Sweater to Slipper Refashion

It seems that most of my projects these days are necessity projects. Today’s project is no exception.

Yesterday I debuted our new space (sewing space for Mama, and play space for the boys). Since our new space is in the basement, the floors tend to be cold (a bonus in the summer, but gives you shivers during a Michigan winter). Another problem with the floors….when in a sewing frenzy, Mama tends to drop pins. I’m getting better, but I still do not to risk one of my little guys stepping on one.

I had a solution.

Slippers.

My husband had chucked a wool sweater into the donate box. I quickly pulled it out knowing I could do something with it, it was wool. Unfortunately I don’t have a before picture because I cut into the sweater pre-blogging days.

I used this tutorial and template from Leafy Treetop Spot. The slippers in the tutorial are made with fleece. I have plenty of fleece, but I was envisioning something warmer and a little bit sturdier.

The outside upper slipper, and inside sole are cut from the felted sweater.

The bottoms are made from Blue Jean Buttercup leftovers.

I used some red fleece left from the boys’ Halloween costume to line the slipper uppers. The Velcro is also from my stash (which is why it doesn’t match).

I made size 10/11. They are quite big on the boys right now, but they’ll grow into them. The tutorial is very easy to follow, and would make wonderful last minute Christmas gifts.

Do you dive for wool sweaters? If so, what are your favorite wool projects? That sweater barely touched the donation pile before I snagged it up. It seems like wool sweaters are a little harder to thrift these days.

My New Haven

Things have been productive around here. Well, maybe not whole house productive, but craft/sewing space productive.

It all started when I posted my 4 Simple Goals. Remember the state of the basement and my sewing space? Hmm, well take a moment and click back to that post because I am too embarrassed to post those pictures twice.

Sadly, it took me less than an hour to get both spaces back in tip-top shape. (And for the record, I am not talking about shoving everything to the side so I could take a blog picture. I mean everything in its place and a place for everything!)

A couple shots of the clean basement:



Why yes, there are a few more appliances. We were given a “new to us” refrigerator and dryer. The old fridge is for our overflow, and hubby plans on fixing the dryer.



Spacious enough for some toddler exercise! After cleaning the basement, I brought in the boys’ tricycles. Now they love doing laundry!

Lets check out my space. Drum roll please…. (just kidding, please don’t expect anything spectacular.)



Now before you scoff at my pride and joy, I fully understand that this is not anything to share with Martha (as in Stewart), pin to Pinterest under great spaces, or post to BHG fan page. But this is what I have to work with, and it works wonderfully for me.

Want to see my favorite part?

Let me give you a little back story first: Hubby came down and looked at our newly clean basement. He was impressed. Yet, he was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to use my space often, you know since I am the Mama of two and a half year old twin boys. Who.Destroy.Everything.

So he took action.



We had an old television in the basement that just got shoved from corner to corner. It had not been turned on in at least ten years, and I may have occasionally begged my husband to take it out with the garbage.

Boy am I glad he didn’t take it to the road! He set up the television and a DVD player in the corner opposite my sewing table. I brought the art easel down, and a basket of toys. The boys can watch a movie, play, or create while Mama sews them up a new wardrobe. Win-win!



The chair was a more recent addition. We had to move it to put up the Christmas tree,and if the boys have anything to say about it; the chair is staying!

What challenges did/do you face with toddlers? I personally love this stage so much, all of the learning and imagination these little guys display. But sometimes it seems impossible to get anything done. This stage really helps us to stretch our parental creativity (like including a space for them in my space.)

Thanks for stopping by!

31 by 31 Update, Halfway There!

This semester is coming to an end. I have to take the final exam on Monday, and then I get a bit of a reprieve. My 31 by 31 goals have been set on the backburner during this semester, so I thought it might be a good time to update them and make plans to bump a few out while on break. I only have six months left….

*For those of you perplexed right now, my 31 by 31 list is a list of things I would like to do before my thirty-first birthday. Nothing earth shattering, just a little list of fun things to accomplish.



Home
1. Paint, and decorate dining room. *I think I am focusing on the office and eat-in part of the kitchen this year. I picked out colors, and bought paint already.
2. Build a display shelf for hubby’s decoys. *Have some ideas.
3. Finish piano project.
4. Build a piece of furniture.
5. Plant garden. Can/preserve. *Garden is planted and looking great! I picked and froze berries in July. Made some refrigerator pickles. Froze zucchini and peppers. My father-in-law canned tomatoes for us.
6. Put together 31 meal binder.
Family
7. Potty train boys. *What a job! 8. Go on a family vacation. *Not going to happen this summer, possibly during Christmas or spring break.
9. Make a new chore chart. *Been using last year’s, need to complete new one!
10. Mail Christmas cards. *Um, not going to happen this year.
11. Have Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving. *Not this year.
Marriage
12. Have 12 date nights (at least one a month). *We did good up until September. We need a date night desperately!
13. Go on a mini-vacation with hubby.
14. Go to a Tiger game.
Personal
15. Read 12 books. *I have been reading, need to document my reads.
16. Start nursing clinical. *One more test, and first semester is done!
17. Get a 100 bowling average. (Don’t laugh! I have been working on this for five years now.) *My average has been over 100 for the last two months! (It has been dropping the last few weeks though.)
Money
18. Whittle down debt. *Just paid off small credit card last week. Technically this isn’t whittling down debt though, because of the student loans we are accumulating.
19. C.N.A Recertification, start working part time.
20. Sell crafts (somehow; etsy/farmer’s market/craft fair). *Opened Theresa’s To-Dos on etsy in August. Need to spend some time in shop.  I also have been selling crocheted hats via word of mouth.
Cleaning/Purging/Organizing
21. Clean out and organize garage.
22. Find a system for paper. Tackle paper clutter. *Seriously, I think I am going to go shred happy pretty soon!
23. Go through cookbooks.
24. Organize photos.
25. Work on blog organization.
Creative
26. Sew everyday for 31 days, only using stash.
27. Crochet a hat a day for 31 days. *I tried this one in August, and only made it halfway through (that was the same month we potty trained the boys).
28. Make a quilt.
29. Work on one photography skill a month. *I totally forgot about this goal. I had better make myself a list…
30. Complete 31 pins. *So, I have been trying some of the projects/recipes I have pinned, just haven’t taken pictures or blogged about them. I’ll catch up, its not like I have a shortage of pins or anything.
31. Do 31 refashions. *12 done, 19 to go. I have quite a few ideas. (Some started already!)

Whew! I’m exhausted just reading this list. This month I am going to print my list so I have a visual to keep me focused.

Do you have any grand plans and to-dos? We are heading into the new year, the time for resolutions.

A Few Completed Christmas Gifts

Is it already a week into December? My, how time flies when you are drowning in schoolwork. There is less than two weeks left in this semester, then life around here may go back to normal for a few weeks.

One of my 31 by 31 goals was to have Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving. That didn’t happen. I know a lot of people love shopping this time of year, but I despise it. I hate the crowds, the disgruntled store employees (no they are not all disgruntled, but it seems there is at least one), the rude shoppers, all of it. I would just rather stay out of the stores this time of year.

So instead of facing the holiday crowds, I have been busy trying to sneak in a few moments here and there making a few Christmas gifts. I thought I should share them with you guys, since they are all quick and easy this year.

Today is the crochet segment.

I highly recommend the Crochet Hipster Hat by Lorene of Cre8tion Crochet. This hat is a super cute and equally fast project. (I made two hats last night!)



I made the first one exactly as the pattern is written, bow and all. I used Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Oatmeal, and a size I hook. I love that the stitch looks detailed, yet is so simple once you get the hang of it.



This second hat is a request from my step-daughter….made last May. Oops! At least now I have a handmade Christmas gift for her. ;)

She had requested an orange hat with a brim. We went to a few different stores looking for yarn, and she choose Lily Sugar’n’Cream cotton in Hot Orange. Let me tell you, this stuff is magic for dishcloths. Horrendous for hats. I had crocheted and frogged three different hats from three different patterns before finding success.

This hat is also a Crocheted Hipster hat, with a twist.

I used a size J hook, and worked the pattern through the eighth row. Then I crocheted the brim from Lorene’s Newsboy Slouch pattern. *For more info, see my project page on Ravelry, or leave a comment below.



Next up is from Frayed Knot Crochet Patterns, Easiest Head Wrap EVER!!!

If you haven’t noticed, I am all about easy this year. And this pattern did not disappoint. I used Red Heart Soft yarn in Turquoise, and a size H hook.

The neighbor girls have been hinting about ear warmers, so I know I will be making a few more of these before Christmas.

What handmade gifts are you making this year? Please share any links! I will do all I can to avoid the Christmas crowds.

Four Simple Tasks by 2014

I have decided to join the end of the year goal-setting bandwagon….not that I need to put more on my plate.

The idea comes from the girls at A Beautiful Mess.

The rules are pretty easy; choose four simple goals to reach by 2014. These goals need to be positive, activity-oriented goals that will make your life richer.

Now, I’m going to admit…I tend to be a rule breaker. My goals are not going to infuse a joyful spirit deep within my soul. But they are simple goals, things I have been putting off for too long, and will enrich our lives (somewhat).

Here they are (with horrendous before pictures to boot!):

 

1. Clean the basement. This picture is embarrassing. And if I’m being all honest here; I had taken care of four baskets of clean clothes before taking this photo. Sadly, this room in the basement had become a dumping ground.

My goal is to clean it up. I think the boys would love to ride their tricycles around in here this winter. This would mean that Mama can spend a little time in her sewing room, which is right through that door…..


                              What the???

2. Get my sewing/crafting space back in shape. I am so lucky to have all of this space, I need to pick it up so I can use it.

*This room isn’t always like this. Lately I have had to sew while the boys are awake, which means on the kitchen table. So I would have to run downstairs, find my material(s), run back upstairs, realize I needed to iron, run downstairs, you get the picture.

3. Winterize the windows. (Sorry, no photo.) Winters in Michigan are cold, especially when you live off of the bay. The windows in this house are old. To save a little money and keep the house draft free I try to put plastic up on the windows. Its that time…



4. Switch over the boys’ clothes. This is pretty simple. The boys have grown too tall for their pants. It is time to switch out the summer clothes, and move the next size in. (I started already, the pile above is the pile that needs a home in their dresser.)

Like I said, not exactly following the rules. But will benefit the family nonetheless.

Do you have any end-of-the-year goals?

DIY Thing 1 and Thing 2 Costumes

Lately I have been feeling spread thin. There have been so many demands, but not enough me. It is so weird to hear myself complain about this, in my younger days I strived on being busy all the time.

Now, as a thirty year old wife and mama I long for a slower pace.

Enough whining.

Growing up, my mom always made our Halloween costumes. (She did a pretty darn good job, too.) She was amazing, we would tell her what we wanted to be, and she would fabricate the perfect costume. (You should see the Ninja Turtle costume she made for my brother, AMAZING!)

Making my kids’ costumes is something I also look forward to every year (even if some years they are simple).

This year the holiday sort of crept up on me. I have been busy with school and other areas of life, I just forgot how close the holiday was. Sunday night I had a mini-breakdown, “I am a horrible mother…I don’t even know what my kids are going to be for Halloween…”

The hubby suggested going to the store and buying a costume. GASP! Can you believe it! What was that man thinking?



Monday I stopped at Wal-Mart on my way home from school. I had to figure a costume out now! (Thinking about it, I bet my family would have appreciated it if I had also figured something out for dinner.)

I found a pattern (I have looked and looked, I cannot find a link to this pattern anywhere) Simplicity Sew Simple 0892 ($0.97). It is actually a bear costume, I just omitted the hood, bow, and footies.

I grabbed three yards of red fleece (at 2.97/yard), two blue hats ($0.87 each) four skeins of blue yarn ($2.97 each) and two pair of red gloves ($0.87 each). I had the notions in my stash. For about $25 this is what I came up with:



I used this tutorial as inspiration for the wig. My sewing machine was not very fond of this method. Instead I looped and stitched (by hand). So sorry I didn’t take pictures along the way, maybe in the future…

I downloaded the logos from here. I printed them on printable fabric (because I had it in my stash), and sewed them on.

I am so glad I decided to use fleece. It was a cold and rainy night for trick-or-treating. The fleece helped keep my little guys dry.

This year was so fun watching the boys figure out Halloween. They were very polite saying, “Trick or treat,” “Thank you,” and “Happy Halloween costume.” Yup, you read that right. Happy Halloween costume, we may need to work on that one…



Anyways, so sorry for being MIA lately. (I still cannot promise regularity.) I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

I’m Still Here…

Hi folks! Its Theresa checking in. Thank you for your kind and encouraging words on my “I need a break” post!

I wasn’t intending on being away for well over a month. But I am glad I took some time.

On that particular day (August 21), we were well into potty training. The boys were doing pretty good actually, peeing in the potty the majority of the time. Number 2 was a different story.

I had been putting them in their room for “quiet time” (because they decided that naps aren’t ‘cool’). I had put a pull-up on the boys, tucked them in, and closed the door. I took a shower (because on this particular day the boys also decided to wake up two hours earlier than normal).

When I stepped out of the shower I heard laughing, giggling, and “POO-POO! POO-POO! POO-POO!”

Upon hearing chants of POO-POO, I dressed as quickly as possible, and ran into their room.

Standing there were my two angelic boys. Proud faces.

Pant-less. No pull-ups. Bare bottom except for chocolate like smears coating their chubby legs. (I’m so sorry. I didn’t react the way a blogger would, I didn’t take a picture.)

Yup. First they had decided to pull every piece of clothing from their dresser. In the meantime they pooped. Then took off their poopy pull-ups. And smeared fecal matter EVERYWHERE.

Take a few days like this (not the same, but similar) + our upcoming life changes (mama being away from home) x fear of ‘how the heck are we going to do this’ = one stressed Mama that needed a break.

Anyways, I am happy to say we are adjusting fairly well. The boys prefer to use the potty (inside, outside is a whole ‘nother story). School is going great. And the hubby has been tremendous, helping with housework, dinners, and giving Mama an empty house to study in.

As you can see, most of our life is settling into place. There is one aspect of my life that is lacking. My sewing machine has been neglected, as well as any other creative hobby I enjoy. I want to need to reconnect with my creative outlets. I’m just not sure how to fit it in. Do I stay up late or get up earlier? Do I set a timer? Write it on a schedule? Wait until an empty slot of time opens up? HELP!

What are your tips, tricks, or methods for fitting your creative outlet into a busy schedule? Please share your secrets!