Knit in the round

While this may sound like a knitting post, it's not! Knitting is one thing I struggle with. (well, one of many things like emptying the lint trap in my dryer, going only 9 over the speed limit instead of 10, finding a way to organize my recipes, actually 'using' the coupons I cut out instead of thinking I'm going to and then end up letting them expire..... and THEN... knitting!)

SO! This is actually just a post about knit fabric. T-shirts in fact. Since I might be in love with a new skirt style and I might be on the brink of compulsive t-shirt collecting, I thought, why not marry the two?

Using the wonderful instructions provided by Dana at MADE I created my own circle skirt pattern to fit my almost 3 year old. It was actually super easy and really satisfying to see it all come together so quickly. As a test skirt, I grabbed two somewhat compatible t-shirts and pieced them together. The end result: a comfy, free flowing, casual twirl skirt for any budding princess. (Or not. I can't tell if I have a tree climber or a girl fit for a tea party, just yet. Perhaps a happy combination of both?)

I think she enjoyed it though. I even got a little dance out of her. She had to test out the twirl factor. I am pretty pleased with the end result. Now I just need to get creative at combining 2 unrelated, yet coordinating shirts.

I left the seems serged and exposed on the outside. Again, adding to the casual feel of the skirt.




Ballerina?




Whew! After all that, a girl needs to rest!

"I am SO over this twirl skirt!"

We survived!

We crafted, we arrrived, we socialized and we departed with a few extra buck$ in our pocket. Sunday was a great day. The weather was perfect. We were able to get our goods out for Des Moines to see.


(Mom, me, sis)

Here are the collaborative efforts of three busy people. (Especially considering full time jobs, kids and social lives occupy many of our hours)

Here we are hard at work. Or hardly working. This is a breeze considering the work that has gone into our treasures.

Here are our neighbors. As you can see, we had a full house. Canopies lined both sides of the street and a steady stream of shoppers were about. (Although it doesn't really look like it here)

We even had live musica in the background.

It is now behind us and life can return to normal again. That is until the rush of Christmas sets in.

Get your craft on

The countdown has begun! 6 days to prepare for our craft Bazzar in East Village, Downtown Des Moines.

I'm truly hoping the rain gods decide to take Sunday off. Please! Pretty please! (C'mon guys... take a day off... put your feet up. Relax!)

Anywho... Mom and sis each have some things to put in and it should be an interesting four hours! Stay tuned...

Catch me in real life!

My first ever big girl craft bazaar is coming up!

Each Sunday for the month of September and October, the Historic East Village in downtown Des Moines will be hosting a Sunday bazaar from Noon to 4pm. My sister and I have committed to one Sunday during this time frame. (September 26th, 2010) It should be fun, but the next 3 weeks expect to be a whirlwind!

I'm thinking Fall...

Disclaimer: BEWARE, TERRIBLE PHOTO AHEAD! It was 11:35 pm and I grabbed my phone as I headed to bed and snapped a quick photo of my latest creation in terrible lighting and a messy craft room background.

I think it turned out so cute, but the final test will be to see it on a living person.

It's made from a thrift store upcycled men's button down, short sleeve shirt. I hope to start making some in flannel as the temperature drops. This is a lightweight woven, something... I don't even know.

I used an existing t-shirt from my daughters collection for a pattern. I was going for a capped sleeve look, I just hope these don't cut off any blood circulation!

It is not quite finished, as I want to add a single button closure, just to keep in on her. I'm picturing it with a white t-shirt underneath and jeans. Maybe even some boots. (Let's hope I can talk her out of the hello kitty gollashes!)

Stay tuned as maybe, just maybe I can get a few pictures of her wearing it tonight, after back to school night!

ANYDAY but today...

I feel like Cathy copycat, but I find SO many cute ideas in blogland! I hope the creative force behind these ideas, accept this as flattery.

The other day I discovered The Anyday Banded Shorts over at Create and Delegate. Such a simple concept. Shorts with a contrasting hemline. But it's the details that really add that extra level of cuteness here. The solid material used for the body of the short, a wide band of a cute printed cotton material and the slight little pouf created by the gathers. Those three details come together to create a playful, yet comfortable outfit for her.

I used a pant pattern which I think I have used 101 times by now. Obviously I just shortened the length. I must have tried them on her 2 or 3 times to get the length just right. (I blame my complex of high watered pants for this!) But each time I had to hack some more off to get it just right. I love the cotton print I used. It's called "Koto" by Alexander Henry. I've had 2 yards of it sitting around waiting for a great project. Well, I decided I was able to spare about 24" x 5" to make 2 bands. I'm glad I did. The brown fabric was a piece of cotton/linen which I had left from my linen peasant dresses.

My model wasn't quite in the mood for photos today. I was able to snap a few. Nothing award winning, but you get the idea. Apparently she was getting her model mojo from the stove, which she would not step away from.

Until She sat down to eat a banana on the floor, stretch her legs out and NOT look at me. (Just wait till I speak to her agent about this!)

Someday soon, I WILL soon come up with my own design and I'm convinced it WILL be brilliant!

TWO shirts, TWO projects, TOO easy!

My most recent trip to the Salvation Army this weekend, ended at the register with two Men's button down shirts. A stripe and a subtle plaid. Neither are overly awe-striking.

However, as I'm forced to deal with the fact that cooler weather will soon be approaching, I started to think about scarves again. I love to wear them, love to make them and love to see what design possibilities are out there.

Again, this is nothing spectacular, but still cute. It's lightweight and would be cute with a t-shirt and jeans. I cut 10 inch wide strips, using the backs of the shirts only. This gave me 4 generous pieces to work with. I just serged them together at the short ends, alternating fabrics. Viola! Done. I chose to leave the perimeter raw so they will fray with washing.



I decided to take it one step further. I dunked the scarf in Dylon, Amazon Green permanent dye. (Sorry, the final product is not pictured. A poorly lit photo taken with my phone in the reflection of the mirror, showcasing my overly cluttered closet, bad hair day and not so attractive outfit to begin with, is the reason.) The dye didn't take as well to the plain fabric, but still gave it a different look. The dye somewhat disguised the men's shirt concept, which you may or may not want to achieve. It's all personal preference. I honestly like them both ways.

SO... now I'm left with 2 shirt fronts. What to do... what to do??? Make a skirt! I've made peasant dresses/tops from mens shirts before, but have yet to make a skirt. I came across this tutorial the other day. This concept is perfect for the shirt pieces I have remaining! Of course my finished product has buttons both the front and back. That's okay though.

I didn't have any of the pretty lace like the skirt in the tutorial. Nor do I think the recipient of my handmade goods, is a lacey kinda gal. So, I settled on a piece of bias tape I had leftover from my t-shirt dresses. A regular hem would have been fine as well. The pleating was a first for me, but I think it really makes the skirt. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Plus, here's a bonus... Dad can't get it on her backwards when getting her ready in the morning's because there really is not a front and a back to it!

My next plan of attack it to make a white cotton peasant top to go with it. Maybe a little bit of red trim and a fabric flower to adorn it?

I should see what I can create from the remaining scraps of the two shirts. I have 4 sleeves, 4 cuffs, 2 collars, and 2 panels both with pockets. That's plenty of material for something. Let me think on that...

It's SUPER-Jordan!

Just a quick project tonight.

Only a few short hours ago, this t-shirt was hanging peacefully on the sale rack in Children's Place. Then I came along, with a vision.

I'm pretty sure my daughter is more the superhero type than the pretty princess type. I could be wrong. But to hear her and her brother fight over who was getting the shirt today was kind of cute. I turned it into a short sleeved, ringer dress. Is that such a thing? I used some existing black knit and pieced it together to make this...!

I thinks she likes it!


And I like that she likes it!


(The Hello Kitty boots have become a staple to her wardrobe! Oh well!)

Crap!

Pop on over to Crap I've Made to participate in a week of giveaways! (You'll find jj & jojo is #11)

I was featured!

Thanks Nicole!

Some long overdue Etsy listings...

Knits like these are now available in my store.

Rags to Riches

Sew... I actually got to sew this weekend! Last week I spotted this adorable tutorial from Create & Delegate. The pleated tshirt dress. I was anxious to try it and now have a slue of projects in queue.

I chose a navy blue, Old Navy ringer shirt from 'you-know-who's' side of the closet. Actually, part of the reason I chose it was because he tried it on, decided it was too tight for him (I'm sure that was the dryers fault) and tossed it aside. His closet desperately needs cleaned out! So, this will be our new means of cleaning it! Try one thing on at a time. If it's a NO, it's mine. This also forces my creative juices to get flowing with a not-so inspiring piece. This could get interesting.

So, with a little white ribbed knit, some white double fold bias tape, a scrap of red knit from another project and an old button from a garage sale, you get this!

and this:

I love it. Especially considering how boring it was as a mans shirt. It now has a new playful lease on life!

When life hands you a dish towel... make a shirt??

When I bought this Valentine's holiday, clearance’d kitchen towel at TJ Maxx, I had great intentions of repurposing it into something completely different. However, it screamed to be something else this weekend.

I came across a top that I bought my darling at a consignment shop a few months back. I love the style of it, and after giving it a closer look… decided it would not be hard to duplicate. That’s where the Valentines towel came in. (Can’t you see the obvious connection? Gheesh!)

While my princess was sleeping when I completed it last night, here is her body double to show it off. Hopefully I can get her in it soon.

Believe it or not, this was super easy! 2 runs on the sewing machine, then some double fold bias tape to finish it off.

Here we go!

Well, here's my next adventure!

Thanks to The Funambulist Damsel for the potty chart idea. My little damsel parades around the house saying "Hola!" and "Say backpack, say backpack!". So, I think it's only appropriate that I make her a Dora reward chart.

Let's see how quickly, or not-so-quickly we can kick the diapers!

These boots were made for walk'in

Doesn't every girl wear her galoshes to the pool in 97 degree heat?

Hey, whatever it takes to get you there, right?! Happy summer! Better yet... Happy Saturday!!

Busy Week!

NO crafting has taken place this week. It's a busy time at the moment.

Field trips, daycare, play dates, karate, swimming lessons, birthday, birthday parties... oh my!

The storms came rolling in during lessons tonight. But the show must go on!

Totally geek? Or totally chic?

Are the growing trends of today repeats of the past?

If so, my son is one hip dude!

While all the kids were sporting their DS's and PSP's, check out what Jayden took to school today!

His thirst for all things techy isn't limited to a certain decade. He's willing to experiment for the good of the order.

Besides when things are this good, they deserve another go around!

Although I'm betting he'll be back to this in a day or two!

My baby is a big girl! (sniff-sniff)

So it's official.

This weekend was transition time for us. I mean for our daughter. She spent the last 2.75 years of her life, snuggled in her crib, peering through the white slats just waiting to be rescued by one of her elders. (And her brother is considered one of those elders as he has tried on a few occasions to free her, himself. They put their heads together and decided the best way would be to put a huge stuffed teddy bear on the floor to act as her landing pad. Give her the ole heave-ho and hope she lands on Teddy. It worked well once. I'm picturing her brushing herself off and going on about her business. The other time, ended in tears but was short lived.)

The events described above led me on the search for a big girl bed! Oh, the freedom. Ironically this all took place on Independence Day! I just realized that! We found a cute, plain and simple white twin bed that will fit our needs well. Best of all, the assembly was a snap. So up it went, down came the crib. She was beyond excited. And big brother was excited for her! I think he feels like she is closer to his age now. They tool around the house like little pals.

So, here was our first test. Naptime! My little pistol was up and out 4 times. That's not too bad, could have been way worse. What cracked me up was she knew she was being sneaky. She tip toed down the steps and out to the porch to see her brother (or give him a toy as she put it). And I mean literally tip toed. Just like you see them do in the cartoons. She's a Scooby-Doo fanatic, so I'm sure this is where she picked it up. You know, Velma and Fred tip toeing away from the lurking ghost. I can picture it now. Then once she was busted, running quickly back up the steps. Probably thinking, "If I go real fast maybe mom will forget she ever saw me??" Finally exhaustion set in and she gave up the battle. Asleep in her bed is where she laid for the next 2 hours. In a sleeping state she became my sweet angel again.

Then bedtime. While I thought this might pose a challenge, it was pretty painless. I peered through the crack in her bedroom door several times to find her just sitting there. Stiff and staring at the ceiling, eyes wide open. Works for me, even if she isn't asleep yet. I went downstairs and finished watching my episode of King of Queens. (love that show by the way) Commercial time, I ran back up to check on her. I was startled to find her asleep, face down and practically snoring in the hallway. Not sure if she passed out during her escape or what her story was there? I got her back to bed, she said, "Nite-nite" and that was all she wrote till the sun came up this morning. We'll continue to work out the kinks, but so far, maybe so good?!

So, to keep my little pooper from falling out of her bed at night, I quickly whipped up a bed rail slipcover for an existing rail which I dug out of my attic. This was a freebee from someone at daycare when my oldest was just about this age. The dancing teddy bears didn't do it for me. So, I slip covered it for him to match his bedding and did the same for Jordan. Here's what I mean. Very quick and easy. Of course the first thing she said when she got in bed last night... "Where's my teddy bears??" I think she secretly digs this one instead!

(The before photo doesn't show the bears as well. Believe me... they are there) Not to mention the kid grime from past uses. Eewww....

See... she has the sweet angel face down to a science!

Old work shirt re-fashion

I bought my daughter the cutest little pink cuffed shorts with white and navy anchors on them, a few weeks ago. (As a family of boaters, anchors are a necessity!) I must thank Wal-Mart for the super cute find! However, in a sea of pink and lavendar clothing, she just didn't have anything to wear with them. Solution. I'll make something.

I went through my stash of shirts to repurpose. I got it! An uber sexy button up workshirt. No disrespect to John Deere, whatsoever. After all, they do sign my paychecks. This little beauty is just not something you'll see me in!

It's an XS, but I still managed to finagle enough material from it to complete this little peasant top. I added 4 rows of shirring at the waistline. As with most projects I complete, it's usually in the late hours of the evening before I have a finished product. Therefore, I haven't been able to try it on my little sailor yet. I'll try to get photos of the completed outfit.

In the meantime, you have Jordan's body double.

The Tail Feather Skirt

I'm not sure why this name came to mind? I think it's because for the short while my daughter had this on the little 'flapper' in the back reminded me of a turkey tail feather or something? Who knows? My mind works in mysterious ways sometimes! Back to the skirt. I just uploaded this to the Crafterhours Flickr Pool. I'd love to make more. Even adult sizes. So easy and fun to wear. A simple ribbon sinches it tight and creates a slight pouf or tail feather in the back. It is fully lined with a contrasting cotton fabric. The slightly longer back and 'feather' in the back, reveal the lining, adding more intrest. Stay tuned for more versions to come.

Flashback to Flashdance

"What a feeling" to return to 1983! Today I took a trip back in time while sewing a new top for my wee one. I bought her a similar top the other day and thought what a great way to use an old cheapy ribbed tank in another way.

The green lady bug printed knit, was an inexpensive, lightweight knit I picked up at the fabric store. The pink tank, is a too small to wear, also inexpensive, ribbed tank from Target. Very similar to this one. The top is basically a large necked tshirt style top. However, the pink tank, is sewn in. It gives the Alex Owens (From the movie Flashdance) look without the hassle of having the top constantly fall off your shoulders.

The neckline is just a tad bigger than I had envisioned. I think my next attempt will be done with a ribbed knit collar instead. I think the stretch in the ribbed knit will make the collar a little less baggy and droopy. However, I still think it was a success. Casual and comfy and Jordan didn't freak when I put it on her today!!

That's how I measure success!

Summer Randoms

*Relaxing Breath* Summer is finally here! I love it! The kids have only a few days left of school (thanks to snow days and a brutal winter!) and summer plans are underway!

This holiday weekend will be filled with the usual sunny activities. Boating, grilling, okay so hockey isn't the norm, but we did have practice, family, friends and plenty of the outdoors!

The neighborhood smells like a scrumptious steak restaurant and is filled with the sound of playing kids. While relaxing in the shade today, I couldn't help but stare at my kiddos and take in their cuteness. Just the beginning of what is yet to come. Can't wait, and wish it would last forever!

Dinner outdoors. All manners go out the window! (Wait, window outside? Anyway....) Who needs a spoon when you have a perfectly dirty hand with sand under your nails??

The legs of a typical active 5 year old. So cute. Bruised, scratched, scraped, dirty, slightly tanned and mostly pastey all at the same time.

Sissy is napping and mom's watering the grass. The swim trunks only seemed appropriate!

Happy Holiday Weekend! LOVE the one you're with!