Back to Black

 Hello Readers. I don't remember where or when I scavenged this black dress. I loved the eyelet lace at the top. I love eyelet lace in any form. You can't go wrong with basic black but there was something wrong with this dress.

Before and after.

The dress had a weird shape. Maybe the lace at the hem shrunk? I'm not sure but I didn't like how it got smaller at the bottom of the dress. It just did not fit me well.

I had a plan to make this dress into a loose summer tank top. I thought that would fit better than the dress. And I had a plan to save every inch of that lace.

I unpicked all the stitches around the lace at the chest of the dress. It wasn't difficult but there were little threads everywhere by the time I was done.

I cut the middle of the dress away and I had a good shirt length that I needed to reattach to the lace.

I liked my new shirt a lot. It was light and loose. The lace was the best part of the whole thing and I was able to keep all of it. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

***Year End Update- The light cotton and the loose fit was great in summer. I loved this top.

Bad Seersucker?

 Hello Readers. I love seersucker fabric. It's so cool in the summertime. Is it possible for seersucker fabric to be bad? I didn't think it was but I found it...this is it.

 

Before and after.

 

I was perplexed by these pants. I love seersucker but these were awful. The elastic was completely useless. It had to go. Then they would actually fit.

 

 I cut the entire elastic band off the pants. It was stitched in with 4 rows of stitching. I didn't want to sit and unpick all that. They were very high waisted so I could cut that off and still have enough fabric at the waist to make a new waistband. 

I used my serger on the cut edge and then stitched it down to make a casing for some new elastic. 

I cut the shirt to make a tank top. I folded the shirt in half. I made a cut that followed the V-neck. Then I made a second cut that removed the whole sleeve. It's too hot for sleeves.

I tied the straps in a knot on each shoulder. This is a fun refashion because it doesn't require sewing (T-shirts don't fray!) and it is adjustable. You can get the perfect fit by adjusting the knots.

 

 I liked how this all came together. Stay cool in this end of summer heat everyone. And thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

***Year End Update- I feel like I improved the fit of these pieces but the color isn't as cheerful as I would like. I am not drawn to it and haven't worn it.

Creating a Helpful Study Spot

 Hello Readers. Fall is right around the corner and that means school is starting. No matter if you are in elementary school, high school, college or just working from home, it can really help to prepare a spot to study/work in. It can be for online classes or just a needed schoolwork area. 

Before and after a little work and planning.

This little desk is built in my kitchen. It is off to the side and perfect for schoolwork while I make dinner. All summer it has collected odds and ends and has been used for projects and crafts. It is a real mess, I let it go all summer. It's time to get it in shape.

I started by clearing the surface and wiping it down. I threw out the dried up markers, broken crayons, and old papers.  I moved all the toys, Lego bricks and  random items.

We needed new some new supplies. I want to be prepared for projects and assignments that are going to come up. I don't want to run out to the store last minute, at night, in my pajamas because we don't have what we need for school. I can't be prepared for everything in life but I can prepare for this.

I used little cans to organize our supplies. These were from a hot cocoa obsession we had last winter. They are cute and kid safe so that is what we went with. I wanted all our supplies to be visible and easily available. Use whatever containers appeal to you.

My son is young so we still need things like crayons. I made sure to have extra pencils, scissors, glue, tape, markers, a ruler ... all easy to see and reach. 

 

Consider having a clock and/or a calendar in the area. Young kids need to learn to tell time and older kids need to learn time management. They can't do either without seeing the time and the schedule. This is right in our line of vision so we don't forget to look at it. Everyone has a calendar on their phone but if you or your child doesn't remember to open that app, it won't help them. Use whatever method works for you and/or your student.

Make sure the lighting is adequate. Winter is coming and it will start to get dark earlier.  No one can study in the dark. Add a lamp to the area if it gets dim in the evening.

I made sure to get the laptop, the charging cord, the headphones and that charging cord. I wanted to make sure I had everything and didn't need to replace anything. It's better to know now if anything is missing or damaged, before any online classes or meetings are scheduled.

I don't know what your student will need. I do know that getting every school related item in the house and putting it all in one place will make it easier to find when we do need it. Will we need calculators this year? I'm not sure but if we need one, I know it is in the study area along with extra paper, folders, a protractor and our trusty kids dictionary and atlas. If I get it all together now, I won't have to hunt for it later. 

 

Thanks for reading along, I hope all the students have a great year. 

 

 ***Year End Update- This was helpful for school work but kids are kids and they all try to avoid school work at times.

 

Raise The Waist

 Hello Readers. I refashioned this outfit and I really liked how the new higher waist band turned out. Let me show you. 

Before and after.

The legs of the shorts were long enough that I could cut off the whole hemline. I cut it off both legs. 

 

I connected the 2 pieces into one long strip of fabric.

I clipped it to my waistband. 

I tied the ends of the strip of fabric in front of the shorts like a belt.

I cut the ruffle off the shirt. It just felt too puffy.

I used some "Fray Check" to keep that neckline nice and neat where I cut the ruffle off. 

I liked how everything went together. I really liked these 2 patterns together. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

***Year End Update- Simplifying this top and raising the waist made this outfit look so much better. This was great in the extreme heat of August.

The Most Colorful Jumpsuit I Have Ever Seen

 Hello Readers. I found this colorful striped jumpsuit when I was out thrifting and the colors were so fun. 

 

Before and after.

 

Look at all the colors!

The top fit perfectly but the crotch was a little low on me. That's OK. I can work with this. 

 

I cut the legs shorter. I wanted this to be a summer romper for hot weather.

 

I folded it in half and cut the crotch so it would be shorter. 

 

I used my serger to sew the crotch back together. 

 

I used those legs to make straps. Strapless is OK but I feel more secure with straps.

 

I cut 4 long pieces and made some shoulder straps.

 

 These stripes were so fun. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

 

 ***Year End Update- It was impossible to be down when wearing this cheerful jumpsuit. I love it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add Bedside Storage With a Table Runner

 Hello Readers. When you are snuggled up in bed you never want to get out. You try to put everything you might need within reach from your cozy spot in bed. No one has endless space next to their bed so I had an idea to expand the storage. All you need is a table runner. And a little sewing.

We can all use more storage right?

To make this project you will need a table runner. Any color or fabric will work I found this one at a thrift store recently but they are available in the housewares department of most stores.

What I want to do is fold each end over onto the runner and stitch the end down to make pockets on each end.

I wanted my pockets to be 10 inches deep so I measured my folded over fabric and clipped it in place. You can make the pockets any size you want. This is actually going on my son's night stand and some of his picture books are pretty big. I wanted deep pockets to hold some books. If you want to have small pockets for the TV remote or something like that, make the pockets smaller. Do what ever works for you and your storage needs.

I stitched along the side of my table runner and sewed the layers of fabric together. 

When I got to the top of my pocket I stitched back and forth a few times to reinforce it. 

On one pocket I stitched up the middle of the pocket so that I could have 2 smaller pockets. 

Here is a look at the pockets.

Here is what the runner looks like on the night stand. It can hold some small books and...

Some big books.

It really cleared off my son's night stand. At least for now. He's probably going to collect more stuff on this table but that's life. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

***Year End Update- This is really useful and I made one for my desk too.