A Typical Saturday Ahead

This weekend will be a time to get together with friends and church members while hopefully having some time together as a family to do the essential chores and have some project time.

I am working on a new pillowcase dress for a friend's daughter this morning. This is the first one I have done that is not actually made out of a pillowcase. She wanted this one out of Arkansas Razorback fabric so I am having to sew the pillowcase first. It is faster the other way! Maybe I can find a few hours while all my sewing things are set up in the dining room to make a few more out of thrifted pillowcases in my stash. I have given away all the others I had made and they are nice to have on hand.

The younger boys are out of school this Monday and Friday because their school is moving from the temporary location to the new building. It should be an exciting and short week for them. I am hoping to make a trip to the pumpkin patch with them if the weather cooperates on one of those days they are off this next week to get some pictures. The camera is out and charged.

I found a Brother sewing machine at Goodwill yesterday for $12.99 and it sews really well. It is missing the plug and foot pedal, but the one from my other Brother works on it so I was able to sew with it last night. It is an older model of the one that I usually sew on. The opening to the right of the needle is about an inch and a half larger than my other one so it will be easier to use for machine quilting. I now have three portable machines and am gearing up for leading some Sewing Camps this next year. I want to have the students sew projects from pillowcases like a laundry bag and a pillow.

Well, I am going to head off and begin my Saturday routines of folding laundry and sweeping floors and such. I usually cook something ahead in the afternoon while listening to This American Life, but today we have a birthday party to attend so I am not sure. Hope you all have a joyful fall Saturday.

a new and very compelling past time

Most of you know that I visit my local thrift shop several times a week to see what they have. I buy brightly colored sheets to make into crocheted rag bags and keep my myself outfitted with work clothes, bags, shoes and vintage pillowcases that will end up in a quilt. But since I am in there so often I am starting to get the urge to turn my relaxing past time of searching the racks into the beginnings of an upcycling sewing business. I look for pieces that are of great quality that happen to be on the "buy one get one free" tag special of the day and then make a plan to transform the used item into something new for sale.

I particularly like the idea of making flirty modern aprons, cloth baby shoes, bibs and burp cloths, bags (purses, totes, knitting needle roll-ups, project bags, diaper totes, cosmetic and pencil bags) and patchwork items.

So if any of you see anything you like online and would like to order, send me a message and I will see what I can do. I can't wait to see what comes out of this! It sure is a fun way to shop when you are all about refashioning old things into fresh products. Can't get much greener than that!

And it will be such a great way to teach others to sew, too. We can have a party. Bring an old shirt and turn it into a bag! Or turn a pair of old jeans into an apron! This is going to be fun!