Local Daisy Girl Scout Troop helps Dress a Girl!

Back in June, I was contacted by a local Daisy Girl Scout Troop that wanted to help out with Dress a Girl Around the World.  I talked with the leaders about options available to get the young Kindergarteners involved.  We decided that if they brought pillowcases in to donate, that we could help them paint on the bottom of the soon-to-be dress.

Here are the pictures of the girls-aren't they so cute!  They were SO well behaved and polite too!  I love that young girls are getting involved and want to help other little girls!  Thanks Daisy's!

Dressing up plain pillowcase dresses...

I recently read a blog where the woman had adorned her plain pillowcase with a cute fabric stencil.  I have been anxious to try it and so recently bought some simple stencils and a bunch of fabric paints.  Then my daughter and I set out to paint some cute things on some solid colored & plain pillowcases.

Kaeleigh helps with the stenciling

They were really easy to do!  We just put a piece of cardboard between the layers, taped the stencil to the dress and used a stippling paintbrush to apply the paint.  Carefully peel off the stencil, dry flat for 4 hours and it's washable after 72 hours.

Finished, they are much more interesting and cute!

Purple butterflies on light pink pillowcase dress

Light pink flowers & dots on a chocolate colored pillowcase

Orange flowers on a denim colored pillowcase dress

Yellow and green flowers on purple dress

Cute right?  Usually I have been adding a coordinating ribbon to the hem of the dress, but for a change, I like the fabric paint.  This would work well too for hiding a small stain on a pillowcase or fabric.

Let me know what you think about these.  I always love to hear feedback.  Thanks for stopping by!

Spring organizing & cleaning time

I would love to spend the day sewing my pillowcase dresses for Dress a Girl today.  However, with the weekend looming and the fact that I hate to clean on the weekend, I feel compelled to do some major cleaning today.  With all that I have been doing this week, I haven't had time to do any significant cleaning-just pickup.  My jewelry studio is a disaster, the whole house needs another vacuuming and there's dusting.  I always like to do all my dirty laundry catch up on Fridays so no one can complain of not having clothes they want for the weekend.

Then there is the basement!  We are in the process of framing it out for a few new rooms.  It's exciting and daunting.  We cleaned out part of the basement & reorganized some to clear the "rooms" we needed to finish.  There is still lots to be done.  It is crazy how much one collects over the years!  I think I have too many hobbies!  I was a very active scrapbooker when we lived in Salt Lake City, UT.  Haven't really done very much since we moved back to Connecticut-nearly 8 years ago!  But, I would really like to again!  Can't part with all the stuff I have-alot-as I know what I spent on it all!  Ugh!  Then there is the soap making supplies, painting supplies, etc.  Then we come to my sewing stuff.  Used to be a relatively small area (except for the fabric in dressers).  Now it is taking over my basement!  I need to get a handle on it!

Besides all the cleaning and organizing, I need to move a bit around in the basement so that I can get to areas where we are putting walls up tonight.  My husband ordered tons of insulation for the ceilings and walls and that could come in today.  May have to go pick that up too.  Once that arrives, the push will be on to get it installed.  So, there are things I really need to get done in the basement-today.  Finish painting the cement 1/2 walls with Drylok so walls can be put up in front of them.  Finish insulating the heating supply duct that we started two nights ago but haven't finished yet.  Oh boy! 

As much as I really want to sew today, clearly this will have to be a day off from that!  Priorities today are organizing and cleaning-then those basement projects!  Better get off my computer and get started!  Tomorrow maybe-after my photography class and before the school auction/fundraiser.  There's always Sunday~