Here are a few things that I have made recently:
My Sister-in-law had a new baby. Her 1st was a girl and I made a slightly modified version of
Amy Butler's Nappy Bag in PINK.
Well, the new baby was a boy (Max) and she couldn't carry around a pink diaper bag, so I made her another slightly modified version of
Amy Butler's Nappy Bag. I use my
Nappy Bag even when there are no nappies in there so I try to make them look more like a purse and less like a diaper bag so they can actually be functional even after the kids are bigger. Here is what I came up with. The "leaves" on the front are hand appliqued with some embroidery on the top.
I also wanted to make a smaller purse for her daughter, Chloe, so that she could match mom so I drew out a pattern for a nappy bag that was half the size of the other. I machine sewed in the appliques and the embroidery except when I personalized hers... I did that by hand :-)
And I couldn't leave out Max, so I made this crocheted stacking toy that was a
free pattern on Lion Brand's website. I sewed the frogs eyes on a little weird, but other then that I liked how it turned out. Chloe was playing with it when we went to visit Max, so I think it was a hit.
I also made a baby sling for Max to be carried in. I didn't have a sling with my 1st but I did with my 2nd and I LOVED IT!!!! We took a trip to Washington and my 9 month old was in it the entire time. It was great! So that is my new go-to gift for new moms. It was the
knitted baby booties, but with all these babies being born in the summer... It thought that I should go with something else. The sling is fitted and reversible and matches the nappy bag that I made her.
So... I have put myself on a spending freeze!!! I have done it before and didn't stick to, but this time I'm determined. I have so many unfinished projects and multitudes of craft supplies, that I really need to use what I have so I have decided to evoke the "poverty breeds ingenuity" initiative and so far this is what I have come up with.
I have a dress that I bought on sale a while ago that is really cute and very comfortable but I have never worn it because it is strapless and I have trouble wearing strapless undergarments. So I decided that a small lightweight/summer bolero would be perfect. After much thought I came up with this:
Here is an old Bink 182 t-shirt that I had set aside for my recycled t-shirt laundry basket. I only wore the t-shirt a few times, so it was really like brand new but since I have had the t-shirt since college, it was quite snug. I decided to cut it to shape, redesign the sleeves into a cap sleeve-ish shape and crocheted the all-over trim. Since this was also a functional bolero (used to cover up my bra straps) I didn't want to worry about it sliding off my shoulder so I made a strap for the front that has 2 button holes sewn into it, with the buttons sewn on the inside of the bolero.... so it was optional. I loved how the bolero turned out and the best things about it are 1. it was completely FREE because I used materials that were laying around in my craft room and 2. it was the 1st time I used my button hole maker on my new-ish sewing machine and it was PURE MAGIC!!!!!!
My other "free" piece of clothing wasn't exactly free.... I was at
Target a few weeks ago (prior to my spending freeze) and they had a
Liberty of London scarf on sale for $3.95. I folded it and held it up to myself and realized that it was big enough to make a skirt out of it. So I did. I initially planned on making it elastic at the top but since I am on a spending freeze and don't have that much elastic laying around, I made it drawstring. I made a channel at the top like I would for making it elastic but in the center front I sewed on another button hole :-) for the drawstring. I could always convert it if I want to in the future but for now, I like it.
I also made a few hair clips. This one was made with a piece of left over Dupioni Silk, a piece of left over tulle and an old clip-on earring.
This one is actually wool crocheted and felted flowers. I made this to go with
my niece's play house that I made, but I didn't end up using them, so I made them into a hair clip :-)
I am really into the recycled t-shirt yarn right now so I have been saving a strip (when I cut up the shirts for my laundry basket) for jewelry. Here are a few that I made for necklaces and I just added a brooch to each. The best part is that they are totally versatile because you can wear them without the pins, or with the pins, or with different pins. LOVE IT.
Well, the new baby was a boy (Max) and she couldn't carry around a pink diaper bag, so I made her another slightly modified version of Amy Butler's Nappy Bag. I use my Nappy Bag even when there are no nappies in there so I try to make them look more like a purse and less like a diaper bag so they can actually be functional even after the kids are bigger. Here is what I came up with. The "leaves" on the front are hand appliqued with some embroidery on the top.
I also wanted to make a smaller purse for her daughter, Chloe, so that she could match mom so I drew out a pattern for a nappy bag that was half the size of the other. I machine sewed in the appliques and the embroidery except when I personalized hers... I did that by hand :-)
And I couldn't leave out Max, so I made this crocheted stacking toy that was a free pattern on Lion Brand's website. I sewed the frogs eyes on a little weird, but other then that I liked how it turned out. Chloe was playing with it when we went to visit Max, so I think it was a hit.
I also made a baby sling for Max to be carried in. I didn't have a sling with my 1st but I did with my 2nd and I LOVED IT!!!! We took a trip to Washington and my 9 month old was in it the entire time. It was great! So that is my new go-to gift for new moms. It was the knitted baby booties, but with all these babies being born in the summer... It thought that I should go with something else. The sling is fitted and reversible and matches the nappy bag that I made her.
Here is an old Bink 182 t-shirt that I had set aside for my recycled t-shirt laundry basket. I only wore the t-shirt a few times, so it was really like brand new but since I have had the t-shirt since college, it was quite snug. I decided to cut it to shape, redesign the sleeves into a cap sleeve-ish shape and crocheted the all-over trim. Since this was also a functional bolero (used to cover up my bra straps) I didn't want to worry about it sliding off my shoulder so I made a strap for the front that has 2 button holes sewn into it, with the buttons sewn on the inside of the bolero.... so it was optional. I loved how the bolero turned out and the best things about it are 1. it was completely FREE because I used materials that were laying around in my craft room and 2. it was the 1st time I used my button hole maker on my new-ish sewing machine and it was PURE MAGIC!!!!!! 
I also made a few hair clips. This one was made with a piece of left over Dupioni Silk, a piece of left over tulle and an old clip-on earring.
This one is actually wool crocheted and felted flowers. I made this to go with my niece's play house that I made, but I didn't end up using them, so I made them into a hair clip :-)
I am really into the recycled t-shirt yarn right now so I have been saving a strip (when I cut up the shirts for my laundry basket) for jewelry. Here are a few that I made for necklaces and I just added a brooch to each. The best part is that they are totally versatile because you can wear them without the pins, or with the pins, or with different pins. LOVE IT.
I also decided that I would take this opportunity to try my hand at quilting. For the time being I am using the underside of my son's current bedspread until I get his quilt done. Quilting is a part of the craft world that I have yet to venture into. I have been itching to get into it and just needed a reason. I am going to start simple and just make rectangles that will be sewn vertically on the twin side spread. I had a few scraps that would work and now I am collecting fabric for the rest. I saw this baby quilt on the cover of Anna Maria Horner's new book and LOVED how she just threw all kinds of colors in there so this is my inspiration:
I am having trouble finding fabrics in some of the most important colors. I, of course, need orange to tie in the HUGE orange wall that is in his bedroom and his 2nd favorite color is yellow. Both of those colors evidently aren't very popular with the quilters, especially with cute patterns, so I decided to collaborate with my son and print my own. I had him draw some pictures, we picked one of his alien drawings and now I am in the process of printing it on a slightly patterned fat quarter that I purchased. The ink was a little clumpy so I stamped the image onto the fabric and then had to clean it up by painting in the fill. The first round is drying and the next will be the outline. I am excited to see how it turns out.
I am also getting some gifts finished up. I have a crochet project that I am working on, the picture makes it look like a large ottoman, but in reality it is only the size of a butter tub. :-)
And I am finishing up a sewing project. This is the first time that I have attempted applique. I am also embroidering on top of the applique and so far so good. I can't wait to see the final result on this either:
So I am keeping myself pretty busy. Hopefully I will have some completed projects soon to share :-)
Mister Rob is currently my favorite paper cut artist. I think that his designs are really modern and innovative. This one in particular I LOVE.....
We were on our way to Wicker Park, so I decided to look up some "crafty" stores and this was the 1st one we went to and let me tell you.... it was SOOOOO great! I was so in awe that I didn't get any pictures of any part of the store. I will post a picture soon of what I scored.
I finally got the stand built!! (and when I say I, I mean my husband, hehe) We used an 18" round pre-cut piece of pine, a fancy heavy post made for a staircase (not quite 4"x4", but more than 3"x3"), a 1" dowel rod, 4 brackets and 5 casters. We screwed all the pieces together and I hung and stuffed the dress form. I stuffed it with anything I had, left over pieces of fleece, fiber fill, batting. The shape is a little distorted but the measurements are coming out right so I think that once it was stuffed it was bigger front to back then it should have been and a bit shorter side to side. I made it so that it was my height if I were standing on the base, so that I could accurately hem skirts and dresses. I left the neck open in case it needs to be adjusted in the future. I LOVE how it turned out and I can't wait to use it cause I have some BIG plans for some new/up cycled clothes!!! WOOHOO
The rose in this necklace was made from a strip of Dupioni Silk that I just wrapped in a spiral and hand sewed into place. I sewed it onto a metal ring so that I would have something to link it to.
This was my grandmother's necklace that I kept with the intention of taking it apart and using the pieces for other things. When I finished knitting my 'sweater' it matched perfectly. So I used a piece of wire to attach that big button for a little added interest.
This comes as a free pattern found here. I added the flower and kept 2 of the tails to tie it onto the necklace with a bow in the back. That way it can be removable depending on what I am wearing :-)
The cord on this one is actually made from a recycled t-shirt. I cut a strip horizontally on the t-shirt about 1.5"-2" in width. Then I pulled on it and it rolled up into this cord. That is one unbroken piece that wrapped around my neck 3 times from 1 t-shirt strip. I had this old silver broach that my uncle gave to me for a birthday present when I was like 14? And so I just pinned it on. Also versatile and changeable :-)
