Home and Sewing Projects Updates & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #661
It is Friday and we are heading to Pennsylvania for a long family weekend in a few hours so I am going to share a lot of pictures with a lot less words for this post. I have been creating and updating and renovating and making over all sorts of things in my home and closet. My creative energies seem to be abundant and overflowing at this stage so I have just been embracing that spirit and riding the tide.
So here are a few projects I have been working on around the house.
I had finished my gypsy living room in April, but I needed to wait for warmer weather to paint the red front door teal. I finally got that completed and also dyed the white curtain to match.
While I had the aquamarine dye going for the curtain, I figured I would throw a few other things into the dye as well so as not to waste it. I have had this thrifted turquoise dress for a while now and it had some stains and bleach marks on it so I dyed it with a faint tie dye pattern and also tossed in an old discolored scarf, adding some rubber bands for some more tie dye action.
While I was dying things, Ralph and I decided to make some tie dye tee shirts as well. They are still wet in the photo so the colors are much darker than they appear dry. We had so much fun that now Ralph wants to tie dye everything!
Remember the ugly dresses I transformed into fabulous dusters? Well, I found another one on clearance for under $10 in dark green floral, my forever favorite color and print combined into one hideous prairie dress. Before I started cutting things though, I did try to find a way to style this dress in a flattering way. But I don’t think there is a flattering way to wear this dress without cutting it open! So I cut it open and hemmed it up and now I have three fabulous dusters transformed from really ugly dresses!
Another ugly dress upcycle project. I had this cute tie dye kaftan that I actually kind of love but the fabric is a really icky polyester that I cannot stand against my skin so I never wear it. I figured if I opened it like the green floral dress above, I could wear it over something and not have the fabric touching my skin.
I also had this black floral maxi dress which I bought during the pandemic lockdown from some random website that no longer exists. The dress is made from spandex material and is the strangest silhouette that I think would only fit properly if I were 6’2″ and 110 pounds. It’s way too long and ill-fitting and there is no distinction between front and back! But I love the bright floral print so much so I couldn’t just ditch the dress. Instead, I chopped off the bottom and made sleeves and a belt for my new tie dye robe!
I made a whole lot of novice sewing mistakes on this one, but that’s okay. Practice really is the best way to learn and improve!
And finally, I have been slowly adding all sorts of things to the walls in my bohemian bedroom and I have mostly completed the rag curtains. My bedroom is literally becoming the room of my childhood dreams!
The rag curtains…mostly complete.
I found this small rectangular mirror at the thrift shop for a few dollars. I refinished the frame the same way I did on my Still Life by Kristy Goggio.
My accessories walls are really coming together!
And that, my friends, is what I have been up to! But there is still so much more to do. I have three large wall spaces in my bedroom that are in need of decor and I have a million ideas floating around about what to do with them. Stay tuned and have a most wonderful weekend!
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If you are interested in my other raggery creations, click here for the full list.
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
26 Comments
Nancy
So much to do! The front door looks so much better, great job. And I love that accessories area. Such a cozy place. I can see why Ralph was attracted to it! Enjoy your weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nancy! I have to get a photo of Ralph when he has all the pearls on! It’s so funny and so stinking cute!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Btw, Jack, the kitten, was playing with something under the closet and he got it underneath it. Guess what it was!!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh nooooo! Did he bring you a furry little dead prize?! Ack! So gross!
xoxo
Shelbee
Pamela
I used to do lots of make-over furnishings when I had an old cottage years ago, my style changed as I got older, but it’s lovely to see how your ideas are coming to life. Dying is not only fun with the boys but you’ve got some great new pieces to wear too!
Pamela
http://www.style-yourself-confident.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Pamela! I was just thinking about all of the colors I painted our first home and as pretty as they were, my taste has also changed a bit in the last 13 years. I have gone from more a classic country style to very bohemian. When we make our final move in about 8 years, I am sure my style will change even more still. But I am certain that it will still include lots of bold, bright, beautiful colors!
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura @ Our Grand Lives
Love your seewing project(s) update… especially the dusters you recreated!! Thanks for hosting this link up each week and for spreading kindness!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Laura, thanks so much! I really am enjoying this very creative phase of life that I have entered!
xoxo
Shelbee
jodie filogomo
I love that you have been making those clothes work for you, Shelbee. I just recently opened up a half shirtdress to make it a full shirtdress and it feels so satisfying!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jodie! I have a pile of half shirt dresses that need to be opened up! I am all about altering the clothes to fit my body these days instead of the old way of trying to alter my body to make the clothes look good. What a silly thing to do, yet so many of us have lived a large portion of lives thinking that we had to change our bodies to fit the clothes! Ugh. Society.
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
OMG! These are amazing! I LOVE all of these projects. And yeah, that prairie dress was never going to look good as a dress. And you are giving me so many ideas – and I already had a ton. LOL! If you are ever in the mood, I’d love to see a step by step process for tie dye. I’ve never done it, but would like to. Have fun this weekend!
xoxo
Michelle
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Michelle! I found some really easy tie dye tutorials on YouTube. The dye part is really easy, I used RIT dye and you mix 1 tablespoon of dye per 1 cup of water in squirt bottles. I would link a few videos, but there are literally so many that you are probably better off just searching and finding some designs that you want to try. But the basics are wash the garment, tie it how you want it, add the dye, tie the garment in a plastic bag overnight, rinse and dry. I can’t wait to move to North Carolina! We can have crafting parties!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rosemary Davis
Enjoy your weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Rosemary!
xoxo
Shelbee
Esmé Slabbert
Thank you very much for hosting, and have a splendid weekend.
My entries this week = 27+28.
If you have not joined us at SSPS yet, this is a personal invite to come and share your awesome post/s with us.
You will find the linkup information (1) In the Top bar under Blogging: Weekly Senior Salon Pit Stop OR 2nd image In the sidebar.
We hope to meet you there virtually.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Esmé! I have to get myself all caught up on some blogging things and then I think I will be able to start joining link parties again. I just have not been able to find the time! But I did just add your SSPS party to my Fabulous Link Parties list! I hope you have a most wonderful week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sally in St Paul
You’ve been very busy and creative lately! It’s amazing how color can transform a room. The Groucho Marx looking necklace cracked me up!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Sally! I agree with you about color transformation! I was recently thinking back to our first home and all the beautiful colors I splashed throughout! I was super pregnant and painted every single surface in that house! I had a gorgeous deep pumpkin color in my living room and dining room, teal and browns graced my guest room, my bedroom was in Army greens, my kitchen was tangerine and avocado, the nursery was in Phillies colors and the family room was in Flyers colors with a chalkboard wall. It was good stuff! But I do like the colors I have chosen for this house more. But the old colors suited me perfectly at that stage of life.
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Shelbee….you are a freaking genius!!! I love the way you took that tie dye kaftan, made it a kimono, then added the floral parts from that dress! What an amazing transformation! Actually, everything you’ve done has been so so good! I love your bedroom walls, too. That’s such a wonderful idea to use your jewelry as art. I wish I had that much wall space in dinky (at least to me) new bedroom of mine. Those rag curtains are doggone fabulous!! What a magnificent way to cover your windows. I daren’t do anything like that as our back neighbors are just a little too close, and we’re now in a ranch so there’s that!
Love, love, love this post!!!! Oh, and thanks for the link party!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Awww, Marsha, thanks so much, my friend! I am having so much fun decorating my bedroom right now! I am now thinking of making a giant patchwork area rug out of the 50 pairs of jeans still in my closet that I don’t wear! But I also really need a new kitchen apron or two and I am wondering how denim would work for that. I am loving the rag curtains so much that I am going to make one for my cloffice entrance as well. I don’t love the long curtain panels that are there right now. And after doing the tie dye stuff and realizing how easy it is, I also now have a growing mental list of things in my closet to tie dye…along with the growing pile of things to upcycle and alter. After spending the weekend in the country without a need for curtains, I know that my final forever home will be in the woods, for sure! But I will still have curtains!
xoxo
Shelbee
Claire Justine
So many great projects here 🙂 Love everything. I need to find more time to be creative. Thanks so much for hosting.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Claire! I am really enjoying this creative burst right now, but it definitely takes a lot of time away from other things!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy Turner
Shelbee, you’ve been so busy with some fabulous crafty projects. I’m super impressed!! I’m totally digging your new front door colour, It’s beautiful! And those dusters you made…WOW. Seriously woman, you’re becoming a creative monster!! LOVE IT!!!
Have a wonderful time in Pennsylvania, my friend. I’m sorry I haven’t been around much lately. Hopefully that will change from now on!
Big hugs
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Suzy! I really am becoming quite the creative monster, aren’t I?! I have sooooo many ideas floating around my head right now that I don’t quite know which project to begin next. There is furniture to be refinished, clothing to be upcycled, tie dying to do, some more painting, and who knows what else! Pennsylvania was wonderful! It was nice to be completely unplugged for a few days.
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Oh so many fabulous projects! Alec and I enjoy tie dying and he’s pushing me to try dying darker items with bleach but I am so hesitant to do that. Have you ever tried tie dye with bleach?
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Joanne! I am now thinking of a whole bunch of things in my closet already that I can tie dye! I have not tie dyed with bleach though. Bleach frightens me! Haha. I always get it on myself and on things that I don’t want bleached! I think you would need to test the fabric to see what color the bleach would turn it, too. Sometimes bleaching leaves you with a really ugly dirty looking color. Oh, but the ideas are flying around like mad now! If I do try it, I will let you know. Samesies to you if you try tie dying with bleach, please let me know how it turns out!
xoxo
Shelbee