American Girl Western Outfit

So, I've never been good at waiting until Christmas to show off my gifts. When I was little I would always show my Mom what I picked for her from the school Christmas shop.Then I would wrap it and put it under the tree. Hopefully I've gained a little restraint since then, but not much. I've not shown Brooke yet, but couldn't wait to show all of you what I made for her beloved "Kit" for Christmas. Last year we added the doll to the family along with her horse. This year I thought she needed a riding outfit to go along with it. The skirt was in a bag of scraps from my Grandma. She had taken it off of a doll for a friend and made her doll a pair of pants. Apparently "real western" girls wear pants when they ride. For our purposes I thought the skirt was perfect.  I regathered the top and added a waist band . Then I made the matching blouse. I loved the tiny buttons. They were a gift from a good friend of my mother who shared her Mom's sewing things with me when her Mom passed away. I think of her every time I sew. I was blessed with her amazing collection of thread, buttons and notions. I feel she is honored every time a button from her collection is given a place of importance on a finished garment, or a skirt is made possible because of a piece of her elastic. Thank-you Grandma for saving this little skirt. And a world of thanks to Tonya for sharing your Mother's amazing collection. You have blessed me greatly.

Pink Damask Tutu

In true "Gilded Burlap" fashion I rescued this tulle off of a birthday party table as things were getting cleaned up and thrown away. I've had the tulle in my stash for a while. Last week was watch week at ballet for Brooke and a few of the girls had darling little tutu's. I was inspired. I bought the ribbon, satin and flower last night. I couldn't wait to see the idea in my head become a reality. Now I'm excited to post it and share it with you. Here are the basic steps I followed.
1. Gather tulle with a basting stitch and gather to the waist size you desire.
2. Cut a strip of satin.
3. Press satin so there are no raw edges and fold it in half.
4. Stitch accent ribbon onto satin while it is opened out and flat.
5. Put the tulle in the center of the satin and pin to form a sandwich with satin on both sides and tulle in the middle.
6. Sew satin leaving long ends to use for a sash to tie onto your ballerina.
7. Attach accent flower with hand stitches.

Christmas countdown

My girls LOVE counting down to big events. This idea is a combination of ideas that I saw online, my own thoughts, but mostly making something out of what was in the house. I made it in the colors of their room because I got these envelopes for a steal this summer at Staples. Inside each one is an object to teach a Bible story. They are not necessarily related to Christmas, just fun. For example....grape fruit snacks for when Jesus turned the water to wine, or goldfish crackers for the story of feeding the 5,000. On Christmas day there will be a picture of a baby to remind us of the baby Jesus born on Christmas. It has been a lot of fun. The girls love the suspense and the night when it is their turn to open. It has made our family bedtime/Bible story very interesting. 

Better late than never

I can't tell you how many posts I've written in my mind. They are jumbled and in need of sorting, a lot like the rest of my life. It's been over a year since I posted. I guess that speaks volumes about what this past year has been like. Sometimes silence or void speaks louder than shouting...this year has been a tough one. To be honest there were moments when I've barely been able to keep my head up. Sprinkled in the middle of it have been lots of moments that sparkle in my mind. Moments with my husband, my kids, amazed by the love and prayers of God's people that surround me. I've had a few window's when I've had a rare break to do something creative, and that feeds my soul. I've tried to at least document them so that now I can go back and share them with you. Thanks for stopping back in to visit my blog. I hope to be able to visit here a bit more often myself.