Three Billies (and Zero Trolls)

I'm officially OBSESSED with the Billy Cardi. Go make one right now- you won't regret it!

Here's my practice/casual one featuring some of the $5 five yard knit from Walmart:



(Billy Cardi, top from this cool shop, skirt made by me, shoes from my friend's shop that'll hopefully be online soon)



Church Halloween outfit (billy cardi, shade top, $2 kohl's belt, didn't realize how bright the skirt is when I ordered it online but it was free (minus shipping) from VS, shoes by crocs. I think I should stick to heels).



Unintentional puckered sleeve close-up (LOVE it!)



And the cutest and littlest Billy:



(necklace made by me and a useful bribe, top from children's place clearance, pants made by me)



Have a great day!

Curving Cloudcover Dress

I saw this dress this morning and think it would be fun to recreate using similar techniques as this skirt. What do you think?

A New Trick

Do you dislike the sticky residue from price tags as much as I do? I know it's important to have items clearly priced but who thought it was a good idea to put the hard to remove label on the bottom of a stainless steel pan. Anyway, after tearing up my nails and wasting a good ten minutes of my life, I remembered this little guy.



Within seconds, little bits of the magic eraser and the rest of the label came off. It was awesome! I tried it on the plastic clock face too and it worked great. Before trying it elsewhere, I'd test it in a small spot.

Have you used a magic eraser to remove labels from other surfaces? How did it go?

Happy Halloween!

We're not really going anywhere or doing anything extraordinary for Halloween but I couldn't resist making Ansley a little Boo (from Monsters Inc) costume. She loves playing peekaboo would probably think Sully was funny.

Coincidentally, she's also showing off her Sully colored pants that go along with this outfit. Think the fabric is familiar? You're right- I used it to make this skirt after making her costume. I used this tutorial but should've adjusted the sleeve poofiness due to the stiffness of the fabric. I'm still figuring out how to adjust patterns.

Happy Halloween!

Linked here:


Be sure to check out the adorable costumes she made her children!

Go-To Dress

I made these two dresses for less than two dollars. I used this tutorial and two old navy sweaters that were only 97 cents (plus an extra 30% off). One dress fits now and the other will fit when she's older. I love the little cap sleeves.

The sweater material is really thin and liked to get stuck in my machine or shred with my seam ripper, so it's not quite as pretty as I would've liked. I also had a bit of difficulty matching up the stripes, since I kept the bottom of the sweaters intact. I tried stretching the elastic as I was sewing the waist but my machine (and I) had fits. Oh well. I didn't add a waistband to the larger size b/c I like that it buttons all the way down. I'll probably add a little belt, to combat the muu muu-ness. I also really had to scrimp to get the excess cuff material to make the collar.

PS- that's the headboard I made a few years ago (minus the pillows since I didn't really want princess feet on my face). It was my first trip to a fabric store (or to the fabric section of a store) ever.

Sadie Shirt Sew Along

I'm a little late to the party but excited about my first sew along, hosted by Jess of Craftiness is Not Optional. You can join the party too:



Pondering life.



Let's play in the curtains in hope of a decent picture.



Much better (ignore the unsewn button. I was too impatient to try the shirt on).



So sleepy and such a nice baby. And yes, the shirt does match that pillowcase. Nope, I didn't make the pillowcase- the shirt is made from the fitted sheet set I got on clearance at Target for under $4. I love Target and I love polka dots. I got some clever replies when I posted a similar thought on facebook. Ha ha.



Thanks for the great fun Jess!



Linked here.

A Few Pictures from Chicago