Friday Favourites

Oy. I’ve been quite an unfaithful blogger this week. I’ve been busy sewing, staring down my laundry in hopes that it will fold itself, working as a bookkeeper/secretary for my hubby, begging my laundry to pretty please fold itself, pulling Olivia out of puddle she is splashing in that she created by dumping the dogs’ water dish, folding a little bit of laundry in an attempt to train the laundry how to fold itself… and planning/scheduling next month’s blog event, Summertime, and the Living is Thrifty. Can I get a whoop whoop?

Today’s favourites, I just decided, will be comprised entirely of projects by some/all of the people who have signed on to guest post with either tutorials or roundups for this event. (I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss anyone. If I did please email me and I will sob in a corner and then add you in!) A lot of these people have been featured in my friday favourites before, and for good reason. Each and every one of them is uh-mazing.

And then I have to go make a button for the event. Somebody hold me down before I make it teal and/or turquoise. I take no responsibility for what might happen otherwise.

 

Would you like to make a bunny shirt like this one at girl.Inspired?  You might have seen this floating around at Easter, but I think it’s adorable year-round. I especially love the extra touch of the flower on the bunny’s neck! So fancy, as Nicole would say. If you wanted to be extra cautious of how this flower would handle in the laundry, you could attach it with velcro or snaps. Then you could also make it interchangeable.

I’m not one hundred percent certain, but I think I might have started following I Am A Momma Hear Me Roar over her playroom makeover. Seriously, how fun is this interactive apple tree? I had forgotten about it until she showed today that somebody else had made it. I may have to go paint a tree in my basement, right now. Right after I repaint the basement blue. Repainting anything this year is actually forboden. Do you think an apple tree would look strange with a pale green background?? I think maybe this winter or next summer I may get to decorate the play room. I’m going to have far too much fun with that.

On the top of my list of Things I Really Need To Try Pretty Much As Soon As Possible is printing your own fabric. This tutorial on Crafterhours teaches you how to do just that with freezer paper and regular fabric and a regular printer. I might actually do this today and get some tags made up for my bad self. Crafterhours just wrapped up Skirt Week, so if you’re into skirts you should definitely check that out, too.

I am a little bit of an accessory fiend. But one that has a hard time forking over cash for accessories. DIY is the most natural solution to that sort of problem. Nothing dresses up your mom-uniform of jeans and tshirts (don’t lie. you’re wearing them right now. Or possibly jammie pants and a tank top. That’s what I’m wearing. It’s like 8am, I’m excused.) like a lightweight scarf over at The Cottage Home. You could use deeeelicious fabrics. And guess what? If you have a baby, which I do, she cannot break your scarf by yanking on it like she could a necklace. And its something to maybe yank on instead of your lips and/or nostrils when you’re nursing. I like making these skinny and out of knit, too. It’s a whole ‘nother look and it makes it so you can stretch machine-sewing as far as humanly possible before you have to turn it right side out.

 

This no-sew cornice from Sew Dang Cute Crafts is on my to-do list as well. I’m going to try ‘hack’ my vertical blinds and use them with curtains. If it works, it will probably be shameful and ugly on the top. Something like this will be greatly beneficial to cover the monstrosity that may result. However, if all goes well, I will be able to draw my curtains open and closed with a handy little pull. And I’ll also have a sleek, beautiful no-sew cornice covering the top. Win/win. For those of you who lack in mad-scientist schemes, this is also a great way to cover the tops of blinds, which are incredibly functional but not necessarily fabulous-looking.

And y’all know my deep and undying love for Shannon at Luvinthemommyhood and her roundups. (I kid you not, I actually have it set up in Live Writer that the first time in a post I type luvinthemommyhood it turns into a link automatically. That’s hardcore blog love, I’m pretty sure. One Pretty Thing is in there too, see? love. One Pretty Thing is where I found most of my fav blogs, and Shannon is one of my first bloggy-friends.) And I also have a huge love in my heart for knit fabrics. I think they get a bad rap. I used them before I’d heard they were supposed to be scary and my ignorance and/or complete dumb luck led to me having absolutely no problems whatsoever. Anyways, here’s a roundup for tips and tricks for sewing with knits.  And below you will find a roundup so big it had to be divided into categories. (click the image)

And that’s just two roundups. There are many, many more. Yum. There’s tons of yummy stuff at luvinthemommyhood but if you only check out one thing, let it be the roundups page.

And I kind of have a huge crush on this.. a ‘car mat’ shirt by Lemon Squeezy Home! I don’t find it difficult to impress girl children with handmade gifts, but I tend to be leery about boys and as long as it’s age-appropriate, I tend to stick with superhero capes. I think I might just bust out of that box in the future with this one, though. I think you could also take the idea and do a pair of pants similarly, either from scratch or altered.

I was so excited when I clicked over and saw that Jess of Craftiness Is Not Optional is sharing the Vintage Feedsack Dress tutorial today! Look at those details!! I suspect Jess may actually not be a human being, because despite having the same number of small girlchildren as I do, she pumps out adorable dresses and shirts -  and tutorials for them! - at what is somewhat of an alarming rate. If this is what androids from the future are like, though, well, I’ll take it!

Um, guess what this chandelier cost to make. No, you’re wrong. I don’t care what your guess was, I’m betting you are off. Okay, here it comes… NINE DOLLARS. That is UNDER TEN, people. You really can’t beat that. Go forth and make it! There are tons of projects like this over at Dollar Store Crafts. You know even just the name makes my dutch heart glow.