Sew a little love: Playing 'House'

Sew a little love: Playing 'House': "For such a long time now I've been wanting to give the kidlets' playhouse a makeover. Daddy built it a couple of years ago, and over the yea..."

Playing 'House'

For such a long time now I've been wanting to give the kidlets' playhouse a makeover. Daddy built it a couple of years ago, and over the years it has faded to a pale, weathered grey, not the best site to stare at as you look out of the window. Every time I washed the dishes, I'd sigh and mentally add it to the very long to-do list that grows at the rate of Jack's beanstalk! Last summer I kept putting it off by another week, and only now, a whole year later, has it been given a new lease of life. As I'm like an overly excited puppy with a new Louboutin shoe, I can't help but share it with you! It might help to show you  a 'before' picture, but I failed miserably to get the camera out to take a shot. I'll share an older picture with you instead, baring in mind it was taken a couple of years ago when 'The Little House' was still quite new and cheery!

As you can see, it was lacking in imagination a bit, and needed some TLC. Firstly, it needed some colour. Hubby kindly donned the painting gloves, and we decided a lovely Forget-me-not blue would suffice. After adding some white trimmings, it looked a lot fresher.

And the result....Ta-da!

To turn our little house in to a home, we needed some finishing touches of course! I sewed some patchwork curtains to add summer cheer, along with some bunting. The little bench that sits alongside it, also got a lick of paint. The kids were itching to get their fingers dirty, so they had the job of painting furniture. It was so much fun, and they did a brilliant job! However, if someone had to look at our back garden via Google Earth, there is no doubt that they would think we've acquired a swimming pool, as the garden is still covered in blue paint!

Of course every house needs a house name, so we decided to stick with 'The Little House'. I made a housname plaque for it, as well as a fire bucket. If you know my two year old, you would know it definitely needs it! Here are some pictures of all the finishing touches.

Ooh, just one more thing I have to share! A little while ago a dear friend turned up with a present for our little man, a red radioflyer trike that she had found in a thrift shop. Thank you Dianne! Isn't it gorgeous?

Well, I think there will be a lot of playing, dreaming, tea partying and imagining going on, and that's just me! I hope you've enjoyed our little trip 'playing house'...Now, time to grapple with the chores of a real house...Until next time!

Romantic Jewelry Pinboard Tutorial

So, do you also have a jumble of knotted jewelry in a box somewhere that drives you potty? As a result you don't wear half the jewelry you own because you could probably walk to France and back in the time it would take you to un-knot it all? I have quite a selection of brooches, and found that I only ever wore a few because they were in an uninspiring mess! Well, a while back I decided to have a good tidy and to organize my bling in such a way that I could actually SEE it all. Today I'd like to share a little 5 minute project with you, which helped me to get organized! I made this jewelry pinboard a while back, and it hangs inside my wardrobe door. It is so easy now to accessorize an outfit.

To make a jewelry pinboard, all you need is of course a cork pinboard. They come in a variety of sizes, but I've gone for a small one to fit inside my wardrobe door. You'll also need wadding, fabric of your choice, a staple gun and lace or any other trimmings if you like. The sky's the limit as to what the finished product can look like. I've gone for a romantic look, so I used some plain pink fabric (recycled sheet!) and lace. Finally, you'll need some pretty pins. Bridal pins are best as they're longer, and will hold jewelry securely.

Method:

• Cut the wadding to the exact size of your pinboard, and layer it on top.
• Cut your chosen fabric about two inches/5cm larger than your board, and layer it on top of the wadding.
• Now pull the fabric tight round the back of your pinboard, and staple it in place. It's best to staple it to the wooden frame as opposed to the cork, as this gives a more secure finish.

• Add lace over the fabric if you're using any, and staple in place.
• Voila! Ready to arrange your jewelry on top!

These pinboards are great for hanging necklaces, attaching brooches, or even hair accessories. Anything goes, so you can have a lot of fun with it! I'd love to hear about your ideas for organizing jewelry better, and if you happen to have a go at making a pinboard, do share some pictures. I'd love to see them!