Beaded Wool Clutch

I've been wanting to make this clutch since I had the idea last fall. The wool makes it a perfect texture for fall and I'm crazy about the olive green... maybe it's because I'm seeing so much of this military trend in clothing right now. The design is so simple it could almost be plain, but the beading gives it some interesting detail as you can see in this close-up of the back.

It's lined with an olive green satin and I used heavyweight fusible interfacing to help it keep it's shape. The clasp is made from two D rings and a clip I actually cut off an old wallet.

The next two pictures, back and front, give a better idea of the scale. It's a big clutch, perfect for my basics of cell phone (with it's own pocket inside), keys, wallet and mini-make-up bag.

My inspiration? Surprise! A thrifted wool sweater:
Someone had apparently washed it in hot water, shrinking it to an unwearable size and stiffness before I got my hands on it at the thrift store. I LOVE felted wool and the beading detail was still beautiful. The minute I saw it I knew exactly what I wanted it to become. When I showed my sis the finished clutch she thought I'd done the beading. I wish I could take credit for it, because it is my favorite detail. It took enough time just to reinforce the lines of beads as I cut the sweater to keep them from coming loose. So there it is. One less project on my to-do list.

It was raining today when I was taking the pictures. The colors of fall are so pretty, but even more vibrant with a little rain. Since I had the camera out, I couldn't resist taking pictures of everything else around. This bright yellow flower was my favorite, so I'm just throwing this in here so you can enjoy it too.

Baby Gifts

I'd been wanting to try out this tutorial for an easy shirred skirt from Creation Corner for a little while now. A baby shower I was recently invited to was a good excuse to get it done. My fabric must have been a lot more lightweight than what was used in the tutorial, because it really gathered up. The first try became a new skirt for my daughter's baby doll. Try number two turned out really well. I added a lot to the width. It still gathered up so the waist looks very small, but it stretches out nicely and still looks gathered. I think this is the perfect alternative to a wide elastic waistband for a little tummy. It keeps the skirt up without being at all constrictive. I embellished some onesies to go with it. Since this was a double shower, for a boy and a girl, I made two more embellished onesies to go with a pair of the baby legwarmers I'd made recently.

Refashion: Blouse to Jacket

I found this blouse on the clearance rack. It was originally $68.00 and i paid $5. I really liked beading, the gathered bell sleeve and the shape of then neckline with the mandarin collar but I couldn't really imagine myself wearing it as a blouse. So I refashioned the bottom to make it look more like a jacket. I experimented with a few different ways to make the bottom band, but in the end I left the band flat in the front and inserted a wide elastic in the band in the back to gather it just a little. Here's a closer shot:

Once again I bribed the 3 year old to take a few pics. Yes, the bribe was necessary. She loves to play with the camera, but takes after her independent mother and does not like to be told what to photograph!

High noon equals unflattering face shadows and squint... so of course I overcompensate with groovy photo effects from picnik.com.

I like it over the black maxi-dress, but think it's an easy way to dress up a slouchy tank and faded jeans too. The light-weight fabric is perfect for this extra warm fall weather we're enjoying.

Money Cuff

Another easy project I put together last night after the kids were asleep was this money cuff. I was trying to find something for my niece's birthday when I came across this tutorial from Christie of A Lemon Squeezy Home. It is such a good idea, and my niece appreciates crafty things. I hope she likes it. I had to work with what was in my stash. When it comes to fabric I have a lot to choose from, but the zipper was a different matter... I stole this one from a pair of jeans I was cutting up for another project. Note to self: keep a few zippers in my stash for spontaneous, late-night projects.

Baby Legwarmers

About the time I finished the bridesmaids dresses I started having some health issues. Needless to say, the long list of projects I want to complete got put on the back burner. I'm starting to feel more like myself again and thought I'd ease back into my projects with something simple: baby leg warmers made from knee-high socks. I've seen a number of tutorials for these, all over the web but this is the method I liked best at Little Birdie. I bought these socks in sets of two and used some of the striped socks to make the cuff on the solid pair, and vice versa. I always look for socks that are as smooth on the inside as they are on the outside. I hate socks that have all those little strings from the pattern on the inside.

I've purchased a bunch of the original Baby Legs for my youngest and they are great. My older girls love them too. They are high quality and the elasticity is impressive fitting my smallest to my oldest without losing their shape. I definitely think they are worth the $ but it can add up. As easy as they are to make I think we'll finally have enough to go around. (This is not a sponsored endorsement. Just my opinion.)

Back to School

My oldest is going to start kindergarten. I wanted some "save this moment in time" photos. Meredith always does such an amazing job. My Sweetie and I have a little collusion going on. She will not pose for me to take pictures of her. So, I dropped her off with Meredith and anxiously awaited the results. Ta da! Meredith really got her going for some fun shots. Sadly, it helped a lot that I wasn't there... another topic entirely. Anyway, you can see more of the photos here. I'm so pleased. The more I learn about photography the more I value Meredith's skills and the beautiful portraits she creates. There is a big difference between having a nice camera then applying tons of Photoshop actions like I attempt to do and a true, quality image. There are few things I treasure more than the pictures that capture these most precious little daughters of mine. Plus, for a short time she is offering a mini-session just perfect for back to school shots at half her usual rate, including a print and a selection of fully-edited digital images.

I'm having a hard time believing she is old enough for school already. She asked me if I'd miss her while she is in school. Of course I will. It will be a big change for us. Then she asked what I'm going to do when she goes to college. Whoah! Let's not rush things. I'm definitely not ready to be thinking about that moment. The girls are growing up too quickly as it is.

Bubble Dress by Jen

Jen from thesellers.net shared this post with not one, but two adorable little bubble dresses that she'd made made using my tutorial. What a cute little model, non? I'm loving her blog, especially all the cute projects she does with her daughter. Thank you so much for sharing Jen!