Tutorial ~ Ruffle Top for a Baby ~

Hi all! I made this top for my neighbor's new baby a while ago. I will share a quick tutorial with you.

1. I bought the type of underwear that folds in the front like kimono. You will need a shirt, and some lace.


2. Treat the edges of the lace with Serger or zigzag stitches.


3. I folded 1/2" from the rough edge of the lace and sewed two lines using the largest stitch setting. One is 1/8" from the edge, the other 1/2" from the edge. Then pull those two threads to make ruffles.


4. Pin the lace onto the front edges along the neck line. Sew in the middle of the two stitched lines. Repeat the process to make one more ruffle out of a lace and sew it on to the bottom edge.



Since I don't have a baby anymore at home (even though my children seem to act like it sometimes...), it is so much fun to come up with little baby items to work on. Don't you think there is something about baby stuff that brings smiles, "ohhh"s and "Ahhh"s?

Sunshine Winner!

I know, I know, I promised I would post the winner of the Sunshine Canvas giveaway last night...but I was up too late working on writing up a project, and I didn't have it in me!

So, without further ado, the winner is #30!
(Number obtained from Random.org)

Holly from Full Circle Creations!

This is very intimidating for me to send her something, as she makes beautiful signs herself!

Congratulations, Holly, and thank you all for entering.

Chalk Paint Table and Chalk Paint Observations

My second project using chalk paint involved a roadside freebie table (shown below) from the master bathroom.

This table was a perfect candidate for chalk paint as I did not want to spend a lot of time removing all the old paint – at least four coats - and sanding. Although not required, you can tell from the picture I did give the piece a light sanding to smooth out the surface a bit. I also scraped off much of the paint from the top as it was chipping. I used Annie Sloan’s Paris Grey (the same color I used on my mirror) with a top coat of Minwax for light colored wood.

One coat easily covered the old paint and the wax deepened the color - giving the table a beautiful, hand rubbed finish. If you look carefully at the picture above you can see the difference in color between the left side of the table which was waxed and the right side which was not.

This is certainly a big improvement from the formerly high gloss black paint this table used to wear.

Chalk Paint Observations
Now that I have completed two projects using chalk paint I have to say I am definitely a fan. It is easy to apply and most, if not all, the brush strokes disappear once the paint has dried. I know many people find the cost to be high. My take is that because there is no need to sand or prime you save not only in supply costs but time as well - time being the biggest bonus in my mind.

This paint covers well in just one coat, however, I did notice the mirror and table turned out to be slightly different colors. I am guessing this is due to the color paint I was covering. I am thinking two coats might be needed to achieve a more consistent color.

If you have any questions about using chalk paint I highly recommend this post written by Shauna at Perfectly Imperfect Blog. Shauna is a pro at painting and shares a great video and advice on her experiences using chalk paint.

Oh! For those of you who are curious, yesterday, I finally told my husband I painted the mirror in the kitchen. The verdict – he loved it but he liked the mirror the other way as well.

So, have you tried chalk paint yet? If so I would love to know your opinion!

Linking up to these parties
Metamorphosis Monday
Transformation Thursday
Open House Thursday