Waste Not, Want Not

First off, I want to wish all our Craftmates friends a Prosperous New Year!!!  With 2 weeks into 2104, I already started to fine tune my family budget for the year.  One of my resolve is to cut down "excesses" and follow the 3R's of waste, i.e., reduce, reuse, recycle whenever I can.  This includes my craft projects.

For my first project of the year, I decided to create headbands from scrap fabric.  I usually save leftover  material from sewing projects. 

There are a lot of tutorials for fabric headbands out there but for a novice like me, I found the one from Lil Blue Boo easy to follow.

I made one for me and a smaller one for my niece.

It feels good to be able to re-use material that would otherwise have gone to the landfill.

Have a great weekend!

Plush Pumpkins

I am seeing signs of fall everywhere that I turned my "orange" on.  I created my plush pumpkin based on the squash softies tutorial by Spoonful.com that I think will be perfect addition to my fall decor.   

I found that my "ShamWow" rag was perfect for this project (used but clean ones, of course).  My other twist to the tutorial is the stem - instead of using a stick, I used toothpick wrapped in twine.

Easy peasy project to do indoors (even with kids) and yours to enjoy as a keepsake. 
Have a good weekend!

Fabric Swap

I recently joined the fabric swap hosted by Carla over at "My 1/2 Dozen Daily" and received this sweetly wrapped package from Joanna at "That Thing I Made". 

I love how Joanna decorated the packaging with cute little stamps. 

Inside the package was this gorgeous box filled will all kinds of fabric scraps and cute ribbons. 

 Joanna even sent me a handmade heat wrap which my hubby already put to use. 

Thank you so much Joanna for the lovely things you sent me, and thank you to Carla for hosting the swap. 

Till next time.

Trash to Treasure

I find the thrill of finding a good bargain exhilirating.  I am a self-confessed cheapskate who frequents thriftstores, consignment shops and the "used" section of craigslist and kijiji.  But nothing beats the excitement of finding "curbside" treasures.  The moment I spot something with potential, my imagination goes frenzy as I envision the possibilities.

It doesn't hurt that my husband works in the waste industry.  And lately, he has been coming home with good finds of his own.  One example is this Kroehler arm chair (it says so on the chair).  With the right fabric and a good upholsterer, this piece can add extra seating to the living or dining room.

Ok, this is a long shot but the copper pots he brought home doesn't show much potential in its current state.  But, with a slice of lemon and kosher salt, he said he can restore the pots to its original finish.  I envision using it as a planter for a topiary in our garden.

Finally, the furniture legs he found had seen better days.  But, they are a perfect for another piece of mid-century cabinetry I picked up on the curb that I plan to restore one of these days.

It doesn't hurt to take a second glance at discarded pieces from your neighbour's lawn.  After all, you are doing good for the planet if you re-use and recycle. 


Enjoy your Sunday!

Throw Pillow Covers

Throw pillows can liven up a neutral couch or sofa and add a pop of colour in any room. I recently sewed some throw pillow covers for our living room to brighten up our slightly drab sofa. I found a tutorial from Sparkle Power for an envelope style removable pillow cover and they are a breeze to make. Here are some of the pillows I made.

Bright lime green chevron print

I bought the fabrics from Tonic Living which is an online store that sells awesome fabrics. They also make custom made window treatments and cushion covers. 

Here are all the pillows together

My next goal is to make covers with zippered closures. I am a little bit intimated with zippers so wish me luck.  

Happy Sewing!

A Tote Bag

Last week, I was rummaging through my fabric stash and found a lightweight corduroy material that I bought from Jo-Ann's during a trip to the States. I decided to use it to make a reversible tote bag from a pattern I downloaded from verypurpleperson. The online instructions were easy to follow that the project took me just an afternoon to make.

The other side

I've made tote bags before but this is the first time I created one with “darts”. The technique seemed intimidating to a novice sewer like me but after practicing on a piece of scrap fabric, I found that it wasn't too bad after all. 

Yeah, I made a dart!

I also used a different colour of thread on the bobbin to match the reversible side.

Excuse the sausage finger and unmanicured tip

Eventually when I become a more advanced sewer, I hope to be able to tackle more complicated projects. For now, I really enjoy sewing tote bags because they are useful, practical, and simple to make. 

Happy Sewing!