Jan 30, 2012

Vintage Runner to Little Girl's Apron

Have I mentioned that I just love finding little treasures thrift shopping? 

If not, then let me clarify right now, I absolutely, positively, adore, finding quirky, unique little gems while sifting through the thrift store!

Over the weekend I had the rare opportunity to hit up our local thrift store solo, and oh, how I savored walking the aisles and going through the racks without being rushed by my often impatient little ones.  I found a few awesome treasures, one of which I used to create this adorable apron for my Miss Addie.


It started out as this awkwardly sized table runner.  Too large to be a placemat, and too small to be a table runner, it had "refashion" written all over it.  Besides, for 20 cents, I wasn't about to leave it behind...awkward size or not.


I started by grabbing a t-shirt that fits Addie nicely, just to gauge how long the apron should be.  Miss A was napping at the time, so I didn't want to disturb her with a measuring tape.  I folded the runner in half length-wise and marked how long I thought it ought to be.  Then I marked where I wanted to cut out the curve to fit around her arms.  I lightly drew with pencil where I would cut, then snipped away.  

This is my runner trimmed and unfolded:


I just happened to have a nearly full package of the perfect shade of yellow bias tape on hand, so I took that and pinned it around the cut edges of the apron.  I left a tail of about 14 inches on either side to use at the apron ties.  Then ever so carefully, I stitched it on.


It might be hard to tell in the picture, but I was fresh out of bright yellow thread, so I decided to use a contrasting bright cherry red thread.  When I got to the ends of each of the ties, I just unfolded the bias tape, folded the raw edge in, refolded the bias tape, and stitched it all in place.


Lastly I needed to sew up the neck strap.  (Sorry for the icky picture, I was losing daylight fast!)  Using the scalloped print edge of the scrap runner fabric, I sewed a tube and turned it right side out.  I stitched one end directly onto the bib of the apron.  On the other end of the neck strap I sewed on a big vintage red and white button, which I'm sure was made for just this apron, it matched perfectly!


On the other end of the apron bib, I stitched a small loop of elastic.  That loop slips around the button on the neck strap for easy on/off. 

I can't decide, should I sew a matching button on the other side of the apron bib?  What do you think?


And there we go, one vintage apron finito!  And, one happy kitchen helper to boot!

Thanks for popping in!

Be blessed,

I'll be linking up to a few of these fine link parties:
 
Make-It-Yourself Monday - An Original Belle
Made with Love Monday - Sew Chatty



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Jan 27, 2012

Head-to-Head Showdown #11

Welcome to the weekend!

Okay, last week's party was record breaking, bringing in 115 brilliant, creative, wonderful, jaw-dropping links!  Y'all sure know how to make a girl smile!

And now, for a few of my top picks from party #10:

Can we all agree that Rasha from My Champagne Taste is a genius?  Seriously, hanging these petite drawers, (I vote we call them drawerlets) is bizarrely brilliant! 
I shall be looking for some drawerlets of my own.


Are you over the big ruffle craze yet?  Me either!  I am lovin' the simple Ruffled Tee from Crafty Cousins!
a.) I can't stop smiling about the diagonal ruffles and uneven bottom hem  b.) It's refashioned, so how fun is that?!


Are you trying to come up with a great homemade valentine to send out?  Why not clean out your broken crayon collection at the same time?  Try the Homemade Crayon Valentines from Bowl of Cherrys, they look so sweet!


I am a nacho lover.  It's true, I won't even deny it, so when I saw this awesome idea for bite-size nachos from Maiden D'Shade, I nearly fell off my chair!  Isn't Kim a total smarty pants?  This would be so fun to do with your fave nacho toppings, too!


Alright, alright, let's party already, shall we?  

If your link was featured above, feel free to grab a featured button:



And now, let's get this party started! 
Here's the rundown:
Link up as many of your own posts as you like, try to keep them fairly recent.  You could post anything from recipes, crafts, and refinished furniture, to essays, photography, and fashion, whatever you do!  The party will be open until Tuesday evening.  At the end of the week, I'll pick a few of my faves and share them with you.  At the end of the month I'll set up a vote and you all will get to choose the winner of the Head to Head Showdown!
I only ask a few things:
1. Please only link up posts you have written, created, etc.
2. Please display my party button somewhere on the post you're linking or on the side bar of your blog.
3. It's a party, so hang out and visit a few other link ups as well!
4. I'd love for you to follow my blog!




14 splendid comments Labels:

Jan 25, 2012

Sweet Valentine's Day Canvas

I've never been much of a Valentine's day kinda girl, it's such a manufactured holiday...and, well, it's kinda lame!  Last year though, I decided it would be fun to Valentine's-it-up with a candle lit dinner for my happy little family.  Everyone loved it.  Like, loved it, loved it.  It was such a highlight for me, that I've been looking forward to Valentine's day for weeks now, planning my menu, the special decorations, and some other fun things for my crew.  I can't wait!

So, in preparation for our special Valentine's day dinner, I made this quirky canvas with just a few things from around the house.

I grabbed one 11x16" canvas I snagged from the dollar store awhile back and painted it with thick purple-grey stripes.  I used some paint I had leftover from another project, and added in some white craft paint to lighten it up a little bit.  Really you can do this however you please, I didn't want perfectly sharp lines, so I lightly drew with pencil on the canvas, then freehanded with the paint...I obviously do not have a perfectly study hand, which suited me just fine for this task!


Once my canvas was painted and dried, I sketched out my graphic on a large piece of craft paper.  I sketched it on backwards so there would be no pencil smudges on the good side.  Once everything was just the way I wanted it, I carefully cut the design out with a craft knife.  Oh, and remember: the simpler the design, the easier it is to cut out later!


I cut the excess paper away from my design and was left with a long strip of paper.  I then cut out a long strip of lacy fabric, just a hair narrower than my strip of paper.  I sprayed the wrong side of the paper with spray glue, then laid it onto the right side of my lacy fabric.  

A side note about spray glue:  
I almost always inadvertently spray part of my arm or hand 
when using spray glue and man, is that stuff hard to get off!  
Use caution!  And use it only in a well ventilated area!


 Next I took my now lacy design, and sprayed the back side of it with spray glue, then applied it to my painted canvas.  I wrapped the excess lace and paper around the back of the canvas, trimmed the extra long pieces and hot glued it all in place.


And there it is!  An original piece of Valentine's art, quirky and totally personalize-able!  I really like that mine is not done in typical V-day colors, though it would be oh-so-charming in classic pink and red.
What are your Valentine's day plans?  Any must-have treats?  Any fun traditions?

Thanks for checking in, I'm sure glad you did!

Be blessed,


I'll be linking this fun project up to some of the following FABULOUS link parties:

Make-It-Yourself Monday - An Original Belle
Made with Love Monday - Sew Chatty



8 splendid comments Labels: ,

Jan 23, 2012

The Easiest Baby Blanket EVER!!!

If you're like me, you like to find an easy way to make things look fancy-shmancy.  
 
Hemming is one of those things that I just do not enjoy, it's tedious, it's often fussy, and it just requires time and effort.  When I'm running low on time and just don't have it in me to put fourth all that hemming effort, this is a fantastic way to finish the edge of a baby blanket.  

Friends of ours recently had twins, and I am putting together a little basket of goodies for them.  I'm not sure when I'll be bringing it over to them, so I'd like to get it all ready to go as soon as possible.  
Enter: The Easiest Baby Blanket Ever!

Here's what you do:

Cut your flannelette into the desired size.  Stitch around the entire blanket, just using a simple straight stitch, about a 1/2" in from the edge.  Finish the seam.  Then using your presser foot as a guide, follow the first seam, stitching around the entire baby blanket again.  You can do this as many times as you like, no rules here!  
 
 
Once all your stitching is done, cut slits all the way around the outer edge of the blanket, being careful not to cut through the seam lines.  This finishes the edge with a playful fuzzy fringe that only looks better and better as you wash it and it frays.  

 
Annnnnnd....we're done!  See?  I told you it was easy!  I paired these sweet receiving blankets together with some matching burp cloths from Prudent Baby (love that blog, by the way!)  Easy as can be, and still a little fancy, just the way I like it!
 

Thanks for popping in!
 
Be blessed


 I'll be linking this post up to a few of the following  link parties:

Make-It-Yourself Monday - An Original Belle
Made with Love Monday - Sew Chatty




20 splendid comments Labels: , ,

Jan 20, 2012

Head-to-Head Showdown #10

Ready for round 10 of the Head to Head Showdown?  I am!

Last weeks party was positively flooded with creative ideas, and I'm so looking forward to seeing what is shared this week.

A few stand-out posts from round 9 were:


I love the punchy colors Ashley used!  Plus, her thread/ribbon storage can now double as art, it's so pretty!


I absolutely adored this well organized shelf the moment I saw it, from the coordinating cookbooks, to the "this and that" organizers, it all comes together to make a fresh and clean spot to stash odds and ends in a pretty way.



Something tells me Katie knows how to stretch a dollar.  Wowza, is that one well put together room!


Lovebird Specimen Art from Pressed Down, Shaken Together

I just have to smile at this cute and quirky Lovebirds Specimen Art.  I am loving the bright, bold frame, and those little birds are stinkin' adorable.


If your link was featured above, feel free to grab a featured button:




And now, let's get this party started! 
Here's the rundown:
Link up as many of your own posts as you like, try to keep them fairly recent.  You could post anything from recipes, crafts, and refinished furniture, to essays, photography, and fashion, whatever you do!  The party will be open until Tuesday evening.  At the end of the week, I'll pick a few of my faves and share them with you.  At the end of the month I'll set up a vote and you all will get to choose the winner of the Head to Head Showdown!
I only ask a few things:
1. Please only link up posts you have written, created, etc.
2. Please display my party button somewhere on the post you're linking or on the side bar of your blog.
3. It's a party, so hang out and visit a few other link ups as well!
4. I'd love for you to follow my blog!



13 splendid comments Labels:

Jan 19, 2012

In The 80's

My big brother turns 30 today!

Jeff is a true child of the 80's....big time.

I'm not going to post embarrassing pictures.

I'm not going to tell sentimental stories.

I'll just share this awesome video by Rhett and Link, you know, in tribute to Jeff.

Karen, be sure he sees this!



Happy birthday, Jeff!  I love ya like Rainbow Brite loves Starlite!




1 splendid comments

A Few Fun Thrifty Finds

Yikes!  This week has been one crazy whirlwind of activity!  Between school and social commitments, Zach working overtime hours, oh and those three little people that keep calling me "mom" and asking me to feed them, we've been running at break-neck speed!

As you can imagine, I haven't had a whole lot of time for craftiness, so I thought I'd share a few of my latest thrifty finds.  

 I found this...uh...charming 25th anniversary plate just the other day.  I really liked the size and shape of the plate, and upon closer inspection...


I saw that the 25th anniversary decorations were just stickers.


With just a few minutes of elbow grease, the stickers came off and I was left with a simple white platter.  I like that the quiet details are now the center of attention, the gentle curve of the plate along with the scalloped edge make it perfects for serving nearly anything.  Yippee!  Not bad for $1.00.


I also found this pretty metal napkin holder.  I think I'm going to paint it a fun color, maybe a bright sassy orange, or a flirty shade of yellow.  What do you think?  Oh, I snagged the napkin holder for 20 cents. 


Every time I look at this next find, I smile.


Another 20 cent bargain, this quirky cow-turned-cream-pitcher will be receiving a little makeover soon.  

How about you?  Have you made any stellar thrift store purchases lately?

Heads up!  The latest edition of the Head-to-Head Showdown goes live tomorrow evening at 10:30.  I know it normally would run Saturday-Tuesday, but I hate the thought of keeping fellow bloggers up until midnight to be first in line to link up...so I'll bump it up a little bit and start things up at 10:30 CST.  Be sure to swing by and link up a few of your fave projects, or just to peruse the creative posts!

Be blessed,

 


1 splendid comments Labels:

Jan 16, 2012

Sassy Girl {no-sew} TuTu

Those of you who know me personally, know that my Addie is a little bit of a mini-me.  I love that girl to bits, and man, can she make me laugh.  She's really starting to love playing dress-up, so I've been adding fun outfits to her play wardrobe.  Today I whipped up this sassy tutu, and she hasn't
taken it off since.  

I've seen a few different versions of the no-sew tutu, 
if you need a little inspiration click here, here, or here.


I've really been trying to use up some of the scrap fabric I've been silently hoarding away.  My fabric closet is FULL and it really needs to be cleaned and cleared out.  

For the tutu, I used both tulle and cotton fabric strips.  
I cut them in varying lengths and thicknesses, because
a.) I wanted a loose, relaxed looking tutu and 
b.) I was too lazy to measure and precisely cut everything.  I'm over it.

And, I'd also like you to know that I had them all in a nice neat pile...and then Miss Sassy Pants {pictured above} found the fabric strips and relieved them of their tidyness.


Then I took a piece of elastic that fit around her waist, and sewed it into a circle.  
Here's a confession: I ended up trimming and tightening the elastic twice as I was tying the fabric strips on...I think I tied them on too tight, stretching the elastic as I went.  
Oh well, it still fits, stretches, and is darn cute, no big deal.  You just may want to be mindful of that if you're going to whip one of these tutu's up as well.  It would probably help to use wider elastic too...this is what I had, so this is what I used!


I slipped the loop of elastic over a big Rubbermaid container lid.  You could also use the back of a chair, or pretty much anything that will hold the waistband in place for you.


Then I started tying the fabric strips onto the waistband.  Here's how I did it:


1. Take one cotton strip, and one tulle strip, layer them, find the middle and fold them in half.
2. Slip the folded edge under the elastic waistband, keep a finger between the folded fabric, 
creating a loop.
3. Pull the tails of the fabric strips through the loop you created in step two.
4. Pull the loop tight, securing the fabric strips to the elastic waistband.

And just keep doing that until the waistband is full.  It didn't take me a long time, I made the tutu while the kids were coloring.

Once I was finished tying all the strips on, I checked to see how it fit Addie, I ended up cinching it in a little.  Then I trimmed any strips that were way too long and that was that!


I think she likes it.

Thanks for stopping in!

Be blessed,


I'll be linking up to a few of these great link parties:
Make-It-Yourself Monday - An Original Belle
Made with Love Monday - Sew Chatty


10 splendid comments Labels: ,

Jan 13, 2012

Head-to-Head Showdown #9

My goodness, this week has flown by!  Boden is back to school and we're back to running, running, running!  I'm so glad the weekend is here and we can enjoy some time as a family.

Last weeks link party did not disappoint and I'm excited to share a few of my favorite links. 

This stunning kitchen dresser from Meg and Mum's made my jaw drop!  You have got to click over to see the before picture.  Meg and Mum's did a bang-up job reviving this old school kitchen hutch, and I would not mind one bit having this beauty gracing my kitchen.


Another fave of mine was this fabulous upholstered headboard from Miss Madison's Charmed Life. The bejeweled tufting makes this headboard feel like it belongs in Hollywood, and the luxurious crushed velvet only emphasizes its glamorous charm.


If you're looking to accessorize, why not consider this creative Crochet and Braid T-Shirt Scarf from One Dog Woof?  ChiWei amazed me with her beautiful scarf, I love the varying textures and shades of grey.  This would work well in almost any wardrobe.


And finally, did you see the Brownie and Peanut Butter Cups from Raising Oranges?  I was at a girl's night recently, and my friend Racheal made a gluten-free version of these delectable desserts.  Oh. My.  Wowzers, they were delicious, and I look forward to giving Katie's version a try soon!

If your link was featured above, feel free to grab a featured button:




And now, let's get this party started! 
Here's the rundown:
Link up as many of your own posts as you like, try to keep them fairly recent.  You could post anything from recipes, crafts, and refinished furniture, to essays, photography, and fashion, whatever you do!  The party will be open until Tuesday evening.  At the end of the week, I'll pick a few of my faves and share them with you.  At the end of the month I'll set up a vote and you all will get to choose the winner of the Head to Head Showdown!
I only ask a few things:
1. Please only link up posts you have written, created, etc.
2. Please display my party button somewhere on the post you're linking or on the side bar of your blog.
3. It's a party, so hang out and visit a few other link ups as well!
4. I'd love for you to follow my blog!







13 splendid comments Labels:
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