Archive for January, 2010

Planning Ahead

January 27, 2010

I must be looking forward to Spring, because I’ve already started thinking about and planning for Eleanore’s April birthday. I have quite a few projects I’d like to complete before her birthday, so I decided to go ahead and start them while I had the motivation. Her big gift is going to be a custom Waldorf doll, which I’ve already placed the order for from Tia of Juliebeans. I’ve had the itch to sew lately, so I decided to order her doll sans clothing, and am sewing up some clothes for her. My first project though was a doll quilt using this pattern, which I’m considering practice for a simple patchwork quilt for Eleanore. I’ve already cut out a few blocks for Eleanore’s quilt. I also did up a quick little reversible wrap skirt using an American Girl doll pattern, which I can’t find the link to at the moment.
Doll skirt and quilt for Eleanore's Waldorf doll

Next was a dress for the doll. I had some fabric left from the vintage sheet I used to make our tablecloth, so I pulled that out with this free pattern and got to work.
Doll dress for Eleanore's Waldorf doll

The pattern was very easy to follow, so I decided to try the toddler version, and to make a matching doll dress as well. I have a few vintage bed sheets in my small fabric stash, so I figured it would be perfect.
Dresses

They are far from perfect, but I’m impressed that they turned out so well! The dress should fit Eleanore well around her birthday, as it’s a tad big right now.

I think vintage sheets are going to always be on my list of things to search for at thrift stores now! I never know how much yardage to buy when I’m fabric shopping and see something I love, but with sheets, there’s quite a bit to work with. Perfect for fabric stashes! I now feel like fabric shopping, but am going to restrain myself according to my One Small Change challenge.

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Enjoying the snow

January 14, 2010

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First week of One Small Change

January 7, 2010

I’m doing well so far on my One Small Change challenge of no shopping for the month, unless it’s handmade or secondhand. I won’t say it’s been easy (and it’s only January 7), but I’m a big bargain shopper, so to stay away from the clearance sales online and in the big box stores like Kohls and Meijer (which are less than half a mile from my house) has taken a bit of willpower (not to mention, the Hanna Andersson clearance sale…). It has been especially difficult, as Jason went back to work on Monday after almost three weeks off work, and Eleanore has had a bit of trouble dealing with her daddy being gone. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I sometimes take drives for her to nap on fussy days (perhaps that should be a small change for a future month?), and quite often find myself driving to one of those stores while out just for something to do, or a reason to be driving.

I have been able to restrain myself, and even decided this week to make myself something “new” rather than to shop for something. I’ve been wanting a new tablecloth for quite some time, and I have baskets of fabric, so I figured why not just sew one up? The problem is that most of my fabric stash was purchased when Eleanore was small, with the intention of making baby pants or tunic dresses, so I have lots of 1/2 yards and single yards of almost everything. I do, however, have 4 vintage bed sheets I picked up while thrifting, with the intention of piecing some quilts (something I’ve always wanted to try, but have never managed to make the time for). The perfect size for a tablecloth, and while I was at it, I even had plenty leftover for 4 matching napkins!
tablecloth & napkins
Please pardon my failure to iron all the wrinkles out after washing. *Blush.* I never claimed to do it all.

I also have a few belated pictures I promised a few weeks ago. Here are Jason’s fingerless mitts I knit for him. They’re worked from Peace Fleece, one of my favorite yarns ever. Dh loves it, too.
fingerless mitts I knit for Jason.
And here are the fantastic Mason jars he gifted me. There are 16 in total.
mason jars Jason got me for Christmas

I’m feeling the urge to thrift today, and I’m not sure if I’ll let myself or not. I love thrifting, even if I don’t have a plan. Perhaps someone will need a nap…

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A new year, a few small changes

January 2, 2010

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2010 is here, and I’ve decided to join in on the One Small Change movement started over here on the Hip Mountain Mama blog . For our family, there are so many changes I would like to make over the months, that it’s easy to go gung ho and vow to make all the changes or resolutions at once, but I think taking them one month at a time will help keep us much more focused. Baby steps I can follow.

Now that being said, January is going to be a doozy. I just stumbled upon the blog dottie angel a few weeks ago, and was inspired by “a challenge of the utmost kind” (part one and part two) she started back in October. She vowed to not buy anything new or commercial for her clothing or her home for one year. Everything purchased was/is to be only homemade/handmade or second hand. I love this idea. I had the thought a few months ago, to do a handmade Christmas, where everything given would be handmade from either me or local artisans (or “local” online). I failed. Jason received a stereo, certainly not handmade, Eleanore received crayons and a chalkboard, although nice arts and crafts items, not handmade, not to mention the gifts given to others. My sister is the only one I came through on. I gave her a beautiful handmade coffee mug I picked up at an Ann Arbor art fair, and a Tree of Life necklace from Doodles Jewels, plus some homemade jam and pickles, that I canned myself.

So, after the craziness of the holidays, I think this is exactly what our family needs to settle and focus ourselves. I, personally, will be buying nothing new for our clothing or our home for the month of January. If it goes well, I may continue as the months pass, but this baby step of a big challenge is what I need to focus on first. I will not be including Jason in this challenge, though, as he doesn’t do much of the “home decor” shopping, he does buy supplies and things at our local home improvement store, and will continue to do so, as there is a lot of true work that needs to be done on our house.

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