kitchen clock

When we moved to this house 2 1/2 years ago there was an old (50's) clock hanging up in the kitchen above the door leading into the girls room. I took it down to discard it and found that it was covering a large hole in the wall where an old doorbell was. For awhile I tried to find something different to cover the hole, but the truth is this ugly clock was perfect- and perfectly affordable! I recently found the time to decoupage it with these old adds (a project that's been on my "to do" list for 2 years!) and now it's just right.

Women's skirt= girl's dress

I enjoy making dresses for Ella out of my old skirts. Here are 3 pictures that show the progression of this simple transformation.

1. Decide how much to cut off of each side, depending on the width of the child. Leave the top alone. Decide what length you want the dress to be, depending on the height of the child.

2. Use the side pieces that you cut off for straps. Decide how many inches the straps need to be, again, depending on the width and height of the child.

3. Finish the straps and sew them to the front and back of the garment. Here's the dress! It's that simple.

We've been painting...

TILES!

Thanks pumpkin

Pillowcase dress

These pics uploaded completely backwards, but this way  you can see the finished product first. I've been wanting to try a pillowcase dress for quite awhile.  It's a very easy concept that only takes about 15 minutes to make- literally!  I used an old pillowcase from my grandma's house.  I like how it turned out except that it really looks like a pillowcase to me (duh)!  I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I don't think I'll put this on Ella (normally a size 5T - the length of a standard pillowcase).  It would be cuter cut for a smaller girl.  I'll cut a good 10 inches off of the top (the sewn edge of the pillowcase) and make one for Kate next.  I'll post pics of that soon!  There are all kinds of tutorials and videos out there for making these so I won't try to give many details.  The following pictures (starting at the bottom) show the progression of laying out the pillowcase, cutting off the top sewn edge and J-shaped notches in the corners for the arm holes, finishing the armholes by turning the edge under twice and sewing, make a casing across the top and back to run ribbon through and then tying the ribbon together at both ends to form adjustable straps.

If anyone would like to send me a pillowcase,your child's height, and $10 I'll make you one!

dress-up skirt

This week I made this skirt for our neighbor, Maya.  She turned 2 and every little girl needs dress up clothes, right?  There's nothing simpler than this.  Gather a length of fabric (in this case I used the bottom 11" of a curtain I made 4 years ago) and sew it to a ribbon.  Tie it around the waist of your cutey and she can twirl all day!

rag doll clothes

This old little doll needed some new clothes so I took apart the old ones and used it to make a pattern.  

I love the new clothes!  I might just have to re-clothe all the dolls in this house!  What do you think? ;)