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It has taken me awhile to wake-up this morning. I suppose that my grogginess could be due to the usual Monday malaise. Or perhaps residual fatigue from a weekend afternoon of yardwork. Or maybe...just maybe...
...it's because I completely redecorated my office in 48 hours.
Do you remember this? I posted this "before" photo this past winter as part of my "winter renovation" project. However, as I confessed last Friday, my winter renovation turned into a spring affair. A spring affair that started and ended (well, mainly ended) during the past three days. (translation: I've been busy!)
I won't go into the whole makeover this morning, but I definitely will start with the pillows. Though they were not the first project in the renovation, they are the most colorful.
Now, like with most of the designing I do, I tried to stick as much as possible to repurposing things I already had. And these pillows were no exception. A good friend of mine handed these pillow forms off to me at least a year ago, where they've been quietly collecting dust in the basement since.
Though neglected, I knew that the pillows would come in handy eventually--and Friday was the day.
Now, my top choice for a renovation would be to completely reupholster the sofa, which, unfortunately, is a task that far exceeds my skill level. Therefore, Plan B was to ditch the back-rest cushions that came with the sofa (furniture we inherited from my hub's parents) and replace them with these hand-me-down pillows.
But first I had to cover them.
Since it is spring, I wanted something that was fresh and light. And something that I could create from my box of fabric scraps. So after some cutting and stitching, I came up with these covers.
At least half of the fabric you see is actually from my old clothing--a pair of khaki trousers that never fit, for instance, and some old shirts in coral and blue. The other half come mainly from fabric remnants I've collected from the craft store over the years for pennies on the dollar.
The final result, I think, turned out better than I planned. The cushions are extremely comfy, and the colors and design are perfect for the warm months that stretch ahead. Best of all, I got a totally new look for a bargain!
What do you think of my renovation so far?
It is five days before Christmas and I have not...
...wrapped any of my presents
...shipped any packages to relatives living far away
...finished making gifts for friends and family
...eaten enough holiday cookies
In other words, if there was a Holiday Procrastinators Anonymous, I would be the chairperson. Fortunately there are a few projects I have up my sleeve (get it...sleeve! ha ha, I'm so clever) that require little time and virtually no skill.
Like these adorable no-knit armwarmers. They were formerly sleeves on a sweater I don't wear. With a few snips, and a quick stitch, they became my newest favorite thing to wear to ballet class.
And with tank tops.
And to recommend as a last-minute handmade gift for friends, sisters, and hipster moms.
Armwarmers are, indeed, popular this year, but you don't need to trek to the store (or don a pair of knitting needles) to get, or give, the look. You just need an old sweater, and a pattern from my store.
As for the other shopping, wrapping, crafting, and cookie-eating...well, you're on your own. I have enough to do.
I tried ribbon. I tried ruffles. I considered satin and silk. But everything just looked wrong coupled with this old ribbed sweater I've been carting around for years.
And then I tried wool. Herringbone wool, to be precise. 
The wool was from a thrift-store pair of trousers I bought several months ago. I never intended to wear the trousers (believe me, they were Not the cutest...), but instead saw potential in the fabric. Little did I know that they would turn another one of my bland sweaters into one of my new favorite cardigans.
With elbow patches, of course. There aren't nearly enough elbow patches in the world today, don't you think? I'm just doing my part...
The style is classic. Cotton and wool hand-stitched together--what could be more versatile and timeless than that? And easy. The panels at the top of the sweater are just laid directly over the original knit. And the pockets are imposters--really just strips of wool pretending to be functional.
This particular sweater is a grayish-blue and brown, but I also think that cream with tan would look fantastic. In fact, I might just have to hit the thrift store sometime soon in search of that combo.
And as with all of my sweater makeovers, this one was very nearly free.
In other related holiday news, can you believe that we only have a couple weeks left of this holiday season? I have a few more crafty ideas up my sleeve for Christmas and New Years...and then it's on to other crafty ideas for 2010! (you didn't think I'd stop making things just because the holidays are over, did you? Because that would be crazy. Crazy.)
As always, happy crafting!
Consider making this classic design for yourself or as a gift this season! Click here to learn more about this pattern.
It is true that in my teenage years I used to wear t-shirts and baggy sweaters almost every day during the winter. And...wait for it...thick wool socks with sandals.
And at least once a week you would catch me sporting a sweatshirt to school. A sweatshirt. Unflattering in every possible gray and shapeless way.
Now, you can't blame me too much for my poor fashion sense. I do, after all, live in one of the most casual states in the Union. And style was different during the 90's. Girls didn't wear dresses and heels. At least not around these parts.
And certainly we didn't wear ruffles.
Oh My how things have changed. Somewhere during the last decade I (re)discovered my frilly side. It had been dormant since my childhood. Once awakened, I can't stop it. All I want to do is wear pretty blouses and sparkly jewelry. 
Fortunately for me, the powers-that-be in the fashion world agree that it is high time for a little femininity. Of course, they'll charge you an arm and leg for their frills....
But believe it or not, this lovely top cost me less than $10! I started with a stretch camisole that was collecting dust in my dresser. You know the type I'm talking about--lycra, paper thin, found everywhere in the lingerie section of retail stores....
Then, with about a yard of this pink champagne colored satin and a lot of ironing into pleats, I transformed said stretchy cami into a dressy top, perfect for layering under sweaters and for wearing to parties.
Long gone are the baggy sweaters and long-sleeved tees. Hello to girly pleats. Layers and layers of them!
And you, too, can transform a stretch camisole into this blouse for just a few dollars. All you need is a little patience with the iron, a sewing machine, and some shimmery fabric. And of course my pattern, available in my online store (click here!).
I, for one, am very happy to have upgraded from shapeless to shimmer.Hope you all have a great Monday! Come back tomorrow for some handmade holiday packaging ideas!
I am married to a man’s man. Rugged. Brawny. Strong. He’s the kind of man that scoffs at things like lotion, and thinks corduroys are “fancy.” He drinks beer. He eats sausage. And he doesn’t look too keenly on our home looking too “girly.” So when the holidays roll around, I have to make sure that there aren’t too many sparkles and shimmery things lying around, or else he might start feeling uncomfortable.
Which is why this year I enlisted him to help me create these. 
Hewn from some pine and aspen logs we had lying around (yes, we have logs “lying around.” We live in Colorado--it’s sort of expected around here.), these “woodsy lanterns” are possibly my favorite holiday project yet.
Favorite because they cost $6.00 to make (not including the cost of the tools, of course, which my manly husband already owned--naturally). And because they took about eight minutes. And because they bring the wintry outdoors into my living room. 
Even better, these candle holders are versatile! See how many ways there are to change their look? 
There’s the traditional look, with winter berries. Simple. Classic. Beautiful. 
You can’t go wrong with berries. 
And then there’s the rugged look, with them all bundled together with a belt. This was my favorite...until my husband started looking around the house for his belt. Incidentally he wasn’t persuaded by my attempts to convince him that the design of our coffee table display was more important than keeping his pants up. 
I lost that battle. 
Fortunately, there is also the ribbon look, which as a self-proclaimed girly-girl, is now my new favorite. I like to think of it as a picture of my marriage. Rugged...but with a twist of sparkle. 
I’m the sparkle. Naturally. 
To learn more about my DIY pattern for making these woodsy lanterns yourself, click here!
I was at the craft store the other day picking up a few odds and ends, and I just happened to notice the Christmas display.
Okay...so maybe it didn’t “just happen” to notice it. Maybe it ambushed me from the store threshold. Maybe it managed to devour at least half of the aisles. Maybe I never want to see red and green again.
Ahem...I digress. My point in bringing up this little story is that it confirmed to me that my holiday taste in decorating is decidedly less...um...holiday. I don’t want Santas and reindeer. I don’t want little tiny houses all lit up in a row. I don’t want red and green lights and peppermint pillows. Of course my husband does...but that is another story.
Basically I don’t want my home to look like a craft store threw up in it. 
Instead, I want decorations that are comfortable and cozy. Things I can leave out from Halloween through Valentines Day. Timeless. Classic. And easy.
Like these pillow covers, for instance. I designed these specifically with the holiday season in mind. Don’t they make you want to curl up on my sofa? Wouldn’t you like to have a pair for yourself? Or perhaps gift a set to a friend or relative?
Then please let me tell you that if you have an old cardigan in your home that you never wear (or that your husband/sister/father/etc. doesn’t wear), you are already halfway there! These, for instance, were stitched from one sweater I owned, and one I bought from the thrift store for under $5.00. That’s four covers for a little over a buck a piece. Affordable, right?
As for the assembly, if you can sew a straight line, you can do this project. It’s that simple, and a great task for beginner crafters.
And I even suppose that if you wanted to, you could make them in red and green. Just don’t expect me to be happy about it. 
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a sofa to curl up on.
To learn more about this pattern, please click here!
