Vintage Sheet Curtains and Sneak Peek at Playhouse Remodel

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A few years ago, I traded a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing for a playhouse. Now, the playhouse had been used as a chicken coop, so it was a bit of a fixer-upper. Last summer, my dad came over and helped us did almost everything to fix it up. I had the easy part- some painting, caulk, and now... the decorating.

I got this thrifted sheet a little while ago and it matches the playhouse PERFECTLY- both inside and outside! Really- the colors are spot on!

I turned it into curtains, which is one of the simplest things that you can sew. I procrastinate equally on the difficult and easy projects.

There are cute little yellow ribbon ties, too.

I still want to add something on the ends of the dowels so that they don't slip off the hooks so easily.
Or maybe I will get smaller hooks.
Or maybe I won't bother and just tell the girls to be careful and not bump them too much.
Yeah. Probably the last one.

So that gives a little peek at the inside of the playhouse. Here is a little peek at the outside so you can see the blue that matches the curtains.

When a few more details are done, I will do a full post on the playhouse makeover. 
In the meantime, I am so happy to cross these curtains off of my list of Finish-A-Long goals, which you can see HERE.

Fleece Kittens

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I finished something!!! YAY!!!!!

Pretty sure that kitten is cheering for me here!

I am really on a roll lately! (Pats self on back.) To be fair, I am finishing up all of the things that were *this* close to being done. You can see my Finish-A-Long list HERE.

These fleece kittens were supposed to be party favors for my daughters second birthday party last August. There were too many kids coming and not enough time to finish the kittens. So, they sat around in various stages of production in this basket for the past 6 months.

They are done now, but I am not sure what I am going to do with them.

I adapted a free bunny pattern from ikatbag found HERE. Some of them came out a little wonky, but they are still cute.

And, we have real kittens that kinda' match them!:)

 

Yeah, those kittens are cuter. :)

Link Parties where I sometimes hang out...

Scrappy Squares Doll Quilt

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The other day, since I had a few minutes before an appointment, I pulled up Netflix to finish an episode of Fixer Upper and sat down to hand stitch the binding on this doll quilt. Spring sports are upon us, so with the rushing around all of the time, it was awesome to just sit down and relax for a little bit. AND I got another finish done from my Finish-A-Long goals (see HERE). Double win!

I don't know why I procrastinated for so long!

Anyway, I love this little scrappy patchwork quilt. I look at it and see bits and pieces of old projects I have made. From old quilts and my sister's apron...

...to my son's first bedroom curtains when he was only 2. Now he is 16. *sigh*

This was also my first attempt at free motion quilting. It isn't perfect, but it was good practice. I love how it got a great texture when I washed it!

Oh, and not sure if I ever showed this before, but my daughter and I made flannel nightgowns for her and her doll. (They often ask for PJs for their dolls.) This gives a size perspective. The quilt is only 24 inches.

I am really plugging away at these finishes, but I found even more unfinished projects in the process! I am trying to focus on one thing at a time so that I don't get overwhelmed. With practices and games 5 days a week, craft projects should be the last thing stressing me out! It does feel like a weight is lifted each time I finish a project, though. There are several more I completed that will be on the blog next week, so please come back to see them!

Mommy Pig and Piglets

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I am really serious about finishing up all of those projects that I blogged about! Right away, I finished that big mommy pig. It just needed more stuffing, a small repair, and a nose. I bought the pattern about 5 or 6 years ago from ikatbag HERE.

Part of the reason that I procrastinated so long on this one was because I wasn't too thrilled about how it was turning out. When I started it, I wanted to do it right that minute. I was trying to make do with the fabrics I had instead of fleece, which the pattern called for. Frustrated, the project I was so anxious to start was unfinished for a very long time. About 6 months later, I found the pink fleece I had bought years ago when I bought the pattern. I would highly recommend using fleece instead of a woven.

Besides the cute, curly tail...

...this pig has some other fun features.

Yes, this mommy pig has a little zipper compartment that holds 6 piglets!  I used scraps of quilting cottons to make the assorted piglets. One is even a runt. Now, these piglets were made about a year and a half ago, so they have been well loved and played with while waiting for their mommy. It was sad, really.

I was so glad to have this one finished, and glad to make a little girl and six piglets very happy.

 

This is the first finish I have checked off of my list of goals for the second quarter of the finish-a-long.  You can see my goals for this quarter HERE if you want to feel better about your list of incomplete projects. :)

Link Parties where I sometimes hang out...

Finish-A-Long Goals Q2

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I am not holding back today. I am a procrastinator. I start things and don't finish them. Then, I start other things and just keep piling on the unfinished projects. My sewing table is in my bedroom- some of those unfinished projects are the first things I see when I go to sleep and when I wake up. There are other stuffed in different areas of my house, too. I feel like a failure for not getting things done and I feel guilty and I feel like I just can't catch up.

So, this time, instead of setting easy goals for the second quarter of the Finish-A-Long, I am going all out! I am being real.

1. Hannah's baby quilt. She will be 3 in August. Maybe I can finish it before then? I am hand quilting it, so it will take awhile. I did get the perle cotton thread I needed.

2. A charm square tote bag. I started this 3 years ago. It has been on the bottom shelf of my sewing table since then. It is in plain sight, but I keep forgetting about it.

3. A doll quilt. I just need to hand stitch the binding on this quilt. I cut the squares about 5 years ago as a leaders and enders project. The top was quilted in February as my first practice at free motion quilting.

4. More doll quilts. They were ironed before the kids got to them. Maybe I will make them into one larger quilt instead.

5. Easter dresses. We are calling them "spring dresses" now. I hope I don't have to change it to "summer dresses." This just needs the lining tacked down, a zipper, and a hem.
6. Elsa dresses. I started these sometime in the last year or so, I think. 3 out of the 5 girls have Elsa dresses. I just need to finish the last two.
7. Chemistry quilt. Here is some fabric I bought to make a simple strip baby quilt for my nephew. He will be 2 this summer. I should probably finish that.
8. Doll bedding. My daughter got a doll bed for Christmas. It took the last one over a year to get her doll bedding finished. Let's hope I can beat that this time!

 

9. Doll dresses. The top two need hems. The bottom ones have hems but need finished tops.

10. Fleece kittens. I had a "kitten" theme for my daughter's second birthday back in August and wanted to make fleece kittens as favors. I didn't get enough finished. Maybe we can do kittens again for her 3rd birthday.

11. Pink and yellow buntings. I cut too many triangles for the bunting I started for her "pink lemonade" first birthday party. Still haven't finished these. I didn't finish the first one in time for her party, either, but it is hanging in her room.

 

12. Softball bag. Her sister isn't too happy to be sharing her 31 bag. We do have other bags. Anyway, I got this fabric picked out for her and looked at patterns so far.
13. Spring quiet book. I want to finish this before summer, too.
14. Drawstring bags. I started them for Days for Girls last summer.

 

15. Peasant dresses. To be fair, I got really sick and couldn't finish these.

 

 

 

16. Playhouse curtains. We traded a chocolate cake for a playhouse that had been used as a chicken coop about 5 or 6 years ago. Last fall, my dad helped us get it fixed up. There are a few more details that need to be finished. I got a vintage sheet for curtains that has the perfect colors!

 

 

17. Mommy pig. Last, but not least, I am working on a pig. It has been hiding in my car so my daughter doesn't see it. I even made a special trip for batting right after Easter. This one was started about a year and a half ago when I made the piglets. I bought the pattern (and fleece I ended up not using because I couldn't find it) about 5 or 6 years ago.

 

 

There are some more projects I didn't dig out to take pictures of. I am also limiting it to my sewing projects here.
This is really sad. But, I feel like I took a big first step in admitting I have a problem. :) Hello. My name is Lindsay and I am a procrastinator.  I am also starting a Bible study with Proverbs 31 Ministries later this month on "The 5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn't Quit."
I am linking up HERE!
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Furreal Friends Monkey Diapers and Pillowcase Top

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My daughter got this adorable Furreal Friends monkey for Christmas. It really is super cute, even if the nose ripped in the first day or two. (She also got a dog two years ago and it broke in the first few days. If these things weren't so cute that she still loves them immensely I would stop buying them due to the poor quality). There was also another problem. The bottom holds the batteries and there is a furry flap to cover it, but there is nothing to keep that flap in place other than the cheap disposable, plastic diaper that it came with. Those tabs had ripped long ago and she kept taping it back together.

Well, just before Easter I was in a mood and didn't feel like sewing the Easter dresses. So, when all of the girls fell asleep early and the boys were out fishing on Good Friday night, I had some peace and quiet(ish) with my sewing machine. Sewing is my therapy. But I wanted to make something that was easy and could be completed in one sitting. I have too many unfinished projects.

I originally had a doll diaper pattern that I thought would work, but after I had made two of them, I tried them on the monkey only to find out they were too small. So, I started over and drafted my own pattern.

I even pulled out some of my "good" fabrics for this because I want to stop hoarding so much. The insides of the diapers are made of flannel remnants I got for super cheap at Joann's.

Then, while I was at it, I made a little pillowcase top to match one of the diapers. I didn't finish the inside seams or anything. It was just a quick project because I was just starting to get my sewing groove back.

I tucked these in her Easter basket and she loves them! Sometimes it is nice to do a quick and easy project like this.