Vintage Sheet Cafe Curtains

I was going to do a whole tutorial on how I did this but I am too tired now so I will cut straight to the point!!

Found these vintage sheets at Goodwill....

Cut them into rectangles using a sheet of computer paper as a template...

Sew them together and then make tabs for the top....

Aaaand...you have a lovely, cottage-y feeling cafe curtain for your window!!

I just adoooore this look because it is so girly and bright. The sheets are made of muslin so they have this gauzy look to them and they flutter a little in the breeze. The fabric is so thin that you can cut your squares in a jiffy by folding the fabric over on itself and cutting all the pieces at once. I did 4x.

I have a lot of material left over so I am going to make a matching valance and then maybe some more curtains for my other windows in the kitchen/dining area. SO fun!! And the huge sheets are only about $2 depending on where you get them. I found 4 different prints at Goodwill on separate occasions. There is so much you can make from vintage sheets--just look on Pinterest!! 

Good 1/2 Hour DIY Project: Eye Makeup Remover Pads

I am going to make as many of these as I can in the next 30 mins before I have to go get hubby. The toddler is napping and I have a bunch of flannel that needs to be used up, so what the heck.

I have been using eye makeup remover for the past few months (never have before that, actually) and was using cotton balls to take the makeup off. They seem wasteful and expensive when you go through about 4-5 a day. I ran out and now I am ready to make something that I can throw in the wash and keep reusing.

I would like to try the homemade remover recipe as well, but don't have any unrefined coconut oil on hand (the stuff I have is better for cooking). I also don't have distilled water. Maybe once I run out of the store bought remover I will have to make up a batch.

I think I will need to make about 20 of these pads...I wear a lot of mascara sometimes!

I think that keeping a mesh laundry bag in the bathroom near the sink would be a good way of making sure they don't get lost in the jumble of dirty clothes. Otherwise, I can see these easily becoming lost like dirty toddler socks do...

Begging You to Go No 'Poo!

My sad, grown out haircut after 3.5 months! But look how red and shiny!

I have been going without traditional shampoo for 2 months and I am hooked! I want to tell you about it since it is so much healthier for your body, and hey, it is kind of crafty--you are mixing things together and...ok, this has no place on this blog!

The chemicals they put into storebought shampoos are toxic and have an effect on our immune systems, fertility, and many other things, and should never be sold on the market to unsuspecting customers. If you research your own personal beauty products here, you will find disturbing information that will hopefully spur you on to going all natural. I am not the eco-friendly, green, hippie type, but I do want to use things that are already useful and available through nature. For one thing, they are CHEAP! I am all about cutting costs wherever I can. Why do they go and create something that will hurt people in the long run when there are natural remedies that work? Money, that's why! The corporations and labs are making hand over fist pumping out promises in these toxic bottles that are only bringing people health problems in the end! And I have never had much success with shampoos, conditioners, styling products, etc! It just caused me to buy more and more and waste $$$ for nothing.

That was my rant...

I am using a baking soda+water paste for a cleanser and apple cider vinegar+water rinse for conditioner. These two ingredients, when used in conjunction, will balance out the pH of your hair. They do not strip your hair like chemical shampoos do. Those shampoos will cause your scalp to over-produce oil and gunk as your head tries to balance out its own pH. What you end up with is oily scalp and dry ends. The story of my life. (a little dramatic there...)

Everyone has different hair types, which means you want to adjust your no 'poo formula just a bit depending on your type.

Basically:

Thick, dry hair: less baking soda, more ACV
Thin, oily hair: more baking soda, less ACV (avoid putting it on the roots)

My formula is:

1 TBS baking soda + very little water (until it is pasty)
3 TBS ACV + 2 cups water

I massage the paste into my scalp and don't touch the ends. The flow of water from the shower will naturally send it downstream. Then I rinse it really well. Next, I pour the ACV mix over my hair starting at the roots/top and work it down to the ends. I rub it in to make sure it is saturated. You can leave it on for a little or rinse it right out. Rinse it well!

I follow up with a tiny amount of this organic coconut conditioner I got at the health food store. I like to add that because I have super dry hair. I noticed that the conditioner is working better on my pH balanced hair compared to when I used to use it after a traditional shampoo.

My husband even noticed that my  hair looks thicker, shiner, and less dry since I've been doing this. That is a big deal for me! Also, ACV is known to bring out natural red highlights. Who doesn't want that?

And let's talk about cost savings! What is it, .60 cents for a box of baking soda and $1-something for a bottle of ACV? These will last for at least a few months!

That's the other thing--I only have to wash my hair about once a week because my scalp is not producing mass amounts of oil like it used to. It stays looking and feeling clean for at least 5 days now. Great for mommies!

The photo above is a day after it's been washed and dried with a hot air brush. Usually heat appliances cause my hair to become super frizzy and puffy, but not now. Love it!

Think about it! :) Let me know if you have any questions or want to share your experience here.

Quilting Ventures

I may just be crazy, but I want to make a quilt/wall-hanging for our new living room. There's a couple of reasons why: first, we have never really had anything large enough to hang over the couch. So usually nothing or something ridiculous-looking goes there. Second, I can't afford to go buy a big painting or piece of art for the wall, so I might as well make something from scratch. I figure the cost of the backing and background fabric (white cotton) can be pared down with a JoAnn's coupon and so can the batting. I am hoping I can do this for under $20-25.

I was browsing through a craft book and saw a quilt called the "Color Wheel Quilt". It is SO beautiful to me and I love incorporating as many colors as you can into one piece. I love color and I love rainbows of color, so I think this is the perfect quilt for me to try. It is supposed to be "simple" but I am sure that is only to someone who has quilted before. We'll see how I do.

I think the design and colors are so inspiring, it would give a happy feel to any room.

Photo from Purlbee.com

I hope I have enough colors in my stash to cover all 52 colors. Knowing me, I have enough pink, blue, and purple, but the rest is iffy. We'll see.

This will be my next project once the few I have left to complete are done.

Satin Pillowcase Project

This home sewing project was inspired by my new adventure in curly hair. I have naturally wavy/curly hair that I usually try to keep on the straighter side (by not really doing anything and just pulling it back all the time), but as of late I have decided to embrace my curly girl side. My hair does the "beachy waves" look pretty easily if I air dry my hair after twisting sections into what I call "rope curls" and then I CANNOT TOUCH IT until it dries! But it comes out pretty good so I have been going with this method (for about 2 weeks).

A trick I have always known benefits curly hair is using a satin pillowcase to keep your hair from rubbing while sleeping and friction causing frizz. So this is something I wanted to try. To make my own pillowcase in a design I would like, I set out to JoAnn's to get some materials.

Here is the cost breakdown:

• Satin = $2.24
• Cotton quilting fabric = ~$2.00 (used less than I bought)
• White crochet trim = $1.00 (with coupon)

Total cost = $5.24
Not bad!

I remember when I worked at Sally Beauty Supply you could buy them there, but they were really cheap looking and feeling, so I did not want to go that route. So I chose this purple and green combo which is one of my favorites. I did not need to add the trim but I like the way it looks. The "Iris" purple and grass green make me happy!

This is a great project for a beginning sewer or someone who wants a fast project. This took me about an hour or less. Here is a link to a pillowcase tutorial similar to the one I made.

That checks one more item off my "home sewing" to do list...

Happy sewing & creating! :)

A Beautiful Craft Discovery

I recently stumbled upon mixed media book making and wish I had time to dive into this craft! It looks so fun and I am the type to collect bits and pieces of things wherever I go, so this would be a great use for them. I have those vintage buttons my grandmother gave me, and they are still on their cards. Oh, to actually get to this idea!!

It is so creative and artistic, you can't call any of these books cookie-cutter. What a great gift idea, too.

Here are some places to get some ephemera to get your crafting mo-jo going if it piques (peaks?) your interest.

More Hexagons

Isn't this a gorgeous set? I am really into hexagons right now, and am seeing them everywhere! I would love to try this project someday. I will have to add it to my list. :)

Trying a Hexagon Tote

Next part is hard...sewing the rows together. 

Stay tuned!! :)

Handbag Envy

I must find the template for this bag. I wonder if I could make one myself in Word using a hexagon shape and then print it out...hmm. The bag is simple enough, it would just be all that time it takes to piece the hexagons! But this is such gorgeousness, I must put it on my to-sew list!! Don't you think?

Floppy Hat Sewing Project

 [credit]

You can see my photos of this project here. I am too tired today to do a whole post, sorry! I really like being able to make a hat. There is something satisfying in creating an accessory like this!

You can find the tutorial here if you are interested in giving it a go.

Crafting + Fruit = Yummy Fun

My mom showed me how to make freezer jam since I've never done it before, and I had to incorporate a little crafting into the production! My mother-in-law had just given me some "found" country/vintage looking fabrics that were perfect for this project. The jars of jam looked so much spiffier because of them! :)

Here is a little photo-journaling of what we did:

 The ingredients and one batch ready to go

  Yummm

 Woop! Sarah brought out the fabric and got to crafting!! 

Couldn't help herself! :)

Found a canister with the right-sized bottom for making the jar "skirts"

 Cutting with the pinking shears

 Back to what we were really here to do... ;)

 Goodness in a jar

 Happy little jam pyramid

 Cuteness!! The little things make me happy.

 

 B&W

Done! Now to wait overnight and then freeze them and then EAT THEM!

This method of freezer canning was very simple and I would recommend it to anyone scared of the "real thing".

Fun Jam Topper Links:

Free Labels

How To Make Labels for Jar Canning {15 Printables}

Operation: Dress-to-Skirt

I found this CUUUTE dress (you know it's cute when it has 3 U's) at a store today and had to get it. The only problem is that the top is totally inappropriate for my tastes. It's one of those things where you have to have a huge chest and small waist to fit into the thing properly, and even then, your stuff is hanging out everywhere and plus there is no back on it either. Not my thing.

BUT, I love the fabric and the design of the bottom half. It is loose and flowy and made in India. My three favorite things in a garment. :) SO I am going to try to turn this puppy into a skirt. Have no idea if it will work, but I had to try. This fabric reminds me of an April Cornell dress at 90% off the price, so it was a no-brainer that I would buy it and fix it to my liking.

I will post the results of this attempt at clothing alteration soon. There's no harm in trying, right? If all else fails, I will cut the fabric up and make myself a bag or something. Or make the chest part into a cone hat... LOL! You know me. :)

Laptop Sleeve

Soon I will be driving up to Vermont, and we will be bringing my laptop in the car with us. I have never bought a laptop sleeve to protect it, so I am going to make one myself. I can just picture it getting banged around in the car, and I don't want it to get damaged. I have the materials to make a sleeve, so I am going to start on that soon (I only have about a week left!).

The only thing is that my husband and I both use the laptop, and I want to make one in pink fabric!! I am not sure he will appreciate that if he needs to take it out somewhere! Hmm...I will have to make a unisex sleeve to be fair. The challenge is: do I have that kind of fabric??? Let me check my stash and get back to you. :)

Skinny Headband

Lots of spare time on my hands tonight as little one sleeps and hubby is working late = time to work on some projects! One of them was because I found a quick tutorial on how to make skinny headbands and tried it out! I love the way this came out! I love skinny headbands, but I have a LARGE noggin and they never stay on in the back because they are tight and end up slipping upward. This one is great because I can custom make it to my head size and the fabric is so soft I can't even feel that I have it on. There is a bit of finagling that has to be done during sewing because you have to turn the tube inside-out with a safety pin, and then you also have to iron it flat and the seam allowance can get in the way, but other than that, it is worth it!

Great for mommies trying to keep their hair out of their eyes and baby's hands!

erm...can you tell I got a nice sunburn today? oops...

Giraffe for Baby

I figured out what to do with the argyle fabric! I decided to make a giraffe since it is an easier shape than an elephant. It came out pretty good. I always make stuffed animals too thin and they have skinny extremities! Next time I will make them fatter. It was fun adding ribbon and rickrack for little textures for him to grab and play with.

Next up I'd like to make an owl...

Quiet Book Craft Project

This is such a cute idea that I want to try!! Sounds like a lot of work, but you could really tap into your creative side with it and also make a lot of fun for a little one at the same time. I could start on it now for my 4 month old, and probably have it done by the time he is one and ready to use it! LOL!