Baby Doll Bed & Coverlet

I recovered a doll bed mattress and made a new coverlet for my granddaughter's antique baby doll bed that belonged to her great grandmother. The nursery is painted yellow and has shabby chic pink accents, so my daughter chose a floral print that would better match the room than what was already on the doll bed.

The "Before":The "After":
I added antique lace and satin ribbon trim. The coverlet originally had been 2 pieces of fabric sewn together and tied to mimic a quilt. I chose to add a layer of batting to the new coverlet and quilted around the edge, tying only in the middle. As you can see, I also stitched up a pillow for the doll bed. Doesn't every dolly need a pillow?? I made a pillowcase for the pillow and added more lace and ribbon trim.

I was pleased with the result since I had no idea what I was doing!

Whipped Up Some Napkins

I've used cloth napkins for over 20 years instead of paper. I guess I was being green when it wasn't cool yet. The ones we use every day are worn and faded from many washings, so I needed to sew up some more. Digging through the stash I went. I ended up using a remnant of vintage fabric from dear Aunt Eunice (who passed away over 4 years ago). She was a very thrifty lady, too. She was also partial to purple, as am I. While they aren't perfection, they will definitely be used on a daily basis. Eunice would be proud!

No tutorial is needed. They are a piece of cake. I cut four 17 inch squares and folded each side 1/4 inch, then 1/4 inch again for a finished hem. Finished size is 16 inches. So easy.

I still need a few more. I'll have to do some more digging.

Taggie For Miss P

Here is the first sewing project my DD/27 did mostly on her own. It's a taggie for Miss P.


She used yellow flannel (from my stash) for the back side...so soft! The black and white gingham also pulled from my stash along with the batting. The only cost was ribbon that DD/27 had bought previously. We both wished for a embroidery machine to monogram a big ole "P" right in the middle. Toys can be hooked onto the loops for a really good time. Miss P loves it!

Quickie Recycle/Reuse Project

Well, here is what DS/12 and I came up with for a t-shirt that he never wore. He wanted a book cover for his library book. He already had the patch, too. I just laid out the shirt, put the book on top and cut out a generous amount to allow for error. It was so quick, maybe 30 minutes. He was excited and I was glad to recycle something he had never worn.












It snowed like crazy yesterday! We got between 7 1/2 to 8 inches of glistening snow. You can see my "wedding cake" table to get an idea of just how much snowfall.











Oh, we just discovered our dog, Lucy, thinks she can sing...

Estates Sale Bargains

Just take a look at the "loot" from the estate sale DS/11 and I found today! I could hardly believe it! I recently had to throw away my pattern cutting board because it was falling apart. The new ones are $6 to $9, and I just haven't replaced it...until now. The last sewing project, a Harry Potter robe for DS/11, was a pain to cut out without a cutting board. I'm so glad to have replaced it without having to pay full price for a new one.

Also, The "hot dog" looking thing is a Dritz seam roll. It's for ironing seams in sleeves and tight areas of clothes. I was so excited when I saw all the thread, I could hardly believe it!! There are over 100 spools and some are wooden (which is a bonus since I use the empty ones for small bits of lace, ric-rac, and trims. I paid $17 for everything. Almost all of the thread I have (prior to this "new" find) is thread from a yard sale I scored about 20 years ago. Any time I can buy second hand, I get more satisfaction knowing I'm being "green". Thrifting is much kinder to our planet, don't you think? It's definitely easier on my budget!!

Sewing Room Organization

My DH has been on vacation this week so we've been getting some things done around the house. He hung 2 shelves in the sewing/guest room.

Sewing Room Shelves
I used an large, old frame and some pegboard to create an organizer for the wall. After I painted the frame and the pegboard, DH assembled it and hung it over my sewing machine. It is so cool! (The purple and pink bins hold my sewing patterns.)

Sewing Station
Next, he hung my "printer's drawer" that holds some of my thread and a thimble collection, on another wall. A few years ago, he made me the spool rack that is on the table beneath the "printer's drawer".

Thread Storage
The white table was a hand-me-down from my aunt. It was brown and stained. I painted it and I'll be adding a fabric skirt to it once I find the right fabric. The color on the walls is actually a bright lime, not mint green.

DH also replaced a faucet and the light fixture in our kid's/guest bath. I'm in the process of removing all the wallpaper in the bath so I can paint it. I won't ever wall paper again. I change my mind to often so I need to stick to painting instead of papering. Wallpaper and I do not get along. It was soooo crooked, it was embarrassing. Never again.