Lisa Leonard Designs Jewelry GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Check out this giveaway.It's for a fifty dollar gift certificate for custom made jewelry. I would have a hard time choosing only one design.
Lisa Leonard Designs Jewelry GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Before and After

I have wanted a 1920's dressing table for a very long time. I got a really good deal on this one and have had it in storage for five years or so. Unfortunately, the mahogany veneer had been painted white. I know the whole shabby chic thing had been going on, and I do like that look; however, it just doesn't seem practical to me with three kids and two cats. Additionally, the surface of the dresser felt like there was sand in the paint.

To make a long story short, I wanted to bring the dressing table in from the garage. It needed painting,(there is no other choice once the veneer has been painted). I thought that black would be more modern. So began the transformation...

It was an incredible transformation. I think it is so much closer to the look it would have originally had, plus the black seems to hide so many of the imperfections. I finally have the old dressing table I've wanted for so long-for $55 and a can of paint. What a deal!

Thank you Charlie for making it beautiful!

Poppy Boutonniere Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Check out Groisgain for their flower tutorial and givaway. Always great pictures. An idea worth giving a try, though I might try fusing two fabrics together. It would both add interest by using two different fabrics and seal the edges at the same time.

Poppy Boutonniere Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

What Happened to Summer?

I can't believe it has been so long since I've written...The kids are home and summer is over. I would have thought I'd written more while they were gone. Computer problems fixed. A surprise move done. Unpacking and organizing nearly completed, except for toys and books. Looks like my sewing studio will have to be set up in the garage again. It doesn't seem to be as hot or cold as the last one, plus there are walls I can paint...

The new house is surrounded by rosebushes! I'm so thrilled at the thought of fresh roses in my so long unused vases. I need to spend a couple of hours pruning the dead roses. Maybe after I take the kids to school and before I go to work today. Speaking of that, it is almost time to wake them...so much for a peaceful quiet morning I've been enjoying reading my new issue of MaryJanesFarm.

The Hair Cut

After my youngest son's graduation from kindergarten, we headed to his Aunt's work for a haircut. He had been talking about this for weeks.

Did I mention he wanted a mohawk? Don't forget the color; green!

That would be green for him, blue for his brother and pink streaks for his sister. It's summer. Why not?

Albert, Adam, and Phoebe with their Aunt Amy all smiles about their summer hairdos.

One Hour Skirt

Yesterday I linked a post from Grosgrain about a twenty minute skirt tutorial. I thought about it during the day...when I got home I hit my stash of fabric. First of all my skirt took me about an hour to make for a couple of reasons. I didn't use my serger. I had to sew a narrow hem as my selvage was printed on one side with designer information. I also used about two yards of fabric, because I thought the flirty fabric of the skirt would look cuter if the skirt was fuller.

It was a fabulous and quick no-pattern project. I finished in about an hour. It was fun making something so quickly...especially when I have been working on my neighbors cushion covers lately.

I would absolutely use this method to quickly make skirts for my ten year old daughter.

I also have a time saving tip, I remembered in the middle of the night last night, for serger users. In the tutorial she serged the upper edge of the fabric and then folded it down and sewed with her sewing machine. If you fold your casing down and then fold in back to the right side of the fabric(like an accordion fold), and run the three layers through the serger, you have encased the edges and sewn the casing in one step.

More pictures to certainly come. I've been thinking about skirts all morning. I also have an idea for a similar project to make a tube top!!

Twenty minute Simple Skirt Tutorial AND GIVEAWAY!!!!

A great tutorial. A simple skirt anyone could make using a yard of fabric, according to her in twenty minutes. Check it out!

Twenty minute Simple Skirt Tutorial AND GIVEAWAY!!!!