Repurposed.

I do a lot of vintage shopping. I buy things from Goodwill, Flea Markets, the DAV, and various other thrift and used clothing stores. Generally, I want my clothes to be cute and comfortable, but also practical for an art room. I don't buy many items that are white....or that need to be ironed. And its nice that I can buy something cheaper than I would if it were new, so if it does get a stain or spot on it, I haven't invested much.

Sometimes I find clothing that I can't walk away from. I have to evaluate if it is likely that I will ever wear it....and I have to decide if I am just buying it because I found it. Not because I would ever actually buy it from a retail store. Often, I will find polyester shirts like this one:

And even though I don't think I will wear it, I went ahead and brought it home....And then when I found similar shirt with two owls on it....I had to have it. So now I have two shirts that are very similar, but they are hot, itchy polyester so I won't wear either one very often, if ever. But I could not leave them behind. I found them. Now they are mine.

I decided to transform the owl shirt into a bag. I've been working on this project for quite a while, so I am glad to finally have it finished so I can show you!!

I cut off the bottom of the shirt, with the pretty design on it. Luckily, it was printed on the front and back. I sewed across the bottom, and made a liner for the inside. The liner is pretty rough...I've never lined a bag before, but whatever, it works. Since the shirt is a strong material, it will make a great bag, but the white is a little bit sheer so I think the liner was a good idea. Also, I'm notorious for spilling things in bags...

I cut up the top of the shirt and made sort of a quilted design for the handles of the bag. I just happened to have the perfect shade of blue fabric to line the handles. Also, I added some interfacing to reinforce the handles.

This was a fun repurpose project! Thanks for reading!!

Christmas Party Special Gifts and Stockings

My favorite part of Christmas morning has got to be opening my stocking. So providing a stocking for all of the friends and family at the party was essential to making it special. I bought a bunch of felt, cut out 30+ stockings and started embellishing them.

Each stocking is different!!

A few nights before the party, I had a dream that the stockings were filled with wrapped presents....so I knew I would need to make some boxes and buy some stuff to make them more full.

The stockings contained packages of hot chocolate, a full-sized candy bar, a mint tin, a fancy lollipop, a baggy with some Christmas erasers, a Ghiardelli chocolate square, a small toy like a spinning-top or a yo-yo, 3 small slim jims, and other toys from Oriental trading like gliders, paddle balls, back scratchers, Chinese finger traps, woopie-cushins...and an envelop containing a coupon for a night of fun with someone at the party....in each special envelop, people were 'linked' with someone in the room for some fun activity they could do together, like have a dance party, or go thrifting or have a game night. It was a cool way to pair up people (at random) who might not have known each other before the party.

I bought some pill boxes and small paper boxes and I also made 30+ origami boxes from craft paper and decorated them.

Here are a few of my favorite boxes. I used doilies, yarn, fabric yo-yos, magazine papers, old paint-by number copies, ledger paper, book pages, and anything else that might look pretty like tape or pearls.

The felt stockings were fun to make. I wish I would've made fewer and embellished them more. My favorite ones had stripes....IKEA fabric, felt and ribbon bunting, one has a doily sewn to the front and I even used some old ties to spruce up a couple of them.

It was such a fun gift...and an amazing party favor for each of the guests to take home....I have several extras....I guess I will have to find someone to give them to...I'm thinking I will make a little 'care stocking' for the janitors at my school. ;-)

New Vintage Dining Room and Hungry Caterpillar Halloween Costume!

So crowded!

With nothing on the calendar this weekend, I made the most of every minute!


Friday night, watched Mad Men and ate sushi on the couch.


Saturday, went to Springfield to do some vintage shopping...had lunch with some great friends....

Best of all, found a great new dining table...completely made-over my dining room with the new find.


The old dining table was nice, but I hated sitting in there because it was just too crowded. I wanted something vintage.

Old Table

 

New Table Detail

 I really wanted something that was more chrome, and more floral...but I realized a couple of things after shopping all day.

Finding a chrome dining set, with 6 chairs, and two leaves under $500 in good condition that didn't clash with my orange paint and stripes would be next to impossible.

New Table Chair Detail

So I felt really lucky to find this set with the dark green chairs.


When I found the floral table cloth, I was in love with the whole arrangement!

 This is now my favorite room in the house! A great place to eat, pin ideas to my pin boards on pintrest, or type up new blog posts.

Sunday morning, in my newly revamped space, I spent a few {hours} on pintrest, brainstorming ideas for my Halloween costume this year. I have to dress as a story book character for my school carnival, so I always scramble around at the last minute trying to figure out what to be...I usually throw something together...this year, I wanted to make something really cool...but I wasn't sure what.....

Then I saw the cutest picture of a baby in a Very Hungry Caterpillar costume...and I realized that it would be easy and super cute to make for myself. The baby version was crochet, so I googled for more ideas.

I was delighted to find all kinds of things for inspiration.

When I went hunting in my stash for green fabric...I had very little...hmmmm. I wanted to start on it right away, and I did not want to have to run around town finding green fabric so I had to improvise. When I spotted a white pillow case in my stash....I thought it might work to paint the fabric?

Um, yes. Painting the fabric...that would definitely work. So I painted one side of the pillowcase with 'Eric Carle' colors and textures. After it dried, I peeled it apart and cut out arm holes and  a neck hole....it was a little too tight to wear as a dress and be comfortable...so I decided to turn it into an apron.

I cut the bottom to be sort of rounded and started sewing lines across the front to make the segments of the caterpillar's body.

Then I stuffed those segments with batting, added some ribbon around the top for the neck, and added one of the few green strips of fabric that I had for the waistband.

The hat was tough. I have only ever made a few hats. I made a 'trial' hat.....but it was too small...so I thought I could just make the red one little bit bigger....that didn't really work, so I started sewing together little panels, sort of like a beach ball...the result is a little bit wonky, but I stuffed some purple felt antenas and added some felt shapes for the eyes and nose and it looks pretty cute.

The last thing I made was the feet. I just cut out a foot pattern, traced it on brown fabric....sewed two pieces of brown fabric together to make little 'pillows'. I attached those to the body, and viola! A caterpillar costume. I plan to wear it over a long-sleeved green shirt, and a pair of pants. It should be easy to take on and off, and it won't be too hot.

I have a little 'Hungry Caterpillar' bag, I am thinking about putting some food in there from the book: Lolly pop, apple, orange, etc.

For the school carnival, I was sort of thinking about taking my brown sleeping bag to school so that I could curl up in my 'chrysalis' in the corner...wonder if I could get away with that?

 

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

One of my goals this year was to go back to some of the online classes I signed up for last year (style school, summer camp, home ec) and actually try a few more of the projects.

Two teachers at school are expecting and I really wanted to make them something special for their shower gift. So I decided to make a quilted baby bib for each of them. Luckily they are both having boys, so that made it simple to make 2 of everything.  The 'VWX' fabric is from a sesame street sheet I got at the Salvation Army. I went there recently and bought a bunch of sheets--they are a perfect supply of solid and printed fabrics at a reasonable price -- some were only $2 or $3 for queen-sized materials.

This baby bib was fun to make and it was really easy. I will definitely make it again!

These designer burp cloths are not from any of the online classes I have taken. I actually got the idea from a friend.

It is a cloth diaper, with some pretty fabric and a ribbon added to make it more 'designer'. Super easy to make!!

I put two burp cloths, a quilted baby bib and a book together for a nice little shower gift.

Oh, and I used some of the leftover fabric to make a drawstring gift bag. Super easy and cheap!! (I think I got the basic idea from one of the online classes, but I don't remember which one.

If you are looking for any hand made baby gift ideas, these were very easy and cheap, hope this post helped!

Classroom stories and an apron

I'm back.
Like for real...I'm back. My student teacher is basically done so I have all my old responsibilities 100% now. Its a little lonely, but I'm getting by.

It is the week before Christmas break...so the kids are as wild as ever. Its amazing how many crazy things you hear in one day. A boy saluted me today 'Yes Captain,' he said.

Another boy, talking to some girls at his table said that his parents allowed him to watch rated R movies. I was assisting the group with cleaning or something when he leaned in and asked ME if I knew what 'nudity' was....I said 'What?!' I wasn't entirely sure I had heard him correctly but he repeated, "Do you know what nudity means? Its like NAKED, he half-whispered.' I replied, 'Young man, I know what nudity is, and its not an appropriate conversation so I suggest you stop talking about those rated R movies before I call your parents and let them know what you've been talking about during art.' He replied with a sincere, "yes ma'am."

 Today, I sat watching my students coloring...normally, I am circulating...moving around giving suggestions, tossing around praise and redirecting student behavior...but this week, I won't matter how many times I say 'Do your best coloring' or 'Maybe you could add this here, or that there'....I will get an ample number of 'I don't want to' or 'I'm leaving it like this' responses...not matter what I suggest...So I am releasing the reigns a bit. Relaxing, lest I get stressed.

Anyway, a student came up and told me that the day after tomorrow she gets to go to her dad's for Christmas. Whispering and hugging her hands up under her chin she said, "And I'm going to sneak up on Santa!" And then she looked at me...and gave me a huge hug. And I gave her my widest, happiest eyes and smile...and said, "but you don't want to ruin the magic?!" And she said whispering with delight, "We are going to sneak up on Santa...stay up really late...my whole family...we are going to hide behind the couch!" And then she gave me another hug and skipped off back to her seat.

Christmas really is magical. Kids do make Christmas more special...and I am totally in favor of prolonging the magic of Santa for as long as possible. I'm just ready for a vacation. Let Santa take over...and let me rest.

My student teacher graduated Saturday.
I made her a birthday+christmas+graduation+thanksforbeingawesome gift. A gift card to a local teacher store...some Lisa Frank stickers for her classroom...and an apron made with Ikea fabric to wear in her classroom. Its white...and I know it will get dirty...but the fabric was too cute not to use.

Big pockets...and a big orange ruffle.
I might have to make one for myself!

How is your week going?

Sweater Makeover

One of my favorite Style School projects ever! I am so happy with the quality and quantity of the online classes I have taken...The classes truly inspire me an I always learn a lot and I am motivated to actually make stuff instead of just wandering around my craft room with no purpose or inspiration.

I made-over this little while Goodwill-found sweater during Nelliepalooza and I am so proud of how lovely it turned out! Makes me want to make over all my little white sweaters with some re-covered buttons, sewn on doilies, and hand embroidering!!

You can see the apron that I wear at school to keep my clothes clean underneath---I made that too, it is a halter top!

I even added little buttons to the sleeves and a length of fabric under the button holes. I got tons of compliments and it was perfect for one of those chilly days in the spring, right after I cleaned all my winter clothes out of my closet!  Thanks for reading!!

I can crochet!

I finally figured out how to crochet. I watched a couple of videos and I looked at a couple of picture tutorials (this site was especially helpful) and I think I finally figured it out. I can't do everything, of course...but next I hope to learn how to make a granny square. I love this blog tutorial too!

Other things I want to make:

A colorful pillowcase with a crochet border--WOW!

An owl purse: (gahhh! I can't remember where I found this picture but I love him!)

Garland (Better start on this now!)

A circle (for flowers) Or any other sort of crochet flower! (Videos here) So pretty!!
I found these to be very special!

One of these gorgeous pillows:

One of these macrame owls possibly from this pattern. Or these. And I just love this idea!

A heart

(I am in love with these) I keep looking at the photos over and over again. The colors are so gorgeous, I had to share them with you!

My goal was to be able to make a snow day hat (before the end of winter). The tutorial can be found here.

My hat isn't perfect...In fact, I will probably make another one....but I am proud of it anyway!

I did not make the granny square afgan behind me...but I love it!