The Dress Saga

Yes, the dress saga. This has been a challenge for me because, as usual, my brain and heart believe that I can do things before my body can actually execute them. I'm a dreamer, an idea giver, and an idealist. Ok, so now you know....and the story begins.

A friend of mine wanted to do a 1950's photo and needed some fun dresses. I went to Salvation Army and it was one of those light-shining moments on the rack of discount city that I found 2 dresses for $12.99 each. I grabbed them and said this can work!

Well, they need to be shorter to be 1950's so the hemming begins.

....and continues, and goes on and on.

Let me put this plug in - when I do things for other people, I'm even more dedicated to perfection than for myself. That usually makes me more frustrated and the other person doesn't even seem to notice anyway.

My good friend, Faye, said that trimming a dress is just like cutting hair.

You have to start from the underneath and get a guide then work your way out. T-r-i-c-k-y! We tied up the layers with string and used binder clips to keep them up and out of the way. The tough part? When you let the layers down you can't see the underside. So Lily and I got out the ruler and diligently marked the cut-off hem at 10 1/2 inches. Let me rephrase that - Lily got shoved under the layers (in the most loving and encourageable way) with a ruler and a marker so she could start marking the measurements about every 4 inches - all the way around. This went on and on. I didn't think about how many layers there were on this dress (actually, each dress). We got tired after about 4 layers of measuring.

Little trooper.


Side bar note, Lily and I love to watch Project Runway together. So please don't report me to the services for child labor. She actually likes helping me!

Wow, lots of work, but it's worth it. And I have to say that I love the challenge of things. I would never have asked myself to do this so I appreciate the fact that other people help make me better at sewing, through trial and error, and accomplishment.

Can't wait to see these beauties in the photo shoot!

Repurpose / Recycle

New project this month! As part of the sewing club (our cute little local 4-H sewing group) we did a lesson on making something out of nothing. These cleaned out ice cream containers were the basis of our project. I got a bunch of them (for free) and brought them to the club. We did some quick measurements, got out the fun fabric and turned these babies into decorative trash cans or, for more the more advanced girls, a sewing caddy with a drawstring. Neat idea origination? HA! My dad! He made my mother a knitting caddy when they were in high school. My dad is an engineer and loves math so it makes perfect sense to me. Thanks, dad!

Blue Bell containers and and excited Lily ready to sew!
....determined look on her face.

I don't have many pictures of the middle part of the class because it's so hectic with all of these precious questions and enthusiasm that I can't even stop to get my camera. The students were to measure the circumference and cut a rectangle to match the container. Then they sewed the two ends together (right sides together) and then pressed the seam open. Next was a 1/2 inch hem and the top and the bottom. Last, slide the "tube" of fabric over the container and embelish to taste. Here are some of the finished products. You can see the creativity come out in each one.

She's 7 and finished her first trach can. She picked the fabric and ribbon herself.

This one is a teen-agers. LOVE IT!

Lily really wanted her namesake on it. So no one could steal it!


"Yep, that's mine."

Here's the sewing caddy with a drawstring. We just lengthened the "tube" and did a 1/2 inch hem then a 2 inch fold over. We also added a circular bottom so the container would be supported with the weight of sewing what-nots thrown inside. With extra fabric she made the matching drawstring. Really amazing job!

I love doing this! Sometimes I forget how awesome it is to watch someone get so proud of their creation. There's more to come!

Retro Highchair

This adorable highchair was found at the local antique shop. We have some amazing ones around here and this was a real steal! It needed a little work but I was up for the challenge. Actually, let me back up...my sister-in-law (sweet and over-ambitious Katy) spotted this bute, bought it, took it home, had to explain to hubby why she bought a rusty highchair for the baby, then put it in the storage shed. I arrived and asked about the chair in which she directed me to the backyard. Ugh, I couldn't stand the idea of it not being used because it was adorable! So, I brought it back to Oklahoma, did a little magic and took it back to Albuquerque. yweh!


Ok, metal 101, this highchair had rust. I took a wad of aluminum foil (yes, from the kitchen) and used it like a sponge and scrubbed over the metal legs and arms. It took a little elbow grease but the results were immediate, hence, I kept working. You would not believe how shiny metal can really be!


There's the wad on the floor.

There's the yucky rust.

And now, shiny and new. I painted the tray again to seal it up and make it look nice. I do have to remind you that the "baby" is actually 18 months old and has a plate. just sayin'

Recovered Chair

My mother-in-law was so sweet to pass down this chair full of potential. It doesn't show the comfortability that I know so well but it's there! I'm thrilled to have it and it's definitely a family momento...it's been passed around several of us. The fun part is how to make it even more wonderful! So, here we go! I got some "hot" fabric at our local Hancock's and LOVE IT!

I took some basic measurement and charted it out on a sheet of paper. I think the hardest part of turning measurements into patterns is how to buy the yardage. I struggle with this and often have to ask those information gurus at the fabric store what to do. They are so helpful and make me feel good about what I'm buying. So, laying out the pattern pieces (in my head) we came up with what I needed. I really just followed what was on the original cushion with a small adaptation on the zipper.

Buy good fabric!!! You WILL need to wash it! No matter how careful you are, no one else will be as careful as you! (Case in point?....daughter with dirty feet)

Here's how the back turned out.

The front shot...

It's too cold right now, but picture this on the porch, you reclined effortlessly, with a wonderfully chilled drink on a hot summer afternoon, and sunglasses on so you can take in all the brightness around you!!! It will be here soon.

And, here's the little pillow in case sleepiness happens to follow!

Heritage Project

So, we've been working on so much lately! One thing we've been working on is Kenny's Heritage Project. It's a class project meant to go through your ancestry and talk about the country your family originated from. This stuff is so fun and I loved watching Kenny's eyes light up when grandpa, or great-grandpa, would tell him something about the family that he never know.

We decided to follow my husbands side because they came to America within the last 100 years. I'm Irish and Ken is Irish/Italian/Polish. Grandpa was a New York Italian so he's wonderfully animated when he gets mad. Irish=mad but Italian=expression! Here's the fam!....or I mean...FAMILIA!

...from the boot to America!

And the pride of every parent! Great job, Kenny!!!!

Pom-Poms, Baby!

Pom-pom city, baby! My daughter is working on her project that she got for Christmas. It's a pom-pom scarf, one for her and one for her doll.

It's an American Girl product that I got at our local Hancock Fabrics Store. It's the cutest thing on earth. Super easy, bright colors, wonderful directions.



We got out the instructions and tape measure. Lots of measuring going on to ensure that each pom-pom is the same size (to begin with anyway).


She got a little excited about the scissors and the shaping, so some pom-poms came out a little smaller than usual. I feel her pain, when I trim...there's one piece and then one more piece, etc.



These are the awesome forms that came with the box. The larger one is for girls size pom-poms and the teeny one is for the doll's pom-poms.

I think the challenge here is not how hard it is to make pom-poms (because they are really easy and sort of fun) but it's the amount of pom-poms needed to make these scarves. So along with the lesson of sewing and crafting is the lesson of patience and diligence. We have to be patient to give all 26 pom-poms the same amount of care and we have to be diligent to do ALL 26 pom-poms. I guess there are hidden lessons inside of everything you do and I want to teach her the joy of finishing the project along with the journey to get there.

Super Hero Day!

This week is Spirit Week at the kids school. Today was monumentous with Super Hero Dayyyyy!

The kids were so excited to wear costumes to school. I loved that Kenny's hero is his dad so out came the Special Forces Hero costume. My daughter, on the other hand, is like me and always goes for drama! We got out the Little Red Riding Hood costume from Halloween and conformed it to be a makeshift Wonder Woman costume. The only thing missing? The amazing dixie cups wrapped in aluminum foil as bullet armor! Thanks for those great memories, mom.

Lily sewed a "W" on the top and skirt of the costume from recycled Christmas ribbon. (My family totally makes fun of us girls that collect it after every present is opened.) She sewed a wide running stitch through the ribbon to secure it, and can easily be removed after the day's festivities.

When I dropped the kids off at school, they both had that funny look on their faces. I remember that look. They said, "Mom, what if no one else dressed up today?" I giggled a little because I would be thinking the same thing but I assured them that no one could resist Super Hero Day at school. "Go learn and be super!"