With formal lessons out of the way for a couple of months, the schoolroom table has become home to a favorite companion of mine.

It's been so nice to have the sewing machine out where I can just stop and use it a few minutes here and there. Normally it has to be stored when not in use because we just don't have the extra space for it to sit out all the time.

With it so readily available, it's been getting lots of use. I find simple, uncomplicated sewing to be a wonderful "break" in my day.

Of course I already showed our collaborative summer sewing project here.

I've been able to completely take care of a pile of clothes mending and altering that had been sitting for months. Yay for that!

I've also done a bit of what I call "just make up whatever you want" sewing. I spent some time recently with a friend who operates an etsy shop where everything is made out of used materials and it left me feeling motivated to consider what I might be able to create out of things we just aren't using anymore.

First I made my baby a headband out of one of her old shirts. The flower was decoration on the shirt and I just couldn't bear to throw it away even after the shirt got holes. This was super fast and easy…maybe a ten minute project. I just love it!

Next I made bandana style headbands for all of us out of random fabric scraps. Another simple and fast project. 

For the big girl I whipped up an around the house/play dress out of two of Hombre's old shirts. She loves it, it's super comfy, and cute in a very funny way. To be honest it doesn't look exactly how I pictured it. But it was ten minutes of just snip and sew and see what we end up with. I figure any dress that takes ten minutes start to finish is awesome.

And last, to please my fancy girl, I took some excess dress up clothes and trimmed them down to fit the dolls. Again, so fast and easy and all the girls are thrilled with this addition to the doll wardrobe.

I know this is all super basic stuff, but it's been fun and gives us all something "new" to be excited about without spending a penny. 

Have you been doing any sewing this summer?

Well, we got up at 4 o'clock this morning to try to ensure good seats at our local 4th of July parade.

Mission accomplished. Of course now I am so exhausted I'm having a hard time mustering the strength to even type.

But I wanted to share the fun new stuff that was made for my girls this week so they can look exciting in their red, white and blue. (Remember my obsession with that?)

Their sweet new shirts came from Grammy (that would by my mother), who got her inspiration here.

Fun huh? I love the simplicity of them. And you can bet I will be requiring at least a dozen photos of my girls in them before I let them run off to be stained by grass, dirt, watermelon and who knows what else.

My inspiration came from here, and with Grammy's leftovers I was able to create (in less than a half hour total) the perfect matching accents.

I was afraid these were going to be complicated, but honestly they were so simple. I just love them and will probably need to make more in some non-holiday colors. Such a fun change from all the bows and flowers.

Oh, and I have one more great link for you. This kept my three children plus my dearest friend's three children happily occupied this morning while we waited for the parade to start. I of course opted for markers over paint, but it was still a big hit. 

I'll be back to share more about our patriotic festivities soon. For now, I need a nap!

Tell me, what are your fun activities this holiday weekend?

One of my favorite things when summer comes is doing creative/crafty things with my girls. We try to do this sort of thing throughout the year, but with schoolwork to get through, crafts get pushed to the side a lot. When summer hits, they become the main focus.

Here's a peek of some of the things we've been spending our time on…

Clothespin dolls. These were a huge hit and have been a very popular choice for play ever since we made them. They keep asking to make more. All of our crafts are a collaborative effort. With these, the girls were the designers and I became the constructor/ glue gun manager.

This was all Miss E's idea. Her little Rapunzel desperately needed a tower, and after watching her multiple failed attempts at constructing one all on her own, I decided it was time to lend a little architectural support.

And here you see the popcorn bags. Every Monday night the snack that keeps everyone occupied for Daddy's softball games is popcorn. I had been using paper lunch sacks, but for a girl who's become obsessed with all things cloth, it just felt so wasteful. 

The girls have requested time for sewing non-stop since we finished school, so I decided this was a great first project. We cut together, I ironed and then we sewed together. I've found that the easiest (although not always the most comfortable) way to help my kids sew is to just sit them on my lap and let them guide the fabric while I watch closely and control the pedal. These were a lot of fun and it only took a couple hours start to finish for all of them.

Your turn. What have you been creating lately?

One of the things that is fast becoming a favorite of mine is sewing for my girls. 

I like being able to create exactly what I want for them, as opposed to scouring the stores and settling on something that's okay, but not what I'd hoped for.

I love giving them something that is uniquely theirs, that can hopefully be theirs to treasure in years to come.

And I think that the creativity and focus of purpose that sewing allows is a bit therapeutic for me.

So today, I'm sharing with you three of my favorite things when it comes to sewing. The ones that are fast becoming my standby/go-to projects.

The first is this felt crown tutorial.

I made my first "birthday crown" in September 2009, and it has become a much anticipated part of our birthday mornings around here.

The thing I love about this tutorial is the simplicity of it. After making several I've gotten to the point wear I can do the actual sewing of the crown (minus the decorative embelishments) in about 15 minutes.

I also love the room for creativity in making these. Here are a couple I've made.

This one was for my niece's first birthday "poodle" party.

This is Miss E's for her "Fancy" party last year.

I go back to this basic pattern every time and am always so happy with the results!

Okay, second is a newer discovery, but I already know I'm in love.

I've been following the blog of The Handmade Dress for a couple of years now, but have only recently jumped into trying out her patterns.

My first experience was the Miss Mary pattern, for my Miss A's 9th birthday.

I need to take a full length shot of this one, but as you can see it's a beautiful yet simple "big girl" dress. 

The website says the patterns will take you about two hours from start to finish. This one took me four hours, but now that I know what I'm doing, I'm sure I could do it in two next time.

The patterns are easy to follow and require very basic sewing knowledge. It was exactly what I had hoped for when I ordered it.

And favorite sewing resource number three….

Well, you remember these girls.

I know I told you before how much I loved this pattern from Wee Wonderfuls. 

Well, the love has continued as I've been able to pull out the pattern again to clothe our little "girls" in dresses to match their owners.

My girls have long been fascinated with the American girls and how you can dress them just like you. So we've found our own version of that and they couldn't be more thrilled. I've found that they are not concerned at all if the actual pattern of the dress is identical, as long as the fabric is the same.

There you have my three favorite things when it comes to sewing lately. 

I pulled out all three last weekend and in a single day whipped up Miss I's entire birthday loot.

The prized birthday crown (made extra fast and simple this time by the use of printed felt), a little dress for Josie and a matchy Miss Madeline for the birthday girl.

The Miss Madeline pattern actually did only take me two hours, start to finish on my very first try, so I will definitely be going back to this one.

I hope you're inspired to try all these things out. You won't be disappointed!

**disclosure: these endorsements are my own, not solicited or compensated in any way.