Pelmet Box

I used this tutorial from one of my favorite design blogs to make this simple pelmet box window treatment for the girls room. It's made up of foam board and duck tape--but it works! I used fabric from the old curtains in Kate's room in New Haven so this project cost $3 total! I don't have a staple gun (but should get one) so when I upholstered the pelmet box I used duck tape to hold the fabric and batting down. It worked fine, but a staple gun would probably hold the fabric down tighter, so I'd recommend using one. And looking at this picture, it is a rare moment in the day that I see the floor of this room looking so clean. Will my house ever not look like a tornado ran through it? These girls are hard to keep up with!

Simple lampshade

This lampshade came about after I hemmed and hawed and couldn't make up my mind in the ikea lighting department for about 30 minutes. Thankfully, Kate is old enough to go in ikea's childrens area and loves it! I was looking for a simple lampshade for a floor lamp in the playroom. Everything there was either the wrong size or color or shape.  After I had given up on their selection and resorted to going somewhere else and paying a lot more for a lampshade, I spotted one on clearance for $7. A brown, pleated lampshade that was the right size and shape, but brown was definitely not what I was hoping for in the playroom. After examining it and deciding the the brown pleats would be pretty easy to remove, I decided to try to recover it myself. It's just the playroom afterall, so it doesn't need to be perfect. I took it home and looked up some quick instructions as a guide on how to do it. The best part was I already had everything I needed at home! I used leftover fabric from my moms apron and some leftover trims from other projects. It was really simple and fun. I like the whimsical look it has compared to the plain green one I almost bought. It is times like this when being indecisive about a little decision works out for the best!

Lollipop Dress

I feel like I'm getting some creative energy back. I've been sewing and crafting a bit more lately and I'm remembering how much I like it. The whole process of creating something from start to finish, and then actually being satisfied with the end product, is very gratifying.  I made this dress for Kate's 3rd birthday party. I used a fine welt purple curduroy from Joanne's and for the applique and trim I finally cut into some Heather Bailey fabrics that I was given last Christmas, and love. I've still got more and I'm trying to decide what to do with it. I used McCall's 5692 pattern and it was simple to sew. I'm learning that after making so many little girls dresses, you can use the pattern as a guide, but I tend to do things more my way, even if it isn't the right way, or what the pattern specifies.  I used heat n bond for the applique and should have referred to my favorite tutorial, as I got adhesive all over my ironing board cover. Oops. This was fun to sew and hopefully I can find time to make a matching one for little sister.

mom's apron

Another project I found time for was this little apron I made for my mom. She is a preschool teacher and on her wish list was an apron patterned after her apron she wears to work. I guess she doesn't want to wear an apron around the house with a big teddy bear on it? Anyway, it was super simple. I traced her apron onto fabric, made ties and pockets and made it reversible by sewing everything together, right sides together, leaving a small opening at the bottom. Then I turned it right side out, sewed up the hole, did some topstitching and voila! Done. It came together really quickly. The only thing I would do differently second time around--cut the apron pattern out on the fold. It didn't matter too much, but it would have been helpful to have both sides symmetrical. Merry Christmas, Mom!

girly purses

Santa was a little too ambitious this year and didn't get started early enough. That is my excuse for a few of the planned projects that went unfinished. Fortunately, I don't think anyone noticed but me. These girls purses, however, I did find time for! I made 4 of them, for my nieces and little cousins. I glued sequin trim on the front as a monogram because I always love a little sparkle and filled them with treats my little girl likes to find in her purse. I've used this tutorial before and it is very simple. One day I will get around to making a large one for myself!

sparkly skirt

A super, simple variation of a tutu. Shiny satin, sequin material and sparkly tulle. I used a skirt Kate had to use as a guideline, then lengthened it a few inches so it would be extra full. I cut a front and back of each type of material and sewed each one together at the sides separately. Then I layered them together, turned down the top to make a casing for the elastic, sewed and then added elastic. Instant butterfly, princess, ballerina, whatever you want to call it dress up skirt in 20 minutes!

Playbill Project

One of my favorite things about living in Manhattan was all of the great theater we got to see. We usually went to a show when visitors were in town. We went for our anniversary once and quite a few times just because. I saved most of my playbills thinking someday I would do something with them. This was one of the first projects I did when we moved into the new house. They are hanging in the girls playroom. Kate likes looking at all of the pictures and I like lying on the rug, daydreaming about when we used to be urbanites and singing show tunes. It makes for a good time at 3 in the afternoon. :)

This project was very simple and could be done with any sort of memorabilia. Maybe some favorite pages from a children's book would be cool? I used these frames from ikea and some posterboard.

Another related project to these are shadow boxes. I made a shadow box right after we got married that we have in our bedroom with things from our wedding--Invitations, placecards, a few candid photos, swatches of bridesmaids dresses, a boutonniere and ribbon. I love looking at it and remembering our wedding day.