WIP: Simple Softie, Upcycling Jeans

I had seen this book before.  I wanted it!  It came up at preschool one day in their fundraiser stuff that sits at the front counter.  I NEEDED it & it was cheap so I got it.  (Then I got the exact same one from my Mother-In-Law for my birthday. Great Minds... Lol.  Might swap it for book number 2.)

 H decided to make one of the finger puppets in it.  He made THIS cute little thing.  He traced the pattern bits himself, then cut it out & traced around it onto the felt.  Hw did it ALL himself, pretty much.  I threaded and knotted the needle for him (each time).  And I did undo & redo a couple of stitches where he competely missed stitching the second ear in place but he did the face himself. The eyes are there but as as I've said before the quality of pics leaves a LOT to be desired at times.  I think he did a great job!!

I grabbed some jeans out of my wardrobe & put them on one day only to discover that they were SUPER short.  I didn't actually pay for these jeans mind you.  They were cast off from a friend & made it into my wardrobe with a few other pairs of jeans, but these ones were shorter.  Obviously I had worn them rolled up at times but hadn't had them out for quite some time.  I've been thinking about wearing skirts more lately but haven't because I only own three & wanted to get some long boots (without heels) to wear with them.  It is pretty cold here already after all. So I figured that if I turned these jeans into a skirt then I could get some boots with my left over birthday money from my Mum. YAY!!  So here are my before and after pics.  I used THIS TUTORIAL as a guide.  It was EASY.  My overlocker kind of died before I was finished but I've been wearing it anyway.  What do you think?

Sorry... This last one was taken with my dodgy phone & didn't get edited before upload. Here it is though, skirt AND new birthday boots. I added some decorative stitch, similar to the stitching on the back pockets, to the cut off leg pieces before adding them. For my first effort I think it turned out REALLY well & if I can do it, ANYONE can do it!

Bye for now, K

 

WIP: Wednesday a week on (oops)

I had a shocking week last week & it's taken this week to get over it. I am hoping that things will start to calm down for me now though...

During the past fortnight some things have suffered from lack of attention (the blog & I included I'm afraid), but I  have made SOME progress.

I got the socks done for Master H.  It's just an easy way for me to tell whose are whose.  I'm sure some people probably don't bother (and at times my boys don't either) but it makes it easy to tell which one of them has been flinging them about their bedroom and missing the wash. ha ha ha

I've also been working on a few cushions.  Here's a glimpse of two of the many I have to make.  The horse is for a Gypsy themed cushion so I'm hoping it resembles a Gypsy trailer or wagon.  The other is also something I've never worked on before.  I know... Owls have been around for ages and I know they are probably past their prime as far as fads go but what can ya do?!  I also donated some goods to a Charity Auction on facebook for Epilepsy so one of the cushions is for the winning bidder on a cushion of mine.  There are several others to be made and I have ideas for some of them and I'm hoping to have enough time to get to them in the next few weeks.  I'll keep you posted.

Hmmmm, what else has there been?  Oh yes, this very simple wrapping paper with matching card for Valentines Day.  I can't remember now where I saw the idea but it just used a squished up toilet roll to make the heart shape.





Oh & then there was the Pillowcase Challenge that I'd been talking about...

...In support of the Canberra Centre for Newborn Care's NICUCAM service, Bec from Little Toot Creations decided to hold a crafty inspired Auction on her facebook page.  All you had to do was create something from a pillowcase.  It could have been a spare one laying around your house or an old one from an op shop or even a "proper" vintage style one you scored somewhere.  All the donated items were auctioned on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 February, 2012 on the Little Toot Creations facebook page.  Here is a link to the album that all the entries were in.  (Assuming the album doesn't change, you might get some ideas for something crafty yourself.) 

I made this...

I sent Bec three photos (because I'm not that "with it" when it comes to photo editing, in case ya hadn't noticed. Lol). She transferred them into ONE.  I had never made a pencil roll before.  I used a tutorial I found on the You Go Girl! Blog.  It was SUPER easy.  I didn't have the Dove chocolates, but I'm sure if I had it would have been even easier :)  I made it from a spare pillowcase belonging to Miss Pants, some scrap pink, a couple of buttons & a hair elastic.  Oh & I cheated with the binding and used this tape stuff that I can never remember the name of.  (Feel free to let me know what it is.)


I'd really love to hear about what you've been working on (& it'd let me know I'm not the only one reading my ramblings. Or maybe I am.)


Bye for now, K

WIP: Oh Dear...

...I seem to have lost another week without really achieving much.

Note to self: Update 2012's Resolutions to inlcude less time WASTED on computer, more time actually DOING "things"...

But, here you go,  Miss Pants has her name on her cushion and hand towel. 

I only did her cushion the night before she went to pre-school for the first time.  She LOVED pre-school!!  I was thinking of using that day as a crafty/sewing day, but now I'm thinking perhaps I should use it to get to the gym with only one child in tow and to spend the rest of the day enjoying our little man and resting.  Hmmm, I'll let you know what happens.

I can't think of anything else that I specificially made this week. Lots of thinking and note taking but not much making.  Perhaps my expectations of myself are a little high at the moment. Perhaps not.

Anyway,

Bye for now, K