The Denim Dress Toy Box

Hello Readers. I found a dress recently and it made my day. It was long and made of blue denim and I knew exactly what to do with it. I was going to try to cover up some damaged furniture. Let me be honest, my family has damaged almost everything I own over the years. Do you have kids? You know what I mean.

There was something else that encouraged this project. Free batting! Have any of you heard of Thrive Market? It is an online health food store. When my daughter ordered some items they came packed in this padding made of recycled denim. It was about an inch thick. I saved it. My daughter ordered again, and again. After a while I had 3 of these pieces to use for a seat cushion.

 (They don't know me and didn't pay me to talk about them. I just wanted to tell you where I got the free cushion material.)

Here is a simple white toy box that is a little beat up. The top is chipped from my kids and has water marks from plants that I over watered. I could sand and repaint it. Or....

I could cut the bottom of this dress and use it to cover the top and make it into a little cushioned seat. By now you know what I decided to do.

I used 2 layers of cushion. I cut them so they were a bit larger than the top of the toy box. I wanted to have 1/4' of cushion over the edge of the wooden lid. I put the toy box on the floor upside-down. I put it right on top of the denim fabric and the cushion layers. I pulled the fabric over the edge of the toy box lid and used a staple gun to attache the denim to the wooden lid.

    

 It looked like this when I was done stapling. I trimmed off the excess fabric but the edges looked a little rough.

I grabbed some light blue cord and used my hot glue gun to attach it to the lid and cover up the cut edges of that denim.

Here is the inside all finished. This cording was just to make it look more finished on the inside. No one will see this but my 3 year old when he dumps all his toys out of this toy box. And me when I am picking up those toys. Again. And again. And again.

The top of that dress was cut into a square shape and stuffed with a pillow form. I liked the pocket and thought it would be cute on a pillow.

 Here is the toy box and pillow together. It is a cushy spot for a little guy to sit and look at a book.

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

The Plaid Skirt Dress

Hello Readers. I was really inspired by a refashion I saw recently. Sarah Tyau made a great dress from a plaid coat. I loved it so much, I knew what I wanted to make from this plaid skirt. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right?

Here my original plaid skirt. I really liked it because of the buckle accent at the top and the awesome fringe at the bottom. I didn't want to say good bye to either one of them, but how could I incorporate them both into something new?

The skirt had a zipper on one side to get it on and off. I needed that, so I started pinning the other side to get the fit right.

   

Side zipper.                             Pins.

I made a simple straight knee-length skirt. It still has the buckle that I loved so much. But I had to cut off all that fringe. That's OK, I had a plan to use it too.

Here is my fringe. I cut it all off in a narrow strip of fabric and there was just enough of the plaid material for my shoulder straps.

I used the extra fabric to make the front bib and a little pocket.

I was stitching it all together and I had an idea. What is that white stuff there? It's Velcro! Here is where it gets really fun.

I stitched the pocket to the front bib, and the bib to the straps with fringe. The Velcro is holding the bib to the skirt. I decided to use Velcro so I could wear the skirt by itself if I wanted to. The whole outfit stayed together really well, but it was easy to take apart too.

The straps have Velcro in the back to attach them to the skirt too.

    

 
 *****     PART 2     *****

I made some leggings to go with the dress so I could stay warm. It is cold out there!
 I used this knit skirt. It was a thin knit with a lot of stretch.

I cut out some leg shapes and put them together. (I had a pattern for pants that I used as a guide.) I tapered the legs a bit more and I was ready to go.

You can see my leggings/tights here. They were comfortable like all leggings. I also wore them as pajamas later.

  

Thanks for reading along, now go make some thing fun for yourself.

*Year end update- It has been a month since I made this and I still enjoy wearing it. I always wear the bib and straps so I connected them permanently with my sewing machine.

The Scarf Sweater

Hello Readers. I have a great sweater idea for you. This was so easy to make and it kept me warmer too.

I started with this basic black cardigan. It was a loose fit and light weight sweater. It was also plain.

I removed all the buttons from the front of the sweater really quick and then moved on to the fun part of this little project.

I wanted to add this scarf to the front of this sweater. I also wanted to to cross the scarf over itself and leave it unfastened in the front. It will need to be pulled over my head to put on.

I used my machine to attach the scarf around the neck of the sweater. I criss-crossed the sweater in the front and then kept sewing it to front opening of the sweater.

This might sound confusing...

Here is a look at the finished sweater. I think looking at the sweater makes more sense than my describing it.

   

Extra scarf=extra warm.             High neck=warm neck

You can see how the sweater opens in the front. It isn't open all the way down the front like a cardigan anymore, but it isn't closed either. The criss-crossed scarf keeps the sweater closed when it is worn, but it does open. I wore a shirt under it in case it opened too much. It stayed closed well and it was warm and cozy.

This would be such a great top for nursing moms. I wish I had thought of it when I was nursing. It opens easily and the scarf could be used as a cover if and when needed.

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

*Year end update- I am so glad I made this warm sweater. It was simple to make and so wonderful for winter.

The Bathrobe Sweater

Hello Readers. I titled this post "The Bathrobe Sweater" because it originally looked like a robe on me. I love cozy robes but this wasn't working.

I don't remember where I got this long sweater but I love gray and black.

 I thought about making a dress out of this but it was too clingy to be worn as a dress. When it was buttoned it seemed to emphasis all the bumps and bulges that I wouldn't want to show. It needed something under it but it/I just looked lumpy. So it wasn't going to be a dress.

   

I decided to make a tunic length cardigan. It would look better on top of other clothes and layers are great in the cold weather. 

I shortened the sleeves and made the body of the sweater much shorter. It was quick and easy work.

I love this sweater when it is open and hangs loose. I wore it to work, just like this. When it is open it has a light flowy look. No lumps or bulges in sight.

Thanks for spending some of your time with me. If you are in the U.S. you might be preparing for Thanksgiving today. That is what I am doing today. I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends.

If you aren't in the U.S., I wish you the same thing.

*Year end update- This is such a great sweater. How did I ever get along without it?

The Boring Pink Sweater

Hello Readers. Do you have any boring clothes? Clothes that are just blah. I do, but I don't like to let them stay that way. This pink sweater was a snooze-fest. It's made of cashmere and that is the only reason I loved it so much. I am addicted to cashmere. It feels like it is made from some kind of special angel yarn.

Here is the boring but super soft sweater. I decided to use these weird cotton pajama pants to dress up the sweater. These pants are supposed to be a cropped capri length but on me they just look like shrunken pants.

    

My first step was to cut the side seams open. I wanted to add some extra fabric in the sides. Cashmere does not fray so I could cut it and work with it without any fuss.

I cut the waistband off the pajama pants and I cut narrow strips of the striped fabric. I used the stripes as a guide and it made the measuring and cutting very easy.

     

 Horizontal pieces.                  Vertical pieces.  

I added a long vertical strip of fabric to each side of the sweater. The extra fabric added a couple inches of room to the sweater.

I connected some of the horizontal pieces and made pleats. It took a while but it wasn't hard.

I connected the pleated fabric to the waistband of the sweater. It added a punch of color and it made the sweater a bit longer. 

   

The sleeves of the sweater were a little long so I cut a few inches off. I added a piece of the waistband as a cuff on each sleeve. It finished the sleeves and added some color there.

 

The stripes add some color and I like the ruffle at the waist. The sweater isn't as plain as it was, but it is still casual. I could wear it anywhere.

    

I was supposed to go out and do some things but Mother Nature had other plans. We got a lot sleet and snow, so I didn't go anywhere in this sweater yet.

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

*Year end update- This sweater is cute, soft, fun, and warm. It has been a month and a half since I made it and I still enjoy wearing it.