DIY Fashion Redesign

Shirt to Skirt 

I have to admit that I spend quite a bit of time going through each and every link when I get my newsletter from All Free Sewing. I especially love their sections on DIY Fashion Redesigns. This is where crafty bloggers from all over the web are collected in one place to share their tutorials and patterns with the world. The best part? It's all free. Yep, just like the name of the website! (go figure)

There are some ads and links that you'd probably be better NOT clicking on when you go to the site, but I have found that all of the links in the newsletter and on the main site that lead to the patterns are all safe. I have found some pretty terrific ideas on there, many of which I have posted to my Pinterest "Sewing Ideas" board.

Yes, I'm also a Pinterest addict. There. 'Nuff said.

So what to do with all of these ideas? Here is what I do.

You can always raid your closets (yours, your kids', your husband's, your mother's - it's all good). Or you can go thrift store shopping. I really don't have much to raid from anymore, so it's off to the thrift stores for me.

I have a SmartPhone. Well, kinda. It's not that smart, but it is in that classification, so there it is. Anyway, I also have a Pinterest app on my Smart Phone. (I already mentioned my addiction, leave me alone.) When I decide to do some thrift store shopping, I go to my Pinterest app and look at my "sewing ideas" board. This contains some really great links to DIY refashion ideas. I follow the links, see what materials they are using for what inspires me that day, and make my purchases accordingly. It's not too hard. This also usually ends up in a trip to the hobby/sewing store for buttons, elastics, cording, ribbons, etc.

DIY refashion is so awesome because you can make virtually ANYTHING with a little ingenuity. Those high dollar runway items you so covet can be yours with a few tweaks and a sewing machine. Actually, I have completely filled my closet with DIY refashions before and had a whole new wardrobe for the next season. The only thing I haven't done? Cute boots. I love cute boots. I wear boots in the summer. I don't care. I love them. I hate heels, flats, sandals, flip flops -- all of those. But I love my boots and tennis shoes. Hmm...Guess I'll have to figure that one out!

Busy, busy, busy!

The last few weeks have been crazy busy! We've done a lot of antique and thrift store shopping to supply our home. I'll be taking some pictures so you can see how things are coming along. We recently painted our daughters' room, which took a of days. When you have two 10-yr-olds plus one of their friends, a 6-yr-old and a 4-yr-old helping out, things seem to take a bit more time.

I have also finally sandwiched my garden pathways quilt and it is ready for quilting. For Valentine's Day my super-sweet husband bought me a new Brother SE400 Computerized sewing and embroidery machine. I've been playing around with that for the last week or so, learning how to embroider with it. The Garden Pathway will be my first official quilt to go through it. Today I embroidered a tag and attached it to the back to identify the quilt. That was fun!

So while it's not a big update, I promise I'll be back in soon with more things to show you. Happy crafting!

A step in the right direction

When I really began crocheting in earnest, I started collecting yarn and patterns. At first, it was an innocent hobby. I discovered new yarns that weren't available in my local store. I had to have them, touch them, use them. I went yarn crazy. The patterns became organized on CDs and in filing cabinets. Then the pamphlets required binders with clear pockets to keep them organized. Eventually I had enough of these and books to fill up a bookcase. That was just the beginning.

Being a dedicated Eclectic, I found interest in other crafts. Knitting still required yarn, but new notions, needles, patterns, and books were also in order. Then came some sewing projects. These required fabrics. Yummy, delicious, colorful materials in solids, prints, and patterns that just needed one or two other matching fabrics. And of course, there are ribbons, rick-rack, pins, needles, bobbins, thread...books... you see where this is going.

Quilting required even more books and fabrics and a recent acquisition of said products from another crazy quilter left me with boxes filled and no place to put these wonderful treasures. Of course, I also didn't want to get rid of any of it. This is a sickness that crafters share, creating an idyllic world where they have all supplies on hand so they may continue to craft until they drop.

Our recent move not only lifted my heart and spirits, but it also gave me a craft area separate from my sleeping area. An entire room, dedicated to what I love. So after putting away the requisite things in the kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom, I got to unpack my sewing room. And I decided that now was the time to organize! It's been more than a week, and I'm almost done. But the rewards are decidedly worth the time and effort. Here is a sample of the fabric shelves:

I have also sorted through all of my sewing notions, eliminated two of the peg boards that were major eyesores, replacing them with storage containers in a cleaned out sewing desk. I do still have one peg board, but that has gone down from the 3 that I previously had that never really worked. 

The sewing machine, jewelry desk (yes, another obsession), and cutting table all have their little areas. I even have room to add a quilting rack if I ever decide that I want to hand quilt. 

I can't wait to get in and finish a couple of quilts and work on some other projects. I haven't even been to my local Hobby Lobby in the last few weeks; probably because of the move, the unpacking, and organizing, but it still counts. Of course, I have the garden coming up in a couple of months, and I'm collecting for that, so I may need some more bookshelves for the books. But we'll take this one step at  a time. :)

The Christmas Card

The one thing that I sometimes don't do is Christmas cards. I buy the cards, think about addressing them, possibly do fill them out and address them, then forget to take them to the post office in time for actual pre-event arrival. The cards, in my opinion, are a waste of time and money, not to mention additional environmental sludge. I really put very little emphasis or time into cards because I don't think people really get that much out of them. So my goal this year is to gather some ideas for cards - or greetings - that have a practical use.

Mason jars filled with dry ingredients to make cookies or cupcakes sound like fun, with a little tag that says, "Thinking of you." Practical, reusable, and extremely expensive to ship (in comparison to a card). So if your recipient lives within visiting distance, these are great as drop-off cards. I'm not real creative in this department - so I NEED HELP. (Seriously, not the medical kind, although that may be necessary as well. We'll leave that for another post. ;-))

So if you have any great ideas for practical, reusable, environmentally friendly greeting cards/gifts, let me know. Remember, cheap to ship. You can leave your link to your blog post, tutorial, or just a suggestion. I will tell others where to find you (blog traffic!) or work with you to create a post about your terrific idea on this blog. I've scoured the Internet, and will probably scour some more, to find those ideas. Until then, your input would be much appreciated.

Bounce (r) Dryer Bar Update

Well, the Dryer Bar lasted! I was pleasantly pleased. Even with the excessive amount of laundry that we do on a weekly basis, the bar lasted through two months of my family and thier messes. Actually, at the end of the 60 day countdown, the Dryer Bar still had a little bit of bar left on it. I think I could have used it a few more times, but kids were anxious to change it out. What an awesome product from this company. The plastic refuse is minimal (and I'm sure some smart somebody somewhere can figure out a way to recycle it into something pretty cool), and the mess from all of those used up dryer sheets is just not there! So, onward Bounce(r) Dryer Bars!