Inspiration Wednesday – Clever Bill

I know I showed you guys yesterday all those great old book I scored, but I just had to share this one especially. I’m so inspired by children’s books, both the illustrations and the stories, and I thought perhaps this special book might inspire you guys, too.

This book, as you can see, is called Clever Bill and is written and illustrated by the great William Nicholson. It was originally printed in 1926, but this book is a reprinting from 1977.

It is a wonderfully humorous story about a little girl, Mary who gets a letter from her Aunt inviting her to come visit. In her haste, and desire to pack all of her favorite possessions, she forgets to pack Clever Bill.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil the ending. Let’s just say its a quirky and happy ending.

I love that the story is written in cursive and the illustrations are out of this world good. Not to mention the fact that we’ve all been that girl trying to cram all of our treasured belongings into a bag only big enough to fit 2 dresses and a pair of shoes.

I’m going to have to search out another one of Nicholsons’ great books, The Pirate Twins next. BTW, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned my latest blog crush – Vintage Kids’ Book My Kids Love.  If you like vintage kids books, this is one not to miss. I’m thinking of sharing more of my, I mean the girls‘, collection of vintage children’s book with you guys in the future. What are some of your favorites?

Vintage Shopping Healed Me!

Not really. I actually still feel like at least 4 of the seven dwarfs, but shopping at two of my favorite thrifty spots certainly made me Happy. Hey! Happy makes five!

First off, the girls and I ventured out to the Knittn’ Kitten, Portland’s own vintage fabric store. It doesn’t get much better than this. While they played hide and seek with the enormous stuffed rabbit in the front entrance, I perked up out of my Dayquil haze long enough to spot some killer vintage lace and sequined “fancy” fabrics. I want to try to make some princess/fairy dresses reminiscent of this. If you are looking for a good tutorial for dress up skirts and want to help out a good cause, check this out.

I also found this super cute apron which I want to turn into a purse, a ribbon that would make a great guitar strap, some funky yellow and black zebra print for who knows what and a cute dress pattern that fits up to size 20! Love the vintage plus size patterns and I’m determined to do more pattern sewing in the future.

I got some great vintage cottons (the one on the bottom right is seersucker). I’m loving the turtles!

And these two terrific fat quarters for $1 each. Next I packed the girls up and we drove a little further on NE Glisan to stop at the Dollar Book store.  I picked up 27 books for $30. What a steal! And they’re all in great condition. These are just a few of the ones we got.

At least now I’ve got something to read and daydream about while I’m lying around covered in wet tissues. Fingers crossed that tomorrow I feel better!

Ah-choo!

Other than braid my hair to keep the sneezes out of it, I haven’t done anything crafty in a few days. I’d been fighting a spring cold for a few weeks now and finally lost.

One nice thing is this cutie Emily Martin pin that my 5 year old bought for me to let me know that I’m loved and that she is sorry I’m feeling bad. What could be sweeter?! I’m a proud Mama even if I am under the weather.

Hope your Monday is going better than mine and I’ll be back as soon as I can with some exciting news. Stay tuned!

Getting Back Into the Swing with Spring

We’ve had very sunny weather the last two days in Portland. Yay! So I’ve been inspired to get some fun spring sewing done. Yesterday, I made this little dress for Q out of green polka dot fabric and a vintage floral calico. She looks like such a little lady in it. I’m totally loving this style.

I  made PZ a little romper out of the same fabrics. I don’t usually do the matchy-matchy thing, but I had just enough of both of these fabrics and I figured one of the girls might not like it and I’d just sell it. Nope. They both want to keep their new outfits. Who am I to argue!? (Ignore the messy living room. I did mention it was both nice AND I’ve been sewing, right?)

I made this dress today with this great tribute to Tammis Keefe fabric from Michael Miller. Love, Love, Love this fabric! I got it at Cool Cottons and several others from the same line. I think I’ve pretty much perfected this dress now. I’m finally starting to feel like I can just sit down and sew cute clothes without too much trouble. Of course a dress like this one isn’t TOO terribly difficult, but more than I could have done last year, so I’m happy!

I’m thinking of maybe doing a tutorial for either the dress or the romper. Any opinions? Interest? Let me know! If you are needing a push to getting some spring sewing of your own done check out Spring Top Week for selfish sewing or Elsie Marley‘s Kid’s Clothes Week Challenge for sewing for your kiddos.

Project 52: Show and Tell – Weeks 14

Project 52: Show and Tell – Every week I’ll post a piece of artwork or something handmade from either one or both of my girls. By the end of year, creating a calendar of their work should be a snap. If you want to join in the fun on your own blog, please just link back to this page. I’ve also started a flickr group where non-bloggers and bloggers alike should feel free to post their kids’ artwork.

Week 14 – painting by Quinby (2) from school

Pillowcase Nightgown

This has been a crazy week. I’ve been fighting a cold since Tuesday and literally haven’t done anything since then. Luckily I finished this cute little nightgown for PZ on Monday evening. She’s been wearing it all week and I really need to get a picture of her in it.

She had asked me to make her a nightgown because baby sister has one I got at the resale shop by Mini Boden. She wanted it to have yellow roses on it. As fate would have it, I just happened to snag this pillowcase at a rummage sale last summer and see this tutorial a few weeks ago. Kismet I tell you!

In other news… I just bought a serger! I’m so excited for it to get here. I’ve been thinking about getting one for what seems like forever and I just took the plunge! Now I’ll be able to do all those cool repurposed t-shirt tutorials I’ve been drooling over. Yay!

Inspiration Wednesday – Cardboard Creations

Anthropologie holiday catalog

Liya Mairson’s Pop-Up Cardboard Playhouse

Giant Cardboard Robot Arms

Oliver’s Cardboard Box Train Party

Chris Gilmour microscope

Lisa Fontanarosa Lion Crib

Strode College’s Art & Design Department student project

Must Make Monday – Cardboard

Last week I spotlighted some great tutorials for upcycling your vintage sheets. Now let’s look at your recycling bin for all the cardboard you’ve been tossing and see all the cool things we can make.

LIEr from ikat bag gives a wonderfully detailed tutorial on how to use cardboard as a building material. She then goes on to list 3 dozen different toy ideas to make once you’re ready, the boomerang and car are included. Terrific!

maya*made has some really great cardboard tutorials, too. Check out her cardboard easel and milk carton art caddy, (I’ll have to put that book on my look for list!), and her children’s table and chairs made from her own design.

Robert Maher, whom you may recognize from such greats at MaherDrygoods.com and the Junior Society, has done these wonderful crafts for Cuties mandarin oranges. This doll bed is adorable and now I wish I’d saved more of my Cuties boxes. Next year!

Joel Henriques of madebyjoel is another one of my favorite crafty gentlemen and he does lots of cool cardboard toys, like these cat and dog box pull toys and this imaginative marionette.

If you are still looking for more things to do to reduce that cardboard pile by reusing it into something fantastic, especially for your kiddos, check out The Crafty Crow‘s cardboard section. Pretty grand! Enjoy and try not to get a paper cut, will ya!

 

Industrious Emily

I got thirty two sandwich bags completed this weekend. Feeling like I’m living up to my name (Emily = industrious). I let the girls choose one each and I’ll take the other thirty to Piccolina (both the Clinton and the Woodstock stores) tomorrow. If you are looking for a fun Easter goody bag or some picnic bags as we head into the spring season, you’ll know where to find them.

Naughty Knit or My First Refashion for the Month

I don’t sew with knits. I have a walking foot that I bought awhile ago so I could start sewing knits, but I can’t figure out how to attach it properly to my machine. In truth, I’m not even sure I bought the right one for my machine! Anyhoo, enough of my absurdity. I didn’t even use the aforementioned walking foot on this project. Just jumped right in and made a mess of things.

I saw this little tutorial over at Make It and Love it (Ashley always has such great tutorials and ideas. I’m a follower. ), on the same day that I just happened to buy a “boring” orange tee shirt for PZ at the resale shop. After sitting on it for a few months, I finally dragged the shirt out of my HUGE repurpose pile on Wednesday night and set to work. I tried sewing the skirt onto the knit shirt 3 times and this is the best I could get. My fix is the ribbon belt also a repurposed item. It once was a bow on a present many moons ago.

Not my best work, but I still think its pretty cute. Orange and stripes and hearts – what’s not to love?!? I hadn’t sewn anything since getting back from Hawaii and it was nice to work in my newly cleaned studio. That is until I got to the naughty knit part. Anyone out there with help on the walking foot front I’d love to hear from you! Otherwise I think I’m headed back to the store next week to get some advice.