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~ Fall Festivities ~
October 28, 2010
Hello Everyone and Happy Fall!
I thought it might be nice to do a little update. No one turns out for annual blog posts! Glad you all found me. My husband’s consistency is a good way to keep everyone coming back. :-)
Fall is here. Seems like it just arrived and it is the end of October! I am amazed that my tomato plants are still producing tomatoes! And, they’re still flowering! I am not in Massachusetts for sure. The weather has been warm and the air has a sweet dusty smell from the leaves that are falling. As far as crisp air…we are yet to have that arrive. I know it will. I like that change of season. The fact that it is still warm makes me glad that winter will be a little shorter, because the cool hasn’t even arrived yet :-). It really is beautiful here in the Ozarks, especially the sky. One of William’s new words is “moon”. He knows where it is and loves to find it…way up high, point, and say it. It kind of sound like a little cow mooing…”mooooon” :-). Life has been exciting seen through the eyes of a baby. A moon. How simple. We see it every day. Yet look at it. It is fascinating. It fascinates William. He gazes at it. What does he think when he sees it? I see the glory of the Lord. I tell him. He is learning. The beauty of Creation points to the Creator. What an amazing God we serve. What beauty to behold...in the shining moon~
I don’t have much in the way of tutorials. I usually start working on a project and am too motivated to get the project done, than to stop and take pictures. Usually William is napping and I work as hard as I can to get as much done as possible before he awakes, so it doesn’t leave much spare picture time. I thought I’d show some pictures of some completed projects for inspiration sake.
Brown t-shirt makeover
I managed to take a couple photo’s while working on this project. After seeing a lot of girls on craft blogs spice up t-shirts and make them look more feminine, I thought I’d try it myself. Knit doesn’t fray, so it is nice to work with.
I found this t-shirt at a thrift store for $2. I liked it enough…but thought it looked to plain.
I wanted to make some ruffles to dress it up, so I cut the sleeves 4 ½ inches shorter.
Then, I cut the sleeve open.
I cut some strips from the two little sleeve pieces I had, sewed up the middle with a gathering stitch, and pulled, to make a ruffle.
Here are the ruffles arranged on the shirt. I pinned them on and sewed down the middle with the machine to attach them. I also, made a little flower with another strip of fabric, by rolling and sewing into a flower shape.
To put a unique twist on the short sleeve…I made a crease on the side
Then, sewed a gathering stich up the crease, pulled, & secured the ends.
The finished result:
Fabric covered basket
I tried my hand at a basket makeover. Sachiko at http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/
was my inspiration with all the one’s she’s done. I only have pictures of the finished project. I basically cut an oval shaped piece of fabric I had in my stash, and hot glued it down around the sides of a little no nothing basket. I made a basic bag out of some white material and set it in there, with a drawstring top. And, added a handle made out of the same fabric.
I glued some trim around the sides and attached a flower I made (tutorial on that one may come at another date).
I cut a pice of cardboard to fit the inside bottom of the basket & covered it with the same fabric. Then, set it over the bag, which I think I had tacked down to the basket.
Here’s what it looks like inside.
I tacked the bag all the way around the top, so it wouldn’t sink down.
This project kept evolving as I wasn’t following any instructions. I kept thinking to myself, “Does it really take this long for all those incredible craft ladies out there who seem to whip up something like this in an instant?” I learned some lessons doing it, and I think like every project, I would be able to make it faster the second time around. I didn’t really mind it taking longer…it feels so good to make something a little more beautiful, like a plain-nothing-to-it basket! Just wanted to offer consolation to all my comrades out there who think I can whip something up in an instant…just wanted to say, it can take time!
Onesie Baby Dress
These dresses are so fun to make! You need a onesie and rectangle piece of fabric. This is the tutorial a basically followed: http://www.prudentbaby.com/2010/03/10-minute-onesie-dress-easiest-dress.html
Keep it simple…or add embellishments. You can’t go wrong…unless perhaps you’re baby is a boy, which happens to be my case :-). So, to get the baby dress making craving out of the way, I made this for a friend’s darling little baby girl.
Old Nightgown to pillowcase
This project really did whip up fast. I had found a pillow to cover for my guest bed and was waiting till the creative moment struck to cover it. Company coming seems to “strike” me with a creative boost. It helps turn those projects collecting dust into treasures!
The moment struck when I was cleaning out the closet in the guest room and I opened up a box full of clothes that need to be mended. “Am I really going to mend these things that are already kind of old looking and tattered?” I thought. I looked down at this nightgown I used to like in its better days. I looked up at the uncovered pillow on the bed. I looked back at the nightgown, with the pretty embroidered design at the top. I hated throwing it away, and I thought the design might fit right on the pillow. Sizing was perfect. I finished cleaning the closet as quick as I could and took scissors to the old nightgown.
Nightgown
I cut across the front and down both side seam lines till I could wrap it around the pillow (with a little extra for seam allowance). The piece was almost a rectangle.
The top was a little off. I gathered the longer bottom end to meet the top end and made a seam. Now it was rounded and I slipped the pillow in.
To finish, I turned the ends under and sewed it closed on the machine, then wrapped some ribbon on the ends, and ‘voila':
Hallway makeover:
Our hallway has been quite barren of any color or life, until I saw a post on someone’s blog of this Martha Stewart inspired hallway makeover. Though mine doesn’t come close to Martha’s, she was so good to inspire me, and I am very pleased with the end result. It just makes the home look a little more lived in!
My display (or, should I say Jordan’s display…seeing as he did all the hard work of measuring, and nailing into the wall. Love that man! :-)
It made me happy…feeling as though fall was finally here. I have yet to finish the wreath. It is hard to find the paper ribbon this woman used to copy Martha’s wreath: (click here) I found some in my ribbon bag and was thrilled, but it didn’t quite go all the way around. Wal-Mart doesn’t have it…I’m thinking it will come out more with the Christmas wrapping stuff. I’m looking forward to finishing it anyhow.
Falling Leaves:
Last, but not least, I leave you with this fun little project that made me feel like fall arrived in my living room as well. It cost $1.00
All you have to do is buy a packet of fake leaves at Joann’s when they are 50% off and clip little holes in the end. Then tie a ribbon through the hole so you can hang them up.
I made a garland using paper raffia to cover my windows and tied them on to it. The leaves were blowing outside and inside now!
A picture didn’t really capture the full effect, but now you can see that you can tie these everywhere to make the home feel like fall.
Thanks for stopping by & happy creating!
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