Upcycled Sweater Coat

A few years ago I was struck by how gorgeous one of my friends sweaters was. It was different shades of pink and is so soft and lovely. I asked her where she got it and she mentioned Portland. I never forgot that sweater. Recently I stumbled upon the designer at the Portland Saturday Market downtown and fell in love all over again.

I did not however fall in love with the price tag. I went home day dreaming about those sweaters and how easy I know they are to make. I decided to take a chance and go dig around at the local Goodwill OUTLET.

Who knew there was such a thing? I had tried to go there once when Grayson was tiny but because it's sifting through bins and rather gross and time consuming I decided it wasn't worth the cheap price per pound.

NOW IT IS!

I ditched the kiddos with Zack and headed off. Luckily (or unluckily...) for me it is less than a mile from our house. I came home with 10-12 sweaters, 2 pair of pants and a scarf all for cutting. 2 pair of pants, 3 shirts all for me to wear. 1 pair of cords a shirt, and a pirate hat for G. a rash guard for J for next summer and a pair of thick knit mittens/fingerless gloves.

Grand total $20.

Yes, 2-0.

I am a thrill of the hunt girl. :) It makes me happy to find something and either turn it into something else better (upcycle) or that can be used that wasn't previously.

This is what I came up with. It's all shades of gray. It's my new brown (which replaced black). I love gray. In the front are two spots of light pink angora. mmmm. yum. Angora!

Still have to add the buttons and surge that other sleeve I just realized I forgot. :) But I love it and if it's in every photo on here from now on you know why! (these pics are HORRIBLE! I need a new camera- stupid iphone)

Handmade swap

I am on an online chat group. It all started with gdiapers yahoo group. We were all a part of it. We chatted, got to know each other and broke off 2 years later into our own little group. There is about 25 of us from all over the country. There are maybe 5-6 of us in Portland that get together every now and then but mostly we just chat online.

Its a lovely group of woman who compliment each other in ways not often found In Real Life (IRL). We are always supportive, never judgmental and always open to conversation and discussion. It's honestly one of the few places I air everything. Seriously, you thought I was open here... you ain't seen nothing! They knew first that I was pregnant again. They have known first when I was struggling with life and its hardships. It is an amazingly safe place. Oddly enough if someone had told me a few years ago that I would have friends online I would have laughed myself right out of the conversation. CRAZY talk.

But really, I hope to someday meet them all IRL.

Recently, we tried something new. A handmade/homemade swap. Anything under $20 (roughly) and you could make whatever you want or let your giftee participate in the fun and choose something. That is what I did. I was to send my handmade items to Lindsey and she decided she wanted some trainers for her little girl. My stupid serger is still wonky so it took longer than planned, and have a few flaws, but here they are...

On the other side of the swap, today I received this super cute Wool diaper cover from Natalie! I love it. I have always wanted to try one but the expense and/or lack of pattern has held me back. Natalie made this one out of a repurposed Abercrombie sweater. It is sooo soft! I can't wait to use it on Hotdog.

When I showed G he was SURE it was a hat and for him! Hopefully I can wrangle it from him for Hotdog's bum before Hotdog grows into it.

For those not in the know, wool is great as a cloth diaper cover because it does not leak when properly lanolized which is the natural water proof quality sheep/wool has. It resists buildup of urine making it the perfect fabric all on its own. It's also very breathable and cozy.

Final Count

42.5 jars of Peaches

10 jars of spaghetti sauce

Allie's Sweater

I made this sweater for my niece Allie. I hope it fits! She lives in San Diego, so when her mom puts it on her, I am hopeful that she will snap a pic and send it to me so I can update! hint hint!

Melissa here is the link!