Pleated Bag Beauty

Here's a purse from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing Book, "Pleated Bag Beauty." This is the first time I made one, and I am in love with how it came out. It was a somewhat intimidating project at first, but it went really well and I actually didn't make any major mistakes. I am especially pleased with the fabric combination- both prints are butterflies. This is going out to a friend as a very belated birthday present.

Crafting with second-hand items.....

I spent a lot at one estate sale a few weekends ago. There was a lot of fun stuff. This is an old jacket, made of fabrics from Thailand- but it's actually an old Talbot's jacket.
I would also appreciate any ideas on what to make with really cool vintage scarves? Maybe to lie makeup bags? I just couldn't resist the variety of bright and unique prints.
Look at the awesome ugliness of this scarf:

More Finds

This whole set of "fairy tale" dolls was only .50 cents! I couldn't believe it! They're all in really good condition and very adorable! Can you see Red Riding Hood? Jack and Jill? Mary and her lamb? This will be fun to decorate a nursery someday.

A retro cheater quilted panel- I LOVE all the colors!

Finds

$1 for this vintage quilt top. I think it will make a sweet baby blanket. 3 vintage homemade children's aprons:
Granny square afghan (lap-sized).

Thrifty Sewer: The Miser

Amy Karol's book: "Bend the Rules Sewing" explains that there are 4 kinds of crafters: the perfectionist, the artist, the miser, and the speed demon. I've decided I am "the miser." Karol explains,

Can you work miracles reusing fabric? Do you thrift like a demon and have an amazing knack for sensing a yard sale a mile away? Misers can see project potential in cast-off items and can make gifts from pennies. The flip side can be a tendency not to cut enough fabric... If you thrift fabric, often you have little control of the quantity. So you tend to have not quite enough. (Or you are being a miser, and don't want to use it all). Misers will undercut the fabric, making it stretch as far as it can go. But scrimping on seam allowances comes at a price: no matter how clever you are, you cannot make up for not having enough fabric. Attention misers: Stop waiting for the "perfect project," keep your fabric stash in check, and don't buy fabric only because it's on sale. Buy what you love- and use it liberally.

I don't think all of this applies to me, but it is true that I LOVE a good yard sale and often eye the goods in a thrift store with the intention of cutting up the clothing, not wearing it.

So I decided to change my blog up a little, as you may have already guessed based on a few of the most recent posts. Since my full-time job seriously interferes with my life, I don't sew as much as I'd like to. Also, most of the projects I am working on right now are Christmas presents that I need to keep secret till after Dec. 25.... So I am changing things up a bit by posting yard sale finds (related to crafts) and maybe I will do some other different themes- like posting favorite handmade posessions that I didn't make or things I made a while ago- just to keep this thing current. I recently scheduled a ton of posts- and it is kind of fun to check my blog and see a new post that I had scheduled recently.

Anyway- over the past weekend I made these "simple bibs," also from Bend the Rules. I used some of my vintage fabric and applied adhesive ribbon meant for scrapbooking (I hope it washes okay!) I gave them to my friend Lindsay who is going to have a baby boy in about two weeks.

And finally, here's the AWESOMELY groovy quilt top I got for 2 bucks last weekend:

Vintage Bow-Ties

Any ideas on crafty things to do with vintage bow ties? This set was $2. There are probably at least 50 in each of these boxes. Both boxes were $5 each.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

At work each department had to decorate a pumpkin without carving. We did a "V.I.P" (Very Important Pumpkin." It was my idea to add the Papparazzi Pumpkins and I made the cute little felt bushes they were hiding behind- I should've taken a closer picture of them.... We won 3rd place.

Manhattan Purse

This is the purse I made for my mom's birthday which was yesterday. The pattern is called "Manhattan Bag" by Sand Beach Designs, something I picked up in Maine on Nick and I's anniversary trip to Bar Harbor in June. The fabrics are from my finds at Marden's on the same trip. I made a different bag by the same pattern a few weeks ago, but I can't show the picture yet because I am saving it to give to someone for Christmas who reads this blog. The funny thing is that the first one I made came out better and was easier to make than this one; I am stumped because I don't know what I did wrong/different. Stay tuned....

Deerfield Fair 2008

Nick and I went to the Deerfield fair last weekend. Despite the rain we had a great time. We really enjoyed yummy junk food - apple crisp, fudge, candy apples, etc. We watched the "Pig Scramble" - something I've never seen before, even though I have gone to this fair year after year. It's basically when a group of children go into a large fenced-in area with a burlap bag and have 3 minutes to catch a piglet. It was hilarious!

Anyway, one of my favorite parts is the craft exhibition. People of all ages can enter their crafty endeavors to the fair and have them judged and put on display. These are 2 of my favorite quilts:

This Hawaiin applique quilt was made my an 85 year old woman. I thought it was absolutely stunning!

This quilt was made entirely of "yo-yo's" into a patchwork design.


I have made it a goal to enter some of my projects into the fair next year.