Old Navy purse re-fashion

I got this bright, springy, flowery purse at Old Navy back in February.

I mostly bought it because of the fun and bright print full of pinks, yellows, and greens.

However, once I started wearing it around town, I started liking it less and less.

The strap was too long, and the purse was too flimsy.

It has a deceivingly huge amount of space inside, which I like, but it was just too floppy for me.

I hated to see such a cute purchase go to waste, so I decided to fix it up (just a little bit) to better fit my needs.

So here it is before, all long and floppy:

*Just a little disclaimer...there really is no rhyme or reason to anything I did to this purse. I was seriously making it up as I went. I'm almost positive that there are better, more professional ways to go about this. This was just a fun little project for me/myself, so take from it what you will!*

I started out by shortening the strap. I decided where I wanted it to be and sewed it together at that point.

I decided to make the leftover strap into a little bow so that I wouldn't have to mess with cutting and making sure edges were finished off, etc, etc.

I simply pinched the extra strap down where I wanted it and sewed that piece together. I did that twice to make a double layered bow. I then sewed through all the layers of the bow to hold it in place.

I still plan on wrapping a little ribbon or something around the center of the bow for a more "finished" look, I just haven't gotten around to that yet.

Next, I worked on making the bag part of the purse a little smaller.

This is where I was really just experimenting, and hoping that I didn't ruin the whole thing.

I flipped the purse over, so the front was facing down and pinched up around the edge.

This was the extra material that I wanted to take off. 

I pinned around and then serged around this edge, cutting off any excess.

Can you see the pins?

This is what it looked like after serging.

Of course, I didn't want the outside of my purse to look like that, so there is just a little more work to be done.

I flipped the bag inside out.

Then, I sewed a straight stitch around the edge, leaving about a 1/4 " seam allowance. 

I guess you could relate this to creating a "french seam."

Once you sew around the edge on the inside, the serged edge on the outside should be hidden inside the seam.

So, when you flip it right side out, it looks as good as new!

The purse doesn't look a whole lot different in these pictures, but it is definitely a good change from before.

I am just glad that it didn't end up all wonky and lop sided!

Now, it is the perfect sized shoulder bag.

It is smaller which keeps it from being so flimsy, yet still holds a remarkable amount of stuff!

I wore it around all weekend feeling very pleased with myself.

As far as I can remember, this is my first "clothing" refashion. 

I think I could get in to this. I actually have a maxi dress sitting in my closet that I might just make into a skirt...you'll be the first to know if I do!

Sunday Snapshots {9}

I've been having fun with this Instagram app on my phone!

I already posted these pictures on my facebook, so you may have already seen them but they are the only "snapshots" I have from the week.

 Here is Ande taking a minute to observe the mess he made on our bed. I'm sure he was feeling quite accomplished!

 Friday night, we went out to eat for my birthday. Ever since Ande was born, we rarely take pictures of ourselves. Who would want to look at us, when there is a cute baby around?

...Or maybe it's because we always make faces like this and can never seem to get a good smiling picture?

I'm so glad it is a long weekend, we plan to spend most of our Memorial Day at the pool.

It better not rain again or I will go into a deep depression! We've had enough rain, thunder, and hail this week to last us a while!

How will you be spending your day off?

Friday Finds: Backyard Sandbox

We have officially lived in our house for a year now!

Time has really flown by.

I think of it like we just barely moved in.

Slowly (very slowly) we have been fixing things up and getting the house to live up to it's potential. It is definitely an ongoing process.

One of the things that I can't stop thinking about is fixing up our backyard.

Right now, we have no fence, poison ivy, a bunch of pine trees, and a bunch of pine needles instead of grass. It's not exactly the perfect place to play (did I mention the killer dog next door that likes to run in our yard whenever he pleases?), so I have been dreaming up ways that we can fix it up.

Most of the things we really need (fence, trees cut down) will have to wait until we can save up for them, but I'm sure there are some little things we can do until then.

We have a great little slide/play set castle that Ande loves to play on (Thanks mom&dad!) and a couple cheap patio chairs would be perfect for lounging while he plays.

Then, I saw this amazing backyard sandbox tutorial on the blog, MADE.

I mean seriously. This thing is ADORABLE!

What is not to love about it?

~ umbrella for shade

~ seats on all corners

~ most of all, the colorful stripes

Oh, I just can't wait until we get rid of some big ol' pine trees, actually have sun and grass, and I can make Curtis build me one of these. We would never need to leave the house again!

Anyways, make sure you visit Made for the lovely tutorial that she put together and then go have yourself a wonderful long Memorial Day weekend! I CAN'T WAIT to hit up the pool, how about you?



Little Boy Pajama Pants Pattern

Don't you just love that farmers tan?

I had some extra cotton knit fabric from a couple blankets that I made a while ago and I wanted to put it to good use. I do not have much experience sewing clothing, but I thought some cute pajama shorts were the perfect place to start. I think pajamas are so cute and so comfortable, especially summery boxer-looking jammies. I wish Ande could wear them all day every day (and he wishes he could too). 

 I created a pattern all by myself using an existing pair of pajama shorts. I didn't make my shorts the same way as the existing pair, I just used them for a starting point. It actually turned out to be such an easy project. And thanks to my sis-in-law for an "Ande free" morning yesterday (it was my birthday), I was able to sew these up real quickly.

Here is how I did it!

1. Fold your existing pair of pajama shorts in half. Fold your fabric over as well. Place the shorts on the fabric, with the longer non-crotch side of the shorts along the folded edge of fabric. Cut out this shape. You will need to do this 2 times, for the front and back of the shorts.

(There has to be a better, less offensive word for "crotch" but I just can't think of it)

2. This is what your pattern piece should look like when the fabric is unfolded. Again, you should have 2 of these.

3. Serge along the bottom of each pattern piece. The bottom is the longest edge.

After you serge, fold the bottom over about 1/4 inch and iron.

After ironing, sew a straight stitch down the length of the bottom edge. 

The bottom of your pattern pieces are now hemmed.

4. Place each pattern piece with right sides facing together. Pin along part of the sides, as shown in the top picture below. Serge ONLY along this pinned section.

5. Now, open up your pattern pieces and match the two edges that you just serged in step 4 together in the middle. Now you will pin the "crotch" together and serge along the entire section, as shown in the top picture below.

Serge around the top edge of the pants, shown in the bottom picture below.

 6. Measure and sew yourself an elastic waistband. Now, attach the elastic to the top of the shorts. If your child's waist is smaller than the shorts, pin on four equidistant places.

As you sew the elastic to the shorts, you will need to stretch the elastic as you go to fit the size of the shorts. It may gather a little, but not much.

That's it! 

I sewed the elastic on with a zig-zag stitch just for fun. I'm not sure that I really like how it looks.

I probably should have used white thread and a bigger sized elastic, but this will do for now!

I made two pairs, and can't wait to make more!

I think I will fancy up a couple plain white t's (i love that band!) with the leftovers of these fabrics to make a matching Pajamas set. 

You know you've done good when your model doesn't want to take off the clothes you just made. Yesterday, I had him try on the safari print shorts and he refused to take them off the rest of the day.

Now, they are sitting in the sink because he already stained them with fruity chews. Silly kid.

He loved the pajama shorts, but he did not love posing for pictures so much...

More lace! This time with mod podge!

Oh my word.

I had NO IDEA that you could decoupage with lace!

I guess I just never thought of it before!?

I saw a post about it on the blog, Ucreate, about decoupaging with lace.

And she was actually linking back to another website called Urban Comfort, where I got these fun little photos.

Aren't these little mugs just adorable? I am DEFINITELY going to try this VERY SOON!

Now, I am doing a little giveaway today on the blog, I'm Topsy Turvy.

Ashlee is my Second Cousin In-Law...or something like that? She's awesome.

She's having another baby and is hosting a GENDER REVEAL PARTY today on her blog!

She wants everyone to come on over and guess whether she'll be having a boy or girl. Her big ultra sound is today. She's also going to pick some winners for 3 different giveaways that she's hosting. Like I said, one of these giveaways is by ME! Enter to win a free Peanuts the Elephant hat pattern and a free Crochet chain necklace. Go check it out!

Easy Peasy Ribbon Flower Belt

A couple weeks ago I posted about my "To belt or not to belt?" debate.

I was wondering whether it was considered "okay" fashion-wise to wear belts above a big pregnant belly.

Well thanks to my friend Mary (who is always my go-to person when it comes to fashion advice), I have decided that YES, belts are a great accessory even for maternity outfits!

I have a hard time with the way that maternity shirts and dresses seem to make your chest and your stomach morph into one big lump. It is not flattering.

I have found that a belt adds a little shape to my all encompassing maternity clothes and lets the world know that, "Yes, I do still have a figure under there!"

So, I bought this great little pink, flowery, ribbon belt at the Outlets the other weekend.

It is so simple. It's just a ribbon, that ties in a bow in back, and is detailed with some cute little fabric flowers.

I love it so much, so I decided to make another one for myself.

With this one, instead of just tying the ribbon, I decided to make a little hook and eye closure for something a little different (mostly because the ribbon was too thick to tie prettily - not a word I know!).

Want to know how I did it? Well, here is a quick little tutorial however, it is painfully simple. Especially since I opted to use a hot glue gun for most of it instead of my sewing machine.

First, I measured.

Then Ande decided that he better measure too.

Next, I cut my ribbon about 1 1/2 inches longer than my waist (if you can call it that) measurement.

Now for the fun part. I always get excited when I fire up that glue gun, even though I always end up burning myself. Flip over the edges of the ribbon 2 times and glue each time to hide the raw edges.

 Attach your hooks and eyes (or is it hook and eyes?).

I didn't want to see all of the threads from sewing on the hooks and eyes so I decided to add an extra piece of ribbon to cover up each end. Cut a piece about 2 1/2 inches long. Fold over each short edge and glue down. Then, glue the piece in half the long way. You should make one for each end of the belt.

 Glue around each end of the belt, overlapping on the inside. 

*All of this could be done by sewing instead of gluing. It probably would look much better and more professionally finished. I had some issues last time I tried to sew with ribbon so I opted for the glue.

 Make some little fabric flower embellishments, and you are done!

(I glued my flowers onto felt and then added a felt strip that allows me to slide the flowers on and off the belt. This way, they are not permanently attached and I can switch the flowers whenever I want!)

This is for all you family members out there hoping to catch a glimpse of me. I am coming up on 29 weeks! 

I love how the belt gives me my waist back! I also love how my white shirt makes it look like I am somewhat tan (which I am definitely NOT). I am hoping to work on that this weekend!

summer fun for kids!

I.love.summer.

I love the hot sun, the lazy days, and the cool water of the pool or beach.

I am getting so anxious for the pool to open!

While trying to schedule activities at a meeting for church last night, I realized that our summer is already jam packed with travels and other activities. I am SO looking forward to everything that we have planned, but what about those days with nothing to do?

I've always had a hard time trying to come up with fun activities to do with Ande on those days where it is just too hot to leave the house.

Luckily, there are other people out there who DO have great ideas!

The blog, Gluesticks, has created a summer long link party dedicated to fun summer activities for kids. Here is the link for her post.

She has already posted over 20 ideas of her own from the past couple years, and has invited anyone to come and link up with their creative activities.

I went ahead and linked up my Airplane Fun Tray Cover that I made last year for our flight out to Utah.

It slips right on to the tray on the back of the seat. I tried to include activities that keep a little 15 month old (at the time) occupied. It had a buckle, velcro, color matching, a zipper, and a little road for driving cars. It worked out well for us.

So far, the link party over at Gluesticks has offered fun foods to cook, play dough recipes, flip flop decorating, I-spy bags, and more. If you are looking for some creative activities for your kids, make sure you check it out!

Sunday Snapshots {8}

Sorry guys, this is lame.

I don't have any new pictures of Ande from the week to show you.

I know, hard to believe. We all know I love to brag about my Ande.

I'm also just plain exhausted, so let's just plan on me getting back on schedule tomorrow.

See you then.

I hope ya'll had a great weekend!

Friday Finds: Very Jane

I have been sitting here trying to start this blog post for about 15 minutes with no luck.

This is mostly due to the fact that I couldn't stop eating my Baked Doritos and had cheesy fingers.

But don't worry, I have everything under control now.

On to this week's Friday Finds!

A couple weeks ago I heard about this great new website called, Very Jane.

Everyday, they post a "featured deal." This is some sort of handmade item that you can buy on Very Jane for a fabulous discounted price. So far, I have loved every deal that they have sponsored!

Today, you can find these two amazing items for sale:

{Little Man Ties by Sweet Bebe Props}

 (priced at 50% off the original price!)

{Camera Strap Covers by Eclectic Whatnot}

(36% off the original price!)

Every morning I get a little email from VeryJane about the "Deal of the Day." It's great.

What is even MORE great is that my Crochet Chain Necklace is going to be one of the daily deals, TOMORROW! Can you tell that I'm pumped? 

I recently listed these in my shop, Curtsay Designs, but if you hope on over to Very Jane tomorrow, you can get one at a 40% discounted price! Yippeeee!

I am definitely taking a small leap of faith by featuring my necklace like this, but I am so excited about it.

So excited in fact, that I have postponed my booth at the flea market until June 11th. I didn't feel like I had made enough stuff to fill up my booth, so I am going to give myself a little more time. Don't worry, this is not me chickening out, I promise! If you were planning to stop by tomorrow, come back on June 11th and I will definitely be there! I might even supply a coupon for any readers that show up!

Have a lovely weekend!

Vintage Lace

I am not quite sure why, but I have been in the mood for lace lately.

(Photo)

Doilies and lace just make me think vintage and feminine.

Let me show you a few lovely lacey things that I found (mostly by stalking Pinterest.com)...

I think it can be so beautiful, even when it is simply a "lacey" design on jewelry. Like this bracelet for example,

 (photo)

It adds such a feminine touch to clothing, reminding me of wedding gowns from the early 1900's.

 (photo)

And of course, how could I pass up finding a picture of a lacey purse? I am already purse-addicted enough, but this lace trim is the perfect little touch!

 (photo)

Let's finish off with my favorite idea...

I am in LOVE with these fabric storage bins, and especially the lace doily decorations!

(photo)

When it comes to trimming up a project with lace, there are so many possibilities!

If you have something in need of a little vintage, feminine flair, then lace is the way to go!

I have a couple old doilies laying around that I am just dying to use in a project somewhere, somehow...but I keep waiting for the perfect idea to come to me.

I'll let you know when it does.