Free Circus Printable - Done!

A few years ago, I found a free printable for a Victorian carousel and have been smitten by it ever since! It honestly made my heart pitter patter with glee when I saw it! I posted about it here but didn't get much feedback on it. Maybe the photo that the website provided was less than appealing (much less!) or maybe my taste in whimsical decor is not so main stream? (I'm perfectly o.k. with the latter of the two.) Who knows...but I thought I would throw it out there again anyway, just in case you missed it or were turned off and/or misled by the crap photo. 

I finally got around to making one for not only myself but for my good friend Nicole who just had a baby boy! After making it, I fell even more in love with it because the detail and illustrations are too darling for words. What a great present it will be for baby Reyn's nursery and I can't wait to give it to them today! 

You can make one too by clicking on this pdf link and downloading it to your computer! 

http://www.vam.ac.uk/files/file_upload/45900_file.pdf

FYI: It also makes cool shadows on the wall! 

Loved your visit! Until next time...

Soap Box

Has anyone strolled the aisles of Target recently? If so, you may have noticed a certain pillow propped proudly on their shelves. A certain pillow that strangely enough, looks EXACTLY like the one I did a tutorial for on this here very blog...in November of 2009! I know, I know "quit flattering yourself, Amy", as some of you may be saying, "you are tiny and no one even knows who you are or that this blog even exists!" But in all actuality, this pillow has been featured on several blogs and design sites, both small and large, so the chances of a designer for Target spotting it and taking credit for it are actually quite high. What do you guys think...should I be flattered or should I be angry? I think at this point I am leaning toward the latter. Arrrrggh.

Take a looksies and see what you think!

Mine (and ALL mine!)

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stupid Target's version

I'm sorry, but the resemblance is a little too uncanny! 

Everyday Lounge Pant Tutorial

Yes, I am posting at 6:00 p.m. on a Wednesday. So what?

I bought these lounge pants from Target for $6.00. They are basic, available everywhere and a staple in most women's wardrobes. I love me some casual pants (that can't be proper English!), but all signs are pointing to the fact that if I wore these around town, I have completely given up on life. My husband likes to jokingly refer to sweats as "quitters" because he thinks that people who wear them out and about (i.e. dinner, movies or shopping) have totally surrendered in caring about themselves. Since I haven't thrown in the towel (nor do I ever plan to) on wanting to look presentable, I have, however, joined the ranks of wanting to be comfortable. There is a way to do both! 

I turned my Quitters - with a capital Q, into fashionable everyday pants. I'll be happy to say that these babies have made an appearance at Target, the grocery store, our road trip and yes, even dinner! They seem to be perfectly appropriate for every event in my life. Maybe that says a little something about me!?

I think these would also be good to wear for:

post maternity 

bike riding 

evening walks

the farmers market

a swimsuit cover up

thrift shopping

going to the park

going on picnic

you name it

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 I first started off by pinning them where I wanted them to be gathered at my leg. I did this while still wearing them, standing up really straight and looking into a mirror. I measured up from the hem and pinned the other leg at the same spot.

Next, I cut them off at the pins. Remember - you will have a 3"- 4" cuff on the bottom so take your final length into account before cutting!

I then measured up 4" (allowing for a 1/2" seam) from the bottom of the cut off leg piece and I cut them once again. This 4" piece will be used as your cuff for around your calf. Do this on both legs pieces.

I took my pants and sewed a base stitch 1/2 above my newly cut bottom edge. It doesn't have to look good because you will pull it through and remove it later.

I put the pants back on and started gathering the leg to get the right width for my calf. Tie off your thread strings once this is done so that your gather won't slip.

I opened my cuff piece by cutting the seam off and then I measured around the opening of the leg on the pants. I trimmed the length of the cuff to the measured size. I left my pants right side in and sewed the top of the cuff to the bottom of my pants so that right sides were together. Basically, just turn your cuff piece upside down backwards! 

Hint: start sewing from the hem on the inner of the leg

Once I got to the end, I just sewed up the side into the seam of the pants. 

I then took out the base stitch as it's not needed anymore

And that's it!

 I also added a little flair by using up the left over leg material that was cut off and make a cargo pocket. I also made a bias tape with some scrap fabric and made a new drawstring belt and topped the pocket with it as well.

Is this something you would wear around town? Do you think they are utilitarian as I do? Do you think I will wear them till they are worn thin, practically see-through and borderline indecent? 

You bet I will! 

Blog link ups are a great thing! See where I am this week! Click here!

Loved your visit! Until next time...

Thanks and Take a Peek!

Today I am featured over at Whatever Dee Dee Wants with my DIY kid's placemat. I am participating in her Terrific Tuesdays series. Each Tuesday throughout the summer, she presents a kid friendly craft to not only help keep the wee ones occupied on those long summer days, but also to help parents devote their time and attention their kids...and just their  kids! I really love this concept because I firmly believe in the saying, "To a child, Love is spelled T-I-M-E." Making memories with our children is crucial and if you can rid your summer of those dreaded words, "I'm bored", then it's double the points! If they don't want to make art, I'm sure the garden always needs to be weeded! 

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Also, I have a few things on my to do list this week. Or should I call it my "get to do" list, because really, making this stuff is a privilege - not a chore!  I went through my bookmarks, new and old, and gathered together some pretty little projects. I think I will go ahead and share my list with you today!

Custom paper tape by Just Something I Made

          

This very simple tutorial for a lace shirt from One Pearl Button found over at My Girl Thursday. You will squeal when you see how easy it is to make this! 

Scallop cut offs found at Green Eggs and Ham. I love me some scallops! 

Decorating with masking tape! Brilliant ideas found at How About Orange.

Make your own sugar cubes with this tutorial from Nifty Thrifty Things. 

Obsessing over these fabric covered pots by Lavender and Limes! 

Loved your visit! Until next time...

Hand Towel Apron With Zipper - Tutorial

The ladies in my family have this REALLY stellar tradition where we save up all our money/gift cards that we received at Christmas, made from craft shows or was returned from paid taxes and together we go on an all day shopping adventure! While we like to buy a few things for ourselves, we also like to pick up ideas for future craft projects along the way! As we stroll the isles of merchandise and finger through the racks of clothes, we often find ourselves saying, "I can make that for so much less!" We get a lot of inspiration for anything that would make life a little more pleasant and more affordable by doing it ourselves! With that being said...

I present to you the "apron with zipper attached hand towel"!

Step 1: Wear your apron.  Step 2: Unzip your dirty towel from apron  Step 3: Wash your dirty towel! 

I spotted a this nifty design in a fancy boutique and it had a price tag of $40.00. Pleeeaaase! I loved the concept because really, that is all I use my aprons for: wiping my hands, drying off a spoon or dabbing my little one's messy mouth after his licked the brownie batter out of the bowel. But I knew I could easily make it for less than $15.00. And that I did!

It only requires a few inexpensive materials, some of which you probably already have on hand!

Materials that you will need:

hand towel

separating zipper

existing apron ( to be used as a template or to be refashioned!)

1 yard of fabric (if you don't have an apron to refashion)

Sewing machine

Before I get started on the tutorial, there are a few hints that are going to help you tremendously! I learned them by trial and error, so you can thank me later for saving you so much time and hassle! 

**Please read before beginning this project!!**

First: Find out what sizes and colors of zippers your local or closest sewing center carries. Make a physical or mental note of it and shop for your hand towel. Make sure you buy a hand towel in a length that is the same length as a standard zipper. Remember that zippers are measured from component to component - not from the ends of the fabric. 

Second: For some reason, stores do not like to carry long length zippers in fashionable and fun colors. At least where I live (dang you, Utah!). I ended up using a 27" basic black zipper because I gave up trying to find something better! What I'm trying to say is, "good luck finding a 31.5" hot pink zipper!"

Third: When buying a hand towel, take your measuring tape with you because often times, the size of the towel is not printed on the tag. I noticed most towels varied between the sizes of 25"-30" in length. 

Fourth: Buy a zipper and then choose your fabric last. Find one that matches both your zipper and towel. Trust me on this. I started with my fabric choice and after returning 3 towels, 2 zippers and searching 5 sewing centers, I almost gave up! 

Let's get started! If you are either using an existing apron to refashion, or are making a new by using an existing apron as a template, you will want to lay it out and then take your hand towel and line up the bottom of it, to the bottom of your apron. This will show you how long the fabric part of the apron will need to be. (my hand towel happened to be the exact same length as my template apron - PURE COINCIDENCE!)

After finding the length, either cut off the bottom of your apron, allowing enough material for a seam or if you are making a new one, fold under and pin the apron. This will be used as your template.

If you are making a new apron, lay your template on top of your fabric and cut out with enough material around the edges for a seam allowance. Lay your hand towel down to see if your widths are measuring up, if needed. 

If you are refashioning an existing apron, simply hem the bottom and skip the next step as it does not apply to you! 

Fold all edges under (twice for a more finished look!) and press with a hot iron then sew.

Once all your edges have been hemmed, you are ready to sew your zipper on. Separate your zipper and sew one side onto the bottom of your apron, and one side to the top of your hand towel. I chose the ever easy and trendy "exposed zipper" method. 

Next, use your fabric scraps to make and sew on a strap for the neck and for the ties. And you are finished! 

My cost:

fabric: $4.00 (on sale at Hancock Fabrics)

towel: $3.00 (on sale at Target)

zipper $3.00 (from local fabric shop)

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total: $10.00!!!!

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, you pricey Boutique you! 

*I love link parties! Click HERE to see who I've partied with this week!*

Loved your visit! Until next time...

Ready, SET, go! DIY Kids Placemat

Several years ago (according to the article, March 2006, to be exact!) I clipped this idea out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine for a kids DIY placemat. I didn't even have a child back then but knew that someday I wanted to sit down make this craft with a tiny little person beside me! It's not only a great tool to teach your children the proper way to set a table, but it's easy to clean and saves your table from getting messy!

 I love that my little guy is now old enough to do things like this! He gets so eager to dive into an art project! It makes my heart smile!

Materials that you will need:

poster board
4 sheets of paper
scissors
glue
laminating machine

 Cut your poster board down to desired size. I read that a standard placemat size is 18"x14" but I made his a little smaller so that it could fit into a drawer in the kitchen.

I gave him a piece of paper to practice tracing his circles on. He pays so much attention to detail and was so careful! He was cracking me up! 

After all his practice, it was time for the real thing!

We then traced each of the shapes for the glass, dish and napkin on separate pieces of paper and cut them out. I hand drew the utensils - sorry I don't have a template!

Mr. Little Jeans put glue on all the shapes and we placed them onto the poster board.

After we were done, we drove to a local store called Utah-Idaho Supply to get it laminated. It is a supply house for educational instructors to buy resources for their students and classrooms. It is such an amazing store and the price to get it laminated was less than $3.00! I highly recommend going to a store like this rather than a copy or office supply store because it will save you so much money! 

He is now a pro at setting his own place setting and I am happy that I got to craft it up with my favorite little man in the whole world! 

Loved your visit! Until next time....

DIY Sundance Catalog Poster

One of my favorite things to read are magazine articles, news segments or blog posts on how to achieve a designer look for less! Whether it's clothing or a room remodel, it can always be done! Who doesn't love a budget friendly result?

While recently browsing the Sundance Catalog's website, I came across this beautiful "Eggs of the Avian" print....

I fell in love with it! But then, my eyes wondered over to the price and a loud gasp was released from my lips after it's discovery! While it is lovely in it's entirety, I unfortunately cannot afford this $495.00 piece of art. I really wanted to find a way to create it on a budget and was bound and determined to do so!
(The original is quite large but I only need something to fill a small space on my wall)

Here is what I came up with:

I found this FREE downloadable print over at The Graphics Fairy. I hate to admit it, but I actually like the vintage charm of this one better than the Sundance version! I know that if I take a pdf to a printing shop (Staples or Office Depot does it for only a few dollars), I can have it made into any size I need as long as the resolution is high enough. 

*For yet another similar egg graphic click here*

I then spotted this reclaimed 11X14 barnwood frame to finish off the look at Hobby Lobby for only $15.00! If I use a 40% off coupon that they so frequently send out, it would only cost me around $9.00!
(This frame can also be found at Michael's! Hooray!)

What do you think? Is it a close enough match? I think saving a whopping $475.00 makes it a perfect match! 

As soon as my spring cleaning, prepping the yard/garden for the new season and a little family vacation is complete, I will start this very project! 

Loved your visit! Until next time...