We are sending Grandpa Murray love and wellness in the form of a popup card. I’ve made this heart hug popup for my husband before, but the concept never gets old. Stella scribble colored the card while Adin stamped the text, thereby infusing it with their love and intention. Feel better soon! We love you Grandpa!
I usually try to make a handmade gift for my daughters on their birthdays, even though it is hard to compete with Lego and Barbie. But this rainbow tutu was worn with style and flair by the birthday girl on her special day. Since I wanted to emphasize the pattern of the rainbow, I cut one yard of tulle in each of the seven colors into four inch wide strips. The skirt was made using the “no-sew” method, or by tying individual strips onto an elastic waistband using a larks head knot. I did end up sewing the strips in place with a running stitch and adding a bright blue wide satin bow. More satin ribbons of varying widths, and in every color of the rainbow, adorn the length of the skirt.
My daughter is turning four soon and we are planning her birthday party. We chose to make hand kites as party favors. I bought some 3” wooden rings online. They are finished with coconut oil that I just slathered on by hand and wiped off with a rag. The rings are decorated with satin ribbon of varying widths in the seven colors of the rainbow. Each ribbon is two yards long and is tied using a larks head knot and half square knot. Super easy to make and lots of fun for dancing and creative movement.
I’m experimenting with a no-sew technique of cutting and tying strips to create seams. The smaller the strips, the more fragile, but it also makes the seam more closed (i.e. less exposed skin.) I cut a trapezoid shape out of an XL men’s t-shirt and sewed a traditional elastic waistband at the top. The sides were joined by knotting 1/2” x 2” strips that I cut along the edges. I covered a rather large existing graphic on the front by sewing on 1/2” wide strips cut from the remaining bits of t-shirt. The strips naturally curl and create an interesting texture. The finished product works both as a skirt and a sleeveless top.
I once purchased a large piece of artificial turf carpet to use as decor for an event. Ugly stuff really. Plastic, itchy, and just…artificial. It’s been rolled up in a corner of my garage for a couple years now. But I was inspired yesterday to do something with it. Using a pair of utility scissors and a circle template, I refashioned the turf into a contemporary outdoor area rug – slash – putting game for the kids.
I created two new prototypes for my plicious clothing line. The first one, created from a single XL men’s tshirt, is an open back overshirt with tiny pleats at the base of the v-neck. The second, made from two XL men’s tshirts, is a v-neck poncho with extra wide fringe at the base. Both of these will be available on plicious.com soon.
As a last minute gift for Easter, I made a minimal, modern sock bunny for each of my girls. Since my sewing machine is being serviced, these were hand sewn in secrecy late Saturday night after the girls went to bed. Bleary-eyed in the wee hours of the morning, I opted to leave them faceless with the intention of having my daughters decide what kind of face they want. Surprisingly, both of them actually really like the bunny without a face.
I scored the biggest t-shirt ever at a thrift store – 9X! It is large enough to make two one-sleeve dresses, and I’ve finished one so far. I even kept the shirt pocket as-is which put it right in the middle of the dress.
My daughters love their American Girl dolls, and I love making things using the leftover moving boxes in our garage. Voila, a doll chair that can attach to the dining table. After careful measuring, I created a pattern and traced it onto several flattened boxes. I then cut about 35 layers (about 5 small boxes) and glued them together. This rough-looking chair might not appeal to every girl, but my daughters were very happy.
by pauline 