I am just a little absorbed in my own little world, which happens to be locked in battle with a VERY stubborn 6 1/2 year old boy, who is hell bent on dominating the world (at least dominating his own little world and reaking havoc on anyone who stands in his way!) So if you happen to be the praying type, say a little prayer for me and all the other mothers out there who are working hard to build some character into their children. And I want to say a specific “Thank You!” to another mom out there who was such an encouragement to me this week, to my partner who reminds me always that I am not doing this alone, and my mom and dad (who I am so grateful to be living close to for once, and who constantly encourage me that “Yes, it is hard, but it is worth all the hard work!”) So here is a picture of my beautiful son, who will someday grow into a wonderful and loving man. This was taken a year ago, before his most recent reign of terror!

“My little world” picture (above) is a “slightly” doctored photo taken and edited by my talented love! More crafty posts next week, when the kids are back in school and I have time to breath again!

I have had a distinct lack of crafting in my life for the last few weeks. I am starting to go into withdrawal! I am getting a little burned out constantly being the referee for all the fighting my kids are doing this summer. Argh! So it was with much pent up crafting energy that I flew into a frenzy to try and make a skirt out of some old scarves that I didn’t think I would ever actually wear. The scarves seemed like a good idea when I bought them, but I already feel claustrophobic wearing a turtleneck, so I am not sure what made me think I wouldn’t feel like I am being strangled by a scarf. Below is the before picture of one of the scarves!

Yes, that is two of me in the bathroom mirror. And here are some funny shots of me trying to take my own picture in the mirror. I always get a kick out of seeing other crafters deserately photographing while they are home alone. Notice my smirk as I can’t believe I am doing this!

I cut out a big curve of fabric for the skirt. I added a little thrifted lace to the hem since I didn’t want to actually do any precise sewing. I cut two of my scarves in half and tried to cut out big curves so that these would fit along the waistband. Then I used some thrifted bias binding to sandwich all those layers of fabric into a nice little waistband that wraps around and ties. I decided that I didn’t actually like the way some of the angles of the scarves were hanging, so I pinched the fabric here and there by adding a few inches of straight stitching, pulling it tight and tying it off to adjust things.

I don’t think this project was entirely successful, but I sure learned a lot. My daughter and I were examining it in the mirror while I was wondering if I would be brave enough to wear it in public. As she gazed at it, she suddenly got an inspired look on her face and said, “I could make my own costumes!” Hmmm, I think I have my answer.

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I am adding this to Whip Lash! I guess it could be considered clothing deconstruct/reconstruct. I haven’t actually gone through the list to see what everyone has entered yet, but I can’t wait. I am sure there will be a lot of good ideas for clothing reconstruction.

As we were packing for our trip a few weeks ago, we were thinking about the fact that we would be “camping” for a few days in a newly purchased and still empty house. Not knowing what our accomodations would be like, we figured since we were indoors we could manage quite easily with a sleeping bag, a blanket, and a couple of small pillows. But I didn’t have another suitcase to fit that stuff into. I realized I could make a duffle bag quite easily. Having this trim on hand made it even more simple. I picked this up at the Goodwill and have no idea what it’s original purpose was. I know I can’t buy anything like this at my local fabric shop today!

So here is the finished duffle bag. Not too exciting, but it did the job. It held up just fine as checked baggage, and since it probably weighed less than 10 lbs. it was pretty easy to throw over a shoulder and be on our way.

I keep thinking of ways I could embellish it with pockets, etc. But since it will only ever hold the most basic of bedding materials, I’m not sure it is worth the effort. For now, I will just toss it up in the closet and I probably won’t see it again until our next camping adventure.

Back at home. Day 1 was wonderful… a day filled with relaxing and sweet feelings about being home with my kids and how precious they are. Day 2, the fussing and whining started again, my mental “to do” list hits, and I was overwhelmed, again. I guess, I really am home! Not crafting much as I am catching up on time with my kids, laundry, and everything else that has been left undone while I was away… I have yet to clean out my fridge, scary! I just wanted to post this little baby outfit that I finished while on my trip. It is for my baby niece, Amelia. It is late since she is over a month old already. I hope it still fits!

I like the way the satin binding worked out but, I thought better of the ribbon ties, after it was too late. Sorry, Jeff, I know those little ribbon bows might be tricky for manly hands. I used my own baby pants pattern. It is available here if anyone else wants to use it. I also did my own variation of this pattern, mostly because I don’t like following directions. Some day I will actually study those instructions and figure out what it is they are telling me to do… until then, I am afraid it will stifle my creativity. As for my new niece that lives sooooo far away, I can’t wait to lay my hands on her… I am so excited that I will get to meet her in September. I just can’t wait!!!

I may not have my sewing machine, but I couldn’t leave town without needle and thread. I picked up some fabric and I was in business. The man got this geeky bag when he registered for his conference last week.

By Friday, it looked like this!

It is always nice to have an extra bag handy when you are travelling! Sorry, I have been in Olympia, WA since Saturday with no internet access. But we have had so much fun exploring the city with my husband’s brother and sister-in-law and camping out in their new and empty house. Now, we are on our way home. I am posting from the airport. I will have to catch up on email when I get home. Thank you for all your congratulations on winning over at Whip Up! So exciting!