DIY with Doilies!

This is one of those DIY's where I will have to come back to keep updating my projects because there are so many of them I want to try! I have seen a handful of neat ideas over the years with doilies but it seems like over night they are making a real come back, it is getting harder and harder to find them in thrift stores and at yard sales. This weekend scavenger will not give up however, there is just something so enticing about delicate lace; so feminine, so beautiful. Here are several wonderful Doily inspired DIY's I have come across on my search to soften my world and satisfy my creative urges. Keep scrolling for at the end of the inspiration piece I will include three items that Dylan and I have created with the simple addition of cotton lace doilies.

Lovely! from Trash to Couture this woman has amazing ideas, I will probably link to her time and time again!

Doily table cloth, I love this look! There is no DIY for it but it is as simple as overlaying different doilies and hand stitching with a matching embroidery thread onto a muslin like material of your choosing.

This doily dream catcher from Calico skies is so sweet and delicate, I cant wait to try!

 This creative gift wrapping would work well for every season, I must admit with so many other uses for doilies I might have a hard time giving it up this way. I might do the paper version here or spray paint over the paper version to leave a soft lace imprint...hmmmmm.

Delicate yet bold necklace, you might have to have a larger frame or long neckline to pull off this beauty...I think this or a lace broach in the same fashion would make a great holiday gift!

Embroidery hoops and doilies, I think this would be the way to go if you wanted to preserve a family heirloom. I can Imagine a wall with sweet black and white photos of grandma or great grandma (also in embroidery hoops, maybe printed onto canvas) amongst various sized works of her hand craft preserved this way.

Swoon! That is how I feel when I see this beauty from Ruby Chic Originals on etsy. Original indeed, I must give this artist props, I saw this dress long before the doily craze begun, sadly it is sold but isn't it just perfection!

I am having a hard time linking to the original post from where I found this easy little DIY, just like the table cloth this would not be a very challenging project. If you have an existing pillow case with a hidden zipper you could remove and hand sew the doily on or make your own custom pillow case then sew.

Doily table runner from Ucreate is so sweet and so simple. It may eat up your whole vintage doily stash, but the end result is worth it!

This was another I could not link back to, I found it on pinterest. I mostly added this last one because of the baby onesie. You could add this sweet detail to so many simple onesies, shirts, dresses, the possibilities seem endless!

Alright after that sweet eye candy here are the Lace Doily projects Dylan and I created...

First I went "shopping" in my closet and found this sheer skirt I was rarely wearing. I really wanted something cute I could wear for the rest of my pregnancy that would also be practical for the summer heat. I also pulled out the scrap material you see on the right to later make straps with.

I then hand pinned not sewed down my doily to the dress in various sections. The straight pins were not seeming to hold well enough and I wanted the lace taught along the shoulders so taking the extra time to hand pin before I sewed with the machine proved vital to the success of the dress!

I then pinned down my border and straps to the dress and connected to the doily.

I was nervous about taking the machine to such delicate piece of cotton lace, but seeing as I was going to wear this many times over the next 3 months it seemed like the smart thing to do. I was careful and methodic with this part of the process and sewed the edges down well. I also went in with the machine and did a couple of stitches in the center.

Being home alone and impatient I had to take pic's in my messy poorly lit bathroom, but you get the gist. The end result was exactly what i wanted; pretty, comfy and most importantly breezy!

The back is obviously my favorite part! What do you think?


This next project Dylan went about on her own and didn't record it with pictures but it was very simple and with great results.

Love the oversized look!

This next project is almost exactly like the one Dylan did above except I used a rectangle and she used a circle lace insertion.

Before

 I first took in the sides knowing the shirt would get a bit too large after the lace insertion.

 

I pinned the lace over the top of the shirt and then sewed across the top and down the sides. In this picture I had already sewn down the furthest edge and was sewing down where you see the pins to reinforce the shirt.

After sewing I turned the shirt inside out and cut out the material that was left in the center getting as close to the edge as possible without cutting the lace insert. I also went ahead and trimmed the bottom so it would be only a little bit longer then the shirt. I took those trimmings and made lace straps, and there you have it!

After

 I look forward to after pregnancy when this shirt hangs loosely, I think the silhouette will be more pleasing. =)

I have more lace doilies just waiting to be used, I think the next project will be the table runner or maybe...

Peace
-Gypsy Lov'n

Homemade no cook Play Dough!

I have been looking at several play dough recipes and wondering which one would be the best, in the end I decided to make my own recipe and low and behold it turned out perfectly the first try! So many recipes call for allot of one ingredient like two cups baking soda, that is a whole box! No thank you... I couldn't have figured this out of course without reading and adapting from about five recipes, all of which were mixed by hand where as in I used my kitchen aid and dough hook. I think it proved to be a useful tool albiet not completely necessary but helped I feel in the overall consistency of the dough. The ingredient list is as follows, I purchased basic non organic ingredients as this is a non edible project;

2 cups white flour
1 c. salt

2 tbsp cream of tarter

2 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 c. baking soda

2 c. boiling water

Food coloring(we used neon colors)

Just mix all the ingredients in your kitchen aid with the dough hook attachment (or bowl and hand mix). I mixed mine continually scraping down the sides for about 7 minutes on low to medium speed. I then separated the dough into five balls and placed them one at a time into a zip lock bag where I mixed the colors by hand kneading. Once the dough was mixed well enough to not stain my hands I removed from the bag and finished hand kneading. The consistency is amazing, I dont ever recall purchasing a dough this smooth and pliable, it holds it shape so well without being too dry or sticky! It is such a fast and inexpensive project that can be done with very young children, my daughter is almost three and was able to manage most the tasks on her own with very little assistance. Mommy did of course pour the boiling water!  

Ingredients

Her favorite part is to pour and touch everything!

Oops the cornstarch didn't make it into the ingredient photo, she loved the feeling of it!

Checking our consistency, we are almost there...

Finally just right!

Putting our dough into the zip lock bag, I started with the lightest color to avoid crossing colors I didn't want crossed, then wiped out with a paper towel in-between colors.

We were very pleased with our colors!

Now the fun begins!

I should include that we stored our dough in one large Rubbermaid container with a tight fitting lid. My plan is to switch over to smaller containers for individual storage and to hopefully keep some from being completely smooshed together. Ya right, like there is any chance of that, half the dough is already a rainbow of combined color. 

Have fun!

-Gypsy Lov'n

University Falls

Ask and you shall receive!  
I recently posted onto Facebook a day trip the family and I took and everyone keeps asking the same question, where is this at?  The answer, University Falls outside of georgetown Ca, the place is epic to say the least. That is if you like natural rock slides, a healthy walk, beautiful clean water and a little adventure!  It is a bit of a hike in and a bit more of a hike out, but if you are moderately fit it is well worth the 5 miles round trip. This is no secret spot and if you arrive after 11am you will surely be a witness to that, the peaceful setting quickly turns into more of an amusement park atmosphere. When I was a little kid the cat wasn't fully out of the bag and you could spend the whole day enjoying the rock slides with only a handful of other people, but alas the internet and people like me blogging about that "secret spot"...sharing is a good thing, right? Well with all that being said if you pack it in you pack it out, and while your at it maybe bring a plastic grocery bag with you to fill up other peoples trash. My awesome husband picked up every piece of trash he saw on the way out, way to be a steward of the earth babe! 
Alright already how do you get there? First you have to look at our documented experience. =)

My favorite shot of the day, Dylan looking pretty in contemplation of the descent.

Ready, set...

Go!

Splash!

My 10yr old sister was the first to brave the slides, go girl!

Where did she go?

Dylan prepping herself...

Katera realizing how cold the water is!

A view of the first and second slide, my dad the birthday boy and I are sitting somewhere up top in the shade watching the fun.

The second slide or third, I didn't hike down...

My little sister

The third slide I believe...

At the very bottom, this last "slide" is not ridden, Quincy hiked down the hill to get some of these shots.

Our photographer and my sweet husband Quincy

My dad and three of his eight children

The husband and my pregnant self, I did not participate in the slides this time, just soaked in the chilly water and enjoyed watching the girls.

Feeling very pregnant and nervous about the hike up the 1200 ft ascent, oops did I forget to mention the climb out? Consider yourself warned! =)

  Quincy found a bird nest during the hike back, it was empty, dont worry no birdies were harmed. 

Directions:


University Falls is 30 miles (50 minutes) from Auburn, Ca. Head to Auburn on I-80, then take Hwy 49 south to the town of Cool. Go east on Hwy 193 to Georgetown. Go left onto Main St pass through town and keep going straight; this turns into Wentworth Springs Rd. Take this about 12 miles. Just after passing through the town of Quintette(there is only a small sign, basically look for a turn out where cars are parked on the left, if arriving before crowds just be aware of the yellow access gate after the big turn) From here, allow 90 minutes to walk in. Walk past the bright yellow gate; continue straight on the fire road. Go left at the next fork (sign "12N67B"). Go right at "the bend" (look for blue arrows on the rocks). Follow this trail down and make a hairpin right onto the trail that follows the Pilot Creek water canal(this is such a pretty part of the hike; continue about .5 mile. Look for the obvious side trail that descends to the left and take it. After 100 feet, go right at the first fork (look for blue paint on the tree). This descends to the falls. 


Like any swimming spot exercise caution there are no lifeguards on duty and this is the sort of place where injuries could happen quickly. The first three slides are the safest most commonly used with the fourth being dangerous and unnecessary. There is a sign posted warning it will take emergency crews 1hr to get there after being reached, I did not have cell reception so be aware of yourself and the people around you. But above all enjoy yourself and this epic location!