Sock bunny

My goal of 4 upcycled projects this week is complete. 

This bunny is made from a worn pair of wool socks.

I basically followed this tutorial from Craft Passion. I patched a worn spot, cut around others, and left some for character.  I omitted the button eyes and used felt instead.

My mother wore out this pair of Smartwool socks.  She has a hard time parting with quality and loves Smartwool.  I suppose my fabric hoarding may come from my mother.

We decided he needed a tie for Easter, so I made one from yellow seersucker to match Daphne's Easter outfit. 

I think this guy's tie is adorable.  He still hasn't been named yet.

Hand stitching doesn't feel tedious when done enjoying a beautiful day in a rocking chair.

This was a fun project. I had some alone time (alone time? What's that? If my child napped I could have more of this!) on a beautiful day and did the hand stitching on my balcony.  

Denim storage baskets

I upcycled old jeans legs into baskets.

This was super easy.  I got the general idea from Buttons and Paint. 

Just cut off a pant leg and sew 3 seams.

I did learn that if they are taller than 10 inches, they do not stand up well. Also the size of the corner should be 2" from the point. 

For now I am using the basket as a type of baby speed bump.  My daughter is now on the move, but she also really likes unpacking bags. By strategically placing baskets of fun stuff around the house, it slows her down. 

I think this style of fabric basket will make a good drawer organizer. 

Clearly I need something to organize this drawer.

I intended on this being an Easter basket, but I seem to have bought too much to fit into this basket.  There are just so many cute things at our local baby store, JuJu Monkey.  The egg shakers are new to the store and not up on the website yet.  They are adorable, and baby girl loves to shake maracas!  She doesn't have teeth yet, but I am excited about their natural toothpaste.  The storage cup is made from rice husks and bamboo and has a  cute bunny face. 

Of course she will have no idea the the Easter basket is for her and I could just use these things now.  But I'm excited to design a basket as I think this kind of thing is one of the fun parts of Mommyhood. 

Creating Pillowcase Dresses

I hosted a sewing workshop on pillowcase dresses and have been working on perfecting the pillowcase dress.  This is an easy up-cycle.  

There are hundreds of online tutorials.  I have yet to determine the perfect process and style.  So much depends on the type of material and the intended use of the dress.  However, I have learned a few lessons.

• Use bias tape on the armholes.  It is simple and produces a nice edge.  If you have never used double folded bias tape, you will be pleasantly surprised.
• French seam the side seams.  This sounds complicated, but once again-easy!  The best way to hide an edge is a French seam.  If you have a serger, that would do the trick, but French seams are so clean and crisp.
• Angle the cut of the side seams.  Some people keep the straight edge of the pillowcase, only cutting arm and neck holes from the case.  This is very boxy and I prefer to cut an angle to the bodice. 

The back of the pillowcase dresses.  The navy pillowcase had stripes in two spots, which created a fun back.

I am working on a third, double layered, dress that I am excited about.  

I'm happy to be diving into pillowcase dresses, and that sundress weather is soon!

The navy dress is for my favorite little Virginia Cavalier!

Seam binding is easy and perfect for pillowcase dresses

I have concluded there is no "perfect" style.  The elastic neckline should work well if I want to create nightgowns.  However, I need to come up with a better closure (for safety purposes) than the ties.

I'm sure I will post more pillowcase dresses, as I have been saving pillowcases for years!

Carrot Toys from fabric scraps

I up-cycled scraps from old clothing into play food carrots.

The orange material is from a wool sweater I used for an up-cycled dress.  

A wedge shape (with a bump on top for the top of the carrot) is easily sewn into a carrot.  While sewing with scraps from knits, no two will be alike.

Cut into the pieces of green and pull on the strips to create textured curls.

I made sure to add some crinkly material to the stuffing to keep my baby interested in them.  My idea is that these will be a part of her play kitchen in the future.  I like the idea of fabric play food, since we try to decrease the amount of plastic in our house.

For now, they will be a fun addition to this year's Easter basket!