Lace Trimmed T-Shirt and Tutorial...

Step 1: Buy an inexpensive, boring plain v-neck from, well, ANYWHERE. Me? I chose an Old Navy dark gray tee:



See? It's boring. It needs some help.

Step 2: Dig through huge bag of vintage lace and notions lovingly thrifted and given to you by your Grandma K and pick out some sassy, funky or complimentary ribbon or lace. ( Hee hee hee, I'm imagining my ribbon saying, "My my Amanda, you are looking mighty FINE today!" Get it? Complimentary ribbon? OK, It's just me then.)

Step 3: (If needed) Serge or zig-zag stitch raw edge of lace or ribbon. (Yep, I'm slowly getting over my serger fear! However, it must still be having an effect on me because I completely forgot to take a photo.)

Step 4: Pin lace around neckline of t-shirt. Remember to not pin the back of the shirt while pinning. I pinned both the inside and outside edges of the lace all the way around the neckline:



I didn't have enough lace, but would have liked to go all the way around to the back of the neckband. Instead I serged the ends and pinned them down at the shoulder seam:



Step 4.2: Carefully miter (translation: fold it until it looks right) and pin lace or ribbon in place at the bottom of the "V" if you chose a v-neck style t-shirt. Of course, with a scoop neck or regular t-shirt this may not be needed...OR, you may need to every so often add a tiny fold to allow the lace to curve around the neckline correctly. Once again, just fold and pin until it looks right.



Step 5: Stitch the lace to the shirt along the inside/unfinished/serged edge first:



Step 6: Stitch the outside edge of the lace to the shirt, following the decorative pattern. I followed the curves as much as possible so it wouldn't flip up after washing:



Step 7: I stitched the folds down at the bottom of the "V" so it would lay flat. My stitch lines are marked in red:



Step 8: Admire your handiwork then jump giddily around your sewing room because you created something cute, individual, inexpensive AND sassy in a short amount of time:



Step 9: Try sassy new shirt on and attempt to take a self portrait without showing the camera or your face or earrings. Whoops, guess I didn't do Step 9 very well:

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Step 10: Wear it everywhere. It's a washable t-shirt so who cares if your 3 year old smudges it with jelly coated fingers? Just make sure that 3 year old isn't wielding a sharpie. I mean, I'm pretty good at getting stains out but that's pushing it.

This Lace Trimmed T-shirt can dress up jeans, dress down a suit jacket but can also be worn under a simple zip up hoodie paired with faded black yoga pants while feeding the kiddos lunch and doing laundry. Oh wait? Is that just me?

Enjoy your sassy Lace Trimmed T-shirts!

A


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Slacker Window Washing Woman...

It is a uncharacteristically gorgeous day over here at the Vintage Dutch Girl homestead. Beautiful sun shining through my smudged, speckled and fingerprinted windows.

Speaking of windows, I need some help.

I have ginormous windows. So ginormous, in fact, that I have (choose) to custom make all my curtains because this lady isn't shelling out $200+ PER PANEL for extra long and extra wide curtains. Especially when this lady knows how to make her own for a significantly lower amount.

These ginormous windows of ours get dirty...FAST. Smudges, speckles, fingerprints and the leftover residue from using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to scrub sharpie off the window. I am NOT like my neighbor lady who washes her windows on a weekly basis. Her OUTSIDE GARAGE windows.

Yeah, I know. WEEKLY. I wonder if she's bored? Or maybe she has some serious obsessive compulsive tendencies with cleaning. If so, maybe I should invite her over. We could have some serious cleaning therapy going on over here. And ya know what? I wouldn't even charge for her therapy because I'm nice like that.

I've heard that using vinegar is the best (and cheapest! You know me, I like a good deal. What can I say? I'm a penny-pinching dutch girl. ) window cleaning method. I've also seen some window washing "recipes" that also advise using a drop or two of liquid detergent in your vinegar/water mixture.

So interpeeps, what do you recommend? Do you follow a specific ratio mix for your window washing? Do you use a spray bottle with your mixture? A bucket full of the mix and use one wet rag to clean and one ray to dry?

Seriously, help a girl out...

A

Quivering Eyeballs...

I did a few loads of laundry last night while watching 24 and then CSI: Miami.

I was so stinkin proud of myself for completely catching up on the laundry. Not only was it washed...but it was FOLDED within an hour of exiting the dryer.

That is rare in these parts.

I also actually carried the laundry basket complete with folded and organized clean laundry UPSTAIRS.

I know. Lance about fainted.

And this morning? I PUT IT ALL AWAY.

Now I just about fainted.

But guess what?

Walked into the laundry room about forty minutes ago and saw a laundry basket full of dirty clothes.

FULL.

My family produces dirty laundry so fast it makes my head spin and my eyeballs quiver.

I know. Quivering eyeballs are an unfortunate side-effect of dirty laundry overload.

Ya know, now that I think about it the quiver eyeballs may also be due to the sugar overload from the toffee bars I noshed on while watching the last hour of 24.

The rate of chewing rose simultaneously with the degree of tension.

And 24 had A LOT of tension.

And can I just say? I didn't remember who Renee Walker was. I seriously don't remember her from last season. She looks vaguely familiar but the story line is a no go in my brain's "remember this" section.

Probably because I was a just a tad bit sleep deprived during the last season.

And I have finally discovered the reason why I like CSI: Miami over Las Vegas or New York.

It's COLOR.

CSI: Miami has LOTS of color. Gorgeous blue water, clear sunny skies and lots and lots of COLOR. I live in the pacific northwest, we don't get a TON of color and clear blue sunny skies.

One could argue watching multiple episodes of CSI:Miami may in fact repel the late winter/early spring "gloomies" that pacific northwest residents are commonly afflicted with.

So, I'm off to do MORE laundry, nosh on toffee bars and have some "gloomies" therapy...

A