Do It Yourself Recycled Soap Holder

This post is for all the people with children, who frequently get their hands dirty outside in their gardens, and avid campers. Use a recycled mesh bag (mine is from the fresh garlic cloves I purchase at the grocery store), a stretchy hair band, and thick thread. Hand-sew the hair band onto one side of the open mesh bag. If you don't like to sew, just use a large safety pin instead! Stuff a bar of soap inside and hang it at the water spout for quick hand-washing outside. I don't remember where I saw this but it's exactly what I needed for the children!

Sewing with my serger machine

My brilliant husband gave me a serger machine for Christmas. I'm weird about when I read directions and when I don't....when it comes to things like my SLR camera and new sewing machine, I tend to avoid reading those manuals. So, my new machine sat (opened) in it's original box until March because I didn't have a good reason to experiment with it yet. Well, the other day a couple of friends inspired me to get it out and start using it (we're attempting to knock-off the Victoria Secret bathing suit cover-ups). After an evening with my dear friend Shelley, whom I lean on for creative support, I was feeling a bit more confident about my new machine. Yesterday I had an impulsive idea to re-create a favorite skirt from my closet. Before I go any further, I must explain how my serger changes my level of creating. The serger makes these really great stitches which completely remove the need for additional hemming and provides a more finished professional look to clothing. It basically saves me a lot of time and headache when using difficult fabrics! This layered wrap skirt only took me a couple of hours to throw together (and that was without a pattern). I'm thrilled with how it turned out, especially since I used old fabrics from my sewing stash. This new skirt cost me zilch, and it's reversible! My 6-year-old is now anxiously awaiting for me to make her one.