T-Shirt Diaries

Edgy, Boring, Housewifey, or Why I am Not Blogging

2012-05-30T10:07:00.001-04:00

The artistic journey has been pretty darn interesting.

I always felt artistic, but who is to say if I really am or if I just think it?

So I have been a mad sewing monster these days. Working non-stop to create beautiful and funky upcycled fashions from old T-shirts for Collective Upcycle:

If any of you are here in Cleveland please stop by and check out their 40 (seriously 40!) Upcycling artists. June 7th is the opening at the summer boutique in Gordon Square Arts District. (6710 Detroit Avenue, next door to Sweet Moses) Save the date it is open from 6-9pm and promises to be amazing!

Thanks for sticking by me during this "busy" season. I promise the T-shirt Diaries will be back in full swing soon.

Busy Bees and New Additions

2012-05-21T18:24:00.001-04:00

This past week has been amazingly crazy.

First off I am in the middle of getting a ton of upcycled clothing created to be sold at a pop-up shop in Cleveland called Collective Upcycle.

I am both honored and excited to have some more product out on store shelves.

We also got a new addition to our family. Seamus the Second.

He is a great guy who is a chow chow/ retriever mix. We rescued him from the animal protective league and so far so good. The only thing is his puppy energy is a bit overwhelming for me at times. Yep puppy energy can wear a momma out.

So if you are wondering where my posts are I apologize but it is a big transition/ adjustment period right now and I am just way behind in things.

Love and upcycling,

Robin

And The Name Is....

2012-05-16T23:36:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for your input. It seems as though the masses have not only spoken, but tied!

So well it is not a new name it is slightly different (I am losing the THE in the title).

So welcome to....

Love and upcycling,

Take The Two Hour Turn-Off Challenge

2012-05-14T22:11:00.000-04:00

There is an amazing blog post making the rounds on my facebook pages. One that really made me think.It is by Hand's Free Mama and called How to Miss a Childhood.

Please click on the link and read it if you haven't already. I won't be mad and I will still be here when you come back :)

It has led me to make my own valuable decision. I am making a VOW to Disconnect for a mere two hours a day:

Not just me, but my whole family will now be disconnected from 6-8pm every night. I will be present for my children's childhood, we will eat dinner as a family at the table without TV or a smartphone anywhere nearby.

I will listen to what my children have to say, play with them outside, connect with them.

I will be their for my children's childhood and not be that mom at the playground checking facebook while her kids run around doing whatever they please.

I will enjoy my children more and technology less.

I will watch them swim this summer, play in the sand, and join them in making the biggest bubbles ever. I will be present. That is my new motto, be present.

Why did I pick two hours to turn it all off. I honestly am aiming for much more then just two hours. I just wanted to find a reasonable amount of time that the whole family could commit too and frankly the term the two hour turn off sounds good :).

Below you have a chance to sign up for the two hour turn off. If you are willing turn off for two hours every day for the rest of the summer. Experience life and living, not just technology.

If you are inspired by this challenge I would love it if you would add this button onto your blog.

Double Run Upcycled T-Shirt

2012-05-11T20:46:00.001-04:00

About two months ago I was messaged by an awesome follower telling me about a contest that a named Double Run was having.

They challenges five loyal listeners to upcycle a few T-shirts. I am always up for the challenge, but since I take forever to read my email I missed the contest.

Well they sent me a T-shirt to work my magic on and I accepted the challenge.


REALLY BIG SHIRT

I looked at all the upcycles they had in the contest and they didn't have anything for kids. Sure it's not the Wiggles or Fresh Beat Band.

I had just purchased the Lil Blue Boo Racerback Tunic Dress Pattern and I gave it a try. Here is what I created:

It actually looks much better on....

Back...

And the front....


Playing the Guitar (She reminds me of Brittney Murphy in Clueless)

I am pretty excited at how it turns out, my daughter loved it, and I got to try out a new pattern :)

Thanks,

What Is In A Name? a.k.a. Name My Blog

2012-05-08T12:44:00.000-04:00

It is time for a little reinvention in my blogging career. I need your help to do it. I want to switch over to Wordpress yet again.

I love blogger, but my links are wonky and not working, My linky tools account has expired and that is all messed up, and frankly it is time for change.

With the switch I think it is an excellent time to change my blog name. I still love upcycling and upcycling T-shirts. I just kind of feel like since I am expanding and changing things up I need to start fresh with a new name. So please take my little poll, follow me over to the new site whenever I get there, and help me change a the name with ease.

Spring Stashbust: How Did You Do?

2012-05-07T19:13:00.001-04:00

I put together another fun month of Spring Stashbusting and coupled it with the ever popular Project Recycled.The problem was I never really posted about my stashbusting efforts or let you spotlight yours.

Poor planning on my part.

I just got so caught up in project recycled that I failed to follow through on Stashbusting. Rest assured I did not buy any crafting supplies (thrift store or Joanne's) in the month of April.

I did want to send out a big congratulations to all of the blogs that did participate and busted some stash in April.

So check out the following blogs:

She made an amazing maternity tunic from a man's shirt with a great tutorial that you need to check out.


Maternity Tunic from Mans Shirt

There was also

Who turned and old girls tunic into a cute skirt.

Striped Shirt to Skirt

We also had Home Sweet Homebodies:

Who made this adorable T-Shirt from an old oversized Shirt.

Old Shirt too New Shirt

Check out her tutorial here

Thank you too all who participated. I am so grateful to all of the Spring Stashbusters out their and I can not wait until the next installment (oh and I will not be doing a Project Recycled simultaneously.

Keep Recycling!

Blogher Book Review: You Have No Idea

2012-05-03T13:28:00.002-04:00

This post is a part of the BlogHer Book Club review and I was compensated for my participation. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I love Vanessa Williams. I remember clearly the day she was crowned Miss America, and when she was dethroned. This book starts at the end of her career as Miss America and continues through the her ups and downs.

The beauty of it is the book tells not only her side of the story, but also her mothers side. Vanessa talks about the events leading up to her dethroning and then you read how her mom was her rock, how she pulled her through and stood up for her daughter. She provides an empathetic view on the situation.

The book felt like little snippets from her life. It was easy to pick up, read a chapter, and put it down. It was almost like little bite sized snacks of knowledge. I was hooked from the beginning until the heartbreaking end of where she they lose Milton, Vanessa's father and Helen's soul-mate and husband.

Relateable, entertaining, and at times more information then you ever wanted to know about Vanessa and her love life this is a must read to anyone who would like too know more about Wilhelmina Slater's real life.

Enjoy!

Please join us at BlogHer Book Club for the official discussion for You Have No Idea.

Exit Interview: Michka's Creative Solutions

2012-04-30T07:27:00.000-04:00

Hi! I am Michkas from Michka's Creative Solutions:

I love the whole essence of this contest and was so thrilled to be part of it :).

I only started my blog a few months ago and am terrible at posting on a regular basis. However, with my postings as limited as they are at least you know you are getting the very best of what I do! (At least I hope so!) :P I started my blog as an outlet for my creative side- as a place to share my ideas for any interested and to give my problem solving skills a creative challenge.

I've always been big on being innovative and using what you have. Also I'm super thrifty (cheap)(& a little poor$) and so upcycling is the best!!! I don't have the best sewing skills but I'm very adventurous and am enjoying the opportunity to learn as I go.

If I were stranded on an island the five crafting items I would take are:

A solar powered hot glue gun
My cutco scissors
Mod podge
I don't know what else? I would carve sticks into crochet hooks, make yarn from grass & seaweed, really there are no limits to what you can create if you just think long and hard enough.

My favorite project so far has been my CapriSun purse.

I just beam when each girl we gift it to tells me how much they love it. And then I beam even more when I see them somewhere and they have their cute little purse with them!

I do not currently sell my creations, although I always have these grand ideas to. People tell me I should sell my stuff but I'm not a mass producer, I'm a designer. I start a project & then I get all these ideas for other projects halfway through & so I start something else. If I had a good business partner then it could happen.

Thanks for having me Robin!

Project Recycled was so fun and a great learning experience too. I hope anyone out there who was inspired by my creations will venture out and try to make their own versions!

The best advice I could give would be to just TRY and don't be afraid of failure. Most of my ideas don't turn out exactly like I had envisioned, but sometimes (when I'm super lucky) they turn out even better, and when they don't just think of what you have learned in the process!

Happy Creating!

Thanks again Michka and congratulations on winning. We will hold another round of Project Recycled in September so please email me if you are interested in participating. I can not wait to hear from you.

Season Two Winner: Michka of Michka's Creative Solutions

2012-04-29T06:55:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Michka! The winner of the second round of Project Recycled.

Michka of Michka's Creative Solutions

She will win a fabulous prize from:

Stay tuned for her exit interview on Monday to learn a little bit more about her crafting journey.

Exit Interview: Christie from JoyFoolery

2012-04-25T06:36:00.000-04:00

So sad to see Christie go because I love her amazing work. Please be sure to check out her blog and enjoy more of her earth friendly crafting!

Christie of JoyFoolery

My blog, Joyfoolery, is about my sewing journey and a little bit of fun and everyday stuff thrown in too. The unique thing about Joyfoolery is that I never buy new fabrics (in fact I never have!). Everything I sew comes from secondhand fabrics or clothing that I find in op shops (thrift stores). I have such a good time scouring the op shops looking for goodies to upcycle or refashion. Some of these items I even sell in my little Madeit store

I started blogging 4 years ago to keep my parents in touch with my growing family, I'd throw in gardening and sewing posts and before I knew it, I had quite a few readers that weren't actually related to me! Haha. So then I got blogging for real and just loved the online community I found and continue to find.

I started upcycling clothes when I first taught myself to sew, around 4 years ago. I didn't want to go out and destroy brand new fabric with my terrible sewing skills, so it made sense at the time and has continued to do so.

One of my favorite projects was the Gardener's Seed Organiser using pockets from old jeans, that I gave my husband for Christmas last year. He loved it and uses it, which is the main thing!

If I could pick any craft to be able to just "do" without all the learning involved it would be knitting. I have dabbled a little, but as soon as I make a mistake, I have to wait until my Mum visits to get me out of my jam! And seeing I only get to see her twice a year my knitting has never really taken off!

I want to say a huge thank you to Robin, not only for having me here, but for promoting upcycling and refashioning on her blog here. I think it is so important to encourage people to think beyond buying new and find a love for making old things new again. I'd love to see you all over at my blog, I share tutorials and upcycling ideas and love making new bloggy friends or you can catch the highlights on my Facebook page.

Thanks Robin!

Thank you Christie!

Project Recycled Season Two Finale

2012-04-23T02:33:00.000-04:00

Can you believe that we are here. We are at the finale's. Congratulations to Michka and Lujica for making it this far. I am so excited to share the final two awesome entries that I can not wait to make for my little one!

So enjoy and go ahead and vote your little heart out.

Lucija's Dress Time
For this challenge I wanted to make something for my sweet little daughter. As you can imagine, I have a one closet full of garments waiting to be re-purposed so I found this three items:

And here is what I turned it into:

First I made a pair of leggins and a Retro Baby Turban. Then I cut my husband´s shirt and with just a few stitches sewed this awesome tunic!

It was simple and fast.

I added little red buttons to make it more feminine.

Well yes, she really was not in the mood for taking pictures. You see, I had this great idea for taking photos of this outfit by the lake but it is so cold here we still wear jacket, so this idea was off and I had to take pictures indoors. Unfortunately, she is never in the mood for taking pictures inside.

But she is still very cute, don't you think?

Michka's Hawaiian Dress

It's hard to believe we're already to the last challenge! I'll hardly know what to do with myself after this ;).

My husband came to me months ago with this old Hawaiian shirt of his and said I should make it into a dress for our daughter. I agreed but was hesitant because I had no idea where to begin, and it almost became forgotten. Then last week I watched a couple tutorials on YouTube on how to shirr fabric (now I'm hooked) & decided that's exactly what I wanted to do to this shirt and the dress started forming from there...

There were a lot of changes to get the 2X men's shirt down to a size fit for a girl.

First I removed the collar.
Then I shirred the back of the shirt from armpit to armpit to form a waistline.
I used elastic around the armholes to shrink them down and shirred 1 row on the sleeve edge to give it a feminine look.
Shortening the shoulders was really tricky but I made it work by pleating it. I turned the shirt around and used the back as the front so I then had to create a new neckline (not something I've done before...).
Finally I used button closures on the top half of the back.

And there you have it: A fantastic Hawaiian dress ANY girl would LOVE! :)

Scout's Stitches Exit Interview

2012-04-18T05:03:00.000-04:00

It stinks saying goodbye to someone as incredibly talented as Zoe from Scout's Stitches, but sadly we had to this week. Here is a little more about Zoe to enjoy! Thank you so much for participating. It wouldn't be project recycled without you!

Hello T-Shirt Diary Readers-

Thanks for supporting me in Project Recycled and I hope you come check out Scout's Stitches.

My name is Zoe and my blog is my own little place to share my projects, what's cooking in my kitchen and projects in my garden. I write about whatever strikes me at the time and what is happening in my life.

I have serious craft ADD so you never know what you will get- embroidery, sewing, painting, decorating, or refinishing furniture. But my hope is that you will be inspired when you check out my little page.

I started blogging as a way to keep track of my crafting projects and eventually started posting recipes as well. When I discovered other craft blogs it just helped me want to post more and share more tutorials.

My first upcycled project was The Rockstar Dress- I was just looking for a way to incorporate a T-shirt into an outfit my neice could wear. I have done a little more upcycling since then and I enjoy being able to reuse something that doesn't fit or is worn out.

Once again Robin, thanks for having me on Project Recycled- it has been a great time!!

Have a great day!!

Quick Summer Maxi Dress

I actually purchased this dress from the Salvation Army the week before I found out I was going to be on Project Recycled. I spent $4.75 on it.

It was about 8 sizes too big but I love the color, pattern and the lightweight fabric.

I saw the potential in it.

So I took in the sides and viola- a summery maxi dress for me.

So simple yet so cute- very satisfying results!

Project Recycled: The $5 Challenge

2012-04-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

I LOVE this challenge. This week the entrants have to complete a crafty project using an item they purchased from a thrift store.

The big drawback of being a crafty maiden is the fact that crafting is so darn expensive. When you look for inspiration and ideas from thrift stores you can really cut down on expenses and find give a new life to something that was destine for the trash. You are saving the world by crafting!

So onto this weeks crafts:

Take 2

I'm so thrilled to be continuing this challenging yet fulfilling contest!

Honestly I hadn't been to many thrift stores before this challenge and after finding out about 99cent Mondays at a certain thrift store, I'm HOOKED!

Now every time I go I find soooo(too) many items I want to makeover. Hence my layer upon layer picture because I kept changing my mind what pieces I was going to use!

I ended up using 2 jumpers I found and turned 1 into a vest (with only a hem job!) and the other into a trendy wrap skirt, complete with back pockets taken from the original lower pockets.

The men's shirts were combined into 1 by taking the sleeves off of 1 and adding them to the other in a shortened fashion. I love the look of the cuffs at my elbows. :) I also removed part of the collar(the folded portion) to give it a new look and hemmed the bottom of the shirt. Now I'm ready for spring with a flirty new outfit that only cost me $4 (and some creative energy)! I hope you like it! :)

Jammie Time

The Challenge: Spend $5 in a second hand shop and make an outfit. What fun! I love any challenge that involves sending me into one of my favorite places to be!

Here's what I found:

And here is what I turned it into:

Jammie's for my 2yo.

First, I made a pair of elastic waisted pants from the big shirt.

Then I cut the placket off the big shirt and sewed it onto the little shirt for a fun contrast, I also used the sleeves from the big shirt to lengthen the sleeves of the smaller tee, making these great as Winter pajamas.

Photo shoots are so hard with 2 year olds! He had to be bribed with a pear.

You can imagine how messy the shirt got, haha, oh well!

Skirt Refashion

There are no large thrift stores here in Croatia. I live in a capital and we have a few second hand shops, but nothing large like in USA or Australia. And the prices are definitely not the same.. Still, I felt very lucky when I found this skirt in a second hand shop near my home!

The minute I saw it I know what I´m going to do with it! You see, just a week ago I saw a b.e.a.u.t.f.u.l. skirt in Zara (it´s definitely my favorite shop, I love to wander through it looking for some sewing inspiration). I love it so much I almost bought it, but the seamstress in me immadiately saw an easy way to make the same one from and old skirt.

So, here it is

Project Recycled Results: Week 2

2012-04-15T18:57:00.003-04:00

I hate to say goodbye to anyone. It stinks, just flat out stinks!

Sadly this week we are saying goodbye to Zoe from Scout's Stitches :( Look forward to her exit interview on Wednesday.

I want to congratulate Michka from Michka's Creative Solutions on winning the T-shirt challenge!

Spy name = Michka

Everyone fell in love with her petal skirt and she will be putting together a tutorial for it up on her blog shortly. Until then enjoy this mini tut on how to make your very own petal skirt:

T-Shirt to Petal Skirt

I'll have the full tutorial on my blog next week (after voting is done).

I made a petal template from a cereal box and cut out 10 petals out of each color (10 white, 10 black). I sewed the white and black petals together (right sides), clipped the curves, turned right side out, ironed, and sewed a decorative top-stitch.
I thought the neck opening would be the perfect size for the top of the skirt (for my daughter), and the neck already had the perfect casing needed to slip elastic through to ensure a good fit.
I arranged the petals evenly around the skirt (from the neck opening) and sewed them on.
I used the black sleeves to add modesty underneath the petals.
From the limited scraps I had left I was still able to wrap a headband (although I forgot to photograph) and cut out 3 & 4" circles (from the white t-shirts) to make flowers.

I think a certain young lady is pleased with how it turned out :).

Book Review: Lost and Found: One Woman's Story of Losing Her Money and Finding Her Life

2012-04-12T19:50:00.001-04:00

Awhile back someone mentioned the book, Women Food and God, I kind of brushed it off as something I might want to read, but definitely not a must check out now book.

Ironically enough I just finished reading, Lost and Found: One Woman's Story of Losing Her Money and Finding Her Life, by the same author Geneen Roth and I can not wait to run out pick up her other titles.

In Lost and Found, we read an honest, self-depreciating, tale of how she lost her all of her money in the Bernie Madoff scandal. I was sucked in and found myself fascinated with how closely we as women reliquish control of our money, feigning it to just be over our head, and trusting it to someone just because it "sounds" like they know what they are talking about.

She lost her life savings, thirty years of saving, in one fell swoop. As much as that experience could bury someone into the depths of depression she survived it and learned from it.

I never really put any faces to the Bernie Madoff scandal. I just figured it was a bunch of wealthy individuals who lost a portion of their savings, that they were still fine because no one invests in just one place. I was wrong. So many lost everything, their homes, life savings, and their security. The book really brings this fact to light. It personalizes the story.

Lost and Found also goes into great detail about our relationship to money. How we put so much into a piece of paper and not enough into our relationships and ourselves. We need to a stop trusting what everyone else says is a good idea to do with our money and begin to take ownership, to take responsibility for our own financial decisions.

Lost and Found is a quick read and one I really enjoyed. It not only delves into our own personal relationship with money, power, and the authority and control we give to others. I highly recommend this book.

Join the Lost and Found conversation at BlogHer.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Simple Salted Caramel Recipe

2012-04-11T10:29:00.002-04:00

All of a sudden I am craving Salted caramel like mad.I think it is because I was addicted to the Starbuck's Salted Caramel Hot Chocolates and now they no longer offer them :(

So I have been meaning to make my own salted caramel for months and I finally did it. So simple, So easy and you only need two ingredients!

One can sweetened condensed milk
One teaspoon salt (I used sea salt because let's face it I felt fancy doing it)

So let's go....

Grab your sweetened condensed milk

Peel off the label.

Place it in a very full pan of water (you want at least one inch of water above the top of the can).

Here is the hard part (well hard if you are like me and super impatient). You have to let the can sit in boiling water for two hours. Make sure that the can is always covered with at least one inch of water. If the can is not covered it may explode and like the great exploding honey incident of 2008 (I just don't want to talk about it) you could be trying to clean caramel off the ceiling for the next three years.

Once the two hours are up turn off the heat and let your can cool in the bath of water. This will take about an hour.

Open your can and transfer the semi-warm caramel into a glass jar. You can stop here if you wish. Screw on the lid and enjoy at your leisure.

I added a teaspoon of sea salt and stirred for a salted caramel that is too die for!

What does one do with salted caramel besides eat it straight out of the jar?

Put it on ice cream
Put it in coffee or hot chocolate (YUM!)
Make salted caramel frosting
Drizzle it on fresh baked bread
Bake it into a yummy chocolate cupcake, cover with salted caramel frosting, and drizzle over the top (that is what I did )

The Finished Product!

Baked inside

I Love this cupcake!

Simplified directions:

Peel the label off of a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
Place in saucepan with one inch of water covering
Boil for two hours adding water to ensure that the can stays covered
Allow the can to cool for one hour in the water
Pour into glass container, add one teaspoon of salt, enjoy!

Good luck and I can not wait to see what you make with it.

Season Two : The T-Shirt Challenge

2012-04-09T05:02:00.000-04:00

It's my favorite week! The T-shirt Challenge. Before we get to our awesome crafts let me send a big congratulations to the winner of last weeks Wild Card Round:

ZOE from Scout's Stiches

with her men's shirt turned stylish cardigan. I want it for myself!

And now for this weeks entries after the jump...

T-shirt to Bucket Hat

I really do love a good T-shirt upcycle, so when Robin gave us this challenge for week 2, I was very excited to get going!

I chose to upcycle this T-shirt that had been sitting in my wardrobe all Summer unworn. It had lost it's shape at the bottom and had become unwearable. So...refashion time!

I decided to turn it into a cute bucket hat, but with a bit of a twist. I love those little upturned sleeves with the buttons, so I chopped that section off and incorporated it into the hat to give it something special.

And modeled by it's new owner:

Thanks for having me again this week Robin!

T-Shirts to Sunshine Shirt

I have closet full of T-shirts (well, don´t we all?).. and I am happy to say that now I have two less:-)
For this project I used this two:

Since I love spring so much I couldn´t help but make this fun, spring t-shirt refashion. It was super easy and fast so I think I´m going to make at least two more: for my daughter and for my dearest friend in the picture below!

Game Day Tank Top

For the T-shirt Challenge I knew I wanted to upcycle this one particular t-shirt. It is a shirt of my husband's that he doesn't wear anymore because it is too big.

I decided to make myself a game day tank top! I used the bottom part of the shirt for the bottom and the purple sleeves for the top. I put some cute ties on the sides and an elastic casing at the top.

For a finishing touch I cut out the applique that was on the original shirt and sewed it on the bottom part of the shirt! I love it and it will be super comfortable for tailgating!

T-Shirt to Petal Skirt

I'll have the full tutorial on my blog next week (after voting is done).

Basically I made a petal template from a cereal box and cut out 10 petals out of each color (10 white, 10 black). I sewed the white and black petals together (right sides), clipped the curves, turned right side out, ironed, and sewed a decorative top-stitch.

I thought the neck opening would be the perfect size for the top of the skirt (for my daughter), and the neck already had the perfect casing needed to slip elastic through to ensure a good fit.

Next I arranged the petals evenly around the skirt (from the neck opening) and sewed them on. I used the black sleeves to add modesty underneath the petals.

From the limited scraps I had left I was still able to wrap a headband (although I forgot to photograph) and cut out 3 & 4" circles (from the white t-shirts) to make flowers.

I think a certain young lady is pleased with how it turned out :). I hope you like it too & vote for me! :) I'm really excited for the next challenge!

Thanks and good luck everyone! - Robin

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood Book Review

2012-04-05T19:31:00.000-04:00

“Born Wicked” by Jessica Spotswood explores the world of three sisters, Cate, Maura, and Tess, in the early 1900’s, who must hide the fact that they are witches from the outside world. They live in a world where “The Brotherhood” rules, women who are thought to be witches are taken away to fates unknown.

After the girl’s mother passes she is left to protect the family secret, that the women are witches. On top of that she must get married or join the sisterhood before the age of seventeen. With their father away and a questionable governess, Elena, taking care of them Cate tries her best to fit into a society that she must hide her true self from to save her sisters from being exposed.

Since sparkling vampires were never my thing, I was a little hesitant to get started on the magic and fantasy world of witches. I have always lumped them together. The good news is that it was not just a swoony love story about forbidden romance, but there are bits of longing, a love triangle, and the question of who will she choose sprinkled in to her discovery of a prophecy about her family that will make her long for her late mother in ways she never knew she could.

The book was slow going at the beginning, but it picked up towards the end. It is part of a series (next book to be released in 2013) so it is no surprise that you are left with a dozy of a cliffhanger at the end.

"This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own."

Spring Stashbust is Here!

2012-04-04T10:44:00.002-04:00

It is back in full force, the Spring Stashbust.

I know I don't have a groovy mascot like stashbusting Sam from Stashbusting September

He is cute!

Buy the rules are the same:

Spring Stashbust blogs are voluntarily giving up buying crafting supplies for the month of April.

They promise to:

Link your blog (the main page please not an individual post) to the linky below.
Craft for personal use only with items they have on hand. No buying new craft supplies, even if you are shopping at Goodwill or garage sales. It is all about busting your craft supply at hand and actually doing those projects you bought all the stash for in the first place. (Buying craft supplies for business use IS permitted)
Think of unique and creative ways to use items they were thinking of throwing out (diaper boxes to fabric covered storage bins, pencil holders from soup cans, upcycled clothing, etc.)
Think outside of the box.
Try to make at least one upcycled craft item this month.
Proudly post the Spring Stashbust button on their website so everyone knows they are busting some stash.
Check back here to find out other blogs that are busting some stash.

And don't forget to vote for our lovely ladies entered in season two of Project Recycled!

Project Recycled Season Two

2012-04-02T05:04:00.000-04:00

It is back. Project Recycled!

This season is going to be a little more abbreviated then the last because we have only four contestants, but it looks like it is going to be a tough race to the end!

Voting is now Closed

Projects after the jump...

Vest to Pants

I am so excited to be here, participating in the second season of Project Recycled!

I think this Robin's idea is wonderful!

Still, had some problems with this task. You see, I am so into recycling I couldn't decide what to sew. Then, one day, I was helping my grandmother do the laundry and I ran into this vest. I t belongs to my grandfather. I mean, it belonged to him until I saw it:-)

It was perfect for summer cargo pants I was planning to make for my son!

So, I started with this vest, completely took it apart and then used pattern I always use for sewing my kid´s pants.

What was fantastic about using this old vest is that all the difficult parts are already done for you. The pants came together incredibly fast!

I mean, it really takes some time to make pockets like this. My trick is you simply make sure that all the pattern pieces are correctly placed on the old item you are recycling.

This left me with a professional looking pockets and hardly any effort. I really love the way they turned out..

..and my son will enjoy wearing them!

My children are at the stage where they like to have sleepovers at their friends sometimes, and recently I watched them pack their bag and noticed how their toothbrush just got thrown in with the rest of their gear. So I decided they needed their own "Sleepover Bathroom Caddy". Just something to keep everything neat, organized and together.

It takes some simple materials that you are bound to have around your home to create one of these:

I used an old wire coat hanger, some sample material that I had picked up second hand, some bias tape (also thrifted) and a plastic sheet packet that I had saved.

The kids can pack in their toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush/accessories or any medications they require.

Then they fold down the hook:

Fold up the bottom:

Then fold one last time to secure it with the velcro fastenings.

Now they can toss it in their overnight bag and get down to the real business of just having fun!

Thanks for having me here for Project Recycled Robin, I'm very excited to be participating in this season!

Receiving Blanket to Child’s Apron

I’m so excited to be here! This contest really pushes my creativity and is the best motivator to get me to complete projects (which can be an anomaly for me sometimes!).

This week was my niece’s 3rd birthday and I had to scramble to make a gift.

I saw an unused receiving blanket sitting on my shelf and got to work.

I thought an apron would be perfect & quick too! I used another apron as a guide & cut the pattern out. (You could measure your child armpit to armpit, hip to hip+ 2”, and desired length; then make your own pattern.)

Next I cut 2 23”x2” strips for the waist ties, and a 15”x2” strip for the neck strap, and 2 6”x5” pockets (I ended up scraping the neck & waist straps).

Sorry my camera battery died and I was on a time-crunch so I didn’t take any more pictures as I worked, but I just folded and ironed the pocket edges ½” in on every side and top stitched the top edge of the pockets.

Then I lined up the outside edge where I wanted them on the apron and sewed just that edge (top stitching).

Next I scooted the opposite edge over a few inches (so that it formed an arch) and sewed that edge down (top stitching again).

Then I centered the pocket and folded the bottom outer edges down and sewed the bottom edge flat.

I decided to use some cheerful yellow ribbon (5/8” grosgrain) I had on hand to brighten up the whole look. I used the ribbon as bias tape around the parameter of the apron and sewed as the waist ties. For the neck I wanted it adjustable, so I sewed 3 button holes along the strap. Last I sewed a button to the front corner for the strap to attach to.


Finished Apron!

Orange Sweater to Sweet Cardigan

I had received this beautiful sweater material shirt from my real estate agent a while ago- he was getting rid of clothes and thought my husband might wear it. Well, my husband wouldn't wear it but I wasn't going to get rid of such pretty fabric.

Sweater Before

Using an old cardigan I had as a pattern I re-sized the whole thing and made it into a cardigan. I like to call it the "Pumpkin Spice Cardigan" because of its beautiful burnt orange color. I added crocheted trim and hook and eyes as closures.

I will probably wear it some this spring but I really look forward to wearing it next fall!

Three Months Down, Three to Go

2012-04-01T20:19:00.003-04:00

Regular followers know I am challenging myself to buy no new clothes for six months.

I have found out that this is a little harder then I first thought. Like magic two of my five pairs of jeans got holes in them, and not the type of trendy holes in areas that can be patched.

So I am low on jeans, I started Butterick 5206 like three months ago for a trip in early February and now aim to have it done buy Easter, and I feel everything I own seems to be shrinking and morphing into belly shirts. No one wants to see my belly.

On the plus side I have learned a lot about clothes, and my shopping habits. I did not think I had a problem with over-consumption. I might have been wrong?

I buy almost everything on sale, and with that in mind I am always on the hunt for some thrift goodness. The thing is most of the time when things go on triple clearance at Target and you can get a shirt for $1.97 it is not because it fits well. It is also not because it is high quality and will resist everyday wear and tear.

Now I am not saying that a bargain is a bad thing. I still plan on finding them when I am allowed to go shopping again. I just realize that I need to change my focus from buying really cheap new items to buying moderately priced thrifted items. Thrifting gives me the opportunity to search out something that has already been loved and give it a second life. I also have the chance to buy something either vintage and different then anyone else has, or an item that I could not afford otherwise (Someone just scored a Picasso at my favorite thrift store in Columbus).

So the challenge has taught me that the way I have been shopping needs to be altered when I go back to buying new clothes.

Have you been following along? What have you learned buy stopping your shopping?

Till Next Time,

Sick Kids = No Blogging

2012-03-28T20:20:00.000-04:00

I think the title says it all.

Momma pretending to be a photographer in their Easter Outfits.

They are cute, but Phoebe was stricken with a tummy bug, and now momma has way to much laundry too do. I promise I will be back soon.

Spring Stashbust 2012 - Starts April 1st

2012-03-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

It is here, Spring Stashbust 2012.

The rules are so simple. No New Crafting Supplies!

Are their exceptions? Sure if you run a business and run out of something you need you can buy it. You can not feed your crafting addiction.

This is all about using what you have and enjoying the items you have already purchased. You need to bust out that stash and use what you already have. Try to finish up that project that you have already started (maybe five years ago?).

So copy the button code below and sign the linky below. Starting in April start busting your stash!

We will have guest bloggers (email me at thetshirtdiaires@yahoo.com if you are interested) and a few other surprises, not to mention the start of season two of Project Recycled!

Yeah! I can not wait to see what you come up with!

Fairy House Fun

2012-03-22T16:13:00.002-04:00

I have been in a creative slump lately. It happens. No worries, and it shall pass.

I was so delighted to read my friend Audra's blog, Little Tiger and the Milk Belly Princess, and learn about her children's adventures making Fairy houses and furnishings.

My children LOVE to play outside and the concept of Fairies delights me. I just believe that their is something so magical about the belief that these little creatures live amongst us creating magic in our world.

Phoebe agrees so we set out to make a fairy house out off all natural findings (with the exception of some rope.


A soft bed of flowers for the fairies

Proper bedding is very important, fairies love to have something comfortable when they are walking around (they don't always have shoes).

We continued to mess around with the flooring. Holden was looking for sticks to make the frame of the house.

Sticks make a great foundation

We poked sticks into the ground to make a teepee and tied it together with some string that we rescued from the garbage.

Decorations were a must. We added some lovely flowers to make the entrance enticing to the fairies.

Ponies occasionally like to wander over and check out the fantastical land of the fairies. I made sure that Phoebe brought the pony inside so that the fairies were not frightened away.

Queen of the fairy house, Phoebe loved posing with her new creation (sorry about the shadow). She actually invited our mail carrier over to play when she was done with work for the day.

We continued to add various enhancements to the house. We put leaves and bark around the frame of the house so that they have shelter in case it rains. We added a table made out of sticks and took a Polly Pocket swimming pool and buried it in the ground to create a rain pool.

The fairies visited the house last night and partied so hard the carpet floral carpet went missing. Oops.

We have actually been filling the grounds with several different fairy houses. It's such a fun project that Phoebe and I can't stop.

Happy Fairy House Making!