Make Baby or Toddler Pants from Shirtsleeves

    (You don't have to look too closely to see where I forgot
to tighten the elastic on one leg.)

This week I used a $1.00 thrift shop blouse to make a little one- piece sun-suit for our September-arriving granddaughter.


"What does this have to do with making baby or toddler pants?" you ask.

The blouse had 3/4 length sleeves with band trim across the bottom.  

I simply couldn't let all that sleeve material go to waste. 

Plus, the shape of the sleeve when I cut it from the rest of 
the blouse reminded me of the pattern shape for little pants.

I laid my "pattern" on the sleeves so 

the cuff bands of the blouse became 

the hems of the pants---another time-

saving step.  And I love how the little 

"slit" feature, originally on the cuff, looks

at the bottom of the pants. 

I was really excited when I saw how cute they turned out.

Then I realized I hadn't asked Dave to take before and during photos of the process!

I have tried to recreate it by cutting the sleeves out of a
blouse I had in my closet. It wasn't cotton and had short sleeves so the layout doesn't look quite right but I think it is enough to give you the idea.  

(Oops! I drew the line too close to the leg of the pants. 
Obviously a "do as I say, not as I do" situation!)

Step 1
Fold the sleeve in half. Fold the "pattern" in half and lay it on the sleeve fabric.  Important: Although my photo above does not show it---
you must be sure to allow extra length at the top of the 
pants for the waist band casing. Cut around the pattern allowing extra for the seam.Repeat with second sleeve.  


Next, I copied some illustrations from a baby pants pattern to give the visual direction.

Men's shirts would give you even more fabric to work with.  Since most children grow more in length than they do in "width" the longer sleeves on men's shirts would allow you to make pants for children, not just infants and toddlers.

Denim shirts would provide options of pants from the sleeves and --- skirts, vests, jumpers, shorts and more from the rest of the shirt.  

Now, if they would only make the buttonholes on adult clothing closer together we could utilize that part of the shirt also.  What a time- and effort-saver that would be!

Happy Sewing and Happy Thinking  ... 
of things you can do and things you can make do with.

I am Simply, Gail --- the creative cheapskate!

Simple Dresses from a Bedsheet

In the late 50's and early 60's,                                
(when I was in the shape to wear  them!) 

A classic dress
from  a half century ago

simple sheath dresses were in style. 

Times have changed (along with my size and shape) so today, being creative and frugal cheap,  I am going to introduce you to the SHEET dress.

In the mid 60's the tent or trapeze
dress came into fashion. I had this actual pattern (and even in this size).

I have just discovered "vintage" patterns (40s, 50s, 60s) are making a comeback in the pattern books---at about $16.00 each.  A pattern similar to this 50 cent one may be among them.

I like loose dresses for summer wear --- at least around the house.  They may not be cool in the fashion sense but I find them much cooler than pants in the practical sense. 

Sew So . . .

I was at  our local fabric store this past week, hoping to take advantage of their 50-percent-off one-cut-of fabric-coupon.  Ha!  Even at their half-price, the cost per yard was more than double what I was comfortable paying.

My next stops were the thrift shops!

I found a cute full/double size floral patterned sheet for $2.00 and a bright yellow with print border queen set for $3.00. All, while used, in excellent condition with the added bonus of being softened by washing and drying.

There is enough material  in this $5.00 worth of fabric to make
dresses with lots of  left over for other projects! I might use some
to make crib sheets for our  expected granddaughter.

I have a tent-style dress that fits well so I laid it out and drew around it, making my pattern. Besides being cheap I am lazy so I thought creatively and laid out the pattern so the hem of the sheet became the hem of the dress!

Except mu-mu  type, not nightgown type

I have a previous thrift-store-purchased sheet I have been using as a summer tablecloth.  It is bright sea blue with large, also bright, tropical fish. It is about to become a dress also---possibly one with an gathered neck similar to the one shown here.

Flat Sheet Measurements 

(Keep in mind that a yard of fabric, no matter what  width, is 36 inches in length so even a single flat sheet provides a little over 2 yards of 39-inch fabric.)

Sheet for single bed - 39 inches wide by 75 inches long
Sheet for double (also called full size) is 54 inches wide by 75 inches long
Sheet for queen bed is 60 inches by 80 inches
Sheet for king bed is 78 inches by 80 inches

Think what you could make with flannel sheets! Pajamas, Diapers, Crib Sheets and More . . .

Healthy Cold Drinks for Hot Days

Our long Winter is finally over 

Our Spring was fleeting 

Summer is in full Blast

Dave volunteers at a horse ranch in the therapy portion of a program for addicted boys. 

Since I have never mentioned horses on this blog before (except for the rocking horse cake which you can find in the cookbook sidebar) I will answer the question before you even ask.  

No, Dave didn't know anything about horses before he started helping out but----he did know a lot about addicts!

He comes home hot and thirsty.  I have been raiding our freezer* for refreshing beverage combinations.

It has been fun coming up with winning combinations on my own --- using what we have on hand.

In their seasons, when fruits and vegetables are readily and cheaply available, both from our garden and those of friends,  local farmer's markets or fruit stands,  I  freeze some for future use.  

Our freezer currently contains 

Banana slices -- both very thinly sliced and sliced about 1/3 inch thick. 

Peach and cantaloupe chunks

Watermelon puree

Grapes  

Blueberries

Orange slices

Lemon slices

Raspberries

Tomato puree

Pomegranate seeds

Spinach leaves

Kale leaves

Cilantro-stuffed ice-cubes

Also a variety of green, red and yellow green peppers, zucchini, etc.

Plus a five-pound of pebble ice (the type that is used in meat section displays) that I have divided into 2 cup portions in zip-lock-type freezer bags.

Note: I forgot to add that I usually include one or two large dollops of my simple and foolproof homemade Greek yogurt in each of our drinks.   You can find that recipe here.  http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/search?q=greek+yogurt

We have just started making full use of our bounty in this way and the possibilities are endless.

Banana slices, cantaloupe chunks, orange slices, apple juice with chia seeds blended in for extra nutrition

Cantaloupe chunks and apple juice, garnished with a few frozen grapes dropped in the glass before serving.

A blender is necessary ---- make sure the lid is on tight! I usually keep a hand on the lid also . . . just in case.

Use whatever combinations and measurements appeal to you.

I look at this next one as an occasional treat that doesn't sound so sugary when the blender full is divided among several glasses.

Lemon Cooler --- Wash one large lemon. Remove a slice from the top and bottom of the lemon and discard. Remove 1/2 to 2/3 of the rind from the lemon and discard it, leaving the rest of the rind intact. Cut lemon into thin rounds and remove seeds. Place slices in blender container. Add 1 cup granulated sugar. Fill container with crushed ice. Add cold water to fill container 3/4 of the way. Put on the lid, holding it firmly in place, and blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately.

My next attempt will be a V-8 (vegetable) type drink.  I imagine (and hope) it will turn out like a gazpacho smoothie!

I offer more simple drinks  under  beverages  in the cookbook sidebar. 

Side note:  44 years ago I wanted a blender for Christmas.  Dave felt it was one of those "things" that would sit on the counter and collect dust but he indulged me.  

'Nother note: It is not necessary to buy one of those $300+ Cadillac models.  Most reasonable blenders will do the job.

'til we eat again,

           I am Simply, Gail ---and I try to keep everything simple

My Country 'tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty Let Freedom Ring

Each year, at the end of May, we in the United States remember and honor those who gave their lives in service of our country — to maintain our freedoms.

Each year on June 14th, we in the United States celebrate Flag Day, to honor the precious symbol of our freedom.

Each year on July 4th, we in the United States celebrate the day our country declared  its independence.

In the 1760's a small group, The Loyal 9, were the founding members of the Sons of Liberty dedicated to establishing these freedoms.

Sadly, each day we see these hard fought freedoms being eroded.

If you live in the United States you understand fully what I mean.  It is very frightening. It is very sad, but likely, that those of you living in other countries are seeing decline or further decline of your own nation, and are fearful for your families.

We, as individuals, wherever we live, may not be able to do much individually but we can help make a difference collectively —  there is great strength in numbers.

Take a pencil or slender stick and break it in half.  It is easy.
Hold several pencils or slender sticks together and see how difficult it becomes.

I am only one,

But still I am one.

I cannot do everything

But still I can do something;

And because I cannot do everything

I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

                                       Edward Everett Hale (American Clergyman 1822-1909)


It is easy to get overwhelmed by the myriad of challenges we face that need to be overcome. Rather than letting the culture, system, bureaucracy, and numerous challenges paralyze us and get us down, we need to put our focus on what we CAN do.

Our lives are so busy doing the necessary daily things that the most important things---no matter how good are our intentions---are never gotten to.  Our country’s freedoms are slipping away at an alarming rate. The zillion-page-bills that are being rushed, inappropriately, through our government processes are full of increasingly dangerous hidden agendas.

There is a new website that is bringing these deceptions to light — quickly and simply — in plain English so we can see and understand how this is happening. It also provides the opportunity for us, at a click, to respond to our respective representatives. The authors of this site, two of our sons, Josh and Luke, are passionate about our Constitution — the Constitution of the United States of America — and the freedoms it guarantees. They have spent many hours over many, many months developing this site at their own expense for our good. Please take a few minutes and check it out.

                                   http://www.loyal9.org/

● Each journey begins with one step.
● When we fall down, it does not mean we have failed unless . . .                 we fail to get up.
● Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.
● Who and what we are is God’s gift to us --- What we give back is our gift to Him.


We may not be able to influence everyone or everything but with our actions we can bring peace to ourselves, our families, and maybe our immediate surroundings. Even those who live in the most dire circumstances imaginable can find peace internally.

In the Holy Bible (John 14:27) our Savior, Jesus Christ gives each of us this promise

    Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: 

not as the world giveth, give I unto you.        

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

Footsteps in the Sand
                                      photo by http://media.photobucket.com                                                           

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

                                                                                        - by Margaret Fishback Powers



Our country’s days of remembering and honoring are becoming less and less days of remembering and honoring and more and more about just another holiday for fun and games.  Let’s do our own individual part to ensure that the fireworks we shoot off in celebration do not become fireworks aimed at our freedoms.

Quickly Capture Kitchen Clutter . . . In Stuff You Usually Throw Out

I understand the trendy term is "repurposing".

It suits me better to simply call it what it is --- finding practical and handy uses for things you normally discard.  Or, to use another previously trendy term  "thinking outside the box" . . . or tube or jug or dish drainer.

I like visuals so I planned a cute arrangement of what I am about to suggest but, alas, my day was crazy, Dave is not home to take the photo and get it to the blog, and we are in the middle of a strong electrical storm and I should turn off the computer so I am forging ahead---knowing you can easily visualize what I describe.

I know there are many commercial or cute/crafty clutter "capture-ers" available but the following serve their purpose at no cost or effort. You can fancy them up if you are so inclined.

I stuff stuff in the stuff I usually throw away!

Tissue Boxes:  My kitchen drawers are quite small, but three tissue boxes fit perfectly ---- two are placed to fit "long-ways" and the third fits "cross-ways".  Into one goes the empty bread or roll sacks or similar to reuse.  The second holds the quart zip lock bags I wash and reuse and...reuse.  The third contains my collection of bowl covers --- the handy (and retro) multi-sized elastic-edged "shower caps" of the kitchen.

Toilet Paper Tubes: Very handy for corralling appliance cords. Writing the appliance name on the tube saves some thinking. You can cover them with wrapping paper or scrapbook paper if you want pretty.  Imagine extending this concept to empty paper towel or wrapping paper rolls!

Gallon Milk Jug: Simply cut a round hole out of one side of the jug (they always seem to have an indented circle just begging to be your guide) and stuff it full of your plastic grocery bags.  Each jug will hold about 32!!  They will stand in a cupboard or hang from a hook. I keep a few bag-stuffed jugs on hand in case of some kind of emergency. In such a time there will probably be more uses for them than we can imagine right now. Before storing them I simply cover the hole with a piece of heavy paper or plastic and tape it. 

Dish Drainers:  Okay, this one may cost a few cents at a garage sale or thrift store if you don't have one laying around. Over the years I have used several, in a variety of sizes, in several different ways --- all of them perfect for the task at hand.

• Back in the days before plastic grocery bags, folded brown paper grocery sacks stayed neatly and obediently upright between the spacers.
• As a handy desk "file."  The spacers neatly hold file folders upright while the file folders neatly hold bills, receipts, correspondence, and whatever else seems to quickly and sometimes mysteriously pile up. I even have a file folder labeled "things to file." (which sometimes bulges!). Envelopes and notepads and more also fit well and the silverware cup is great for pens, pencils, scissors, etc.  If I decide to pay bills at the kitchen table it is handy to pick up and move from the office to the table. 
• I have used dish drainers to file sewing patterns; hold my file folders of recipes, and even folders on information I am using as I work on my family history/genealogy.  
• If I had been inclined to share, I am sure our children could have found good use for one in their rooms at their desks!

If you read my blog regularly you may find some of my ideas crazy. I have no problem with that, especially if you also find some of them helpful.  

Fortunately and thankfully, I have always taken "broke" as a challenge not a hardship. I find great satisfaction in making-do or copy-catting something---even if/when I could afford to buy it commercially.  I find even greater satisfaction in being able to share these things with all of you.

Here's to Happy Creative Frugality--Self Reliance--Ingenuity-- or just plain old Cheapskate-ness! Whatever it takes!

Have a great day.

        I am Simply, Gail

Unusual (and Simple) Emergency Helps

Sometimes you have to make do with what you have.
Other times you want to make do with things you already have.

In past posts I have shown you makeshift or make-do items ---- saving lots of money using things you often already have on hand. 

With that in mind. . .

what do these three things have in common?





When I really needed a shoehorn I was surprised to find that our local stores no longer carried them.  (Back "in the day" a shoehorn was an automatic no-cost addition when you purchased a pair of shoes).

Rubber spatulas have been around for years.  Fairly new on the scene is a spoonula --- a rubber spatula with a slight spoon shape. It was a very satisfactory substitute. (I think it works better as a shoe horn than it does in the kitchen!)

Have an "owie" and need an ice pack? Grab a bag of frozen peas to meet the need. (Any vegetable will work in an emergency but peas conform to the area much easier than frozen clumps of broccoli or other large vegetable pieces.)  I have a package of peas in our freezer that has a big marking pen X on it to identify it is the designated ice pack---we use it over and over.

Need to get a grip? Most jars and bottles open in a jiffy if you wrap a piece of rubber-like stuff around the edge of the lid.  Collect the disposable tourniquets they use when you are having a blood draw. They are perfect.

There you have it . . .

three "come to the rescue" aids you may already have on hand or could easily acquire --- all quick, simple and cheap.

Raising Resilient Children - Part 2

How well children respond to setbacks depends largely on how well their parents helped them develop the attitudes and the skills of resilience.
                                                                                      Lyle J. Burrup, LDS Family Services

Lessons of Resilience from Childhood

—Lyle J. Burrup

When I was a child, many adults in my life—parents, neighbors, teachers, and Church leaders—taught me and my brother and sisters the following lessons. These five principles may be helpful for your children:

1. 1. 
   Paying the price for privileges.
   I knew that freedom to play with my friends in the coming days depended on whether or not I came home on time.
2. 2. 
   The law of the harvest.
   If I wanted money, I had to deliver the newspapers for my route and collect the money each month.
3. 3. 
   Personal accountability and responsibility.
   I had to complete my own homework, science fair projects, and merit badges.
4. 4. 
   The law of restitution.
   I could make up for misbehavior by apologizing and repairing the wrong. My parents sometimes suggested that I complete extra chores, such as pulling weeds.
5. 5. 
   Learning from mistakes.
   If I made my bed poorly, did not wash the dishes properly, or did not pull weeds properly, I had to redo these tasks correctly.
   
   
   
   Recommendations for Raising Capable, Resilient Children
                                             
   While parenting requires a personalized approach for each child, some principles seem to be nearly universal. The following principles have proven effective.
   
   
                    STOP  THIS BEHAVIOR  --- 
                                 MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BEHAVIOR --- 
                                                ACHIEVE THIS RESULT ---
   Instead of Doing This . . .Set random or arbitrary rules and consequences.
   Do This . . .Discuss rules and set logical consequences that are reasonable, related to the behavior, and respectful of both parent and child.
   And Get This Result . . . Children know what to expect and learn that choices have consequences.
   
   
   
   Instead of Doing This . . .Allow children to avoid the consequences of their choices.
   Do This . . .Allow children to experience natural and logical consequences of their choices.
   And Get This Result . . . Children learn accountability and responsibility for their choices.
   
   
   Instead of Doing This . . .Giving mostly correction.
   Do This . . .Give mostly praise. Celebrate small steps in the right direction.
   And Get This Result . . . Children learn what parents want. They feel encouraged, worthwhile, and appreciated.
   
   
   Instead of Doing This . . .Be arbitrary and inconsistent in requiring obedience.
   Do This . . .Consistently offer desirable rewards for the actions and behaviors you would like to reinforce.
   And Get This Result . . . Children learn that they don’t have to want to do hard things; they just have to do them.
   
   
   Instead of Doing This . . .Praise only outcomes.
   Do This . . .Praise for effort regardless of outcome.
   And Get This Result . . . Children feel encouraged, confident, and more willing to take on challenges.
   
   
   Instead of Doing This . . .Send the message to children that their self-worth depends on outcomes.
   Do This . . .Tell children they have inherent worth because they are sons or daughters of God and have divine potential.
   And Get This Result . . . Self-worth will be attached to the child’s eternal potential instead of temporary success or failure.
   
   
   Instead of Doing This . . .Talk about failures or successes as being connected to luck or talent.
   Do This . . .Define failure as temporary and an opportunity to learn. Define success as a product of hard work and sacrifice.
   And Get This Result . . . Children are less discouraged by or afraid of setbacks and are more willing to be persistent.
   
   
   Instead of Doing This . . .Try to solve children’s problems by giving them all the answers.
   Do This . . .Help children (1) identify what happened, (2) analyze what contributed to the outcome, and (3) identify what they can do to avoid this problem next time.
   And Get This Result . . . Children develop perceptions of being capable, will address and solve their problems, and will see that they have control in their lives and can overcome challenges.
   
   
   Instead of Doing This . . .Make children feel dumb by criticizing them, their efforts, and their accomplishments.
   Do This . . .Listen and be supportive and encouraging so your children will want to come to you again for help.
   And Get This Result . . . Children feel more comfortable discuss their mistakes and problems with you.
   
   the above is from the March 2013 issue of the Ensign magazine published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  To view, or listen, to the article:
   http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/03/raising-resilient-children?lang=eng