It’s Fashion Revolution Week! Since 2015 I’ve been talking about this week – and encouraging others to join in the fight. Fashion Revolution started in response to the deadly Rana Plaza Factory collapse in 2013, killing 1,138 and injuring many. This week encourages people to ask where their clothes came from, who made them, and challenge fashion industry standards to be better both ethically and ecologically.

Being a maker in the Fashion Revolution has given me a different perspective. I’ve been able to create a small bubble, surrounding myself with like minded makers and stories of sustainability, rather than the negative effects of the fast fashion industry. My fight has been focused on encouraging sustainability, and letting others fight the bigger picture, and larger corporations. But this past year I’ve been deep diving back into the fashion industry, introducing myself to new resources and reading materials and realizing that there’s only so much audience I can reach in my bubble.

I consider myself a quiet activist, which is kind of an oxymoron. I don’t like to push too hard that my way of thinking is right, and I don’t believe in shaming people for the choices they make. I prefer to take a gentle approach to inspiration and education, but that doesn’t really work when facing CEO’s of fashion brands. I’m not sure where this new calling will take me, and I’m certainly not giving up my normal eco-sewing content, but right now I’m focusing on re-educating myself and researching better ways to be involved, all which I hope to share in the near future. I get a lot of joy and feelings of purpose when sharing informational posts, and always hope that they reach more people who can benefit from the content.

If you would like more insight to my sustainability journey, and more about my connection to Fashion Revolution, you can read about it in this post from two years ago.

Along with this post about Fashion Revolution, I also wanted to share my latest handmade garment. While this garment is me in my handmade and eco focused “bubble”, it also encompasses many of the practices I’ve been working towards in my own wardrobe. And to be honest, there’s nothing like a new sewing project to bring in an audience!

I’ve had an itch to sew another garment, specifically a formal-ish dress. I had a wedding coming up, and another event on the way, and a dress pattern that’s been on my make list since it’s release. I fell in love with Pauline from Closet Core Patterns when it came out. Pauline is a really beautiful pattern and comes with several options to help build your dream dress, with many of the current trending styles, including puff sleeves and tiered skirt.

Part of my sustainable sewing journey is being aware of the material I make with, and I was happy to find this stunning black floral fabric (currently sold out!) from Stonemountain & Daughter Fabric. It’s designer deadstock silk, which hits a few sustainability points for me; deadstock and a natural fiber – also shopping/supporting a small business! It was more expensive than I normally spend on fabric, so I wanted to be sure I put in all the effort I could into this garment.

Stonemountain & Daughter is also a fabric resource on my Reclaimed, Deadstock and Vintage Fabric List (view here)!

I fit almost perfectly into the 6 on Pauline’s size chart, and cut my toile in that size. (Side note, my toile was made from a pair of my retired bed sheets!) I made View B, with the shorter puff sleeve and tier skirt, but didn’t like how the skirt looked on me. It felt a bit too trendy to become a dress I would wear for years to come. I was also a bit surprised when the bodice came out too big, but didn’t account for my measurements when wearing the correct undergarments. (I have a shapewear bodysuit that I wear under all my formal wear). I cut my final dress in a size 4.

I decided to change the skirt to an flare with some added flare and made new pattern pieces out of the provided skirt pattern. Here’s what I did:

I used my college book, Principles of Flat Pattern Design by Nora M. MacDonald, 3rd Edition (which, at the time of writing this, is available used from $5-$30 online!), and the original View B skirt pattern. I first extended the skirt pattern by 9.5″ in length, then slashed and spread the pattern – as shown in the book and my final pattern pieces. I repeated this for the back pattern pieces. As explained in the book, for the skirt to fall evenly, the slashes need to be evenly distributed throughout the pattern piece, not just added to the side seams. I also converted the curved waist to straight lines. Because I made this from silk, I didn’t add pockets due to bulk, and having the straight side seams laid the skirt better on my body.

The rest of the dress came together, although I did have a few trouble spots with the bodice. The neckline took a few tries to get my seams just right, and I did re-stitch the bust darts a few times. Years ago, I would have left my improper stitching the first time, because I was more focused on quick sewing, but I’m now taking extra time to fix mistakes. I used to think this was a form of perfectionism, and maybe it is a bit, but I prefer to think of it as quailty control, and ensuring proper fit/construction.

I lined the dress with lining fabric from Stonemountain & Daughter. (I used Bemberg Rayon, but Stonemountain also offers Deadstock Silk Lining, which I didn’t see at the time of shoppping – progress over perfection, Trish!) To line the skirt, I cut the bottom off my revised skirt pattern pieces. (Sorry I forgot to iron the skirt lining, I didn’t think I would take photos, but you can tell this dress was well worn!)

I absolutely love my dress! I am so proud of it, and it’s a really beautiful addition to my wardrobe. I wore it to my friend’s wedding a few weeks ago, and forgot to take photos until we were all sweaty from dancing the night away. But, the dress held up beautifully all night long, through lots of dancing, some sitting and even some sprinkles of rain! I’ll be wearing it again in a few weeks so maybe I’ll be able to get an event photo then!

Are you a maker looking to get involved in the Fashion Revolution? Start by checking out their site here! Looking to share on social media that you are a maker? Download an “I made my clothes” poster here!

I’ve been re-assessing my wardrobe, and filling in with a lot more thrifted pieces than handmade! I haven’t been spending so much time on making clothing, and over the past few months I’ve spend a lot of time away from my studio to enjoy Drew being home. But since I’m home I’ve been trying to cut back on my fabric purchases to sew through what I already have. It’s been making me dive deep into my fabric stash and my refashion stash. I found this dress that was hidden away, already partially seam ripped, ready for a second look.

I wore this dress quite a bit in my early 20s. It was a great work dress, but I grew out of the cutesy style of it (and it was getting a bit tight and short!). I still love the print so I was happy to turn it into something else! Originally I was going to turn it into a high waisted gathered skirt with a zipper in back but I have a few skirts like that already in my wardrobe. I remembered I had the Rosari Skirt from Pauline Alice in my pattern collection and thought it would be a great style!

The original skirt of this dress was heavily gathered, so after removing the gathering, there was quite a bit of material to work with. I was able to cut the new skirt front, back and waistband from the original skirt. The pocket pieces were able to come from the bodice. I had to use extra cotton for the button placket facing and the waistband lining, but it all worked out well! I opted for gold snaps instead of buttons for a cleaner finish.

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This was my second time making the Rosari Skirt, and it’s a really cute pattern. I had previously cut a size 36, and used the same pattern.

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Over the years I have been taking a critical eye to my wardrobe and getting rid of styles that no longer suit me. I was really inspired by Marie Kondo’s method and Kondo’d our house last year. Every so often I go back over my wardrobe to upcycle/donate the pieces that no longer “spark joy”. Doing this has also very much inspired my sewing! I used to want to sew basics, and thought part of my sewing journey was creating the perfect handmade t-shirts and jeans. But now that I don’t have as much time for personal sewing projects, I don’t want to spend it sewing pieces I find a little boring. I love prints – especially floral prints- and that’s what gets me happy to sew. But with my wardrobe still needing basics, I’ve turned to secondhand shopping for everything I don’t want to make. ThredUp has made my secondhand journey so easy during this quarantine when I haven’t felt comfortable going to thrift stores. My shirt and shoes in this post are from ThredUp!

I’ve posted about ThredUp before, and it truly has become my go-to source for all things secondhand. If you are interested, you can get $10 to shop using this link! (My personal referral link, purchasing through here will give you $10 & I’ll get $10 to shop as well!)

And with so many thrift stores turning away donations during COVID, you can order a clean out kit from ThredUp for some extra cash or shopping credit for your clothes: link here.

I have a few more projects I’m working on, a new bag pattern (+ tutorial!), and another refashion that’s taking longer than expected. So hopefully my blogging will be back on track soon!

ThredUp recently came out with their 2020 Resale Report, which is a wealth of information about their company and the world of secondhand.

A few stats that were mind blowing right off the bat were as follows: in the next five years, the secondhand market is set to hit $64 billion in revenue, and by 2029 will be a bigger industry than fast fashion. These numbers are huge – and world changing.

There’s a lot about the fashion industry I don’t talk too much about here on the blog, but it’s something I am continuing to learn about every day.

I fight for sustainable fashion by refashioning and hand-making my wardrobe. I share this with the world in hopes to inspire others to do the same. I don’t have a refashion to share today, instead I wanted to take a moment to talk about one other piece of information that still makes me mad.

1 in 2 people are throwing their unwanted clothing directly in the trash. It has also been discussed in previous years that the average American throws away 80 lbs of textiles in a year. Now, let me start by saying, I am guilty of throwing away old underwear, socks, and old camisoles that lost their elasticity. While its been awhile since I’ve done this, I am not perfect in my sustainable journey but I’m on a mission to do better – and want to give you some resources to do the same!

(Please note: Each company may have different procedures and re-opening schedules for donations amid COVID. If you have questions or concerns, contact these companies directly)

Companies That Take Their Products Back

Companies that take their clothing back (and may give you something in return!)

• Eileen Fisher: a brand that has already been making incredible leaps in sustainable fashion. They will take back your Eileen Fisher pieces and resell, mend or refashion. (And give you a $5 credit to their Renew Store). Check out the Renew Line and their Zero Waste art initiative Waste No More.
• The North Face: works with a company The Renewal Workshop (more about that below) to upcycle their returned garments and gear. The North Face gives you a $10 credit and their renewed items come with a one year warranty. Check out The North Face Renewed.

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• Patagonia: is taking back gently used Patagonia apparel and giving you credit in return (see the trade in values here). They accept clothing through stores or via mail. Patagonia created Worn Wear for repairing and recycling the returned clothing and gear, which I highly recommend following if just for inspiration.
• For Days: this company has a very interesting plan to keep the circulation of their clothing under their brand. For Days will swap out your old For Days shirts for new ones, you can read more about it here. For Days works with the recycling partner, Recover, who turns their returned shirts into new ones, making their company a closed loop system. They also offer “Take Back Bags” which you can purchase and fill with any old (clean!) clothes you want to be recycled.
• Coyuchi: is leading the way in sustainable bedding and closing the loop on their products in the process. You can send your Coyuchi linens back to the company to be repurposed by The Renewal Workshop, and in return get 15% off your next order. You can shop these 2nd Home textiles at their Point Reyes Store. Read more here.

• Baggu: is recycling any nylon or canvas bags by recycling, repurposing, donating or selling to secondhand markets. Unfortunately, they don’t break down the percentage or qualifying factors for each distribution point, but it is an option to recycle some bags. Their site also says to email once sent back to the store and they will send you a discount for a new bag. More info here. In other news, they are currently selling reusable bags made from recycled sails!
• Uniqlo: takes back their clothing and distributes it as follows: Clothing in good condition goes to refugees, disaster victims and others in need. Unwearable clothing gets recycled into refuse paper and plastic feul pellets for fuel. Read more here! According to their 2019 Sustainability Report, as of August 2019 they have donated 36.57 million items.
• REI: is taking resale into their own hands by offering used outdoor clothing and gear online and creating a trade in program. REI has an extensive list of no-go’s, and there is currently a wait list for the program, but if your items are accepted, you can get an REI gift card for up to 20% of your items retail price. Hopefully with time this program will do even more, but it’s a great option for gear! Read more about it here.
• Girlfriend Collective: is a brand I have purchased from and LOVE. They make leggings and other active wear out of recycled water bottles and have a program (ReGirlfriend) where you can send back your Girlfriend apparel to be properly recycled. You will have to pay for a shipping label ($7) but you do get $15 towards your next Girlfriend purchase.

Companies That Accept Clothes from Other Brands

• Levi’s and Madewell: Both these companies work with the Blue Jeans Go Green denim recycling campaign from Cotton. They will take back any denim in any brand and give you 20% off one item in return (Levi’s) or $20 off a new pair (Madewell). The denim is used as insulation (read article here and here for Madewell), however there is currently no specific program to reclaim the denim into new items. Levi’s is encouraging garment longevity by creating Tailor Shops to repair and customize your jeans. Madewell also does repairs and customization (read more here), but are putting in more promotion towards jean resale by partnering with ThredUp and offering secondhand jeans in select stores. (I should note: I asked Levi’s if their recycling program would accept denim scraps and they currently do not)
• H&M: has had recycle boxes in their stores since 2013 for easy textile recycling of any brand clothing and condition (but please don’t donate anything wet or moldy) and even accepts scraps. Years ago, I donated a bag of scraps because I didn’t know where else to turn. Now, this is not my favorite company because it is the epitome of fast fashion, but H&M has taken strides to answer consumer requests for transparency and more sustainable practices. In 2019, H&M collected over 29,000 tons of garments (that’s over 145 million t-shirts) and according to their sustainability performance report, it was an increase of 40% from 2018. On page 50 of their report I found the following stats for where the recycled textiles go:

— 50–60% are sorted for re-wear or reuse.
— 35–45% are recycled to become products for
other industries or made into new textile fibres.
— The remaining 3–7% that can’t be reused or
recycled are destroyed (prioritising incineration
for energy recovery where possible). Sending
textiles to landfill is not an option.

When a company says re-wear or re-use, this usually indicates selling in bulk to another country. While that can help the economy in other countries, part of the problem is drowning other countries in the textile waste we created. There are pros and cons, but my personal takeaway for this program is to choose another option. The further along the world gets in our goal for sustainability, the more options there are. If you choose to drop off at H&M you will receive a 15% discount card.

• Marine Layer: this brand will take your old t-shirts, as many as you want to send them, and they will turn them into new ones. For helping them get inventory, you get a $5 credit per shirt, up to $25. Cotton Tees are ideal, but they will take anything as long as it isn’t activewear. Just request a kit to recycle your tees! (And totally not encouraging you to shop more but their Re-spun collection is pretty amazing) .
• Knickey: Remember when I said I’m guilty of throwing away old underwear? Well, Knickey knows this is a common problem and they are solving it! Request a shipping label and send in your old intimates! (This includes bras, socks and tights, for men and kids items as well!) They will get recycled into insulation, rug pads and rags, and you’ll get a free pair of underwear in your next order with the company! Read more here!
• Harper Wilde: is also a company focused on intimates, and when you buy a bra, it comes with a recycle kit to send in your old bras for proper recycling! Some materials become yarns and fabrics, and some materials are downcycled into filling stock or padding. More info here!
• Fair Harbor: is the place to send your old swimsuits to be recycled! This is a fairly new program so I’m not finding too much information about the recycling process, but you can send in any swimsuit for recycling – just request a label!
• Nike: has had a shoe recycling program in place since 1990 called Reuse-A-Shoe. Their stores will accept any brand of used athletic shoes to be recycled into Nike Grind – which becomes new Nike products, track and playground surfaces, basketball and tennis courts, and indoor synthetic and wood courts. This is just for athletic shoes (without cleats or spikes with metals).
• Ten Thousand: has a campaign called, One In/One Out (in partnership with 2ReWear) to recycle used activewear from any brand. While you will need to make a purchase from this site to recycle old activewear, you will receive 10% off a future purchase! Nice Laundry, an underwear and sock company, does the same for socks and underwear.
• Love Woolies: is a great place to send your old sweaters! This incredible company is taking unloved sweaters and turning them into hats, mittens and scarves, and has already saved over 10,000 sweaters! Send your sweaters here!

Recycle Textiles:

• Terracycle: this is #1 place to recycle anything you can imagine, but it comes at a cost. Terracycle sells zero waste boxes that you can fill according to category (i.e. bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc) with items that some town recycling cannot dispose of. This is definitely a pricey option for recycling waste, but an option for those harder to recycle items.

• FabScrap: for those of us working with textile and textile waste, FabScrap is the best source for recycling. You can recycle cuttings, headers, mock ups, samples, overstock bolts, production remnants and scraps. For those with a lot of waste, you can sign up for Fab Scrap’s pick up service. However, if you are a small hobbyist or just don’t have much to recycle, you can drop off your waste at both their retail shop and warehouse and it will be recycled for $1.50/lb. (Retail store will take up to 10 lbs, warehouse accepts more). I plan on using this service, and I am lucky enough to live within an hour to drop off my scraps (and shop at the same time!). The fabric is sorted by volunteers, some is re-sold, and unsellable material becomes shredded to create insulation, carpet padding, furniture lining, moving blankets, etc. (Currently, this recycling is in New York, Fab Scrap hopes to expand soon.)

Resale Platforms:

I’ve talked previously about platforms where you can sell your own clothes, like Poshmark or Depop, but when you just want it gone, turn to people who will sell it for you.

ThredUP: this is my favorite second hand resource. But I also want to share more of what your clothes can do. When you choose to send clothing into ThredUP, you can choose to get cash or credit for your items that sell, or you can choose to donate whatever your clothes make to charities like Feeding America, Girls Inc, Wardrobe for Opportunity or Help a Mother Out.

ThredUP is quickly becoming a go-to partner for brands who want to work on their sustainability. They are working with brands like Reformation and Madewell to resell the brands products. And they created a program for companies that want to get a piece of selling secondhand in their stores like Macy’s, and Walmart. ( Resale as a Service ) Select Macy’s have small sections in their store filled with curated secondhand pieces that have been sent to ThredUp.

Other Resources:

• As mentioned above with Patagonia, Eileen Fisher and REI, companies want to take back their brands and resell on their own terms. These companies and others are using Trove to power the resale aspect of their businesses. It is an interesting company and just for educational purposes, I encourage you to check them out. As fashion companies continue to look for more sustainability (and more profit) options, I think we will start seeing more companies integrate resale on their own platforms.
• The Renewal Workshop is one of the companies leading the way to help brands become more sustainable. They take discarded clothing and turn it into new products, recycled materials or recycling feedstock. As mentioned above, they work with The North Face and Coyuchi and here’s a list of the other brands they work with. They also have an online shop selling re-newed items.
• While brands want to become more sustainable, they are turning to partners that have already been creating the technology to get there. Several companies are working with big and small retailers such as: Evrnu, Worn Again, and Renewcell.
• Do you have LEGO’s that need a new home? With Give Back Box you donate used LEGO’s!

Recycling old textiles can feel overwhelming when they are in bags taking over your home. Whatever the item may be, there is probably a resource to properly recycle it and I hope this list helped if you were looking for a solution.

There are many project ideas for old textiles, and so many places that will gladly take your donations. I encourage you to do you own research when the time comes to de-clutter or discard. Check with your local charities to donate gently used clothing, and ask your local animal shelter if they can use old bedding and towels.

I plan to set up a small basket/box in our basement with clothing that is past its prime so I can easily fight the urge to “just toss it”, even if it’s one lonely sock who lost its mate. It is great to see companies taking responsibility and helping to keep clothing in circulation or properly recycle, but real change also starts at home with millions of families doing their part as well.

If there’s a company you believe should be added to this list, let me know!

I’ve been thinking about writing this post for the past 5 months, and every time I write something out, I am overcome with fear. Fear that people won’t like me, fear that people won’t “get” me. It’s a similar fear I had when I first started posting my sewing projects over 13 years ago. And then I was greeted with a rush of encouragement and love on what I made, even if it was a simple dress. And that’s what I love so deeply about the sewing community. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been sewing for a day or most of your life, you will find someone like you- someone who gets you and wants to love what you make. But here I am, back at the fear again, feeling like I will be met with a different result.

For the past few months I’ve been in a pretty dark place. As you can see, I haven’t posted much and I haven’t done much sewing at all. Because I don’t want people to misinterpret my intentions in the upcycling world.

There has been a lot of talk over the past months within the sewing and refashioning community about people buying the wrong size clothes in thrift stores to refashion. I’ve seen a lot of judgement, a lot of hate, and a lot of education.

The first thing we do when we are criticized is we defend ourselves. I do not intentionally buy larger clothes to refashion. I’m 4’9″, and even clothing in and around my size look large (long) on me because I’m short. But this isn’t an excuse for how people see things online. I understand the criticism, and want to strive to be a better role model.

I can’t take back certain pieces I’ve refashioned from the past, but I can continue to do better.

I will be deleting what I can of those posts. Not just for my own well-being, but so no one will be inspired by those makes. I apologize to anyone I’ve upset by those posts, and appreciate those who are kind in their education about the topic.

And now, I will be getting back to creating. Because I need to for my own mental health. And going forward, I am keeping in line with the intentions that I’ve been setting out for myself over the past years. I want to use pieces from my family. I took clothes from my grandma after she passed, and have quite a few from my mom when she cleaned out her own closet. My grandmas clothing is filled with the smell of 50+ years of smoking. Unsuitable for donating, but to me they are still special. I also want to use pieces that have problems (holes, stains, etc) and need love, or those that are on their way to the landfill. There are so many old, worn out clothes that are tossed every day. I will be extremely mindful of size when thrifting pieces to refashion, as well as true vintage pieces that should be put into the right hands for repair.

Thankfully now there are resources like Fab Scrap, and other shops all across the world and online for sustainable sewing. And I’ve been shopping reclaimed textiles much more recently to make projects that require more materials. Refashioning isn’t, and shouldn’t be, going away. I am so happy to be part of a community that wants to say goodbye to textile waste & slow down fast fashion. It’s been my fight for years, and will continue to be.

I cannot tell anyone how to shop, but I can (and will) encourage a better philosophy when refashioning.

One more note that I have to mention. We are a world full of many different opinions. There are so many times in a single day when we can disagree with someone. You may not agree with what I’m saying, or what others have to say on this subject, but please be kind. There is no need for harsh language or eye rolling emojis when disagreeing with people. Sometimes the best results come from people who speak thoughtfully on their position, without shaming and name calling. I want our world to be better, and I strive to make myself a better person every day.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, I hope you will join me on my journey to a more sustainable future.

And with that, I want to share some facts!

For more information and resources please check out the following sites:

https://www.fashionrevolution.org/

https://www.smartasn.org/

https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/fashion-and-the-circular-economy

https://globalfashionagenda.com/

If you have some more time, you can watch a few documentaries :

Unravel: The Final Resting Place of Your Cast-off Clothes (short documentary)

The True Cost

I’m back with another project using my amazing Janome Embroidery Machine! I wanted to share something quick and simple, with so much room for customization! You can download and print out the Janome PDF instructions HERE.

I’m usually pretty good at gift ideas. There are a ton of things I want to buy for people, but usually way out of budget. Over the years I’ve been doing well with handmade gifts and my ultimate go-to is this tea bag travel wallet.

It started with needing a gift for my mom. She is an avid tea drinker- like 4-6 cups a day tea drinker. She gave up caffeinated tea a few years ago and has been hooked on only specific kinds of herbal. If you are a tea drinker, you know that most restaurants and diners have unlimited supply of coffee but can really lack when it comes to tea. My mom started carrying her own tea bags wherever she went, in a little plastic baggie. It was obvious she needed a home for her stash.

I made her a little tea holder, then started getting some requests for more! My sister was next, her tea bag holder was a Christmas gift. I have one in the queue for Drew’s sister and decided to make his mom one for Mother’s Day!

This has become such an awesome gift I wanted to share a tutorial so you can make your own- or gift one!

You will need:

Scrap Fabric, 1 Button, Piece of  Ribbon, Water Soluble or Erasable Pen/Pencil, Embroidery Supplies

Step One: Cut 4 pieces of fabric 5″ x 7″, one will be your outer, and three will be inside. If you are adding embroidery, cut one piece stabilizer, otherwise, cut one piece interfacing. (The stabilizer/interfacing will go on the outside layer, attach.)

Step Two: Embroider your front piece. Fold your front piece in half width-wise and lightly mark the piece in half. This will show you roughly how much of the front piece will show in the front of the wallet. You will only be able to fit a small amount of embroidery, but have fun with it! I used small lettering and small butterfly design in the machine. There will be a button sew onto the front, so keep that in mind when designing your front.

Step Three: Take two of the interior pieces to become pockets. Fold each one in half lengthwise and iron. Topstitch both pieces.

Step Four: Measure 1″ up from the bottom of the last piece of fabric you have left. On this line, pin one of your pocket pieces. Sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step Five: Take your second pocket and line it up with the bottom of your interior piece, below the first pocket. Sew in place.

Step Six: Mark the center of your pockets. Sew this line from the bottom up to the top of the pockets.

Step 7: Cut a 6″ piece of ribbon or bias tape, pin to the center of your pockets. Sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 8: With right sides together, sew interior to exterior, leaving a 3″ hole.

Step 9: Turn wallet right side out and iron wallet. Topstitch around wallet and sew the bottom closed.

Step 10: Fold wallet and position ribbon towards the front. Mark where your button should be sewn. Sew your button on, only going through first layer of fabric.

And you are done! Pair with a few boxes of tea bags, a cute travel mug and you have a great, easy gift!

 

It’s almost October and I never shared the details from my sister’s baby shower! Sorry in advance for photo overload!

My sister has always loved reading, and is an English teacher, so books are clearly her thing. We thought storybooks would be a great theme for her shower, and as I recently learned, it’s a pretty popular theme. My mom, sister and I were all part of planning and I was the main maker.

Her invitations came from etsy, and they were adorable! You can find them here. We also chose to do the “bring as book” and “diaper raffle” at the shower, which worked out really well.

We had the shower at a restaurant so the only other thing we really had to plan were the centerpieces. We wanted to do a different book on each table and chose some of our favorites/most popular books for each table. I put together all the centerpieces with items from around our house, a little bit of crafting and some store bought items. I wanted each table to have a common thing so I made round place-mats in different fabrics. Here’s the breakdown!

1.Madeline

 

The Eiffel Tower is a jewelry holder from Michaels, I covered a cardboard oatmeal box with felt to look like Madeline’s coat and we had a straw hat to which we added a simple black ribbon to complete the look.

2. Dr. Seuss (Cat in the Hat)

 

About a week before the shower I suggested we get real goldfish for this table. After the ok from my sister, we all thought it would be cute for each little girl to go home with a goldfish, so we bought three! (not too many kids came to the shower). For the vase, I glued stripes of felt onto a glass vase to look like Dr. Seuss’s Hat. We also found these cool pom poms at Michaels to use on the table.

3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

 

 The caterpillar is made out of felt and glued into the bud holder. We couldn’t find fake fruit so we added some real pieces around the center to go with the story and a couple red flowers to the sides.

4. Alice in Wonderland

   

This is my favorite. My sister got me an Alice teacup from Disney years ago that we used as a mini flower vase. My mom had a vintage Alice in Wonderland book that we added to the table. And for the “drink me” detail, I filled small jars with pink confetti!

5. Winnie the Pooh

  

My sister loves Pooh so she contributed one of her actual stuffed animals to the table! For the small vase, I glued rope around the glass and glued a yellow ribbon on top. My mom found a small bee in our basement and it was just so perfect! The larger vase is decorated, although you can’t see. I hot glued yellow felt to the top to make it look like honey was dripping from inside.

6. Peter Rabbit

 

 I found everything for this centerpiece in our greenhouse. A small garden rabbit and tiny watering can made this theme fun! I made the felt carrots to add in a little crafting.

I worked with my mom to customize the flowers for each table to go with the theme. They all came from our garden and really brought everything together.

One of my favorite parts was the favor. I made bookmarks with our brand new Silhouette Cameo paper cutter  and attached candy boxes to each bookmark. I wish I got a better picture of the boxes. They were from etsy, and each box had a different picture of a children’s book cover on it! So cute! We filled the candy boxes with strawberry candies that my grandma always had in her purse and her house. It was really special to have a little memory of her at the shower.

Everything went smoothly, even though it was raining by the end of the shower. My sister received so many wonderful things for her baby.

I previously shared my shower gift to my sister but didn’t share her dress! I made her a knit tube top dress with the circle skirt. I had to make a few alterations because she grew right before the shower but it looked so cute on her. (Sorry I don’t have nicer pictures!)

 

In other news, I recently did an interview with Kollabora! For those who don’t know, Kollabora is an awesome craft sharing site that I’ve been posting on for years! I love seeing all the projects, it feels like a great mix between Instagram, blogs & pinterest.

We are expecting baby any day now, so I’m not sure how much sewing I’ll be doing! Have a great week!