Quick Tip: DIY Lace Collar

I turned this yellow linen top into a lemony confection with just a bit of lace. Simply trimming the neckline of a shirt with the same circumference of lace gives it a pretty collar.

Red Stripe Romper

This was an impulse buy. It only set me back $6 at Value Village. It was a romper, and it had fabulous red and gold crest buttons. I was so excited I plucked the buttons off before I snapped the picture. But then I tried the romper on again. It looked like a clown suit. 

The stripes and square collar had potential, and, after all, I couldn't let a romper go to waste. So, I took in the sides and whacked off the long legs. I cut them to make seam binding for the hem of the short legs, and used some more of the leg fabric to make matching buttons. Then I turned the former cuffs into a belt. 

Now it's a summery romper reminiscent of vintage bathing suits!

Suggested Notions Collection

My entry to this week's Sewing Notions Spoonflower challenge is my Suggested Notions fabric. It is a compilation of the designs in my Suggested Notions collection, which are Seamstress Fruit

Buttons

Spools

and Dress Pattern!

Tigerprint Floral Wrap Patterns

Considering my obsession with flowers, it's hard to imagine a better theme for my first entry to the Tigerprint Design Competition. This month's challenge is to create a floral design for wrapping paper, and the winning entry may be used for Marks and Spencer goods. Here are all the contenders; these are the two florals I entered. Fruity Floral, above, was inspired by a page I saw in a recent Martha Stewart Living magazine, and Piece of Matisse, below, was inspired by the loose style and colors of Henri Matisse's artwork. 

Flower Crown Bust Vase

I love the elegance of classical busts so I made one out of clay, except this bust is also a vase. 

After I hollowed out the head I added braids with strategically placed holes. Flower stems can be slipped in the holes to make it look like the bust is wearing a flower crown...to take it from elegant to whimsical.

I glazed the inside of the fired bust with clear glaze and the outside with snow white glaze.

Once it was fired again I filled it with flowers for an unexpectedly pretty display!