little refashion: lace dress

Since I hit up the thrift store often I am constantly coming across clothes that I don't think are necessarily cute but definitely have potential. This dress met that criteria in my eyes. I liked the pretty lace skirt so I bought it with the intention to refashion it.

This was the game plan...

I had the idea to use fabric markers to draw a design on the bottom layer of the skirt that would show through the lace. I ended up using a pastel green marker and free handing a couple of simple chevron stripes. The green started running low after the first stripe though, so I had to use blue over the green on the top stripe. I'm actually glad because it is a little more interesting to have the stripes two slightly different colors, kind of like an ombre effect.

Then I pulled off the bows, chopped off the sleeves, lowered the neckline and added a peter pan collar and buttons. Again, I didn't have enough of what I needed and had to use two different sizes and colors of buttons, and again I think it turned out better that way! The colors of the buttons ended up echoing the colors of the stripes with the top button being slightly darker than the bottom.

At first I wasn't sure if the green/blue really went with the dark maroon bodice, but in the end I think the buttons pulled it all together. I'm happy with how it turned out, unexpected details and all!

And here is the before and after next to each other...

Have you ever refashioned clothes for your kids?

doll suitcase

UPDATE: Since posting this I have made two more interchangeable rooms - a kitchen and bedroom - and posted a step-by-step tutorial on how I made it. Would you like to make your own?

Come check out the full tutorial!

I already showed you Dolly, but now she has a place to call home, and some cute new clothes to boot! I had so much fun making this, but I have to say that I got majorly burned out whipping this up so quickly for the Christmas time crunch. I had even grander plans but they will have to wait for when I get another burst of motivation. But I digress, let me show you inside...

Welcome to the living room! The only room in the house for now. I made the back panel interchangeable so eventually I can make a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc. and the panel would just need to be switched out and voila! you are playing in a different part of the house! 

Everything was sewn onto one big piece of fabric which was glued around a piece of poster board cut to fit. My vintage suitcase (which I bought at the thrift store for $2) had this handy ruffle edging to pop the panel behind.

But is Dolly home you ask?

Why, yes! She is tucked away in the basement with her wardrobe waiting to be dressed up and played with! The 'floor' lifts up to reveal her hiding place. I used foam board for the floor to make it more sturdy.

        You may notice I never gave her a face..truth be told I was scared to mess up and then several people told me they liked her without a face and I tend to agree with them. This way she isn't just sleepy or happy all of the time, but any emotion you want to imagine!

I managed to make her four dresses, a coat, a purse, a scarf, and a pair of moccasins before my big burn out (I still need to add little snaps on the dresses and coat). I'll probably end up making some more summery things when the weather gets warmer, and if I get my act together I'll share my patterns with you since that is the part that takes the longest. 

Here she is showing off her favorite outfits:

Dolly is already getting lots of love and it will be fun to add to her house and possibly get her some furniture bit by bit. If you want to try this out the possibilities really are endless... 

I am really happy with how it turned out. And the fun part is that if the Little Miss wants to take Dolly with her to Grandma's house she is already packed up and ready to go!

little farm

Our garden has been less than stellar this year... a couple of zucchinis, a handful of peas, carrots that are still only 2" high, and tomato plants that are now just finally starting to produce (is the tomato season really this late in the summer?). Needless to say, I had much higher hopes and dreamed about eating fresh tomatoes way back in July (maybe I should look that up).

So that is where Little Farm comes in to save my pitiless garden and give me loads of locally grown, better than organic, flavorful vegetables. And they make me so happy that I wanted to share with all of you too, although if you don't live in the Provo-Orem area that puts a damper on things.

Little Farm is located in Pleasant Grove, and Lutie, the gardener herself, is world famous for her work in the field of radionics - which in a nutshell means she can tell what the plant needs nutrient-wise by testing its energy. Sounds a little strange, but don't judge until you've tasted her delicious offerings. And you can only get them right here.

And while you are there you can stock up on local free-range eggs, grass-fed beef, raw milk, raw cheese, and delicious homemade soups!

upcycling: old dresser

I'm so inspired by this DIY bookcase from Country Living. It's so bright and cheery and... made of old dresser drawers! Now there is a conversation piece for your sitting room.

lovely storage idea

Vintage suitcase for crafty storage via Armelle from DIY Magazine.

my happy garden

Look for Cloud9 Fabric's 100% organic cotton collection, My Happy Garden to come out soon. Doesn't it seem like your child (or you) would have wonderful dreams sleeping on these clouds?





{via fabricworm}

a plug for the earth

In honor of Earth Day I thought I would share two of my favorite green products with you.

I love bum genius washable diapers. We have been using them on the Little Miss for about four or five months now and they work great! They fit babies 7-35 lbs so you don't need to buy additional sizes - adjustable snaps shorten or lengthen the diaper. The fit is just like a disposable, although bulkier, but its worth it because your wallet will be bulkier too!

The initial investment is a bit substantial (about $100) but each diaper pays itself off in about 1 1/2 months of use (that includes the utilities to wash it) and you can use them on all of your children! We have six diapers and that is plenty for a days use.

And that's six less disposable diapers sitting in a landfill everyday.

There are a lot of reusable bags out there, but Chico Bags have my loyalty. I am amazed how much stuff I can fit in them, and I've found so many uses for mine other than as grocery bags. My favorite part is they come in a pouch that is attached to the bag so they are easily stored... You won't forget to use your reusable bags when they are right in your purse or glovebox!

And they come in lots of bright, cheery colors.

Way to go San Francisco for banning the use of plastic bags!

{Click on pictures for links}

upcycling: skirt hangers & binder clips

These ideas are so simple and ingenious.

Use your vintage skirt hangers to hang up odd sized posters...and add more visual interest at the same time.


Hang up your artwork using a large binder clip and paint it to match. A great idea for your nursery - you won't have to worry about it falling on your little one!

upcycling: florist vases

Just last week I was trying to figure out where to put the 6 or 7 florist vases I have collected over time. I really appreciate and love getting flowers, but its just one more vase sitting around collecting dust once the petals have wilted. So, I was excited to come across this idea - to use them as planters for an indoor herb garden!

Now I wish I had a ledge beneath my kitchen window to sit them on...


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