Spotted

Last year I found the sweetest little anchor sweater at a local charity shop -- made by Gymboree, in perfect condition, and only $4 (which is actually a bit of a splurge for me at a charity shop, but seemed quite justifiable!).  I quickly realized, though, that she had absolutely nothing to go with it! And so, a year later (thank goodness the sweater was too large!), I finally did something about that.

"Something" is a white linen skirt, made from the scraps of a fitted sheet I made several years ago. It is quite literally a rectangle with a single French seam, a double-folded hem, and a double-folded elastic casing. One of the easiest projects I have ever made.

I did want to spice it up a bit, though -- so out came the metallic gold Martha Stewart acrylic paint, as well as the fabric paint medium. I used several stencil brushes to make dots in different sizes, but I used the handles instead of the bristles! Rosa came in while I was doing this, and begged to help. As a result, a few of the dots are not quite where I would have put them myself... but her delight in being able to help with her own skirt is well worth it. 

You can just see a bit of her "Topsy Tail" int his photo -- perhaps the only good
thing to come out of the 90's! *wink*

Note to self -- it would be considerably easier to paint the fabric before the garment is made! A paper bag kept the paint at bay, but it also meant I had to wait for one side to dry before painting the other side. In any case, I'm glad to have a fully "functioning" outfit for so little effort and expense! I am quickly learning that if a retailer wants me to buy something, all they need to do is plaster it with anchors. I love all things nautical (and did even before it was a trend!), and my husband is in the Navy; what do you expect?

Hope you had a lovely Independence Day, my American friends! I explained to Little Man that 4th of July is kind of like our country's birthday, and he suggested that we have a birthday party. I love the way that kid thinks!