Gingercake

Crib Skirt and Quick Bedding Makeover

When Elsie was born eight and a half years ago, my mom made me a beautiful crib skirt.  It was fully lined with a tiny print floral fabric that I chose.  At my old house, I decorated the entire nursery around this fabric- the wall color, the dresser color, the curtains.  I still love that skirt but this time around I am going for a more casual look. 

Sorry for all the wrinkles.  My other 3 kids have discovered that below the crib is an awesome place to hang out, read and have secret clubs.  Since I am officially PAST my due date now, I will not be taking apart the crib to iron the skirt again!

I created the chevron by cutting this sheet pictured below on the bias in 6" strips.  I had to figure out that one side had to be from one end of the sheet and the other from the other end of the sheet- like a make a parallelogram.  I only used 1/2 of a twin sheet but I felt like there was lots of waste!  I removed the solid piece and the trim from the sheet and basted them on to finish the look.  The skirt is lined like a curtain- meaning the lining is not as wide as the exterior piece so it folds nicely behind.

I bought the sheet at the thrift store for $2!

I added some classic Gingercake pillows to the crib for photos!  These are actually the big girls' pillows and that ducky quilt was mine when I was a baby.  The bumper and gingham crib sheet are from my old crib bedding.  I switched out the ties on the bumper with ties made from scraps of the skirt- already cut on the bias!

So not super fancy but sweet and I have been wanting to make my own chevron for awhile!  Like these awesome ladies did here and here.  This was a challenge since the stripes are not uniform, but I like the effect and feel like it was worth all the brain exercise.

Alrighty kind readers and friends- send me your "go into labor" thoughts and prayers so we can meet this girl!  I would love not to be induced again (althought that is not really a big deal).  I do have some other things to share on the blog (like did you notice that pretty crocheted blanket on the crib in the first photo?) but they can wait until after she is born so help me get this baby going!!!

 

 

Postings and Plans

Yeah!  I just finished posting all my vintage linens in my gingercake shop.  That baby is sorely neglected since I love to thrift but don't really love to list.  I don't know why- etsy has made listing a LOT easier.  It's just all those dang tags!!!  Etsy shop ladies know what I am talking about- right??

These 2 awesome pillowcase sets sold quickly!

I just read this excellent post on thrifting if any of you are interested.  A great read and really good tips.  It is true that small town thrifting can be A LOT more successful especially for vintage sheets and retro finds.  Cute kid clothing?  Not so much.

Cal is a great companion at the thrift shop although I admit that my time is pretty short.  Another reason I rarely go into the clothing section- he just doesn't have the patience.  Once he has found his .50 cent truck/ army man/ sword/ tractor, he is ready to go!  But I have plenty of time to cruise through the sheets, crafts & knick knacks.

Here are 3 adorable 40s/ 50s apron patterns I found some months ago~

If only I looked that cute in an apron!  And here is some amazing fabric that I thinking about making an apron from.  I have 10 yards of this fabric!!

The fabric actually came from another vendor when Karen and I did the Fleatique last summer.  It was her mother's and although I wish I could use it myslef, it is just not going with my turquoise, yellow & red thing I have going on in my kitchen.  

I also regularly find bunches of rick rack, elastic, bias tape, and fabric that I use for trials and kids clothes.  What about you?  Are you visting your thrift store?  

My VERY BEST FIND EVER were these 2 chairs that I realize I never shared here...

Those are 2 original Charles Eames/ Herman Miller chairs.  I bought them for $2 each about a year ago.  I knew they were valuable but not until I got home and looked up their history did I actaully feel guilty for paying so little for them.  

Honestly, Cal and I usually find a whole lotta nothing at the thrift store but some days seem to be non stop treasure!!  Check out my shop if you are interested in any of these items (ahem- not the chairs though!).

Lastly, next week I am going to try the Kids Clothing Week Challenge again!  Who wants to join?  I need to make some PJ pants, shorts and simple dresses.  NOTHING fancy- just a couple of easy useful things that I have been putting off and need to be done!

 

Doily Skirt

Last night when instead of making dinner I made this skirt for Anne.  Yes, they got dinner- just kinda late!  The lovely Kelle Boyd of AnnKelle sent me this pretty corduroy 1/2 yard back when I did the handmade holidays series with her.  I realized that it is February and I needed to use the fabric before spring!

I used this website makeagif to make this GIF.  Sorry if it is making you kinda ill to look at it but I thought it was fun and super duper easy if you want to try.  The kids are crazy for it!  

The pocket on Anne's skirt is a thrifted doily that I got for $.25.  I sewed it on and left the top unsewn.  It gaped naturally so I folded it down and tied a ribbon bow to finish it off.  Cute I think.

This skirt is made the super simple way- take a 1/2 yard of fabric and make a tube.  Hem the bottom, cut to the length you want on your girl plus 2" for the elastic casing.  Make the casing and add elastic.  Voila!

Thank you Kelle for such cute fabric!  

Sheets Quilt- Finally Accomplished!

When I ripped up all my sheets awhile back, I did it to sell the bundles in my shop but also so that I could make a quilt for Anne's bed with all their soft and pretty glory. 

This was my first full bed size quilt.  Once I started it, I was on a mission to finish.  That is a a quality about me that is both a blessing and a curse- it probably would have been nice to do a little, put it aside and make something else, then come back for a little more.  From what I read on other blogs, this is how most people do their quilting.  But I worked on it for days and got it DONE.

Anne and I looked through some simple quilt pattern tutorials and she chose this Plus quilt by Jeni of In color Order.  She does a great job with her directions.  I wish that I had made it a little longer but it is great for now.  Anne loved the plus idea since she likes numbers so much (like all Kindergarteners!).  She likes tracing out the plus signs over and over again.

I did the backing with 20 eighteen inch squares of sheets.  I liked the thought of the the plus sign patterns showing through on the back.  It turned out really pretty.

  I ordered some pretty fabric from Amy's shop for the binding but my impatience to be finished took over and I did a cheater binding.  Now I get to use my new fabric for something else!

The size of my backing fabric gave me about 5" overhang on all sides so I cut it down to 2" and ironed it back toward the back.  I stitched this down with my machine with about a 1/4" seam allowance.  Then I ironed it back toward the front and double folded it under.  I wanted it to look like binding on both sides.

The corners are not perfect but turned out pretty good.  I just folded the corner in the front to make it look like a mitered corner.  I need to hand sew the corner down though so it doesn't come unraveled with washing!  I figured I could easily take it off and do a real binding later if I ever feel the need.

Anne loves the quilt.  She loves looking at the plus pattern and she loves all the colors.  Nothing muted for this girl!  She calls it rainbow colors.  I like how it feels like a family heirloom already- soft and sweet.  Now I need to make a matching sham to finish the look!

The penguin will do for now!   Are you ready to try a quilt?  Seems like quilters can't get enough of their craft.  I am not totally sold since it is such a long and involved process.  I wanted to try though- it's important to flex your crafty muscles, don't you think?  I did flex some muscles moving all this fabric around and cutting out all these squares!  

PLUS, now I know I can make a quilt :)  What's on your list to try?

 

Winter Bag and New Projects

Don't forget to leave a comment to win a bundle of vintage sheet fabric from my last post!  I will be choosing the winner tomorrow!

I have to admit that I messed up that cute bag I made from a skirt a while ago.  I lined it with duck cloth but didn't have the lining go all the way to the top so when I added my magnetic snap (after the photo shot and blog post)  the whole thing bunched up and looked sloppy.  Yack!!!  I know I should have gone back and fixed it, but I decided to try something different instead.

The fabric is from another thrifted wool blend skirt.  I used Noodle Head's pattern 241 Tote.  I bought it back when she released it and now finally got around to making it!  I like to try patterns from other people.  It helps me to learn new techniques and I know I will get a finished product in a few hours.  The pattern is nice and easy and I love those side pockets!  She did a great job on the pattern.

The skirt was a-line and with a cute tie.  I couldn't resist adding that tie to my bag.   I like the extra interest it adds.  I also made the handle with 1" D rings so that it could be adjustable to be across the body.  Sometimes I like to wear my bag like that when I am with my kids at a museum or some kind of crowded place.  I should have measured!! It is too short to fit well across my body!  I still like the look and I made this a cute loop to hold the extra strap length down.

This dark purse using my recyled fabrics may be a creative reaction to all those bright new fabrics I used for my shows!   I really needed to work on something that was just for me and not think about if someone would want to buy it.

I am also working on a little bit of embroidery which I have been anxious to try for a long time.  I found this sweet template at (yes!  you guessed it!) the thrift store.

It's pretty big- like maybe 14" by 14".  I am thinking it will make a really pretty throw pillow.  I am going to have to really perfect the french knots that I have had trouble with in the past!   It's sweet to work on something a little bit at a time.  I usually like to get a project done as soon as I begin so this will be good for me to take my time for once!  

What are you working on for yourself?  

Months of Vintage Pillowcases and Sheets no longer collecting dust

I finally got all my pillowcases and sheet sets listing in my vintage linens etsy shop!  It had been sorely neglected although I was still shopping at the thrift store and estate sales every few weeks but these babies were just piling up in the corner of my closet.  I love how they all look together listed in the shop...

Go get some good deals if you are a pillowcase lover!  

I edited these in picnik a few weeks ago.  I usually use iphoto or photoshop elements but I wanted to try picnik since I heard it was easy for editing a bunch of photos at once.  It was nice!  Simple too.  I would certainly recommend it if you are uncomfortable with PSE and want to get nicer, brighter photos.  PSE is still much better for making a single special picture look great but picnik works really well for doing a bunch at once and brightening a batch of pictures.

I still have a few more to add and hopefully I won't wait months to do it!  Do you have a fun project to share that uses vintage sheet fabric?  I am thinking about making fabric banners with the leftovers from my sheet ripping day.  I think they will look so sweet hanging around the girls room!  Leave a comment with a project you would do and I will choose one winner to get a sheet bundle from my shop!

Those bundles make me so happy!  I can't wait to hear your ideas!  I'll choose a winner from the comments on Friday November 18th, 2011.  Thanks friends!

How I spent my day...(and the winner!)

Cal now goes to preschool on Tuesday and Thursday.  My husband drives him and I go pick him up.  He will usually also nap on the afternoon of one of these days.  With the girls in school all day, this new schedule means almost a WHOLE DAY (kinda) to work on my own projects!  Today I made this stack...

I have been collecting vintage sheets all spring and summer and not getting around to listing them in my vintage etsy shop.  I really want to redecorate the girls' room with vintage sheets- patchwork quilts and curtains.   This project is some months away but today was the day to wrangle all these sheets into usable pieces.

I followed the instructions here.  That girl can handle her sheets!  And look at the tutorials over there!   Any who, tearing up, cutting & folding these sheets took my whole day.  And now my arms are sore!  It was worth it to see these stacks though.

This is WAY more than I can use so I am planning on putting them in the vintage shop tomorrow.  I was hoping to get it all done today- rip em up and list em but all that cutting took up more time than I planned.  I think I will just mix them together to give sheet lovers a nice mix with maybe 10 to a bag? 

Now for the winner of Vanessa's convertible clutch pattern!  It is #4 

That is so funny Stephanie!  I love to wear stripy or argyle knee socks under my jeans too.  I like to see them peek out under there when I sit down.  Now that Stephanie and I have bonded over our sock love... check the shop tomorrow for a cute bundle of vintage sheet pieces.  I also have a tutorial in the works for all the long strips of hems that I tore off!

 

Transformation

I keep looking at these bags on etsy.  Today I finally made my move to make my own version.  The weather was rainy this morning and now it is cool and crisp like fall outside.  I am not rushing into winter but seasons changing is nice in so many ways- bring out your sweaters and your boots and all that good stuff.

This large tweedy wool skirt that I bought last year seemed like the perfect candidate for a transformation.

I originally thought I would be able to take the skirt and tailor it to fit me but since it has been a year and no tailoring has been done (seriously, when would I wear a skirt like this?  To pick up my son at preschool?).  Well, today it became this...

Nice, huh?  I like how classic it is and the wool was wonderful and forgiving to work with.  I used the dimensions of Ikat's bag in her description and although I love that big flap she has, this design worked better with what I had.  I only wish I could take photos on the streets of Paris like she does!   Do you want to see a picture of me wearing it to pick up my 4 year old at preschool in the suburbs?  That could probably be arranged...

Fern Hollow Vintage

My friend Karen and I have been planning to do a booth at our local fleatique.  It's a bit flea market and a bit antique market.  I think I have said this before on the blog, but one of the things about living in Western PA is that the population is older AND they have lived in the same home most of their lives.  If you are into funky sixties and seventies vintage, this is a great place to scour the thrift stores and estate sales.

Karen and I have a gardening business together called Fern Hollow Gardening and Design.   This was originally created to get us out of the house when our kids were really little.  We would garden for a couple people for only about 4 or 6 hours a week.  It was so nice to get out of the house for grown up time and make a little extra money.  Now it has changed into this new endeavor- Fern Hollow Vintage!  Tomorrow is our first time with a booth at the Fleatique.  

We have been busy setting up our booth the last couple of days.  I can't believe how much cool stuff we have gathered over the last few months!  

Karen has a great knack for seeing things.  She is really a better shopper than me- especially since I just head over to the linens section right away!!!  She found most of the items in the pictures above.  We spent the morning spray painting and sprucing up some of our "treasures" the other day.  Here are a few of our favorites...  

Did anybody's Grandma have one of these Cosco stool/ step ladder in their kitchen?  Mine did!  Karen found this one of course.  They are so fun for a make over- just spray paint and make simple fabric covers.  We use ours all the time- just make sure that you make covers that can be removed and washed!

This chair above was in a corner of Karen's basement (she lives in a farm house that was once her grandparents).  We removed the seat, cleaned the wood with Old English and then just stapled fabric to the seat bottom.  The side table had an ugly , chipped finish on it so we sanded it down a little and then spray painted it red.  I love how bright and fun it turned out!

I have been collecting embroidery hoops for quite a while from the thrift stores.  I imagined doing a big display on my sewing room wall of fabrics that I love.  For some reason, it was really hard for me to choose which fabrics to cut into and begin that project.  The other day I just took out my stack of vintage fabric pieces and starting hooping away!  If these below don't sell, I will finally have my wall display!

Here are a few more items that we are excited about...

I left the price tags on in all the pictures on purpose-  just to give you an idea of what we are charging.  Karen and I are both hoping that people "get" this style at the fleatique.  I really love the thought of using old pieces and making them fresh and new again.  Yeah for thrifting and boo for shopping at Crate & Barrel!  That statement is a bit ironic since I once worked at Crate & Barrel and loved it!  We are all a bit of a dichotomy, aren't we?  Excuse me while I go make some organic bread in my brand new KitchenAid mixer, wear my vintage apron and listen to Billie Holiday on my Ipod.   

This last picture is for Karen who kept trying to hide this awesome frog cheese tray back behind stuff in our display.  I wanted it front and center!  Now tomorrow, she will probably get her way but since this is MY blog, he is now getting the credit he deserves...

Thrifty and Gifty (Again)

I love this time of year!  Not only are the flowers in bloom and the sun is shining but rummage sales, estate sales & flea markets are in full swing.  

This is my haul from the last few days.  I just got the owl today for $.25!!!!

I love him so much.  Rose brought more fabric over.  These are just a few.  They are just calling "make aprons!  Make pot holders!  Make cloth napkins"  and maybe even whispering "Make appliance covers!"  Ok- that last one may not be happening but I for some reason I am thinking about it!

These wrapping paper sheets are so cute that I am not sure if I can bear to wrap something and then watch the paper be torn up-  Maybe I could make cards with it instead?  Or just frame them on the wall of my sewing room?

The kids think I bought this lunch box for them but really I bought it for myself.  HAHA!  I am going to store zippers or thread or something in here.

I usually give the kids $1 each to shop.  They can get anything they want but it has to be SMALL.  This is how I get them to follow me around while I do all my looking.   Here is Cal's treasure- he wanted to make sure you all saw what he got too.

The only problem with having this kind of fun is that you start to accumulate A LOT of stuff.  My vintage sheets and pillowcases are piling high!  I am going to have to start listing in my gingercake shop again ASAP or I am going to be on the next episode of hoarders.  Maybe I should propose a new show called "craft supply hoarders?"