Welcome back to Operation Project $0!!!  Today I have Marigold of Hideous, Dreadful, Stinky here to share the awesome vest she made for her son.  I first stumbled upon her blog about a year ago from a link up party.  Her awesome name was enough to pique my interest, and then I quickly discovered the world of unique crafts and tutorials that abound.  I know every time there is a new post that it is going to blow my mind... here are just a couple...

Eco Dyed Scarves and Child Boxing Gloves

Marigold has the most amazing quirky sense of humor, and talent coming out the wazooo, and I'll be honest - I never expected her to say YES to guest posting on my blog.... But here she is!!!!

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Hi there! I'm Marigold from a little blog on the other side of the Internet called Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! I'm so happy to be invited here today for Operation: Project $0. I love making something new from something old, but, honestly, I don't do it often enough. I have a huge stash of old clothes with "someday I will do something with this" written all over them, and I'm so glad that Suzanne asked me to participate in this operation and gave me a little motivation!

For this project, I took an old pair of my jeans and a shirt of my husband's with a little mustard stain on it. And I turned it into...a supa fly lined denim vest!

It came together pretty quickly, and I love the totally 80's style! It looks great over a Donkey Kong tee. And it's actually a really practical item for our mild SoCal fall and winter, where a jacket is often too warm.

There are a few fun details that I'm pleased with. I like the way the jean's inseams added a nice detail to the button placket. I also took the coin pocket from the jeans and stitched it onto the chest. It's the perfect size!

For the back, I had to stitch together a couple of pieces from the legs to make a piece of fabric large enough to fit my kindergartner. I like the striations in the denim moving at different angles. I also made a little tie in the back - although, I think I might like to change that to an adjustable buckle since he doesn't like the thick knot when he sits down. Overall, not bad for $0!

For more upcycled projects, check out my teepee made from men's shirts and my boy's tie from a man's tie!

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Thank you so much for being Here today Marigold!!!!  I love this little vest so much, and your son is so handsome.

If you have been inspired to create something for $0 (or close to $0), make sure to enter it in the Flickr Group so that I can feature it next week!!!

Operation Project $0: Day 12 with Stitched by Crystal

Good morning Operation Project $0 readers!!!!  Today I have Crystal of Stitched by Crystal here to share with you all.  Crystal and I met through the PDF  Pattern Sales and Promotion Group on Facebook... we then were able to work together on Pattern Reviews for Pattern Revolution.  She is an excellent seamstress, has some awesome photography chops, her little girl is simply adorable (and close in age to baby girl), and all in all she is just the sweetest person!!!  I was so excited when she was willing to participate in this series... I'm sure it isn't the last time you'll see her here, or at least I hope not ;op

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Hi there! I am Crystal from Stitched by Crystal.  I am thrilled to be here for Operation Project $0, sharing the fall tunic I made for my little girl!

I always have a pile of old clothes in my sewing room that I plan to upcycle into clothes for my kids "someday".  Unfortunately I don't dip into that pile as much as I should.  Suzanne and her Operation Project $0 gave me just the push I needed to get to work on that pile.  It came a a perfect time too because my daughter really needs more long sleeves in her wardrobe for the fall.

I had bought this dress on the sale rack a few years ago but it was too big for me now so it has been sitting in my upcycle pile for months.  I love the fabric and I just adore blue on my daughter, so I got to work and made it into this little tunic.  I didn't have a long sleeve pattern for woven fabric, so sticking to the $0 challenge, I drafted a pattern for this using one of her brothers old shirts as a guide for sizing.  I added a ruffle detail around the yoke using the lining fabric from the dress and the elastic for the sleeves came from the straps on the dress.

I paired the tunic with some hand-me-down leggings from a friend and shoes she already owned.  There you have it, one outfit for fall, cost = $0!

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Crystal, I want a pattern for this - or a tutorial, or whatever.... just saying ;o)  Thank you for being here today and sharing this great project with us!

If you have been inspired to sew by Operation Project $0, make sure you link up your creations to the Flickr Group so that I can feature you!

Operation Project $0: Day 11... a Hodgepodge of fun

Welcome to the start of week three of Operation Project $0.. you can catch up on all the other posts bu scrolling down through them and clicking 'older' over and over and over, or you can go tot he original Post for this year HERE and find all the links at the bottom ;o)

Ok, so today I want to share some of what YOU have been making.  I absolutely love seeing other people's creations and what they are inspired to do with $0 (or close to $0)!!!

• Learn, Choose, Change made this adorable back to school outfit for her daughter - each one of those pandas was taken form an old T-shirt and Appliqued on...you can read the whole post on her blog http://learnchoosechange.blogspot.com/2013/09/just-sew-operation-project-0.html

• Spurofthemoment linked up this great sweater upcycle - I love making new sweaters out of old ones, especially when you get to keep the great knit details like original hems and cuffs!

• Pam shared this great dress re-creation on her blog Threading My Way  http://www.threadingmyway.com/2013/01/dress-refashion.html

• And I just love these Boba Fett inspired pants that my girl Max created for her son, you can see all the detials of his $0 pants here http://www.max-california.com/2013/05/kaminokid.html

Next...did you see my sweet little Wolfie sew along with Project Run and Play - well guess what ... it was an upcycle!!!   Yep, that gorgeous grey wool was from an old skirt, the white corduroy was leftovers from a project my mom did when my brother was in high school (umm we're talking over 10 years ago!).  The buttons were once again from my button jar... and the black bias tape - well I don't have any black cotton in my stash... so that is the selvage edge of some black eyelet (ok technically no longer 'bias' tape and the reason it doesn't lay quite perfectly, but hey - you work with what you've got!) You can see more pictures HERE.

And then there are my $1 pants.... gasp - I know... I SPENT MONEY ON FABRIC!  Yes, I know  it seems rather scandalous.  But I found this great stretch pinstripe jean fabric at Walmart this summer for $1 a yard... I couldn't leave it there.  I bought a few yards and am now wishing I had bought the whole bolt!!!  I used the free Small Fry Skinny Jeans pattern from Titchy Threads (size 2T only).  So, free pattern and a little less than a yard of fabric = $1 pants! *As much as I want to encourage people to use what they have or can re-purpose, I also want to show that sewing doesn't have to be expensive if you watch for those perfect steals!

Now this is the end of seeing GIRL things from me in this season (or at least until the end...).  This week I am sewing for my BOYS ONLY!  But, I wont have those projects to share with you until next week.  So, in the meantime keep coming back to show some love to the awesome guest posters we have lined up for the week!

And keep adding those pictures to the Flickr group, I'll feature more next week!!!

Operation Project $0: Day 10 mixing it up

So today as part of Operation Project $0, I want to take a look at one of the easiest ways to start getting into upcycling.  Old T-shirts.  They are one of my favorite mediums to work in, and there are always a few tucked away in a drawer somewhere for you to play with!  T-shirts can also be easily found at Goodwill and Thrift stores, and if you want to stick to 'new' but still upcycle, watch the clearance racks at Walmart, Target, and department stores where you can often find last season's T's for about $1.

Today's look is the Melanie by ModKid.  I love this pattern and the fact that you are supposed to mix fabrics in it... now I expanded from 2 fabrics to 3, and used three shirts to complete the dress.  (two XS women's shirts - yeah those never belonged to me, and one L tank top that also didn't belong to me).  Three used T's for a grand total of $0!!!

I just love these bound pockets - I mixed up the pattern a bit and had the sleeve match the side panel rather than the main fabric - I really wanted more of the teal in the look!

If you are new to working with knits there is one tool I want to recommend to you - a double needle.  Yep - a $3 double needle is the key to hemming and finishing your knit garments (unless you want to invest tons of money in a cover stitch machine - while you're at it, pick one up for me too, mmmkay!)  There are tons of other helpful tools - ranging from cheap ones like tissue paper, to medium ones like a walking foot, to expensive ones like a serger and cover stitch machine.  But seriously... add that twin needle into your mix and your world of sewing with knits will change forever!

this isn't the best picture of it, but the neckline, bottom hem, and sleeve hems are all done with a twin needle

Loving this pattern - I'll pair it with leggings for fall, but I couldn't make my baby suffer through that much clothing when it was hovering around 90 outside.  Thus the primarily close ups of her sitting - I am not a fan of flashing the diaper ;op

I hope you all have a great weekend ahead - and if you have time to sew, consider being inspired to sew along with Operation Project $0, and don't forget to link up your images to the Flickr Group so that I can feature some next week!

Operation Project $0: Day Nine with Simple SImon

For most of us Simple Simon needs no introduction.  The team of Elizabeths who brought us Project Run and Play and Project Sewn (For Adult Clothing).  These women gave me my first opportunity to do a guest post  - as a sew alonger with Project Run and Play.  And then somehow determined that I should have a shot at being a 'People's Choice' competitor the next season.  I hadn't been blogging very long, didn't know many people, and I think my blog had a following of 20?  They were so encouraging and took every step to make sure I felt like part of the 'gang'.  They continue to be a source of encouragement and inspiration.  If I were to come up with a list of who I want to be like when I grow up... Elizabeth and liZ would be near the top of that list (that is a figurative 'grow up' as I doubt we are very far apart in age ;op).  I am humbled and honored to have the privilege of introducing liZ with today's Operation Project $0 inspired post.

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Before we get started I need to admit something:

I cheated.

The outfit pictured below did not cost $0.

It cost $1.  ($1.16 to be exact.)  So I am officially disqualified from standing in the $0 circle of awesomeness. 

Shun me if you must.  I will understand.

(I by the way am liZ from over at Simple Simon and Company...over there my sister in law, whose name also happens to be Elizabeth, and I blog about sewing, crafting, and the Art of Homemaking.)

Ok, now you know who I am and my dirty little $1.16 secret.  Now we can go ahead and get started.

Here's what I put together for Grace:

 It's an 80's inspired play outfit for warm autumn afternoons.

The shoes are a pair that were given to Simon years ago but were too small so I've been saving them in the closet until now.  (My husband thought I was crazy to save them for so long but I'm glad I did.  She wears them almost every day.)

The white tank top actually came from the Dollar Store a few weeks back.  Grace was carrying it around and I thought some day it may come in handy and it has....even though it brought my total for this outfit up to $1.16.

The pants came from scraps out of my scrap bin and were pieces left over from one of my favorite projects: 

Gracie's Must Have Winter Maxi Dress.

I found two pieces left over that were large enough to make a pair of capris out of and then made them the same way that I made these pants:

And finally we added a vest that I made last year for one of Grace's Fall Look Book outfits:

It's from "The Audubon Society" outfit which was made from thrifted velvet that I picked up for $1!

It was a deal back then and she has more than gotten our money back in wear of those pants and vest.

So there you have it...in detail...the $1.16 Autumn play outfit for Grace and how it came to be.

(And actually, it's not all the unique.  The majority of Grace's clothing is a mix of hand me downs, thrifted items, and homemade clothing....

That's what we do around here.  I am convinced that dressing your children doesn't mean that you have to break the bank.)

Thanks Suzanne for inviting us over here today!  And I promise if you invite us back next year we will keep our total down to $0!

-liZ

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liZ, she is totally kickin' it in this outfit!  Watch out, Max might fly in from Australia to steal it from you ;o)  Thank you so much for being here with us today and sharing this super fun outfit.

Keep sewing up those awesome creations - and if you have been inspired to create something for $0 (or close to $0), add it to the Flickr Group!!!

Operation Project $0: Day Eight with The Shaffer Sisters

Today we have Scary (aka SarahLynn - but to me she is only Scary) of the Shaffer Sisters with us to share her Operation Project $0 creation.  I first met the Shaffer sisters through Project Run and Play - we were all sewing along and I just kept coming back to their creations and soon found myself following their blog and eagerly anticipating their next post and creation.  'Encourage, Inspire, Uplift, Create' is the mantra of their blog, and they have succeeded in each of those areas in my life.  The sisters each have a different personality and style and it is fun to see that come out in their blog posts and their sewing styles.  I have loved getting to guest post with them and am so happy to now have Scary guest posting here... and watch out, there are more sister on the way later in the month!

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Hi gals. Scary here from Shaffer Sisters. It is such a pleasure to visit you over here at Winter Wonderings. I have been planning for this day since we were invited. I have had several projects (nightgown, staple black dress, and fat quarter skirt) that were all contestants for this post but didn't make the cut. I would think about my introduction to Suzanne's dedication to Operation Zero and how the total for Project Run and Play season was $18.  I would then decide I needed something bigger and better. Her commitment to Operation Zero changed the way I thought about sewing for my kids.

I started picking knits off the clearance rack of Walmart. I started buying $2/yrd. quilters fabric that was neither hip or trendy. And I made the commitment to make less trips to the fabric store.  I used every scrap I could salvage for a useable piece.

The fabric for this skirt came from material I have for me to "someday" make jeans for myself. I purchased the fabric when it was 40% off, this skirt required less than a 1/3 yrd.  I knew this top (made for Project Run and Play: Pattern Remix from $2/yrd. fabric), needed a basic but strong item to anchor it. This skirt could be refashioned from jeans but I had fabric on hand and not jeans.

Lately I have been really into simple skirts ($1 fat quarter skirt, love you little bird skirt, and spin skirt) because they are easy to get on and stay on. Also after looking at pants for a couple of years I love seeing the skirts in the laundry.

This skirt came together really quickly and allowed me to use the edge of some eyelet that I had lying around (I just trimmed it down to 3/4 of inch from the top of the scallops) And ties back to the white buttons on top. Would you like to make one? (I know I am strongly thinking about changing the "someday jeans" into a tomorrow denim skirt for me).

Here are the instructions a skirt custom to the size you need it. I made it as a pdf file so you can print out and keep with your patterns.  

Thank you for having me and I am excited for you to "meet" my sisters later in the month and see what they did for pennies.

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Thank you so much for being here Scary, I love this skirt!  One more thing to add to the ever growing 'Must Make' list.

What have you been sewing?!?!?  Link it up in the Flickr Group so I can show it off next week!!!  And remember, this may be called Operation Project $0, but it doesn't have to be an upcycle or cost exactly $0 - I just want to encourage you to get resourceful and take a second look at what you have - then go CREATE!

Operation Project $0: day 7, upcycling the Tee Times 3 by Blank Slate Patterns

Welcome back Operation Project $0 fans - today I am continuing to build my kiddo's fall wardrobes for $0!!!  If there is one thing that I feel my children always need more of in their wardrobes it is T shirts.  I can always use a few more easy to wear basics that are super comfy for them to play in.  And the great thing is that you can pretty much always make a new T out of an old one ;o)

I was lucky enough to test the Tee times 3 for Blank Slate Patterns this summer (testing= free pattern!).  Let's just start by saying what a VERSATILE pattern this is.  You start with a basic ringer Tee... you then have the option of short or long sleeves, then you have an optional hood, THEN you have the girly version with the Peter Pan collar and key hole back.  All of this in one pattern.  It is perfect for boys, it is perfect for girls, it is made of knit and will quickly become a staple in your child's life!

As you can see I kept it cool and classic with a plain red with grey lined hood for my son, A - for this I used an XL long sleeve men's T (that hubs had never liked, or worn ;op)... which is the only reason I could get long sleeves and a hood out of one shirt - hoods take a large chunk of fabric.  The grey lining of the hood was a super soft work out T of mine that was just too short.

For baby girl, I grabbed an old Shirt of mine - I swear post three babies all of my old tops are just too short on me now ;op  So sorry ladies, that purple knit is indeed an upcycle!  For both shirts I was able to re-use the original hems which equals a professional finish and a super quick sew!  The collar and bindings are made form left over scraps of her pants.  Her pants are made from an old pair of yoga pants that were donated to my stash - so I whipped up the Lily Giggle Petunia Petal Pants to make a complete outfit.  And that perfect purple button - well, it came from my Amish button jar... so I guess technically we could say the button cost $0.01 ;op

Yep - these are the SAME pattern - and here is the funny thing, they are also the same size!  I wanted the shirt to be a little bit big on baby girl and long enough to wear with leggings (anyone else find that ALL girl tops from the stores are cut about 2-4 inches short, or super skinny... even in the toddler sizes ;op).  So you can see that the top hits her at the hip and has plenty of growing room in the shoulders... she is such a big girl.  I did cut the sleeve length to her size so that they wouldn't be too long.  A is my skinny man, he has a couple inches on his little sister...but I'm thinking he might weigh less - tall and skinny this one is ;o)

And look at these smiling faces - yeah these are two kids that LOVE their new clothes.  And yours will too!

What have you been sewing up for $0?!?!?  Make sure to upload your images to the Flickr group so that I can feature you next week!!!