Reclaiming The Home

Sewing School Clothes (with tutorials)

Hello friends!  Its been much too long.  Things have been incredibly busy since Kevin has been on TDY to Ft. Knox.  We have been busy decluttering the house in preparation for the move, which has been such an encouraging thing for me.  I love looking around and feeling less burdened by the clutter, disorganization and an overwhelming amount of stuff.  Don't get me wrong, I can clutter-bug along with the best of them, but it is really refreshing to feel like things are where they should be and its less that I have to worry about.  *whew*.

We have been doing a decluttering challenge over at the Ravelry version of Reclaiming The Home.  If you are not a member of ravelry (or even if you are) feel free to to join us over at the Proboards forums for RTH as well for a decluttering challenge, or just write about your decluttering pursuits on your blog, and link it here so we can see what you're up to.  Photos of my decluttering successes to come soon. :)

A big part of getting everything ready for the busy upcoming months, as well as decluttering the stash, has been sewing up clothes in preparation for the girls to start school in the fall. 

Those of you who know me, know that I much prefer an open-ended tutorial to a rigid pattern, so that is generally what I work from. I find that they allow me a lot more freedom in interpreting things to my own design, and I feel less like I can fail at it, as well, since the instructions are usually pretty open and fluid.

This top for Anna was made using the peasant shirt tutorial over at Just Tutes.  I altered it a bit by not adding elastic to the sleeve. I figured that while things were still warm out it would give a little more ventilation, especially in this humid climate.

(excuse the wrinkles and the grass that needs to be swept.  With hubby gone i've let the yard work go a bit - oops.  Anna was also only sad because she couldn't find her shoes, and wouldn't believe me that they were in the car - which they were - about 2 feet away.  Tears ended instantaneously.)

To go with the shirt I sewed a ruffled skirt to match, from the tutorial over at Grand Revival Design.  I LOVE this tutorial.  I will be making a lot more of these in different girly fabrics soon.  This was my tester, and I used leftover scraps from the march quilt kit to make it.  Because I sold some kits using this fabric, the proceeds more than paid for the fabric so I'm considering the materials for this outfit "free."

Abbi's outfit started with the same peasant blouse tutorial, only I added the elastic to the sleeves this time.  It worked well with this particular fabric (an old, white sheet that I found at a thrift store for 75-cents!). 

The skirt was INCREDIBLY simple.  I bought an old valence for 99-cents.  The lace came pre-attached.  To create the skirt, I simply threaded elastic through the top casing and sewed the two short edges together.  Easy peasy, and now she has a beautiful linen and lace skirt to wear to school.  If you want to make something similar, but don't have a valence, the Twirly Skirt Tutorial over at House on Hill Road is *fabulous*.  We have used that tutorial several times for super-cute skirts for the girls (and will definitely be using it again!)

Total cost of the valence outfit? $1.74.

(oops - more grass to sweep! - sorry)

This outfit was made using a Women's size L tunic that I bought at the thrift store for 75-cents.  It fits about a 4T little girl (isn't she cute??).  The pants were made using sleeves.  Here's my tutorial for sleeve pants, as I did them.
 
The shirt was done without a pattern or tutorial as well.  I will be working on a tute for that coming soon, using the body of the shirt for the fabric, so keep your eyes out!

I also have two other tutorials in the works for clothes I made for Abbi recently, so those will be coming over the next couple days as well.  My hope is that others can feel inspired to make some clothes for the fall, and to not feel overwhelmed by the increasing prices of clothing for our kids, as school starts!  All of the outfits that you see in this post cost a total of $2.49.  One needn't break the bank to dress their children well.

Enjoy, and be sure to let me know if you use the sleeve pants tutorial !  I'd love to see what you do with it!

 

Bloomers Tutorial

1. For short bloomers, cut pillowcase in half.  If using the closed end of the pillowcase, cut open the closed end so that it forms a “tube”

2. Measure your child’s inseam (this would be from the top front of the diaper or undies, through the legs and around to the top back of the diaper or undies on your child).  Take this number of inches and divide it by two.  Then add 2” to that number.  With your fabric laid out flat, using the number of inches that you got from the inseam calculation, measure from the top of your “tube” down on either side edge.  So if you measured 12” at your final calculation you will measure 12” down and mark this with a pin.

3. With your inseam marked on either side, you will need to cut a short bit from the bottom of your tube on the sides, in a line up to the pin.  Do this along the outer edges/seams.  This will determine the crotch/leg areas.  Once you have this part finished, its on to the sewing machine! 

4. If you have a serger, it would be a good time to go around and serge all of the cut edges so that they don’t fray.  If you don’t have a serger, zig-zag stitch the cut edges.  I do have a serger, but for this project am showing it with the zig-zag stitch.   If you prefer, you can iron over a ¼” hem and sew that  over all of the raw edges.  I just prefer this method, as it is faster and usually leaves me with a little more fabric.

5.  Pin the cut bits together that you cut in step 3.  In this step you will be sewing the front & back of the legs together, and giving the bloomers a “crotch” area so to speak.   Please note that you want to make sure that the seam from the pillowcase is on the *outside* at this point.  This will help your seams to all be on the same side of the garment.

When you are finished with sewing this area, it will look like a large pair of shorts.

6. Pin down the top of the “shorts” about 1”.  Sew about ¼ inch from the edge of the fabric, giving you about ¾” pocket.  Make sure that you leave a 1” opening for the elastic to work through because This will be the sleeve that your elastic will go in later.

7. Repeat this with each of the legs as well, making sure to leave an opening for the elastic to come through.

8. Measure your child’s waist (near or just below the belly button, all the way around the waist.  Cut a piece of ½” wide elastic the same size.

9. Measure around your child’s thigh (just below the crotch area, and around the entire thigh.  Cut 2 pieces of ½” wide elastic the same size.

10.  Next you need to feed the elastic through the opening at the waist, and to do this, you will want to clip a safety pin onto one end of the elastic to feed through the sleeve.  Then clip a second safety pin onto the other end of the elastic, and pin it to the fabric just above the opening for your elastic to go through.  This will help your elastic’s “tail” not to get lost inside the tube. You will need to have both ends once you feed it through.

To feed the elastic through the band, push the first safety pin through the opening, scrunching the fabric down over the pin as you go.  With your left hand, hold the tip of the pin.  With your right, gently pull the fabric so that some of the elastic feeds through the sleeve.  Continue this all the way through the sleeve until it comes out the other side, making sure it doesn’t twist.

11. Once the elastic is fed through, pull both ends taught so that you have several inches of elastic on either side.  Once again, make sure that you don’t twist the fabric in this process.   Place the elastic pieces on top of one another about 1” overlapping.

12.  Zig-zag stitch  in 3 different places over the overlapped elastic.  This helps to secure it very strongly so that it remains sturdy and elastic without separating.

13.  To re-insert the elastic into the  sleeve, gently tug on the waist, until all of the elastic is in the sleeve.  Adjust the bunched up fabric until it is fairly even throughout.

14. Using your sewing machine, stitch closed the little opening you used to insert your elastic.

Repeat steps 10-14 for the legs as well

14. Flip inside out, and enjoy your new bloomers!

If you like this tutorial, feel free to use it, and you are also welcome to link to it.  I would absolutely love to see any bloomers that you make using this tute!  It takes at most 90 minutes (if you're photographing and writing instructions along the way).  I would say it takes under an hour in most cases! :)

Enjoy!

**editing to add** - Lisa asked in the comments of THIS POST if I make all of the girls' clothes.  The answer is that I have not made all of them in the past, though I did always have something handmade in their wardrobe.  This year I have a goal of making all of their summer clothing, along with a few select thrifted items (jeans especially). 

I figure I only have a couple of years left where I can dress them however I like, so I'm going to enjoy it while I can, and hopefully it will help them to love handmade clothing too (which is of course not to say that new clothing isn't fun and super-cute - this is just something I personally really enjoy).

Big News!

Here at Reclaiming the Home big things have been going on behind the scenes.  The needles have been knitting, the sewing machine has been sewing, and bits of craftiness are showing up everywhere around the house, here and there.  Because of my cold, the only cooking that has gone on was done by the infamous Mr. Rose with some buffalo cheese dip that he was quite proud of.  I'll have to ask him for the recipe so that I can share it soon!

The big news though, comes in the form of the new public Reclaiming The Home forum! 

My goal for the forum is to be a community of people who care about their homes and the gentle home arts.  There will be tutorials, resources, and information that will help us all to learn to be better Reclaimers, while providing incentive and motivational games in a fun atmosphere where we share our love of the home with one another. 

It is a place of friendship that welcomes people from all walks of life, where we all get to be ourselves, get to know one other better, support each other, and share our joys as well as our sorrows.  You don't have to be a mother, a wife, or stay at home to enjoy homemaking.

I know you will find real community here, grow friendships, build each other up, learn new things, and just enjoy hanging out at the forum.

If you have a moment, stop on by and take a look. There is so much to be found there and so much more to come, including a big surprise event for all of the forum members that will begin within the week! 

This idea has been in the works for some time, and I am so pleased to say, has finally come to fruition.  So many people were involved in its creation.  A big thank you to Caitlin, Pam, Diane, Audrey, Rachel, Robyn, Danna, and SO many more lovely women who helped to make this part of my dream a reality!

Fresh Air and Green Things

It has been unusually warm here, getting up over 90*F yesterday, and that has left us all wanting to get out and enjoy some of the fresh air before it becomes so hot that our only outside experiences are running from the house to the car in search of air conditioning.   In Oklahoma spring usually lasts about a week before the blistering heat comes in and takes over.  We have been enjoying the pretty weather while it lasts by spending a good portion of our days playing outside in the yard.  The little ones are especially enjoying Spring's brief interlude into our lives, asking for "ou-siiigh?" every chance they get and being reciprocated with a resounding "sure! lets go play!" at nearly every opportunity.

Being outside so much this week has made me want to start the seedlings for the garden.  I'm a little later this year than I usually am, but I'm not too worried.  Autumn lasts just about as long as spring and usually doesn't show up until the end of November, so we probably have a little more time for harvesting at the end of the season than most areas do. 

I'm thinking of starting a paper gardening & sketch journal for this year.  I have some ideas in the works for how I'd want it to look, since I am going to be making it.  I always wonder if others do things like that, or if its one of those "Kristin's dreaming again" things.  Anyone else journal their gardening experiences?

Chalkboard, Pillowcase Shirt, and Twirly Skirt Goodness

I have been truly enjoying all of the submissions so far for the Grand Giveaway!  You all have such fun ideas for names, and such interesting stories about what you named your own cars.  Thank you so much to those of you who have joined in on the contest, and for those of you who have not done so yet, be sure to pop on over and put in your entry by Friday!

Sadly, with the sun shining through the windows on to all the laundry waiting for me to fold it up, I simply can't spend much time here today.  (Secretly I love the soft feel of clothes all cozy warm from the dryer, and the smell of fresh laundry!) 

Before I run off to fold however, I did want to share some creative goodness that I whipped up last night while the babooshkas were sleeping.

This cute little chalkboard was picked up at the thrift for 59-cents!  A quick coat of paint and a little personalization and it is now a great sign that will be hung by vintage ribbon next to the girls' bedroom door.

This cute little outfit took a total of 90 minutes to plan, cut out, and sew.  I didn't use a pattern really.  I did use the tutorial for the twirly skirt from House on Hill Road as a guide for the skirt (though I altered it a bit).  The top is based off of the basic pillowcase dress, only shorter and with a little added trim. 

What is even better is the fact that this entire outfit cost less than $2 since those fabrics were snagged off of the discount table at the fabric store!

I am also going to be stalking Sew, Mama, Sew for the Girl's Clothes Tutorial Round-Up, and the Boy's Clothes Tutorial Round up (friendly stalking of course)!   Such cute, fun, and easy ideas to help me in my destashing efforts!!

What crafts do you do?  Sew?  Paint?  Knit?  I'd love to hear it!  Also - what projects do you love to do to help destash a bit?

Much to Tell

Lots has been going on here in the Rose household!  I have been doing a lot of reclaiming, in many, many different ways.   Come on in for a visit, grab a warm cup of coffee, and I'll get the cookies.  Feel free to pick up your knitting if you like.  Won't bother me a bit.

The past week has been a big one for us.  While there hasn't been a defining moment so-to-speak, I would definitely say that the events of this week have helped to define some deep parts of me.  Its helped me to focus on what is important, and to continue moving forward with ideas and plans for my future.

To start the week off, the mister went out to the field to work all week.  For those of you not associated with the Army, in military terms "the field" refers to on-location work, literally out in the middle of the wilderness, practicing missions.  Being with such an active unit is a wonderful thing for Hubby, and his recent promotion has given him a new role and perspective of the Army.  As always, the kids and I are incredibly proud of him and all that he does.  He continues to amaze me every day with everything that he is able to accomplish and do. 

He and I are so different in so many ways, with him loving working outside in the heat and the dirt with big mechanical equipment that makes things explode... and me working indoors with the children, my sewing machine and small kitchen appliances.  Still, at the end of the day we come together to form this amazing complimentary team.  It boggles my mind, and I find myself reflecting on my blessings in him, and in the relationship we have had together over the past ten years.  Yes, I am one lucky woman.  In any case, its wonderful to have him home again.

While hubby has been gone, I have been busy planning my garden (this photo is of last year's seedlings).  He said that before long he will build me a few Square Foot Garden plots for my organic veggie garden!  I am so excited.  In late March I can start planting outdoors, so I am going to be starting my seedlings in a few weeks.  I'm also hoping to add a gate to completely fence in the side of our house so that we can get chickens this spring.  More to come on that later!

The kids have been on a fruit kick (which I love for several reasons, not the least of which is that its very easy to fix, and healthy to boot).  Still, even with all the extra vitamin C, the poor chillins have come down with the flu, and have spent the majority of the day today in their pajamas, snuggling and watching their favorite movies, or reading books. 

Besides getting in as many snuggles as possible, I've been busy finishing up some crafty goodness.  I've added a few items to The Shop, and am sending out several packages for orders tomorrow.  I've been amazed at how the Amore Quilt Kits have gone so quickly, and how much people are loving them.  It just makes my heart smile to share some creative goodness with others who find it fun as well. There are only a couple left if you were wanting one, and unfortunately this is one item that wont be restocked once they're gone.

We've also been busy this week handling some medical stuff going on.  Many of you know from our conversations over at Ravelry, that our beloved little retriever, Buddy had to make an emergency trip to the vet this week (that's him above, helping me pick out fabrics). He was in severe pain on Wednesday night, and I couldn't get the emergency vet on call to return my messages.  First thing Thursday morning the kids and I trucked him over to Sheridan Road Veterinary Clinic (a different clinic than the one that would not call me back all night).  The vet was wonderful with him, gave him a thorough examination, and helped us all to stay at ease.  He was even patient and understanding about my oldest, Abbi, having a total meltdown for the majority of time that we were there (its tough for her, sensory wise). 

Thankfully, it turned out that there were no fractures or internal injuries.  He was experiencing what we believe is the onset of a tough bout of canine arthritis.  The vet put him on pain medication to see if it would help, and it really has made a big big difference for him. He's still tender and sore, but acting much more like himself. Hopefully the medication will help this to become more manageable for him.

Lastly, this weekend is my birthday (on Sunday), and as a present to myself (and partially from the amazing Hubster as well), I upgraded my photography equipment to a new Nikon D-80!  It arrived today, along with my new lenses, flash, tripod, and accessories.  I am loving it so far!

That said, I will probably not be around much this weekend between playing with my new equipment, and celebrating another year of life with family and friends. 

I hope you all have a MARVELOUS weekend, and that you enjoyed your visit, and your coffee this time around.  See you next week!

New Look, New Crafts, New Kits!

Reclaiming the home is partially about the ways we bring joy and beauty into our homes with our own two hands.  In celebration of this act of love, I have redecorated the blog!  The color scheme and banner are both based upon our first Reclaiming The Club Kit! 

The kit will give you enough fabric to make a mini or doll sized quilt in the pattern of your choosing.  It will include 18 strips of fabric 9x2", backing fabric, quilt binding, and batting!  The only thing you will need to provide is a needle, thread, and a quiet corner to sit and stitch. 

I decided to go with a very simple patchwork design using this month's kit, but you could use any number of patterns, or even just create something totally unique and your own!  I will include instructions on how to create a patchwork quilt like this one with the kit!  Also with the pattern instructions, I will include tips for those who may be new to quilting and want to try it out.  A mini quilt is a great starter project, and also so much fun for those with more experience!

The kit will be available in The Shop within the week, so be watching for an announcement!  A surprise contest will also be posted that day for those who receive Reclaiming Club Kit, so there will be lots of fun ahead!

Drop a line sometime, and leave a comment if you like!  I always love to hear what you all think, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have too! :)

WIP's, Trades, and Treasures

Quilting is one of my favorite crafts. 

I have been quite obsessed lately with the beautiful images I've found all across Flickr, and have been busy creating bits and pieces for the girls' bedroom based on some of that wonderful inspiration!

Here's a quick peek at a quilting piece (or is that pieces!) that I'm working on for some extra girly decor... Completed photos will appear later this week!! :)  I'm also working on putting together some kits (not all girly), along with in-depth tutorials for everyone from advanced to beginners. :)  Lots of fun ahead!

As a part of this quilting binge I've been on, I decided to visit our local quilt shop, The Quilting Bee.  I got some GORGEOUS quilting thread.  I know... you're thinking "its thread.  get over it..." but seriously!!! Its gorgeous :)  I cant wait to have an excuse to use it.  If I could get this thread anywhere else in town, I would... but for now, its my only source.

I also came away with a LOVELY bunch of fabric scraps.  The Quilting Bee offers a huge bin of fabric scraps that patrons can browse through and fill a plastic baggie as full as they can for the whopping cost of $5.  While that may not be the best deal as far as yardage is concerned, it is PERFECT for small quilts, accents, trims, etc.  Its the virtual Whitman's Sampler of the fabric world.  Swoon!

After leaving The Quilting Bee, I decided to go to JoAnn's for the bulk of my fabric shopping.  I am on a "stash diet" (*ahem* scraps don't count), except for items that are for other people.  I am making a quilt for my dear friend Debra, and needed to get some fabrics to make it work exactly the way I'm hoping....  These were what spoke to me as I waded through the aisles and aisles of beautiful fabrics...

Outside of the crafty part of my world, and back into the real-life homemaking part of my world, I thought I'd share one of my tips/tricks that helps me out a LOT day-to-day.  I try to make our own "fast food" so that we don't go out to eat very much.  I focus on easy items unless I'm feeling particularly creative and happen to have a chunk of time on my hands.  Tonight, I decided to whip up a classic that my mom used to make for my brother and I when we were kids.  Sandwich-in-a-bowl.  YUP! 

I know, I know... not the most appetizing photo on the planet.  But trust me.  YUM!  I snapped this straight out of the fridge in a rush to get back to blogging (I'm on a roll tonight!). 

Basically, I just made chicken salad sandwiches.  You can use any type of sandwich you like - ham and cheese, PB&J, Tuna, whatever strikes your fancy. Then you just slice it into little finger-sandwiches and layer them in a Tupperware container or bowl.  When you get the hungries, just reach in and grab a couple!  They make a much healthier snack than potato chips, are easy to pack for a snack-on-the-road, and even work in a pinch for a rushed dinner if you throw in a piece of fruit or a salad.  Instant hit!

I also like to sneak in some fruits & veggies in these sandwiches since my kids LOVE to eat sammies but dont like their produce quite as much.  For this particular sandwich I included finely chopped apples.  I also like to include chopped up grapes, but didn't have any this time around!  They add just a bit of a crunch (but have the same color as the chicken, so it doesn't stand out) and add just a hint of sweet, which works wonderfully with the salty chicken & mayo!  Yum!

If you want to try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & let me know what you think!!

Chicken Salad:

~1 Lg. can of chicken
~2 Tbs. light mayonaise
~2 Tbs. dijon mustard
~1 Tbs sweet pickle relish
~1/2 apple, chopped finely
~1/2 cup chopped grapes (optional - and yes - its VERY good!!)

Mix well and you're done :)  yummy!

Holiday Hoopla

About this time of year it really settles in on me that the holidays are just around the corner.   My mom and my husband both just celebrated their birthdays and for me that means it is time to start prepping for Christmas as I have never prepped before. 

I'm working hard to have a handmade Christmas this year.  We have agreed to get a few new things that we need, like underwear, and some things for the house.  The kids may get a couple of books or movies.  But 99% of what we do this Christmas is going to be from our own two hands. 

I've been gradually working my way through the gift list that I made up a few months ago, but there is still a lot left to go.  With a little elbow grease, and some Christmas music I know I can get it done in no time flat. 

I don't have any photos to show from this past week because I have been down with the flu, but I will update with some that are waiting on my camera just as soon as I get a chance.

In the mean time, here's a photo of a dress I refashioned for my daughter last spring.  It is one of my favorite refashions.  When I took this photo I hadn't yet trimmed off some of the threads, so my apologies for that.  Hopefully you can get the idea from this photo though. 

Blessings!