Thrifted Vintage Sheets [and endless possibilities!]

I am a thrifter. Truth be told, I like thrifting much better than shopping at a “regular” store. I love a good deal, and I l.o.v.e. to create new life from something discarded.

These vintage lovelies are my most recent finds. That blue one? Totally in love.

That bottom one is actually a bunch of fabric panels… I don’t know if it’s truly vintage, but it has a vintage vibe.

The top two were purchased from an estate sale, and that top one is actually a set of hand-sewn curtains.

Do you thrift? [my sister-in-law wrote the most fabulous blog post about how to thrift, if you need some help] What would you make with these?

To You

To the woman who has lost her mama, and longs for her wisdom and conversation.

To the mama who is tired of doing it all alone or isn’t sure she’s doing it right.

To the woman with the mama heart, who longs for babies of her own.

To the woman whose babies aren’t here for her to hold.

Bless you today. There is One who sees you and knows your heart.

Wishing everyone the loveliest of Sundays!

Honeycomb Tombs: an album review [p.s. the album is free]

I crave music that speaks to my soul. Is that true for you? When life throws its junk at me, I turn to music to help my heart heal. I find a song or an album that I listen to over and over, letting the words wash over me, like a salve on my wounds.

Karla Adolphe is a beautiful and gifted artist who knows this truth and has created an album designed for healing of those who are grieving. [And p.s. the album is free. Free!]

I recently had the chance to review this soon-to-be released album, Honeycomb Tombs. Oh my, this music does well for my soul. Salve on my wounds, indeed.

Here’s what Karla says about her new album:

“The goal of this project is to create a FREE digital album that walks alongside those in the midst of grief; a collection of music, spaces, poetry and stories that can be played while you journal, take a drive, cry or nap.”

Karla Adolphe is truly one of the most talented artists I’ve heard. I became familiar with her music through the Enter the Worship Circle albums [she is the featured artist on the Chair and Microphone 3 - which is one of my favorite albums ever], and had the privilege of listening to her live last year. And I got to meet her – she is just as lovely as her music.

“I know I’m alive! Raised from the dead inside! Breaking out of honeycomb tombs… growing gardens out of my wounds.” — from the song Flying Low

The music and lyrics on this album take you to a place of healing and peace. Maybe the grief in your life and heart comes from the loss of a child or a parent, or perhaps your grief is over something less tangible, like a season in your life. Whatever you are going through, Karla’s music speaks to the heart and puts into words the feelings that you can’t.

“Our hearts broke at the same time. Torn along invisible lines. Mine was still beating, yours said goodnight.” — from the song Invisible Lines

Honeycomb Tombs is truly a gift. The music is exceptional, the lyrics life-giving. And on May 15th, it will be available to download – for free. Oh the talent and effort put into this project! And all of it, free. [Seriously, how amazing is that?!] To heal hearts and bless anyone who wants to listen. You will be blessed. Let Karla’s music pour over your grief and lead you on a journey of healing.

“If I… If I trust you, will you get me through? If I… If I trust you, will you hold the weight?” — from the song Ice Road

Find out more here.

Fleece Pants for Baby

One of the easiest things to sew is a pair of fleece pants. Seriously, if you’re scared of sewing clothing, this is the project to try.

Fleece won’t fray, so you don’t have to worry about finishing the edges. So even if you can only sew a straight stitch, you can sew with fleece.

Fleece is so cozy. Perfect for baby… or anyone, really. When sewing baby pants, I find a lot of fleece in the remnants section. I adore the remnants section.

Fleece also has some stretch to it, so it’s forgiving when you’re sewing. Which means if you screw up your measurements at all, it’s no big deal.

[Yes, those are my baby's feet again. Because who can resist those toes!]

Plus, you can whip up a pair of these in 30 minutes and then say you made three pieces for KCWC instead of two. It sounds that much cooler.

Sweater-alls: Take Two!

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you might recall some sweater overalls that I made for my now two-year-old.

 I really loved them on him, and they were such a super quick upcycling project. So I thought I’d make some for the baby this time around!

Yes, I do realize that I just made a tank top for my oldest and now I’m making sweater-alls for my youngest – in the same KCWC. But that’s spring in Wisconsin… for real. This week it was 80 one day and 50 the next. So we go with the flow.

Just like the original, these sweater-alls were upcycled from a thrift store sweater, using a pair of overalls as a template.

These are also lined with some knit fabric, but do you see those serged edges? Yeah, that was not the original plan. I completely sewed the wrong sides together, leaving the serged edges exposed. As I began to unpick with my seam ripper, I realized it would take me for.e.ver to do that… so I just decided to make it work.

And this time around? I didn’t even attempt the button hole through the sweater nightmare. Instead, the fabulous coconut buttons are just for show, with snaps hidden underneath.

The Slim Fit Tank

The weather around here is not quite summer… or even spring, really. But eventually summer will come, and a certain four and a half year old doesn’t have any tanks.

Well, thank you Kids Clothes Week Challenge, we now have the first tank of the season.

This is a self-drafted pattern [that I'm hoping to make available to you soon!] that I’m dubbing the Slim Fit Tank. It reminds me of the tanks from the late 70s/early 80s. The hubs even said, “I wore shirts like that when I was little” when he saw it.

*Edited: I originally called it the Throwback Tank, but then I remembered Rae’s Flashback Tee, and suddenly my name sounded like a cheap knockoff. And no one likes a copycat. ;)

The shirt is made of a striped jersey knit that I’m kind of in love with (purchased from fabric.com but no longer available), with the ribbing up cycled from two different tees.

It’s perfect for my super skinny dude.

Yes, yes, there will be more Slim Fit Tanks in my future. And goofy four-year-old photo shoots.

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