10.03.09
The T-Shirt Quilt is Finished!
This took much longer than I anticipated. I was hoping to do all but the tying by machine but I found that basting the edges and sewing the binding had to be done by hand. There was just too much bunching in my machine.
So what should have been a one hour job turned into a five hour job. Plus a couple of hours to tie the quilt(it’s slow work when you have to repeatedly ask your kids to get off the quilt please!). Plus whatever hours I put into piecing and cutting blocks, maybe 10-12 hours?
So I’m estimating 20 hours total start to finish. And it only took me a few months, lol!
But I think it looks really nice and it’s super warm and cozy.
This quilt was made from about 15 old t-shirts(free), two white cotton sheets($1.60 thrift shop), 3 skiens of embroidery floss(free from another crafter), and a twin sized Warm and Natural batting($11). So total for this quilt was $12.60.
08.01.09
My Sewing Space!
Imagine, if you will, a 5 ft X 8 ft corner of an eat in kitchen. Now imagine that space were occupied by 2 ceiling high shelving units, stuffed full. Imagine about a dozen large plastic totes stacked around the shelving units. Imagine cardboard boxes and gift bags and storage bags all stacked around in complete and horrible disorder.
Congrats! You have imagined the sewing space I had last year. Of course it really wasn’t so much a sewing space as a craft supply storage area. And a this and that storage area. In fact, it was just a dump zone for whatever didn’t have a home.
I spent a year purging and organizing, working on the area whenever I could. As part of a challenge at Frugal Village I managed to finish the area yesterday! (Ok, it’s 99% finished. I decided last minute that the corkboard idea wouldn’t be as handy to me as a wall mounted bookshelf and eye hooks for a hang-able clipboard. So I need to purchase and install those items.)
So, without further eloquence…Drum-roll please……..
The red unit stores lesser used kitchen appliances and gadgets. I have very few cabinets. :/
I made these two bags yesterday. they’re 12in X 24in X 24in with drawstring tops. I’m storing the clothes I keep to recycle in these.
The white cabinets are my pantry cabinets. Like I said, not enough cabinets. 
I just love the view while I’m working in my space. It’s absolutely thrilling to have everything always set up, easy to find and coordinated! I haven’t had that since I had my own room at 14 years old.
I’m pretty happy right now. Can you tell? 
07.31.09
Threadcatcher
I’ve been sewing for 20 years and have never had one of these. My method for disposing of cut threads and little scraps of fabric is to throw them on the floor around my workspace and then wait until cleaning day to sweep them. No lie! Hopefully this useful object will keep my sewing area cleaner.
I used more of that thrift shop black duvet cover for this project. I stabilized it a bit with two cardboard inserts and added a magnetic snap so it can be out of the way when not in use.
07.22.09
More beautifying the sewing area!
I’ve spent a lot of time over the past year purging my craft and sewing supplies, organizing my tools and notions better, and dedicating a space to work in instead of hauling projects and my machines to and from the dining table.
I’ve succeeded in that part of my mission! I can actually work in the space and find everything I need. The next stage is ‘beautifying’. That’s what I’ve been focusing on this month.
On my list of things to do:
machine covers
shelving unit cover
curtain
skirting
pincushion
needlebook
threadcatcher
covered/decorated cork-board
I’ve been sewing for about 20 years and if you can believe it, never made a pincushion. I use a hand-me-down tomato. I’ve also never used a needlebook or a threadcatcher but they are handy items to have!
I finished the needlebook and shelving unit cover earlier this month. You can see the unit cover in the pics below. It’s very….. red. And today I finished the machine covers!
Here’s a shot of what I was using: the cheapo cover that came with the serger and a t-shirt bag…
I used some of the most expensive fabric I’ve ever purchased($8 yd!!!). I wouldn’t have purchased it if I wasn’t using both a coupon and a gift card. But I digress. The lining and stabilizer layers were cut from a black duvet cover I got at the thrift store. The finished covers have a thick and stable shape.
They’re probably the wildest thing I have in my house. I’m really trying to challenge myself to live with prints and more intense colors.
07.05.09
Disc Golf Accessessories Part 1
Now that hubby and I each have our bags and used them I’ve discovered that we need a few accessessories to enhance our game. Disc place markers, clip on towels and strap pads are needed.
Today I made the place markers.
I made hubby’s from an inner ‘beanbag’ that was filled with recycled plastic beads, an outer bag from leftover bandanna fabric and because hubby wanted a stiff feel to the marker I also inserted two circles I’d cut out of old drink mix canister lids. You can see those materials and the finished marker in this horrible lighted picture:
I made mine as just a simple bead filled ‘beanbag’.
They’re about 4 inches across, completely washable and not so awesome that I’m afraid of losing them on the course.
FYI, these markers are used to mark your throwing point from wherever your disc lands. You would place this marker immediately in front of your disc location and then pick up and bag your disc. This way if you throw another disc and walk off you’ve only left the marker behind and not a disc which I’ve done about 4 times now. Of course you’re supposed to pick up your marker but if you forget then you’ll just have lost a beanbag and not a $9 disc(or a $4 mini disc that you can buy for a marker).
05.31.09
More Hankies
I spent a couple of hours salvaging a holey and threadbare cotton twin sheet by turning it into 27 hankies!
I used the scarf rolled hem option on my serger instead of the napkin rolled edge I used last time. It’s less dense so these worked up much faster.
