This Ain't Yo Momma's Playhouse...

Welcome to my girls' new playhouse - won't you come on in?!

Sorry for the lighting - I finished it this evening and couldn't wait to take pictures!! Maybe tomorrow I can get some with better lighting and with the girls.

Okay, details. I used this tutorial from Sew Much Ado on how to measure for the sides and "roof". After that, I sketched my ideas for each panel and went to work! The green body fabric is chino curtain material from Walmart (it saved time not having to sew a hem). The rest of the fabric and felt was from my stash, except for the vinyl - oh, the vinyl. We'll talk more about that in a bit.

For the front panel, I cut out a door and sewed pink binding for the doorframe. Then I added a felt mailbox and light and a fabric applique bush.

The back panel is a fabric applique tree with fabric/felt birdies that can be velcroed to the tree when the girls are playing.

One side window panel has a round cut-out window with pink binding and is flanked by fabric applique and felt topiaries.

The other side panel has a vinyl window with a fabric applique windowbox and hand-sewn felt flowers. Now, the vinyl. Hmmm, where do I begin? First of all, I have never sewn with vinyl, so that should have been my first clue. Secondly, I didn't research sewing with vinyl (as I normally would have any other day...)! Let's just say that many ripped seams and curse words later, the window is done, with ribbon on the outside covering the awful sewing job hiding underneath. Thank goodness for fabric glue.

I absolutely love how it turned out, and I think the girls will enjoy it. I may still modify it some by adding some more details on the outside (maybe some bird nests for the tree?), a name plate above the door, and maybe add a fabric door that can be rolled to open and close. We'll see.

I used my new serger on the interior seams, and I think I'm in love. Is there much better than an overlocking seam? I think not!

So...

Curtains: $16.00

Vinyl: $7.00

Stash fabric: Free (essentially)

Making an adorable playhouse (and learning how not to sew vinyl): Priceless!