Thursdays Threads

There's been some breaks in the kitchen activities lately and it honestly feels great. There are so many things that my daughters and I want to do and we are taking the time to do it. This past weekend I continued working on my memory tee shirt quilt. It is coming along well, but I ended up with enough shirts to make two quilts or a front and back. I needed one more shirt from my son's college he graduated from last May and it has been ordered and should arrive by this Saturday. I am excited to have one more item on the road to being finished. 

My eldest daughter finished an apron made from a vintage sheet. This is one of the many, many projects that she has underway and it felt good to her to have it finished. 

I continue on my new adventure knitting socks. I know some of you wonder when I find time, but we live in a rented townhouse. I have some not so nice neighbors who will keep me up late nights with the noise. They can start being noisy at 5:30 a.m. and go to well after 11 p.m. and no matter what we do it doesn't stop. We are close to our goal of finding a new residence, but it may be up to 16 months from now. Money isn't growing on the tree fast enough so in the mean time I reduce my stress with my knitting and am rewarded each time with a new pair of socks or other clothing item. I think I will probably have a few dozen pairs of socks by the time we can move.

The most challenging part of my life right now is growing my green thumb. It is a test, but I have one window that is small and can't be blocked (according to the complex rules) so I have a small table with my Christmas Cactus plants on it. My white Christmas cactus is growing leaps and bounds and it is actually blooming "one" bloom and it's May. I guess it likes that window. I'm calling it my prime gardening space.

Life in the townhouse has it's challenges. Too small but workable, bad neighbors but the reward is socks, and taking the time to look and grow into the new life we so need and desire. Counting our blessing every day and taking advantage wherever we can to move forward. Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend. 

Up cycled vintage sewing and what's on the sewing table this week.

Our sewing and fabric addiction is showing it's face. It all started with an apron last week. This past week my daughter got some of her "unfinished" projects out and "finished" them up so we can continue to grow and clean out here at The Craft Zone. Here are some of the up cycled ladies tops made from vintage reclaimed sheets.

These tops have long sleeves and short sleeves finished with elastic. There are elastic necklines and yoke necklines. Some are belted for a fitted look and some are just loose and comfy. They are made from vintage patterns that, yes, she has found at thrift stores throughout the years.

When you sew there are always mounds of scraps. Strips, squares, circles and trims. Everything from new to vintage scraps. Why not put them to use. This past weekend she experimented with Easter egg shaped mug rugs. These seem to be the new coasters and personally I like the idea of a larger coaster. I like to set out a warm plate, but have always used pot holders. Why didn't I think of mug rugs. Dah!

On the sewing table now are all the items made from the remnants of the apron. I've managed a quilted table runner from two inch strips, an oven mitt, two pot holders or mug rugs and then from the remainder of the two inch strips I am sewing them together for another pot holder. I promised myself it wouldn't go back to the works in progress bin and it didn't. I ordered bias tape from eBay because I didn't want to edge them with white and there weren't enough remnants to make bias tape, so as soon as it gets here they will all be finished. Thank you everyone who stopped by and left comments last week. I hope this week is a great one for everyone. 

A little bit of everything this week.

The thrift finds this week were small. Mostly because we didn't get out to do much. We spent time with family, got the taxes filed, went out to lunch and have just been doing what needs to be done around the apartment. 

I spent some time choosing the fabrics for my next quilt. The oriental print has been my favorite for a long time. It is bed linen fabric that I will up cycle and mix with the solids. Most of the fabrics have been thrift finds and some are just leftover remnants from other projects. I know it's bright, but color inspires me. 

Thrift finds this weekend include a vintage Hollie Hobbie bed sheet, a yellow and orange floral pillow case and a beautiful gray and pink art deco style vintage pitcher. 

It was a work and play weekend and I think we needed to relax a bit. Relaxing to me is sewing and with St. Patrick's day coming I had to make something. That something was an apron. I know it won't make the corned beef and cabbage taste any better, but it will make the cooking fun.

We have so many items that we need to list on line that I think we may take a couple weeks off from hunting and just work with what's here. It's been wonderful building the stores and getting it all organized as far as storing it. Lots of research to be done to make sure we know what we're listing and continuing to grow. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and thanks for stopping by. 

I like aprons.

My daughter and I just love sewing and aprons have been a big part of that love.

 

 

 

Recently I made this sheer apron out of an up cycled curtain panel and some fruit print fabric for pockets. It was made just for fun and to keep one curtain panel out of the landfill. I also reclaimed some trim from a second curtain panel. Some times we just have to get those ideas out of our heads.

 

 

 

I also made this one out of denim. I like the durability of denim and I added just some simple eyelet lace around the bottom. Fancy isn't usually my game, but lately I just need to fem it up a bit.

At the following sites are two of my daughters funky fabric aprons. I love these too.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/50480811/egg-stordinary-vintage-waverly-fabric

https://www.etsy.com/listing/50554502/whats-cookin-very-retro-reproduction?ref=shop_home_active

 

Stop by the stores and see what's new.

butterflyplace.etsy.com

butterflyplace.storenvy.com

poetcharms.etsy.com

 

We sure hope that if you're creative you have the time to make it happen. Have a wonderful week everyone.

 

 

 

 





Around the Craft Zone this week.

 

 

This past week I've been getting to some of the projects that have been getting out of control. To be listed this week is a box of hundreds of 4.5 inch fabric squares cut from leftovers. I made a few pillow case dresses for charity and my daughter gave me a shoe box full of dresses she had cut out and I finished a couple she had started. Completed 12 and have at least 12 more to work on. Also still being up cycled is the curtain now apron project I started last week. Just the ties and waist band and that will be done. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and let's keep those in dangerous weather situations in our thoughts.

Sewing is my passion.

While I'm busy building my etsy store and doing the job search and working part time I am teaching myself to do what I love so that I can make it through each day. Sewing is my passion and I'm trying to keep one project going at a time and taking it to the finish line. The past three days I have worked to complete another childs red half apron. I think I'm in love with this vintage 1950's pattern. It also helps to have used a vintage piece of red fabric. I have another one cut out in a vintage Christmas fabric and will start work on that one tomorrow. I wanted to get this on my blog so that I can continue to share with my friends and followers what I have been up too. For now I am just moving along and growing. Soon I will be able to do this full time. That's my goal any way. Wish me luck everyone and show me what you've been up to.

Back to Sewing for February.

I have this never ending desire to be in the sewing room, but lately it's been nearly impossible with all the work building my etsy store and selling on eBay. This desire was so high that I forced myself to do something, so I took out all of the red Valentines day fabric I could find and started sewing a little bit at a time. My first project was a baby bib of red hearts on white background. That was fun and quick. My enthusiasm was there, but the time was not, so I took a few minutes every day to do something more. I started an apron. Valentine's kisses. I used a vintage pattern and had fun even though it took me two days back and forth to the sewing room. I got it finished and took pictures and listed it on etsy. Then I made two oven mitts and two potholders with the remaining fabric, vowing not to put the fabric back in a tub. To continue with my passion for aprons, I made another from the same vintage pattern, but in a bold red and black and yellow heart print. It too got finished and listed on etsy. I have a child's apron cut out and ready to work on and although it's past Valentine,s day I won't be happy until I've used as much of the fabric as I can. I will sell the scraps at the end of the month so that nothing goes to waste. I hope you enjoy looking at my finished products. I had fun knowing that I could get back to sewing and not just work on the on line business. Visit me at butterflyplace.etsy.com for all of my selling adventures.

Check this out! I was featured on Apron-iCity!

How excited was I to learn today that I had been featured on the Apron-iCity website. She feature my post on the Embroidered Aprons back in December. If you have a chance check out the website, for all things apron related. What a great day!