The bags

I didn't take photos of them, but boy oh boy, did I sew them. I made 66 (I think 66?) bags for a project at Child Development Resources. They were given out this week to parents and in the bags, they put activity notebooks, books, and supplies to make a lot of the activities. It was the comments surrounding the bags that were interesting. But first, how they were made.
I cut pieces of about 18" square, leftover cotton and cotton blends, decorated one side of some of them, and put them right side together, taking seams on three sides, serging the side and bottom seams for strength. Some of them were 18 x 36, so I needed only to fold them and sew the side seams. I then hemmed the top. I made handles out of the same or coordinating fabrics by cutting a 2" strip, folding it and then folding it on itself, cutting them into 10" lengths, and placing them 4" apart in the center of the top of the bag, one on each side. I reinforced the seams and voila, a bag. Simple, right?
I can't tell you how many people were impressed with them. It never dawned on me that people who don't sew would be dazzled by a simple bag. It truly was not hard to make! Those of us who sew don't see the magic that those who do not sew see. The people receiving these bags saw them as something I could sell. I know better; they're simple bags without even a boxed bottom. They saw them as something creative. I know better; they're simple bags without any special design work. I could make them in my sleep. They saw them as something special. I know better; they're just bags.
Or do I know better? Maybe they are something impressive, special, creative and I don't think about that anymore? I do know one thing - I saw them, all the bags - as something more than they were when I was making them. When I was making them, they were just one more thing to make my machine hum and give me a feeling of almost Zen-like proportions.
Maybe there is magic in that needle and thread.

It's not really trash, you know - The Patsy Quilt, Part 1

My oldest sister died a couple years ago. It was a surprise to all of us in the family. She was a very talented seamstress. She did the most beautiful hand embroidery, made quilts, created many things in her lifetime, including Christmas ornaments that were hand embroidered and which leave her memory for all of us - we were all given ornaments at one time or another. They're all beautiful.
Shortly after her death, her husband sent me her sewing machine from Texas to Virginia. He wrapped the machine in what I suspect he thought was a piece of soon-to-be trash - an old quilt she had made. It was looking bad. There were worn spots, torn spots, and to the uninitiated eye, it was indeed worth tossing in the trash. I couldn't do that. I put it in a corner and waited till the right idea came along.
Fast forward to last Christmas, actually December 22, 2007. Her son, Brian, who married after his mom died, announced that he and his wife were expecting. Ah ha! A use for the old quilt.
First, though, I needed to finish the denim Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt for my other nephew, Adam! (I delivered that quilt to his mother, another sister of mine, last Sunday.)
It felt good to get this one done. It was done almost 100% by hand. I did do some machine accenting around the flowers themselves to make them stand out. The back is fleece with strawberries embroidered on it. It's very soft and very sweet. I'm proud of it.
That done, I started the cutting and piecing of the "Patsy Quilt." It was a large quilt made of some very fragile fabrics and I found enough that I could cut into squares and piece together with gingham. First, though, I zigzagged over all the seams. She had embroidered a feather stitch along all seams with black floss. Some of that had come out over time; I left even the not-so-complete embroidery in place and zigzagged over that too. The goal was to reinforce the seaming that was already there.
I have all the rows done and sewn together now. I sashed the rows with the same gingham and purchased a nice baby print of fleece for the back. I have it all pinned and ready to tie. It has been a super satisfying project because I get to give my nephew something from his mother and get to give the baby something from his grandmother. The block on the bottom row, all the way to the right (not pictured yet) has her name embroidered and the date she made the original quilt. 1977.
It wasn't trash after all. It did serve several purposes over the years - a quilt that she made in 1977 and most likely used for the father of the baby when he was a tot, a wrapper for her sewing machine as it winged its way to me, and now as a baby blanket for her grandson.
Fabric tells a story. In this particular quilt, there are many stories told. There is fabric from which she had made me a caftan 30 years ago, placemats who knows how long ago, and I'm sure Brian will recognize some of the fabrics.
Nah, it wasn't trash. It's a third life piece that will be making its way to a new owner soon.
What have you rescued today?

McDonald's bib

This bib was basically free. I had receiving blankets, the McDonald's fabric that someone had given me, and of course, recycled denim.

First I cut out squares from the McDonald's fabric and arranged them in a grid on the denim, that I had cut with a bib pattern I made up. You can get free bib pattens all over the web or copy one of your own or make one up. This one is about 8" wide and 11" tall and I'd consider it a baby, not a toddler bib. But you can make yours smaller or larger. I machine appliqued the squares on the denim.
I then made a pocket of the McDonald's fabric and basted it on the bottom.
Next, I placed the receiving blanket piece that I had cut to match the bib pattern on the back and pinned it in place. You can use a receiving blanket, cotton, an old towel, chenille, or whatever you have on hand for the back.
I used bias tape that I had around the house, but you can make bias or buy it. I put this all the way around the bib, catching the pocket edges in the tape.
I added Velcro for a closure. You can use Velcro or a snap. For a baby bib, I would not use a button.
Voila, free bib! Even if it's not 100% free for you to make, you can probably make bibs and potholders and all sorts of items with fabrics, threads, tapes, and trims you already have. Consider appliqueing designs to dish towels, blue jeans knees that need to be mended, or anything that doesn't move!
Have fun with it. That's the main thing.

Unintentional stash reduction

I'm always looking for projects for the parent group at CDR to work on. I am a group facilitator there three days a week. Everything we do is geared towards enhancing their parenting skills. An upcoming event is related to literacy and includes a gift of a bag with books, props for the books, and other activities enclosed. All the goodies for inside the kit are ready, but we need bags. That's where the stash reduction comes in. I volunteered to make about 100 bags. Each one uses about 18" x 36" of fabric, so I went through everything I have and started grabbing pieces of fabric that fit the bill.
One week in parent group, I set up two sewing machines and put the parents to work cutting, pinning, and sewing the bags. I decided to do the handles myself. As it turns out, only about 8 were sewn in group, so I've been sewing bags over and over and over and over .... AAAAA!
This is frugal sewing at its best. I'm using excess fabric that I don't dare get rid of because I might need it some day, excess threads that I've been collecting also because I might need them some day, and making bag after bag. I have bought nothing. Not only that, I'm giving them all away.
I'm far from done, but the moral of the story is that there are sewing opportunities out there for all of us that can include stash reduction. Check around and see if there is a school or early intervention center like CDR that needs your help. Do the sewing for them or take a bit of time and teach them to do it for themselves. It's a great way to pass on the lessons we have inside us to teach and it's a great frugal lesson for those who may not have the money to buy fancy schmancy bags on their own.

That free quilt I'm working on plus one.

My nephew went and had a baby. I'm making them a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt out of old blue jeans and some strawberry fabric. It's almost 100% hand sewing. I work on it every day, but it's just not seeming to grow fast enough. The derned kid will be 25 by the time I finish it. I'm going to take some photos to show everyone the process. It's an easy quilt to make, but slllloooooowwwww.
My other nephew and his wife are expecting. I have a very old quilt that his mother made when he was a youngster. It's basically a "dead" quilt, but there are some usable, hand embroidered parts. I've decided to use that as my jumping off spot. My sister, his mother, died a few years ago, so I'm going to make a grandmother quilt for them. I'm hoping it will be as beautiful in execution as it is in my head. It will be, as all my quilts are, nontraditional and use a variety of methods for putting it together. I'm not very good at following rules when it comes to sewing. I just do what I do and hope for the best. This is another project I'll make sure to take photos of and put on the FrugalSewing.com projects page.
Then, and only then, can I start working on some of the craft items I mentioned below. I'm eager to get into a couple of shows next year and sell some things. I certainly won't make a living at it, but it'll be fun to get out and meet people and share my talents, such as they are.
I think my spring and summer are filled with sewing projects alreayd. Not to mention that outfits I want to make for myself. Is there ever enough time!

An art show here, a craft show there

I went to a craft show this weekend and now I'm thinking about selling at them again. My original intention when I started making 18" doll clothes was to sell them.
I wanted to make stock, enough for a year, so bought hanger, models, and started sewing. I ended up selling them one at a time on eBay instead.
Now I have the bug again. I want to get some clothes made and tuck them away. I love making vests and jeans, as well as dresses and accessories. I have more doll shoes than you can shake a stick at, and that would work too.
In the meantime, I've also been making bibs and potholders and doll quilts by hand. It's almost like I have more ideas in my head than I have time to make things. So maybe working on items and making them to sell later might be a good idea.

At the show I attended, there were people who had made socks, crocheted from plastic bag pocketbooks, and all sorts of other items, but nothing like I make. There were jewelry vendors, artsy clothing vendors (one that made kids' dresses out of tee shirts and cottons), and knitting items galore. And people were buying. I could do that!I have 20 projects started already and 6 potholders (Harley) done and ready to go. How to learn to be patient enough to hold onto items until I do a show is going to be a huge consideration, but I bet I could do it!
I have antique quilt tops that can be remade into potholders and Christmas stockings. Not to mention placemats!
Maybe it's time. Maybe it's time to get my act together and start making what I like to make and setting it aside.
Placemats and bibbies and quilts, oh my! Now I have to get kicking on this. I'm stoked.

Free quilt and chit chatting at the airport

I'm working on an article about a  quilt I am making. It's a Grandmother's Flower Garden design and I'm using recycled denim and some fabric with strawberries on it. No photos yet, but they're coming.  How I came to make this quilt is simple and two-fold.
First, I travel to Phoenix from Virginia twice a year (frugal flying = getting the best rate possible and making reservations in advance) and I always take hand sewing to pass the time in the airport (frugal flying also = layovers). For the past couple of years, I've been traveling with my Cathedral Window quilt that I've discussed before. I've taken small components and worked on them by hand, but now it has grown so much that it's too big to travel with. As I sew, after walking around and window shopping for future sewing project inspiration, people often take a stolen glance. From time to time, someone asks me what I'm making and I gladly share with them what I'm doing. If it leads to more talking about the sewing, that's fine by me. I get to learn about someone's mother who made a quilt "like that" or someone who wishes they could sew, and more often than not, we just talk. It starts with their question and usually ends when we board the plane. One time, I had a reason to go to the ER for a check on something, but knew I was going to be there for hours. Who doesn't go to the ER and wait!?! I took the Cathedral Window pieces with me to work on there. At one point, a doctor came in and said "I can't believe you're in here for X and you're sewing!" I explained that I knew it would take a while and why not enjoy my time in the bed on the IV. He smiled and said he agreed. It's not just traveling and sewing that gets the conversation started!
Second, my nephew recently had a baby girl. She's gorgeous and we're real proud to welcome her to her new extended family. She's got a lot of aunts, uncles, and cousins! But I digress.
I needed something a) to give the baby and b) to travel with. So, I went back to the first English Piecing design I learned over 25 years ago from a woman who was probably the age I am now, but at the time I thought she was old. Anyway, I had joined a quilt guild and learned that the members of the guild were way too persnickety. I liked to piece my way. I didn't follow rules; I made up my own. I was fortunate, though, to attend a course on English Piecing and thought that looked like fun. I made my now 23-year-old daughter a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt and curtains to match for her bedroom. It took a long time cutting out all those hexagons out of paper and of fabric, basting them, and putting them together one by one by hand, but I remembered that it was a great project to travel with!
While I was working on my daughter's quilt, I took a train to New York. I took quilt pieces in a basket and worked on it on the train and learned that hand sewing interests people, especially today. Is it such an oddity that people don't see it anywhere else? Or does it genuinely bring out the reminiscence of times gone by for the interested party? It seems to make older women smile, that's for sure.
This quilt is with me now, in Arizona, but on the way, it was a conversation starter in Richmond and Houston at the airports. People watched and the brave ones asked about it. I got to show them the process because I was sewing right then and there, finishing some blocks as I went along, and I got to meet a few interesting people. We ended up not just talking about this quilt I am making for a family member, but I got to learn about them too. One couple was coming back from a vacation in Cancun, another woman was on her way to visit her daughter.
My sewing is usually for me as much as for the person I give the finished product to. It's my time to do my thing in my way without guild rules, with my recycled fabrics, with quiet things running through my head, but I sure don't mind sharing with folks I meet along the way.
Take hand sewing with you the next time you have to wait somewhere - airport, doctor's office, wherever.  You never know who you're going to meet or the stories you'll hear, and who knows, maybe someone will be interested enough to try something like that on their own.
P.S. Though I am in Phoenix, I did not go to the Superbowl, but man, this town has the fever!