Bubble Pocket Shorts... Take 2

I know I've made these shorts before but they are so cute and my girl has grown. So a new pair was in order. For some strange reason (whatever it is, I'm grateful and taking full advantage!) my girl has been letting me pick her clothes for her. And I guess it's safe to admit here that I like dressing her in things that I think are cute but feel like I could never get away with. Like shorts and tights. Cute and convenient, right? Totally acceptable if you are 4. A 30-something mom? Not so much.
Anywho... here are the shorts!

Perfect paired with tights

Perfect for playing in the canyon

Perfect for dancing in the yard

Perfect for warm Spring days

Perfect for tickling brother

Go-To Birthday Bag

I love giving handmade gifts. Especially when I know it will be appreciated. My recent go-to gift is the triangle bag by Amy Butler. It's quick and easy to whip up (Think - start day your due to give gift!) and I love coming up with different color/ fabric combos for each receiver. Each one is different. As a gift it can be filled with mini cosmetics and lotions - Burt's Bee is my favorite. It can be adorned with a fancy suede tassel or left alone.

Enjoy!

-V

Around the House

 This blog is basically my way of keeping track of things, my online journal. It's fun for me to look back at past projects or see before and after pictures. I (obviously) don't always post everything that I do. But in an attempt to remember some of the little projects, I'm lumping them together in this post.

First up is the window bench. A few weeks ago we went to my parent's house and my mom was getting rid of these cushions. I took them thinking they would be perfect for the window seat! I recovered them with some fabric, also from my moms purge pile. I've been meaning to put cushions on here ever since this bench was build (oh, about 3 years ago!). Better late than never, right?

This project is seriously overdue. I made this hook last spring LAST SPRING! It's been sitting in the corner next to this bench since then. Seriously? Seriously. You see my husband has this thing about holes in the walls and things being level, blah, blah, blah and so I have this thing about not hanging stuff on the walls. That's his job. Just to ensure that it's hanging the correct way and only done once, you know. If it were me I probably would have just screwed right through the wood straight into the wall. I wanted this thing to hang flush on the wall. Anyway - by some small miracle, I convinced my husband to hang it for me this past weekend and I love it! The wood is some old barn wood we collected and the knobs are from anthropologie.

I love how it makes this little corner more functional. We can actually hang hings up and sit on the bench to take shoes off etc.

If you follow me on instagram you saw a sneak peek at this blanket. It is April Rhodes Arizona fabric that I purchased last summer and have been coveting ever since. I had lots of ideas for what to make with this but when it came down to it, I just didn't want to cut into it. It's a super soft jersey knit. So I ended up finding an old fleece blanket that I had and making a little lap quilt. I simply put the two pieces together and sewed down every forth line of the pattern. I finished it off with some satin blanket binding. It's so cozy!

I recovered a big cushion I had with this fun fabric for a new "reading pillow" in Sage's room.

I'm pretty sure I never shared this. We made Wyatt a new bed! We used plans from Anna White. I love the way it turned out and it really gives him lots of storage room.

So that's the big project dump for now. A little sewing, a little building and a little home decorating!

Thanks for reading.

xo

-V

Myla Tank in Plaid

My latest sewing project is the Myla Tank by Sew Liberated. I found this plaid polyester that had a really nice drape and perfect winter colors and I though this tank would be great for layering in the winter or on it's own as soon as the warm weather returns. I love this simple details of this pattern that really make it stand out: the faux placket, the high-low hem and the split back.
This tank was fairly easy to assemble. I'd say the hardest part was attaching the bias tape. It 
 is very thin so making sure that it was even on both sides and catching the fabric was a bit tricky.

 

Best (and Easiest) Christmas Gift

For those of you that know my Sage, you know how much she loves her blankies. That girl would drag a blankie around all day every day if I let her. I was inspired by some super cute fleece I got to make her a no-sew fleece blanket for Christmas. It was super simple and doesn't even require a sewing machine - just a pair of scissors. Here is a quick tutorial:
I laid two pieces of fleece, approximately 1 yard each, on top of each other and cut them to the same size. I then went around all four sides and cut slits on the edge 2 inches wide by 4 inches deep. I then cut a slit at the top of each piece about 1 1/2 inches long. I did this with a cutting mat under the fabric and a rotary cutter. I took the ends of each piece and threaded them through the slit and pulled it through. That's it!

Here is a prime example of my girl and her blankies.. Do you see the second blanket in this picture?

My girl loved it! If anyone asked her what she got for Christmas she'd tell you about the blankie her mama made her. Best feeling ever! So I say this blanket is a win-win.

xo

-V

Wiksten Tunic Dress

This pattern is super simple but the finishes are what makes it so good. It has french seems and both the armholes and neckline are finished with a bias binding. This encloses all those frayed edges and makes the end result look professional. I love how this tunic/ dress turned out! The fabric is a super lightweight chiffon and I'd definitely say this is a more of a Spring/ Summer piece than Winter. But I made it anyway, let's just say I'm ready for Spring! I think there will be lots of different ways to wear this. Today I opted for a belt with a sweater. I could see it with black leggings or with sandals in the Summer.

xo

-V

A Year in the Making: My Sweater

You guys!!! I finished my sweater! I started this sweater last fall, as in Fall 2013. I worked on it little by little while watching my favorite TV shows until my fingers were too tired.  And truthfully I'm not a big knitter in the summer months, maybe because there is no good TV and because holding a big pile of wool is just too hot. I finished this sweater the week before Thanksgiving and was so excited to wear it.

The front is open but I have a giant safety pin that I can use to keep the top closed. I like that I can just wrap it around me as tight or loose as I like. The yarn is cascade 220, 100% wool. The sleeves are purposely 3/4 length. It is the caramel pattern free on ravelry.

To say that I love this sweater is an understatement. When I started knitting I made lots of fingerless mitts, hats and scarfs. Those were fun but I wanted to challenge myself to knit something a little more complicated. I thought this would be a great pattern because of the open front. I didn't have to be too concerned with the fit. I'm super proud of myself! Now the question is: What should I knit next??

xo

-V