No Sheet! Really?

Sorry, couldn't contain the pun!

After reading my last post, Dreaming commented that she uses twin-size sheets to make duvet covers (brilliant!)

Allie shops in resale shops for vintage sheets and uses them as quilt backs.

As a military wife, I used sheets to make simple garment bags for my then-husband's uniforms and shoe bags for his dress shoes.

I have a friend who uses them to make ironing board covers. Because they were often worn out at this point, she would cut an oblong piece of Teflon fabric and use the sheets to border it/cinch over the board.

What other uses for sheets?

I'm interested in this topic of reusing/recycling because it's everywhere, and I'm making another memory quilt with every type of fabric thrown in.

Things I've learned (in addition to my t-shirt tips) when using clothes are:

• A good stabilizer makes almost any fabric usable.
• Careful of the stabilizer you select - sometimes it makes fabric flexible in one direction and unforgiving in others.
• Bonnie Hunter (who has fabulous books in this topic) was right... If you cut the pieces small enough, every fabric is beautiful!
  
• To take apart a shirt, cut out the neck, the sleeves, the waistband, and the side seams before stabilizing. I was told I hadn't clarified it in my last post.
• Save the sleeves - if you run out of fabric pieces when cutting up the main yardage, you can turn to the sleeves as an emergency stash. You can also save them for "emergency repairs" at a later date.
• I find stains are more noticable after stabilizing so give your fabric another check before cutting.
• My favorite patterns for memory quilts made from clothes are enlarged baby quilt patterns. They are simple enough that you don't have to worry about bulky seams (quilt I'm working on now includes blue jeans) and the pieces of the loved one's clothes are big enough to be recognizable.
• If the clothes (or sheets) have a lingering smell, I found these great skunk-away pouches (look like the powder bags for bowling) at BB&B. I tried enclosing them in a sealed garbage bag with fabric softeners but everything smelled flowery and musty.

What other tips do you have for re-using, repurposing and recycling? How do you use leftover clothes, sheets, towels?

 

I wanna know!

Elisa

 

 

Denim Picnic Quilt

This is really turning out to be a year of finishes. Here's another project moving along:

Aren't these denim patches adorable? The fish was a contribution from my little niece Julia. I have more!

I need to finish this for my upcoming Geobash and the summer concerts at the zoo! Must add more critters so I can take it to see these critters!

Took these at the Detroit Zoo this last weekend!

Elisa

 

Quilter.... Not Sewer.....

"Have you ever considered suing the city?  
For building the sidewalks so close to your A$$?"

LOL!  My Dad is not a crude man, but that is his favorite joke for me and my sister.  We are not exactly towering goddesses. Long trunks - short legs.  Makes me sound like a baby elephant!

Nephew Andrew with baby elephant - Detroit Zoo

One of the many disadvantages to being short is finding jeans that fit.  I'm too tall for petite and too short for average.  And, I must admit, at almost 42-years old.... I wear my blue jeans cuffed. That may not sound like a big deal but even to work.  

People often ask, "You are a quilter.  Do you make your own clothes?"  Heck no!  One of my joys of quilting is making a fabric object that lies perfectly flat! I tell them, "I'm sorry.  I'm a quilter, a cross-stitcher, an embroiderer, a knitter and a crocheter.  I am not a sewer".  They tend to walk away confused.

So, imagine my thrill to find this fabulous tutorial on Kayla K's blog!  It's called the Not-So-Nerdy Way to Hem Jeans! I did it!  

It really took minutes (even with me "over thinking" the process), and they look great!  It took me longer to write this blog post!

Here are close-ups of my jeans (I haven't pressed them yet).  The beauty (besides being very quick) is that you keep the original hem!

Several notes for myself (and other "non-sewers") in the future:

* Take the tray off the sewing machine

* Needle down and needle position all the way to the left

* Use #4 Bernina zipper foot and Jean/Denim needles

* Longer stitch length - I used 2.5 on my Bernina

* Watch for pleats near the big seam intersections

* Backstitch at the beginning and end to lock your thread

For those that made it this far, thought I'd share a beauty from yesterday.  This is the "ice tree" on Belle Isle.  If you look closely at the top of the picture, you will see the water spraying out of the top!

Hope you found rest and fulfillment on this glorious Sunday,

Happy Stitching!
Elisa