Freezer Paper Silhouttes .... Who Knew??

The supplies: Freezer Paper, paper design, exacto knife, black fabric paint...
oh and a sponge brush that I forgot to put in the picture :)

Why on earth I had no idea why this amazing stuff existed is beyond me.... freezer paper.  It is waxy on one side and papery on the other and quite inexpensive (I think I paid around 3 bucks for a whole role at Walmart).  You can use it to let the kids glue, draw or fingerpaint on.  Liquids won't seep through!  But perhaps the coolest project to do with this fabulous invention is to make stencils.  The waxy side irons right onto fabric & then pulls right off when you are all done.  You can get all detail-y and it still works like a dream. 

 My very first project was this silhoutte of my kiddos.  I have always loved silhouttes....since kindergarden when our wiggley little bodies were asked to hold still while the teacher traced our profile image onto the paper taped to the wall.  It was fascinating to me & pretty much still is.  Everytime we go to Disneyland/Disneyworld, that is my one big splurge, to get a paper cut silhoutte of my babies.  I absolutely love them almost as much as I love my Munchkins :) 

So here's what I did....

1. Trace your design on the paper side of the wax paper.

2. Put a piece of cardboard under the paper and cut it out with a exacto knife (for those pesky little details)

3. Iron your design onto your fabric, waxy side down. Make sure your iron is set to dry, not steam.

4. Place a piece of cardboard underneath your fabric, so the paint doesn't seep through.

5. I used a sponge brush to dab on the fabric paint...dab, dab, dab-a-roo or it might bleed on the edges.  Let it dry (if you are as impatient as me, blowdry that baby).  It may need a second coat, I didn't on my pillow, but then again I am quite the impatient one, remember?

6. Now for the excitedly fun part....Carefully peel the paper away to reveal your fantabulous new design!!  And I believe you can reuse your design...I haven't tried it yet, but will.

The finished product.  Amelia's silhouetty bottom lip was not a painting mistake, but part of the center of a flower.  I think I am going to try and fix it with some pink paint :)

Now go try it on shirts, bags, pillows....whatever you crafty little mind can come up with!

*amanda*

but my daddy called me *manda laine*

A Few New Creations

Another Grown-Up Dress :) This is the first dress I have made for myself that I "splurged" and bought new fabric.
The belt is still thrifty though :)

I found a super-duper 80's pattern for this circle skirt and overalls.
  I love how it turned out! Now all of my nieces want one.

I started making these little bundle babies out of some socks I bought at Michaels for only $1 a pair. 
I made one today for a friend's baby and put a dingle bell in the head so it chimes and rattles.  I was inspired by a lady selling these on etsy...shhhh, don't tell anyone! :)



This little jumper dress is from a really old pattern.  The yellow flowers are an old table cloth.
 I actually braved it and put the zipper in by myself.  Hey, I am still a beginner sewing momma! 
The belt on this is from the same fabric on the belt on my polka-dot number dress.

Well I thought I should update my blog with a few of my new creations.  More to come...
*amanda*
but my daddy called me *manda laine*

** Another Sibling Sock Buddy **

  A Horse For The Fourth

This is a sassy little horse that I designed and hand crafted for my sister Susan.  She and my dad had a special place in thier lives for our horses and would spend hours out riding together.  In other words, I just HAD to make #4 a horse.  I had never tried one before, so I practiced on an old pair of wool socks. Of course, Amelia has claimed that one ;) 

 Silly me forgot to take a picture of this crazy haired horsey.  Thanks for sending me the pics, Susan!

*amanda*
but my daddy called me manda laine

** A Year **

It's been a little over a year since Dad died, and I am just now ready to start making my siblings some  friends out of my father's socks.  Pulling the socks out of the bag, cutting them up and repurposing them into something that can make me grin and giggle has been a little therapeutic for me.  I finished my oldest sister, Stana's, sock buddy yesterday and gave it to her.  I am happy to make her smile right now, she is going through alot.  Here is her Monkey Buddy...

I better get busy, since I have a bit more creating to do for my siblings :)

(#2, #3, #4, yours are coming soon!)

*amanda*

but my daddy called me *manda laine*

and my siblings call me #5  ;)

** Vintage Sock Monkey **

Who knew that Monkey's liked to ride horses??

My buddy Genevieve is a fellow thrifter & when she found these original red-healed socks for 50 cents, she quickly grabbed up all she could and sent them to me.  Thank you Gen!!  This is my very first original style sock monkey.  I am going to be sad when I no longer have these socks to cut up and sew on, but at least we will have a few more Monkey's in the world...we can never have too many!!

*amanda*

but my daddy called me *manda laine*

1971 Dress Pattern

Check out this 1971 pattern!  Yes, I fell in love with it as soon as I layed my thrifty eyes on it.  So off to the fabric pile I went.  When I came across this entirely see-through piece of 1970's chiffon floral fabric, I knew right then and there that this was what I wanted for this crazy little dress.  I lined the top with a lemony-yellow cotton and the skirt with a baby blue, just to give the dress a slight contrast.  I was very happy to find this flower trim in my mom's stash to put on the waist and collar.  Amelia looks like a 50's girl in this darling little dress & she loves to spin herself dizzy in it!

*amanda*
but my daddy called me *manda laine*

 

~I must give my mother the credit for putting the zipper in...hey, I didn't want to mess this one up!!~

Dress In-A-Day

So I started this little orange, polka dot number on Tuesday and wanted to finish it so Amelia could wear it to meeting that night.  Hey, if it doesn't have a dreaded zipper, I should be able to finish it in a day, right?  Well I did it!  I did have to have some "Mommy guidance" (linings can get me confused, because they are not on the pattern), thank goodness my mommy knows what she's doing :)  When I met Peter at meeting, he asked if I made her dress.  Later he told me that he was joking, because he didn't really think I made it, he thought I bought it.  Nice....he doubted my skills ;)
*amanda*
but my daddy called me *manda laine*

Vintage fabric & ribbon used, gotta love thrift stores!
~yes, that is the real sunset in the background...good ol' Arizona!~