My Goodwill Thrifty Haul! #1

Craft items can be so expensive! I sometimes ask myself if spending the money justifies the end results. Of course all crafters will say YES! Though there are times -- more often than not -- that my bank account is screaming NO! So my solution is to look for deals in other places instead of big name craft stores.

On my recent trip to Goodwill this week, I actually scored some great items! My total was so cheap that I rewarded myself with a round of applause and a firm pat on the back. I was proud of the amount. So here is my haul for the week:

Red Cotton Fabric - 2 yards approx. $1.00

Yep. 2+ yards of red cotton fabric for a whole $1.00. Even on sale in big stores you can't beat that price!

Gallon size bag of buttons - $1.00

Again, I only paid $1.00 for this huge, gallon sized bag of buttons.  I love buttons. You can use them for function, decoration or just hoard them in pretty jars. The only thing I dread is sorting them all.

Tons of thread, needles, etc. - $10

Tons of assorted safety pins and quilting pins - $10

Both of the photos above were in a bucket together and the total for all the above was $10. The safety pins alone are like $2.99 at our local Kmart. I brought them home and shared the haul with my oldest daughter. I even set some aside to include in future giveaways. :)

Singer Tiny Serger -- $1.00

This was the big haul of the week! They originally had this priced at $15. I took it to the front and asked if they could plug it in for me so that I could see how well it worked. When we plugged it in, it came on and started to work, but it kept jamming after a few stitches. The lady looked at me and said that if I thought I could fix it she would give it to me for $1.00. So, why not? I took it to my ex husband #1 (thank goodness we still are friends!) and he cleaned it out for me and got it running. Now, I just need to figure out how to thread the darn thing!

So here is my total for the haul:

1+1+10+1= $13.00

Not too bad of a deal I think. My pocket book is certainly agreeing with me.

Sewing Fun with Sugar Pink Boutique!

I came across the Sugar Pink Boutique on another blog recently and fell in love with the fabrics and notions that are available in the store!

My favorite by far is the Darla and Ava Rose fabrics. They give the antique vibes that every little girl (or adult girl like me) will fall in love with!

Not only is the fabric swoon worthy, but the customer service is quick and friendly.  They were very nice to work with and they are top notch in my book.  This is definitely a plus that put them on my auto-buy fabric company list!

I received a yard of each of the fabrics shown above to create something with. I work in an Assisted Living Home and was going to originally make the ladies some dainty bibs/cover-ups for meal time with them.  The Sugar Pink Boutique was thrilled with the idea and loved the tutorial I posted on how to make a simple bib out of a pillowcase.

Then one day at work, before I started the project of the bib making, I noticed one of our ladies having a problem going to the patio with her walker and trying to carry several things at once. The water bottle kept falling off her walker seat, her book kept sliding off with each bump down the hall, and her kleenex box wouldn't stay on top either. An idea popped in my head and when I got home that morning, I decided to solve her problem with a walker pouch.

This was my first attempt at making one of these and thank goodness it was rather easy to make. I love how the fabrics work so well together.

Our lady was so excited to see this when I brought it in for her. She can store everything in it and still be able to move around without the hassle of things falling along the way.

If you would like to make one yourself, I used the following pattern:

Kwik Sew K3927 by McCalls

*This post contains affiliate links with Amazon and links to stores or companies that have provided a product free of charge in exchange for honest review and feedback.*

How to Make An Adult Bib Out of A Pillowcase

I work in an senior adult care center and our clients sometimes can make a little mess during meals. They all have very nice clothes and it is a shame when they get stains on them when it could be prevented with a simple cover bib. We use Adult Bibs and they love them. They love the different styles, colors, and prints to choose from each meal time. They even have their favorites! Unfortunately we are constantly having to wash them everyday and it wears them out pretty fast. I have a ton of pillowcases lying around in my scrap fabric and decided to use them up making some new ones for them!

First of all, I would like to point out that the King Size pillowcases work the best due to the length. Regular ones also work, but they will be shorter in length.

You will need:
1 Pillowcase (king size is preferred but regular will do)
Scissors
Thread
Sewing Machine
Velcro
Iron (not necessary but it makes it neater and easier)

1. Take your pillowcase and fold it in half lengthwise. Square it up and cut off the ends on each side. You want to end up with just a folded piece of material. Cut as little off as possible by cutting near the seams. You want as much length as you can get!

2. I pinned a pattern piece that I had sketched out myself onto taped pieces of paper.  I don't have it available for download but it is fairly easy to make one. If you don't want to mess with a pattern piece, you can also sketch one onto the fabric itself with a fabric marker.  Just be sure to line it up to the fold for the main piece of the bib. You can click and zoom into my picture to see the correct placement.  Also, when cutting out the bib, be sure to cut enough around the pattern to give you seam allowance. I always cut at least 1/2 inch to give me plenty of seam allowance. Remember that a pillowcase folded in half will give you the front and back of the bib, so you only have to cut once.

3. Unfold what you just cut out and put right sides together.

4. Starting at the bottom and going down the side, sew all around the bib stopping at the opposite side from where you began. DO NOT sew the bottom hem!! You will need to be able to turn your fabric out the right way and need an opening.

I usually use pinking shears to cut out the neck area for smoother seams when it is turned correctly, but you could also use regular scissors to snip as close to the seam as possible. Turn the bib right side out and be sure to get the corners as pointed as you can by pushing them out with either a chop stick or your scissor tips. (be careful not to cut your corners!)

5. Iron your bib. Fold the bottom hem inwards to create a clean edged bottom and iron it in place.  You can also pin it if you want, but the iron will get it to stay fairly easy for this part.

6. Sew the bottom hem as close to the edge as you can. I use my presser foot as a guide when sewing because I find it easier to keep a straight line this way. Keep sewing all around the bib until you get to where you started and be sure to back stitch a little bit so your hem will hold.

7. Grab your velcro and put one side of it on the neck strap. Flip the other neck strap over, line it up with the other and add your second piece. The velcro I used is durable and stays attached with just an iron and a few hours. I also stitch by hand the center or edges just in case. It is up to you and/or the velcro you use. You could even use snaps or buttons. Your preference.

8. Iron the entire thing and viola! Now you have a bib for your adult senior to protect their clothes from accidents during meal time!

Table Runner -- In a Wine Theme for the win!

I recently have been redoing my kitchen and incorporating "Wine" as the theme.

Right now, all I have added is a wine rack, a wine glass, and wine bottles.  Well, the wine bottles that are left after making this current project!





I had watched a video tutorial on YouTube from the Missouri Star Quilt Company featuring the "quilt as you go" method.  I found some material at our local second hand store that was wine themed and snatched those pieces up! I followed the tutorial and made a good sized mat for my kitchen table. When I am sewing I can use it under my sewing machine so the machine won't scratch the table top.

For the binding, I made it myself by sewing strips together. It is shown on one side, but the other side was too busy looking for my taste already so I did just the straight stitch on that side. Yes it isn't perfect, but as a beginner, I think it came out fairly decent. I patted myself on the back, grabbed one of the bottles of wine, and celebrated with a glass.












This project only took me a few hours to do, but I am sure that experienced quilters and sewing fanatics could probably have it finished in an hour.

Wonder Woman Cat Cape

I came across this size extra small Wonder Woman scrub top at our local thrift store.  I am on the other end of the size chart for my scrub tops, but I just had to have this for material to work with.

So I brought it home and did some deconstructing of the top. I saved the pockets for a future project and any other left over material was turned into various sized squares for future quilts. I did however try and make the front red material into a good sized piece with the Wonder Woman symbol being the main focus.

This project only took me about 30 minutes and it was mainly deconstructing and sewing the snap that took the longest.  I also didn't have any regular snaps, and I couldn't find my velcro AGAIN, but I did have some of those fancy slide clasps that you see in fancy mens dress pants. So I used that instead and  my cat has been giving me a whole new look of promised retribution because he can't figure out how to get it undone to be free. (success!)

Anyway, here is the picture of the finished cat cape. Yes, our oldest cat is a boy, but our youngest cat which is a girl, won't hold still for us to put it on. So our older male cat is learning that his laziness causes him to be the test subject.

Sewing From A Beginners Perspective

Sewing is hard.

I took sewing in high school and I admit to forgetting how hard it was. I passed the class with maybe a C because I just couldn't sew a straight line. Plus, don't get me started on curves! So when I decided to try sewing again....after too many years to mention...I went straight to Pinterest to get ideas. I pinned for hours! A found numerous tutorials, projects and patterns that claimed to be for a sewing beginner. After many trials and errors, with very little success, I give you my list of what I have learned so far.

1. Bias tape is sewing hell.

    I spent hours trying to figure out how to get it on a simple blanket. All straight edges would make you think it would be easy. Nooooo...I think I stabbed myself with pins a few hundred times and had to deposit enough money in the curse jar that we could  just buy a new blanket! I will definitely have to look up some easier ways to do this.

2. Quality scissors make for better cuts.

     I caved and bought a good pair of scissors at the craft store and my cuts are definitely nicer and my fingers are thanking me. Dull craft scissors are not great for material. The new scissors I bought though, are glorious! Cuts like the material is butter!

3. Curves throw me a curve ball.

     If you think sewing a straight line is difficult, then sewing on a curve is worse. My curves were so wonky that you would think I had one too many drinks before starting. Nope....the drinks came after I saw how horrible they turned out.

4.  Knits are definitely NOT a beginner fabric!

     I found this super easy looking pattern for a baby beanie! I wanted to make a few for a friend who had just had a baby recently.  I found some cute knit material and thought I would give it a try.  Well, little ole me didn't realize at first that there was a special needle for this type of fabric. I also learned that there is even a certain presser foot you should use.  (yep, I bypassed those little typed instructions) and quickly had a mess of thread and chewed up knit material. Sadly, those beanies became cleaning rags.

5. Start with scrap fabric, not pricey material.

     Remember that knit fabric I was telling you about? Lets just say that they are the most expensive cleaning rags I have ever bought!  I have now learned the art of recycling in the sewing world.  That old flannel pajama top can become am apron. Those old cotton sheets and pillowcases can now become curtains, bibs, or even a toddler dress. I even take the scraps from those projects for sewing practice lines, curves and tension settings!

Got any tips you think I need to know?? Leave it in the comments for me to try!

Keychain Chapstick Holder Tutorial

I am always trying to find my chap stick in my purse.  I end up digging around for minutes only to give up and decide to look later. I use to have the same problem with my keys until I got a hook fob to attach them to my purse straps. That is when it hit me to make some sort of pouch for the chap stick that could be on my key ring!

Now I just started to sew with a sewing machine. I am in no way an expert at sewing. I don't even know the proper terms, stitches, or process of making things with a sewing machine. So this tutorial is completely from a beginners perspective! I did take bits an pieces from multiple searches online on the steps and adapting them to what I wanted and needed.  There are plenty of other "professional" sewing tutorials for this project out there, but I thought I would share how I did it.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Fabric scrap (cut to 10in x 4in)

Key Ring

Thread

Sewing machine

Chapstick

STEP ONE:

First you are going to find a scrap of fabric that you want to use and cut it into a strip. Mine measured approximately 10 in tall by 4 in wide. 

Iron it nice and pretty!

STEP TWO:

Fold the strip in half lengthwise with right sides of the fabric together.

Sew the strip down the unfolded side to make a tube like strip.

(there goes that fancy and totally beginner sewing term talk)

Turn the fabric inside out to where the front of your fabric is now showing.

STEP THREE:

Take one end of your strip/tube and fold it a quarter of an inch 2 times. Iron it down flat and then sew a straight line to hold it in place.

It should look like this:

STEP FOUR:

Flip it over and do the same thing to the opposite end - turning, ironing and sewing the straight line to hold it in place. I only flipped it once on this end because the raw edge won't be showing. Folding it once or twice is up to you.

Now it should look like this:

STEP FIVE:

Take the last end you folded and fold it to the center of your strip.Pin it down if you need to for sewing.

STEP SIX:

Sew the folded section around the edges so that it creates a pocket. 

DON'T sew the center that creates the pocket though. 

STEP SEVEN:

Take your key ring and thread it through the top folded hem.

TAH DAH!!!

Now your chap stick holder is ready to be attached to your key ring! If you don't want to weigh your key ring down with it, you can also attach it to your purse strap. 

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial!