Things I've been working on

I've been meaning to post this forever, but waited because I wanted to get a better picture of me wearing the skirt.  Oh well, I just haven't gotten to it yet.  But here's the story.  I saw this skirt on anthropologie.

I thought for a really long time about how to make it.  I knew how to change up the yoke and create the ruffle, but it was the pleats/draping on the side that was throwing me.  Until I found another blogger that wanted the same skirt and figured it out.  Click here to see how.  I think she keeps ag great blog and I've liked a lot of her ideas.  Anyway, here is how mine turned out.

I used a sort of sage green pinstriped fabric of "unknown fiber content" that I got for a $1.50 at Walmart.  I love it.  Were I to do it again I would change a couple things.  I would do fusible interfacing on the entire yoke.  There was a lot of give to my fabric and it needed the stability.  I would also have lined it, but I just didn't have any lining.  I ended up having to hand stitch the side pleats in place because they just slipped out.  I also would have made them a little more shallow (1 inch instead of 1.5), and I would have made the whole skirt a little more fitted, more of a pencil than straight down as it is now.  But I really love it!  I'll post a picture of me wearing it soon!

Cherry Pop Refashion Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

Cherry Pop Refashion Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

Genius refashioning. Makes me want to go to Goodwill and see what I can do!

Only the Best of Etsy Sample Packages GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Only the Best of Etsy Sample Packages GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

What a great idea!

Some Refashioning

My sister-in-law had some clothes she was getting rid of, namely some too-big but very cute smocked tank tops.  They were in perfectly good condition, so I took them.  There's a green, a blue, a brown, and a white one.  I'm not sure what I'll do with all of them, but this is what I did to the brown one.

The blue one is yet unaltered, but check out the cute brown sundress for Eleanor!

She is at this funny stage where she really likes showing us how huge her mouth is!

I made the back cross because I could and I like the detail.

To make this dress, all I did was measure how wide I wanted the top to be and the length.  Then I cut that out of the front (I did make it a-line-ish).  Because the front was already gathered, I cut the back out in the same shape only bigger.  Then I threaded some corded elastic through the already exisiting piping around the top so that it gathered a little and would fit snuggly.  I clipped off the original straps and stitched them on after I first did a length and placement check on Ellie.  I put a ruffle around the bottom by clipping of the waistband on the original tank, trimming it to the right side and then gathering it on my machine (the easiest way to gather is by setting the stich length at its longest and the tension at its highest).  The pin and stitch secure!  I had a little thread issue on the front of the dress when I put on one of the straps, so I covered it up by gathering together some of the leftover ruffle fabric into a flower and sewing it on.  I love it!

Now, what to do with the other tanktops?  I don't want to use them only for Ellie (which means I want something from them...)

Pajama Squid THREE Prize GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Pajama Squid THREE Prize GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

How cute and useful are these toys!

Getting White Really White!

So, I love white shirts. I don't love what happens wo white shirts in the armpits though. I've tried various remedies, but this was the first that worked and it was so easy that I feel compelled to share.
a gallon or 2 of hot hot water (our tap gets pretty hot, so I just used that, but you could boil some up I suppose)
1 cup bleach
1 cup dishwasher detergent (I used the gel kind from Walmart)

Mix it all up, through in your clothes, make sure they are all covered. Let sit for at least an hour. Mine soaked for 2 or 3. Then wring them out and through them in the washer. Dishwasher soap is specially formulated not to suds up so it's safe to put in your washer.
Seriously, I don't have stains on shirts that I've had for years now. It even got poop stains out of Ellie's white onsies. It even un-grayed some tank tops.YEAH!

Neige $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I'm in love with this company now. Not that I can currently afford it, but whatever.

Neige $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!