Look what I made!

As silly as it may sound, I really LOVE socks.  Not super fancy socks, but a good argyle or stripe works.  Actually, I'm really happy with brand new, stark white socks fresh from the package.  Ahhhh...  Anyway, a couple of years ago, my girls got my a bunch of cool socks (and a big bag of Smarties, which I also love).  It was a very sweet gift.  I wear those socks all the time.  I wear them so much that they are starting the wear out.  My favorite black and grey striped socks had so many holes that it was just uncomfortable to wear.  I hated to get rid of them, so I had to come up with some way to reuse them.  Then I remembered seeing something on Pinterest to turn women's socks into kids legwarmers. Yay!  New life for my favorite socks.  Here's Zion modeling her new legwarmers!

I think they are super cute on her and she LOVES them.  She wanted to wear them with her pajamas tonight.  Here's the rest of her outfit breakdown.

Green sneakers - Converse (previously featured)

Legwarmers - Mommy's favorite socks ($0.00)

Leggings - not sure of the brand ($.99 from Goodwill)

Sweater dress - Old Navy ($.99 from Goodwill)

Bomber Jacket - Hawke and Co. (previously featured)

Total Outfit (without shoes and jacket) - approx $2.00

(with shoes and jacket) - approx $10

Our littlest superhero.

I was inspired to make Zion a little superhero shirt to play in around the house.  It was super simple and super cheap.  AND she looks super cute.  The only thing that I had to sew was the cape to the shoulders of the shirt. The "s" on the shirt and lightening bolt on the cape are attached using iron on adhesive.  A fun and virtually no sew addition to the dress up bin.

Fun Thrift Store Find

I haven't posted any good thrift store finds lately, so here you go. On a little impromptu trip to the Salvation Army the other day I stumbled upon this little case for $3. I had no idea what it was or even how to open it.


Fortunately, I was curious enough to figure out how to open it instead of just walking away. Oh how glad I am I opened it! I love all of the colors and the little wooden spools and it came with pinking shears - good, heavy, solid metal pinking shears like my grandmother used to have! Mmmmmm, love it....

More Baby Shoes

I'm working on some more baby shoes for Amelia's. These are all made with upcycled material and lined with felt. The cream colored ones are from a linen curtain and the darker tan ones are from some lightweight wool that I got from a craft circle. I really like the pair with the little owl on them. I did the owl with a freezer paper stencil. I think they came out really cute. I still need to add snaps to the mary janes, but I can't seem to find the snaps that I bought. SO, it's off to Walmart to get another package of snaps....blah.

Button-down shirt recon

So I just got my own sewing machine back in December and so far it has been a love hate relationship. Well, mostly hate on the sewing machine's part - it despises me. It mocks me when I attempt to make anything, bunching the thread, tangling, just being a bully all around. I've tried turning the other cheek, killing it with kindness, but the darn thing is as stubborn as a mule! I'm not really sure what caused the change of heart last night, but my sewing machine actually cooperated with me and allowed me to make something. A complete something from start to finish all in one sitting! I'm very proud. So without further ado....
This is my button down adult shirt reconned to a little summer dress for Bijou. I bought this shirt from the Salvation Army for $1.50. It's a really gauzy, lightweight cotton with tiny brown pinstripes. I thought it would make a nice breezy summer dress.


This is my end result. It's not bad for a first attempt (especially considering my stubborn coworker). The straps could be longer, but all in all, it fits okay. I think the next time I do one, I will use a wider shirt (probably a man's shirt) so it will be more flowy.

(not sure what going on with my model's face....)

My first leather baby shoes

I love making shoes for my babies, but it's really only something I've been able to do for the first year or so of their lives. Once they start walking, they need something a little more sturdy (fabric wears out really quickly on concrete). So this week, on my trip to our local Goodwill I picked up this pretty unattractive leather skirt. I figured I would try my hand a little pair of leather shoes for Zion.

I'm still getting the hang of this whole sewing machine thing and I really don't think mine likes me very much, so these were sewn by hand. The inside and the little flower are felt and the strap closes with a little snap (the button is just for show).

My index finger is one big callous now, but I think it was well worth it. They tuned out pretty cute and Zion really likes them.

New project for spring

After seeing this post over at Ohdeedoh and popping over to sweetest littles to check it out further, I just couldn't get the idea of a lightweight, collapsible playhouse out of my mind. I've been planning to build a teepee with the girls, but this is SO much more awesome! So my plan for spring is to build a playhouse for the girls using PVC. Unlike their playhouse, ours will be built for outdoors. The fame will be PVC and the plan for the walls will be either second hand sheets or some other large inexpensive fabric. I plan to use vinyl shower curtains for the roofing (to at least give them time to pack up their stuff and head inside if it starts to rain) and probably tulle for window screens to keep the mosquito out. I like the idea of a fabric playhouse because it is portable (we rent our house and are planning to move in a couple of years) and washable. I found some indoor/outdoor carpet at Home Depot that resembles astro-turf and the girls loved it, so that will more than likely end up as the flooring. I will post pictures of our progress once construction is underway (but first I have to get artwork done for this exhibit in 3 weeks before I can think of anything else).