Sharing Love, One Dress At A Time

As you may know, this week is KCWC over on Elsie Marley's blog. I'm sure some of you have been squeezing in an hour a day over the last two days to make something for your own little ones to wear. I started early and took a break on Sunday to sit down and work on one of the simplest of patterns out there, the pillow case dress.

I thoroughly enjoy making things for my kids. They don't always understand or have the capacity to appreciate handmade things right now but I hope they'll look back at photos and old blog posts and see it as another way their mama loved on them. (There is that pose again!)

For this pillow case dress I used a vintage floral pillow case from my collection, extra-wide double fold bias tape, and grosgrain ribbon. The trim on the bottom was already there. I used what I had on hand and it took me about twenty minutes to figure out the logistics and put it together. Twenty minutes, folks!

I love me an instant gratification sewing project!

The thing is, our friends Katy and Adam are headed out to Haiti in June to take clothing and necessary supplies to orphans that attend a school that their church, New Bru (or Center City Church) helps sponsor. The organization that started the orphanage, Center of Hope, celebrated it's opening last October. New Bru is hoping to send over as many pillow case dresses as possible for the little girls that attend the school as well as ones in surrounding communities.

So, one pillow case dress turned into three.

And three turned into five. Five dresses took me an hour and a half to make but will be enjoyed by a handful of girls at the school for a long time.

I would LOVE if you would join me in making a pillow case dress (or two, or five) to send to these girls in Haiti. If you're participating in KCWC, or just really like to sew, think about taking an extra twenty minutes this week or next to put together a simple pillow case dress for an orphaned girl in Haiti.

My friend, Katy, has more information on the work their church does through members that live and work there if you're interested in finding out more. You can contact Katy Shatto at did2613(at)hotmail(dot)com to find out where to send your dresses when you're done.

Standard sized pillow cases will fit most elementary age girls in Haiti but they are also passing them out to younger girls in surrounding communities so they have a need for smaller sizes as well. The only guideline is that they aren't made from solid red pillow cases or any fabric with patriotic (American flag) prints. You can find a variety of tutorials to make your own including this one, this one, or this one.

For every dress sent to Katy, a name will be added for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Fabricworm! If you send five dresses, you have five chances of winning $50 worth of fabric! All dresses must be post marked June 1st in order to arrive in time and the winner will be announced later that week.

What a great opportunity to share love in the form of something so essential to daily life. I'm looking forward to hearing Katy's stories of passing out dresses and supplies this summer and will happily report back to share what your kindness helped accomplish.

Again, for more details and an address to send your dresses to, e-mail Katy Shatto at did2613(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart!
xoxo,
Rachel

Their New Pillows

I purchased these two pillows on Etsy a few weeks ago to add to the kids' Easter baskets but only got them unloaded from our road trip this weekend. The bird pillow is from Skinny Laminx and the lion pillow is from Sass and Peril. Both shops are full of beautifully designed product if you aren't familiar with them.

Ruby is so much more affectionate and attached to her dolls and plushies than Sebastian was. He's definitely BFF with his latest Transformer and loves to act out scenarios with the Autobots and Decepticons and he still sleeps with his teddy bear but it's kind of a casual friendship.

Ruby on the other hand gets her dolls in a death grip when she squeezes them. She passes out kisses like candy and has no favorites. All are loved equally. Part of her bedtime routine is saying goodnight not only to her dollies but to the girls in the two art prints near her crib. And the globes. And sometimes Teddy when she feels like Sebastian hasn't given him enough attention.

Do your kiddos have a favorite stuffed animal or doll? I got one of mine back from my parents' house over Christmas. I'll have to share soon.

xo,
Rachel

They're Moving In

As soon as I saw what Abbey had made her kids to put in their Easter baskets I knew I wanted to do the same. Ruby has had a doll house for about six months but no dolls to inhabit it. We've been keeping the vintage Fisher-Price family members on a high shelf for display only after learning they were a choking hazard but I haven't been too excited about any substitutes.

I tried to make the super heroes for Sebastian and failed miserably so he'll have to wait for the second attempt before getting his own set. I also had grand ideas for making Brett and Sebastian bow ties to wear on Sunday but sometimes laundry just NEEDS to be folded, little girls want another story, and little boys were promised a milkshake. So, maybe next year.

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Don't forget to enter the Misha Lulu giveaway below!

Making Bank Tutorial

In honor of Celebrate the Boy month over at Made by Rae and Made, I've come up with something crafty for the boys. This little project can easily be customized for a girl and a variety of ages and has probably been done in some form or another before but is perfect for any little man with a Transformer/Thomas the Train/Spiderman habit.

This Save/Spend/Share bank came to be after we ordered a similar bank online that came in primary colors. It was well designed but...in primary colors. Did I mention the primary colors? I have no qualms with red, yellow, blue, and green in their bold states but I knew I could make something similar for Sebastian to use as a learning tool that we both enjoyed. I used contact paper for a modern look but it could easily be substituted for Kraft paper so that your children could decorate it with crayons or stickers.

We've recently started giving him an allowance in return for completing basic chores such as making his bed, putting his dirty clothes away, picking his room up, clearing his place at the table, etc. and wanted to teach him at an early age about save and sharing. The spending part comes easy to him. He takes after his mother.

I used three plastic Welch's juice containers that had yellow lids (we like yellow!), two shades of wood grain contact paper (available at hardware and some home stores), a ruler, sharp kitchen scissors, and a large rubber band. I used the one from the original bank but you can use an industrial strength rubber band.

I measured and cut the lighter wood grain contact paper so that it fit around the juice containers and overlapped about 1/2". I had to adjust them a few times to make sure it was even but contact paper is forgiving!

I then hand cut the words 'save', 'spend', and 'share' from the darker wood grain contact paper making sure they'd work above the line of the rubber band.

I then poked a hole in the middle of the plastic lids with my sharp scissors and cut out a rectangle in the center of each.

Lastly I reattached the lids and gathered them with the rubber band.

Each week when Sebastian gets his allowance we give it to him so he can put 10% in his save category and 10% in his share category. The rest he gets to keep and use on any toys or treats that he wants. We've explained that we don't always buy something just to buy something when we go to the store and that when he chooses to spend his money on something, he has to wait awhile to build up enough money to buy something else. This has helped him to appreciate how much things cost, make choices about what kinds of toys he wants to buy, and hopefully will help him take care of those things a little more.

We're also hoping that it will instill a sense of generosity when we decide together how to spend the money on someone else when he's saved up a larger amount in his share container. We've talked about purchasing chicks or a bunny through Heifer International or maybe donating it to a local charity. Sharing this with Sebastian has been not only fun but good accountability for us to remember to manage our money well!

Thanks for stopping by! If you're here for the first time from Celebrate the Boy, welcome! If you haven't checked out the projects and round ups that have been shared so far, you'll want to head over NOW and see what so many creative women have been making for their boys! Thanks Dana and Rae!!

xoxo,
Rachel

Project ReStyle: Week Three Presents Stephen and Shauna of Something's Hiding In Here

This next project is the handiwork of the talented couple Stephen and Shauna of Something's Hiding In Here.

candle sticks made from salvaged spindles
inspired by our new years resolution to do more entertaining, we wanted to make our own candle sticks for a cozy dinner party. to get started we rummaged our studio and found some old architectural spindles. we hand cut them to length with a small japanese pull saw. then, drilled a hole into the top with a forstner bit to fit a small taper candle. that's it - so simple!
~Stephen and Shauna

I love the way they've not only given new life to old architectural pieces but styled them so well. They are truly a talented pair and always thinking up brilliant ideas. Thank you, Stephen and Shauna, for joining in on Project ReStyle! I'm off to look for a Forstner bit.

Here are a few of my favorite wardrobe ReStyles from the Flickr group.

Amorby.


The Velvet Bird


Heidi-And-Seek

It's been fantastic seeing how many members have joined up in the Project ReStyle Flickr Group! We're close to 1,000 people already! If you love turning something old into something new we'd love to see your projects. Ya'll are getting fancy over there!

xoxo,
Rachel

Shot Through The Heart Arrow Garland Tutorial

I've been thinking of a way to incorporate something new into Ruby's side of the room that was playful and could bring in more color and texture since we are renters and can't paint. I used to have a large painting up above her crib but she was able to knock it off at our other house and I'm not willing to have it fall on her head anytime soon. I've had a few extra arrow rattles that I designed for Red Velvet Art last year floating around the toy box and it hit me yesterday to make another and string them together as a garland!

SO, here's a simple tutorial and pattern to make your own arrow plush garland (or mobile). You'll need: 13" x 13" of fabric per arrow, a cut of fabric measuring about 3" x 44" to string them together, sewing machine (optional), stuffing, a needle and thread, scissors, access to a printer, pen.

Print out the template at the bottom of this post or create your own arrow shape. I traced mine onto card stock but it's not necessary. Cut out your shape and place it on your fabric. I used a vintage gingham that was a little see through so I added some white sheeting to the back. Trace around the stencil onto your fabric and cut it out. Repeat with as many pieces as you need for your garland.

Place your fabric pieces on top of each other and pin together with right sides facing each other.

Starting from the center on one side, stitch all the way around the arrow leaving about 1/4" from the edge for the seam allowance and stopping about 2.5" from where you started. Trim your corners and make little v-shapes in the inverted corners but be sure not to get too close to your stitches. If you don't have a sewing machine you can hand-stitch your arrow closed using small stitches.

Turn right side out and stuff. Stitch closed with your needle and thread when finished. Repeat with the rest of your arrows.

The arrow I made yesterday is a little different than the originals but I've shared the template with the original design so your arrows will look more like the pink and blue ones.

Cut your long strip of fabric into three strips and braid them together leaving about 4" of loose fabric from the end. If you're using more than three arrows you'll want to make two braids.

I cut my braid into four pieces and hand-stitched the ends onto the backs of the arrows.

I then attached it to the wall high enough for Ruby not to be able to pull down with two screws. We have plaster walls so I pre-drilled holes and then added small screws that I covered with part of the braid so it wouldn't show. We've had plenty of cloud coverage this week so even with two big windows in their room, it was a little dark in this corner. Here's a little peek into how things are shaping up in there!

Here's the pattern I used if you'd like to make your own plush arrow garland. I think this would be equally adorable if they were stacked one on top of another and connected from the middle of each arrow so that they spun around as a mobile.

(Pattern and garland for non-commercial use only please.)

I'd love to see your version if you make one. It's super easy and would work well for a boy or a girl depending on the fabrics you choose.

I've got a fun giveaway coming tomorrow and it's Project ReStyle day!

xoxo,
Rachel

Handmade For Kids Roundup #1

You must check out all of the details that Stacy put into not only the doll but the fun dollhouse for her daughter's Christmas gift. Find it at Hart + Sew.

I've seen these on a few sites this week but had to share because they are the cutest sewing cards I've seen in awhile. Animal Sewing Cards via The Crafty Crow.

I'm still not the best at clothing patterns when it comes to jersey but this project is tempting me. As seen at Piccoli Piselli.

Abbey never fails to inspire me with the projects she makes with her son. Most of them seem to be space-themed which gives me the impression that...she's a great mom! See more at Aesthetic Outburst.

This handmade mat is a great way to encourage creativity in play and can be easily stored when they're ready to switch activities. More photos at One Crafty Mumma.

The ladies at Dos Family always remind me to have fun with my environment and this doily shade is another way they've done that. See how they made it at Dos Family.

And just in time for Valentine's Day, this adorable handmade heart doily how-to. See Artful Parent for details.

There are more projects out there than time to make them but I'm always excited when I see either something absolutely unique or an old idea reinvented. What kinds of projects have been inspiring you lately?

xoxo,
Rachel

Mood Lighting: Project ReStyle Week 2

When I first saw this vintage drum lamp shade at a flea market in Oklahoma City I wasn't sure if I wanted to turn it into a mobile or a fun photo display but then realized it could serve a practical purpose instead! I used four strands of white wire Christmas lights that I carefully wrapped around the lamp frame and then attached two plant hooks into the ceiling to hang it over our new bed. It's large scale makes it perfect as a focal point in our room and the glow of the light is absolutely beautiful after dark!

To celebrate 1/11/11 we built a bed fort with a few of my favorite vintage sheets and a random old curtain panel. We read books and had a tickle fight and took some funny Instax photos to mark the occasion!

You can still join us for Project ReStyle, find details here. I've really been enjoying the variety of ideas and ReStyles that are being shared in our Flickr group!

A refashioned vintage dress from Krust.

I have been enjoying this concept of painting on vintage art by Paper Sparrow... as well as Diane Reeves below.

Who knew you could ReStyle your cowboy boots!

Check back every Wednesday for more posts sharing ways to refashion and restyle unwanted or unloved things into something fantastic! Elsie and I have been so excited by the response! I love that so many of you are joining in and sharing because it shows how many of you are already restyling experts!

xoxo,
Rachel