted sort of a pattern so this is what I did. Front and back.
Wash your shirt, this will cause your holes to look fabulous!!

I took some fabric that I pilfered from my Mom's stash when she moved( I believe I had leggings of this purple fabric when I was a kid.)

I cut, pinned, and sewed it behind the holes.
There may have been a time that I left it bare, but lets face it two kids later, no one wants to see my muffin top hanging out of my shirt.

I also wear a size small and the shirt is a medium so I took some of the fabric folded it in half and sewed it under the neckline, making it not quite so plunging.

For .07 and about 45 min of work I would say fantastic overall.

Sorry for the bad picture, no hair done or makeup on snow days, therefore no face, that is challenging when you are the one taking the picture.

Anya's Christmas gift

BeforeAfter

It is huge, and needs to painted but she loves it!!
I don't have a picture of it totally done but once I do I'll add it. This picture is missing the ladder and the side rails on top.

Thanks to my handy husband and some guy who posted this plan on the internet.

3rd birthday gift for Miss A

I hate that I can't take pictures of it on a model, it would be SOOO much cuter.

I drop it off tonight, I hope it meets expectations. This was a request from Mom for birthday pictures.

I didn't make the can can skirt. I have not attempted projects that take quite that amount of time yet.

The shirt is an applique of pink fabric with white polka dots surrounded by lots of tulle!!

My new skirt

I wear A LOT of black
I don't even really like the color that much it is just so easy to wear.

So I made something just a touch different.
A houndstooth pencil skirt...

Here are a few of the looks I will be rocking this winter....

Casual cool with black flats

More of a dressy look with black pump

I call this one biker meets prep-school

I will probably wear this one the most. I should have worn black tights because that is how I roll in the winter.(and it hides my ugly knees)

1.00 can go further than I thought

I wanted to title the post
Even homeless kids need cool hats but I just couldn't and I am even thinking what a horrible person I am for writing this.

Ok, Anya's daisy troop is stuffing stocking for kids on Fri and you had to get 3-5 fun things and gloves or a hat. She was assigned hat for a boy.

Great! Boy stuff just is not that cool. I went looking today at Target. I found some fun hats, hello $14.00 winter hat!! NO THANK YOU!!

So I bought one for $1.00 and decided this would have to work. A bit boring but when it's cold who care? Right? Decided it was too boring and.....
I looked through a bag of Ed's old clothes that I have to bring to Goodwill. And found this little beauty!
And for $1.00 and 5 minutes of cutting and sewing I came up with this....

Please ignore the expression on the model and my messy office/sewing room!

Since you've been gone

Played some soccer


Had a storm blow over a tree, took some crazy naps

Did crafts Papa would never allow

Visited Grandma and her family in DC
Graduated Transitional Kindergarten

And did some crafting.

Sorry some of the pictures are sideways. More to come...............

New project

Made this for a friend's birthday. I will make one for Anya one of these days.