Living Room: After (Almost Finished)

I've finally gotten things in enough order to show you some "after" photos of our living room painting/small scale re-do project. It's not complete yet--our new couches won't be here for another 4 or 5 weeks and the built-ins in the dining room are getting installed next weekend. But the biggest part of the work that we had to do is done: painting the rest of the trim in the living room, painting the walls in the living room, stairwell and upstairs hallway, changing out pictures and updating frames and rehanging everything, and rearranging furniture. 

Having to take everything off the walls allowed me to redecorate without spending a dime. I moved pictures and art to different rooms, switched out and updated photos, and spray painted some frames to look new. It feels like I got a bunch of new things for the walls without ever leaving home!

Here's some before (these were taken immediately before, so we had already prepped the trim with wood filler which is why they look so crazy):

And the "after" so far, and please excuse the dilapidated pillows, thanks to Howard. Also, I think he photo-bombed at least half of these pictures.

Sorry for the poor lighting

That's 4 coats of paint, ya'll.  

Most of the painting was done during Charlotte's naps and after she went to bed. Two weekends ago she spent one night with my parents and we were able to get a huge block of uninterrupted work done and finish what we needed. Once the built-ins are installed we'll need to prime and paint those, then move all the books down and arrange the shelves. That seems like small potatoes compared to everything we've already done though, so I'm actually looking forward to it.  

I can't wait for the new couches to come in...ever since the new fresh paint has been on the walls the poor couches have looked sadder than ever. They've definitely seen better days and not even professional cleaning can help them at this point.  It's time to say goodbye.  

As I write this I have all the windows closed and I'm still chilly. It's sunny and beautiful and such refreshing change from the remarkably hot summer we just had. Welcome, Fall.

~Stacy

This Year's Dress, Next Year's Skirt: Toddler Skirt Tutorial

To say that Charlotte has a lot of clothes would be a gross understatement. The girl has a serious wardrobe for a few reasons:

• Baby girl clothes are fun to shop for. Really fun.
• She is the only grandchild on both sides and has very generous grandparents, aunts and uncles.
• She has a mommy who hunts for deals. End of season clearance racks, resale shops, eBay, garage sales--it's amazing what you can find for next to nothing if you look. I look for mostly new items with tags still on (unbelievable what you can find in this category, by the way, including more expensive brands) or very gently used items.
• She has two grandmas and a mommy who like to either sew, knit or crochet clothes.  

This week I went through her closet and pulled out a lot of her summer clothes. They still fit but since we're almost halfway into September I knew I wouldn't be dressing her in the really summery styles anymore. Every time I weed out her closet I divide her clothes into three piles:  1) keep for future baby girl (I'm not pregnant or planning on Baby #2 in the very near future. Calm down).  2) donate; and 3) love it but I can't keep everything because my house is small and storage is limited and I don't want to be a hoarder so maybe I can repurpose.

Pile #1 goes immediately into plastic bins in the attic. Pile #2 goes in bags and dropped off at a donation center. Pile #3 continues growing and becomes out of hand. I eventually end up separating these items into either pile 1 or 2 and never get around to repurposing anything. Boo.

I am determined to stop this practice (or, more accurately, this non-practice). She has so many adorable sundresses that are in perfect condition because she only wore each of them a few times. After staring at them for awhile I realized I could probably chop off the tops and turn them into skirts for next summer (or the summer after). And that is how this tutorial was born.  :)

You will need:

--sundress

--regular sewing supplies (machine, thread, scissors, ruler, iron)

--elastic (I used 1/2" since that's all I had on hand, but I recommend using 1")

Start by cutting off the top, as close to the arm openings as possible to allow for plenty of material to work with and straighten. Straighten out the material and pull it wide to lay smoothly on your cutting mat.

This dress had a lining, which I didn't think was necessary for the skirt so I simply pulled it out.

Iron the strip of fabric that will become your skirt.

Lay the ironed strip on your cutting mat and cut to the desired length, plus room for making the waistband. In this case, I used 1/2" elastic and allowed for 1/4" of space on each side. I wanted a finished length of 8.5" so I cut it 9.5".

Now open up the tube of fabric and either serge or zig-zag stich the raw edge so it won't fray.

Now flip the fabric inside out and fold the top of the skirt down (you're folding the right side of the fabric onto the wrong side) to make your waistband (again, in my case I needed this size to be 1" to allow for 1/4" on each side of my 1/2" elastic). Press all the way around.

Mark an opening with pins about 2" wide.  Sew around the raw edge, 1/4" seam allowance, starting and stopping (and backstitching) at each end. The opening is where you'll insert the elastic.

Stick a safety pin thru each end of the elastic. Insert one end into the opening.

Feed the elastic thru the waistband, making sure that the end doesn't get lost!

Overlap the ends by 1" and sew together (mine is crooked, whatever). Sew and backstitch a few times to reinforce the seams and ensure the waistband won't come undone. Lastly, sew the waistband opening closed (you'll have to pull the fabric a bit to get it to lay flat while you stitch it closed). Adjust the ruffles along the waistband so they're even and you're done!

 I'm so happy that this turned out the way I imagined and I didn't ruin it...I really liked this dress and Charlotte only got a chance to wear it once this entire summer. I made the skirt in a size 2T and the original dress was a 12 month. There was enough fabric that I could have gone up to a 4T if I wanted to, so I might end up making a few more in bigger sizes so she has some stock saved up for future summers. You can find size charts using a simple Google search that can give you an idea of measurements. I just pulled out a skirt I bought her for next summer that's a 2T and used the measurements from that.

Happy sewing!

~Stacy

New Life for an Old Sweatshirt (Sweatshirt Pillow Tutorial)

Even though I love it, the time has come for me to part ways with my oversized college sweatshirt.  While it is probably the most comfortable piece of clothing I own, it doesn't exactly do many wonders in the figure flattering department.  It's big and boxy and has a way of making me look like I instantly gained 15 pounds when I wear it.  I felt bad about it sitting in my "donate" pile though.  It felt like I was getting rid of a childhood blankie or tossing away a fond memory.   And, as Chad reminded me, it's kind of like an antique because the college I went to recently changed names.  Up until a couple months ago it was Baldwin Wallace College, but now it's Baldwin Wallace University.   Fancy.

I kept looking at it, sitting there in the midst of all the other cast-off shirts, pants and sweaters and thought there must be something else I can do with this.  I found a tutorial on how to turn an oversized sweatshirt into a button-up hoodie for a toddler, so I tried that.  Disaster struck immediately when I cut into it incorrectly and realized I wouldn't have enough material to make the project look right.  Now I had nothing but a pile of sweatshirt pieces that couldn't even be donated anymore. Curses.

I slumped back to the couch, defeated.  As I laid on a throw pillow I noticed the tear in the fabric cover that's been there for months that I haven't gotten around to fixing.  I should just fix that now, I thought.  I'll at least accomplish one thing tonight.  I walked back to my sewing table and tossed the pillow on top of the sweatshirt while I went to grab a needle and thread.  Wait a second....

The two pieces left over from my sweatshirt were big enough to cover the pillow!  Problem solved.  Ten minutes later (seriously, 10 minutes.  This project is that fast, I promise) I had a new pillow cover and my sweatshirt had a new life.

I'm sure all of you have an old sweatshirt lying around you probably shouldn't be wearing in public anymore but that you can't bear to part with.  You will still get to enjoy the soft comfort of your beloved sweatshirt without actually making it a part of your wardrobe :)

You will need:

-sweatshirt
-pillow form or any toss pillow you want to recover (I used one that was 16"X16" and I don't recommend going smaller than that if you want to include the whole logo and pocket of the sweatshirt).
-thread, needle, scissors, sewing machine, ruler

Start by laying your sweatshirt out flat and cutting along each side seam and across the shoulders and neckline to separate the back and front pieces.  Discard hood & sleeves (or use for tiny pillows?).

Cut a square 1" larger on all sides for the top (I used 1/2" seam allowances), making sure to center the logo.

Cut the same size square from the back piece.

 Put pieces on top of one another, right sides together, and pin around all sides.  Leave an opening (about 7" or so) on one side for turning and inserting the pillow.

Sew around all sides, backstitching at each end, using a 1/2" seam allowance.  Trim corners.

Turn right side out, making sure to push out corners.

Insert the pillow (at first it might seem like it couldn't possibly fit but it will!).  Smooth the pillow out and make sure all the corners aren't bunched.

If you have gaps anywhere you can fill them in with small amounts of stuffing.  Mine ended up filling out nicely so I didn't need that step.

Pin and hand sew the opening the closed.  Use fairly close, tight stitches and knot several times at each end so it doesn't come undone.

And now you have a finished sweatshirt pillow!  How easy was that?

You could also make this in an envelope style for easy removal to wash.  You would just need to add about 4" or so to the top piece (assuming you had enough fabric to do this), hem, and fold over.  The easiest way to attach to the other side would be a few pieces of Velcro.  My sweatshirt wasn't long enough to do it that way, and I usually just toss the entire pillow into the washing machine if needed...so far they've all survived just fine, save for a few stitches that needed to be repaired.  I would never try this with my regular upholstered couch cushions; just the cotton ones I've covered.

Happy sewing and enjoy the weekend!

~Stacy

Their Game

Charlotte loves playing with Howard.  Howard doesn't dislike playing with Charlotte, but he's not quite sure about her rules.  Charlotte's rules are simple:  She throws the ball in any random direction her little hand sends it and chases Howard as he chases the ball.  Howard is supposed to give it back to her.   Repeat.  She is free to get distracted by a toy, book, sound, etc. but Howard should not allow himself this luxury.

Howard's rules:  You throw the ball at least 25 feet away so he can chase it like a wild maniac and he brings it back, slobbery and gross, right in your lap.  Repeat for at least another 90 minutes.  You are expected tor remain stationary as his "base".  No chasing, no interference, no rule changing, and if that ball ends up underneath a couch he will whimper as though he is in excruciating pain until you rescue it for him.

Howard managed to get his paws on a bath toy today, and I suspect a certain someone gave it to him after her bath last night.  Regardless, he came prancing into the living room with an orange blowfish bath toy this evening and it ignited a fresh game of, well, whatever their game is called.

He was in the living room for about .05 seconds before she spotted the ball and made her way over.  You can see Howard looking at her coming out of the corner of his eye, probably thinking "uh-oh."

Here she is pretty much taunting him and he practically shakes with anticipation.

Still taunting.

Aaand still taunting...

Yes! She's distracted...

...so he grabs the ball and dashes upstairs.  Safe.  Right?

*************************

Part II (told by Howard)
::breathless::  You won't even believe this.  I thought I was safe up here!  

 Look what's behind Paw #1...

Charlotte.

 She's busy pulling stuff out of that basket, we can totally do this.  Just throw it right under that chair and I can dash in and out before she even knows what's happing, GO!

She's still busy, throw it throw it throw it throw it!!!!!!

Throw it, pleeease!  ...please?

What do you mean she's right here?  You can't be serious.

You were serious.

And that was that.

If you're wondering what's up with all the bright orange Band-Aids on her chubby little thighs, not to worry.  She had her 15-month check-up today and had to get three shots, poor baby.  In the past whenever she's gotten shots she's always been really sleepy the next day.  I'm kind of crossing my fingers that that's the case for tomorrow...this mama needs a nap, too!

Have a wonderful weekend.

~Stacy

All Over the Place

The title says it all--I've been all over the place this past week.  We spent our Labor Day weekend painting, rearranging furniture, painting, hanging pictures, painting, and trying to put our house back together into something resembling an actual living space.  We went to the store to get a replacement TV for our new, 6 day old one that somehow managed to escape quality assurance testing and was a total dud that stopped working.  Entirely.  We also managed to pretty much rearrange/redo 50% of our house in one long weekend.

We are sore.

I don't have "After" pictures ready yet.  My curtain rod just arrived in the mail today, so the drapes will be up shortly.  I have some picture frames to spray paint and photos to put in them that I just ordered, then everything will need to be hung.  I haven't even charged my camera in days, though not for lack of trying.  I had it plugged in for hours yesterday only to discover later that the power strip was never on in the first place.

I need to make something.  I know I've been busy with the house project stuff, but I need to actually make something.  I haven't sewn in awhile and it's making me crazy.  A friend made a request today for me to make her little guy a Halloween costume, which I'm very excited about...more on that coming soon :)

Can you believe it's September already?  Me neither.  The high school football games have started back up.  I think I've mentioned before that the high school in our city is literally in our back yard--as in, over the fence is the concession stand and just a few feet away is the field and stands.  I never noticed how loud the marching band is until I was trying to put Charlotte to bed last week right as the game was starting.  I briefly considered asking the drum line if they could maybe consider just using half the line during home games, or maybe moving completely indoors.  It seriously felt like they were playing in my living room.  Charlotte must be used to it though, she slept through all of it.  It wasn't until all was quiet and I tiptoed upstairs to check on her, stubbed my toe on her door and whispered a very bad swear word that she woke up crying.  Sure, the 165 decibels coming from the marching band was no problem but mommy whispers a word that rhymes with "truck" and it's intolerably loud.

I have a pile of fabric sitting on my table right now, as a reminder to myself that I want to sew tonight instead of getting wrapped up in other things.  Like falling down the black hole that is Pinterest, or working on any consulting projects, or working on any house projects, or cleaning.  Or laundry.  Or...you get the idea.  I've recently discovered two wonderful new blogs that have the best sewing ideas/tutorials ever.  The first is Craftiness is not Optional.  The author, Jess, has two adorable little girls (one of whom is named Charlotte!) and makes things for them and herself all the time.  I love her style and her tutorials are simple to follow.  The other is Make It and Love It, where author Ashley also has young children and sews items for them, babies, women, home decor, and gifts.  Her tutorials are very thorough, well written, simple, and focus a lot on repurposing.  I'm going to turn to her site tonight when I finally buckle down and make myself learn how to make ruffles and shirring.  Wish me luck.

Have a good day.  Whatever day it is.  Just have a good one.

~Stacy