My mother-in-law had two special sweatshirts ordered – Grandma’s pumpkin patch had the names of all her grandchildren. Granny’s pumpkin patch had the names of all her great-grandchildren.
After her death in 2019, my husband’s sisters wanted to know if I could think of anything to do with the sweatshirts. I’ve made pillow covers before out of t-shirts, but I wanted to do something different for these.
I decided to stitch around each name-with-pumpkin to make a small quilted ornament. I keep batting scraps in a tub in case they are useful for small projects, and it was certainly was.
I placed a scrap over the sweatshirt to gauge whether it would cover a row or two of names. Then I place it inside the sweatshirt and pinned it in place. I stitched around each name, making sure I had room to cut out each one between stitching two that are close together. The way the names were arranged, having a uniform shape would not work.
I am still working on the stitching, in between my other chores, and I haven’t yet decided what else to do with them. I was thinking of giving each sister a garland of her children’s and grandchildren’s names, joined by a green ribbon. At some point when these are complete, I may edit the post to add photos of the finished project.
I enjoy searching through a thrift store, not knowing what I will find, and what project it will be perfect for. I keep a list on my phone of certain items I’m specifically looking for, like the photo frames in 5×7 or 4×6 sizes that now hold family photos on my wall. Other things seem to jump into my arms and I take them home.
A few days ago I noticed a tub of jumbled shirts. Each one could have stains, holes, or tears, and the price was 25 cents each. The cashier saw me collecting some shirts and she said the more I buy, the better the deal she could give me. I love using scraps of shirts in my projects. One current project is to repair a quilt I had bought at a garage sale. I needed chambray fabric to add sashing between large blocks of flannel fabric, so one of the shirts I picked up was a ladies’ embroidered chambray shirt.
Now that I have looked it over better, I absolutely love the embroidery. Shortcut! I wanted to make another crossbody purse, but add some dimension so all the items I usually carry will fit. I decided to use the embroidered panels as the front and back.
I cut the embroidered panels to the size I wanted, in my case 6 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches. I wanted a thickness of about 2 inches for the sides, so I cut two, 2 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches. To keep it simple, I won’t have a fold-over flap on this one. I like quilting the body of the purse so it is soft, but keeps its shape easily. I cut corresponding lining pieces and (again) flannel as the batting.
I chose to mimic the boundaries of each embroidered section, adding lines as if seeing ripples in water. I used my serger to sew the pieces together. All that was left to do was to bind the top edge and add a strap. For crossbody, of course, the strap needs to be longer than for a shoulder bag.
Real life, in my case, means that quite often my idea is great in theory but something is lost in the translation. I thought it would be great to use the button and buttonhole plackets, sewn to a wider strip of fabric.
I used yellow flannel to bind the top edge and added the strap. The placement is wrong, the width of the strap is way too wide, and the buttons get in the way of the strap sliding through the hardware. Stay tuned. I love the purse otherwise, and I’ll be reworking a strap for it.
My daughter-in-law once told me her preferences for a purse are that it have a long strap for a crossbody position, and that it zips closed. I thought I would try a crossbody as well and came up with the following tutorial. My wish is that you use it for personal sewing or gifts, fundraisers or group instruction. If you wish to share a photo of one that you’ve made, I’d love to see it! Please don’t sell my idea as your own.
Prepare the book. In choosing a book I look for something decorative on the front cover, like the trees in my example, or a meaningful title. Carefully cut out the book pages from the endpapers and spine.
Open the book covers flat and measure the finished size you will need. Add a hem allowance on all four sides, then cut out and hem. It is helpful at this point to use your iron to make the hems before sewing, and check for accurate sizing.
Next cut two strips of fabric for the zipper facing. Each should be the total length of the 3 open sides, plus a seam allowance. This may be an opportunity to use wide bias tape. Calculate the width so that the finished tape/zipper/tape is greater than the depth of the spine, so that there is more room for the contents. I checked through my zipper stash and decided on two shorter zippers that would meet in the middle.
If using two zippers, mark the center of the strips and overlap the zipper tapes to meet there, giving the smallest possible opening. *Design flaw – or not – I ended up with a purse whose zipper opening faces downward. It may prove to be too awkward, I don’t know. I plan to make a revised version too.
Sew the zipper(s) to the tapes. Press the seams away from the zipper and topstitch close to the zipper. If there is tape extending past the end of the zipper, stitch the fabric together.
In my example, the spine measured 1 1/4 inches. I wanted the purse to be 3 inches wide along the center, tapering to 1 1/2 inches where it meets the spine. Mark the seam lines on the wrong side of zipper/tape piece.
Lay the cover facing piece right side up, and place the zipper/tape piece right side down over top on one of the shorter sides, as shown in the pictures. Make the centers match, and arrange it so that your stitching will echo the topstitched hem on the facing piece, then stitch.
Make a corner and continue with the two pieces at the end of the zipper(s), again matching the seam marking to the previous topstitching. Mark where the spine of the book cover folds, as you will not stitch past that mark.
Open the zipper(s). Lay the zipper/tape piece along the rest of the facing piece, right sides together, and stitch around making square corners, and ease to fit if you need to. Turn right side out and check the fit.
Before gluing the facing piece into the hardcover, choose your strap and how it will attach. I looked through my assortment of odd handles, hardware, belts and scarves, and chose this: a faux suede scarf, two plastic rings, and grosgrain ribbon. I tucked the ends of the scarf through the rings and stitched, then the same with the ribbon. The length was plenty for a crossbody strap.
Spread glue over the inside cover of the book. I placed the ribbons in the spine portion, then added more glue on top. This is the time to make sure you don’t twist the strap, keep it straight.
Place the fabric purse on one side of book cover, keeping the hemmed edges at the edges of the book. Carefully fold over the book to the other side of the fabric, again matching the edges of the fabric with the edges of the book.
I had a book just the right size to fit inside the book purse. I added weight to the top of it and left it alone until the glue was dry. When I presented it to Rachel she loved it!
I hope this post is helpful to you, or maybe inspires you to make purses of your own.
I’m back in cancer treatments, and that’s part of the reason for fewer blog posts. On Mondays I take 40mg of a steroid in the morning. By Monday night I have no ability to fall asleep. A few weeks ago I started getting up and heading to the (what else?) sewing room. I fixed buttonholes in my husband’s favorite flannel overshirt, created some Frankestein shirts, and quilt blocks.
Frankenstein shirts is what I call combining 2 or more shirts to fit the parameters I need for my upcoming stem cell transplant. I’ll have a central line (kind of like an IV in the upper chest) and I’ll need my shirts to open in the front to be able to get them on and off without disturbing the line. I’m never able to find cotton button-down shirts that don’t gap at the bust and I’m more comfortable in knits, so I’m working with what I find. I use thrift store purchases, so I don’t feel bad putting something in the rag bag if I can’t stand how it turns out.
I found this cute zip-front hooded sweatshirt in gray with sparkles. I added sleeves from a pink shirt I bought online on clearance, but can’t wear something that thin and too revealing. This way it’s cute!
I used a man’s NRA t-shirt, added a button placket by cutting from a discarded gray t-shirt of my husband’s and adding interfacing, along with green sleeves from another of his discarded shirts. I like this one too! Two of the metal buttons I found have the look of a shotgun shell with the brand name Remington.
The quilt blocks I’ve done are the “awareness ribbons”. The first is from Carol Doak, but I didn’t like the proportion of the top part of the ribbon compared to how wide the rest of the ribbon is.
I found another at Connecting Threads that I liked better. I made one up in purple for Alzheimer’s and one in burgundy for Multiple Myeloma. These make up smaller, so I’ll use them as a basis for mug rugs.
I’m seriously addicted to thrift stores, and I don’t want a cure.
I found a girl’s pink t-shirt for a quarter. I knew I would repurpose it for doll clothing. I wish I had a before picture, but here is the after:
one doll’s tank top
one knit ruffle scarf for dolls
one knit ruffle scarf for girls
two knit braided headbands for dolls
Just think what I could have made with a larger t-shirt! I also saved a bit of pink knit fabric to use later, and the sparkly M (for Missouri) to applique on something else.
This past weekend I found these two 18″ dolls at a thrift store, for a combined total of $6.50. I already cleaned the skin of both of them using lens cleaners for glasses. I figured (correctly) the alcohol would rid them of most of the smudges. I need to figure out something to use on the purple marker that wasn’t easily removed. The picture above is an almost-before picture of the dolls. I have to do something about their hair, and I’m going to use the ONE shoe as a pattern for making shoes for dolls.
I love thrift store shopping, and crafting. The two go hand in hand, quite often.
I am an elementary reading teacher, and right now I have 50 students. I always put up a small Christmas tree in my classroom, and usually have ornaments on the tree that students can choose to keep.
I found a bag full of small round “gold” rings, and my thought was that they were snap-together frames for a craft project. Knowing there were plenty in the bag for one per student, I bought it. Little did I know, they were actually curtain rings. No snap together parts.
No worries. I got them home, fiddled around a little, and decided there was plenty of gluing surface to cut paper in a circle and glue to the back. I got out my new crafty circle cutter and found 1 5/8″ is the right measurement.
I plan to print a photo of each student to put in the center of 50 of the rings.
I counted out 50, and found at least that many remaining in the bag, so I found some scraps and this is what I did. Simple, cute, and I may revise it at some point.
I had a small scrap of pine tree fabric and it covered the backs of three of the rings. A little bit of ribbon, and it’s a simple ornament. I will probably work up a small tribute on the back saying it’s a gift from Mrs. M.
Some clever someone had converted old sewing machines into tractors. Add a few bits like gears, wheels, shafts, paint a bright color, even add a decal.
We were at an old gas tractor show in Scottville, MI last July and came across these.
I’ve worked a bit on the circle quilt. I decided, with a small-throated sewing machine, that I must work from the center outward. The reason it makes a difference is the center 12 blocks have personalized embroidery on plain fabrics, instead of the shirt fabric. To preserve the surprise for the ones who will receive the quilts, I did not photograph the embroidery.
I found that I didn’t actually need to have drawn the square on all 150 circles! Now I figure that out! When I work on the next one, I will draw on only half of the circles. Once two circles are sewn together, the entire outline helps to line up the piece to the next one, and so on, until I have a complete column sewn together.
When I finish sewing the squares with batting to the inner columns, I add one column to each outer edge. Then I press the circle parts down, and I can start placing squares on the columns next to the outside columns. I need the outer edge free for sewing the next columns onto.
If you look at the photo above, you can see the grainlines are all over the place. My bad. I highlighted them in bright green so you can see them too. Yes, the circles tend to stretch when I sew the long line. Next time I know better.
I also love to see the design the stitches make on the back side of the quilt. The stitching looks purple but it’s the same color blue as the fabric. That’s due to lighting, I think.
Something I want to tackle as a future project is to take apart this purse and construct a clone. I love this purse and it’s starting to wear out in places. I don’t think I’ll sew with vinyl, so I’ll be looking for a fabric I think will hold up and look as good.
I have several projects going right now, and three that I’m trying to work on through this long weekend.
First, I had copied the pattern pieces for this Christmas tree skirt from a book, Deck the Halls. I currently can’t find the book, so I’m winging it when I have to. The background is blue felt, with Santa’s face curving around the circular edge. The directions say to use small wooden stars, paint them gold, drill a couple of holes and attach them as buttons for the stars in the night sky. I plan to use my home embroidery machine to embroider gold stars in the sky. This is an overdue wedding gift for a nephew who was recently married. I figure the gift isn’t late until Thanksgiving, and I plan to have it completed and sent well before then.
I also have circles. Lots of them.
I had cut these circles about a week ago for my friend’s quilts for her daughters. Instead of using her late husband’s jeans for these, since he didn’t have the numbers that 4 quilts would require, she had bought blue cotton fabric. I need to mark the squares, purchase and cut the batting, and start cutting the shirt fabric squares.
The other project I sewed on today was a doll quilt. I haven’t made one before, but I have the occasion to do so now. My stepson is marrying soon and will acquire a stepdaughter of his own. She’s only 4 and I look forward to meeting her. They are expecting a baby, and because the big sister will likely feel a little left out of things, I planned to make her some doll accessories.
I had bought some “quilter’s grid on point” and I couldn’t wait to use it. The amount I bought was the perfect size to cut into four pieces and each can be used for a doll quilt.
I used pink fabric and some of the floral bedsheet fabric I still have, and made 16-patch blocks. I broke up the blocks with solid blocks from the sheet fabric. I fused the blocks to the grid.
After I took this photo I realized the one-way direction of the white blocks would be going the wrong way. I found that I could peel each off, reposition, and press again. Good to know, I often have to adjust something as I go.
This is the back view of the grid. It is “grid on point” and would be very handy for stitching on a line, but I didn’t use it that way. I folded it between the blocks and sewed each direction. Incredibly fast and easy! I think I may love using this stuff.
I backed the quilt with white flannel, used low-loft batting scraps inside, and bound it with plain pink fabric. I think Lamb Chop got very comfortable and I think my new step-step-granddaughter will enjoy it as well.
I worked a little bit this weekend on small bits. Sample blocks to see if I want to go further and make a whole quilt.
I’ve seen this quilt pattern in photos on the internet. It intrigued me because I love tessellating patterns. I decided to figure out the dimensions and try it out, thinking I wanted to make it for a baby quilt for an expected grandchild.
After doing this much sewing, and the concentration it takes to keep the tiny pieces organized, I decided this little mug rug would be my only use of this pattern. I finally understand the importance of making a test block! Each jigsaw puzzle piece is 3″ by 2″, and the tiny “head” part of each puzzle piece finishes to 1/2″ by 1/2″! Too tiny for me to repeat!
A friend recently lost her husband, and wants a memory quilt made from some of his clothing. I tried describing this method to her, using denim from jeans and scraps from shirts in the centers, and she requested a sample block so she could see what I was talking about. I whipped this up this weekend. Please – don’t ask me how to figure out the size of the square that goes inside the circle. I guessed big, then cut a square of fabric progressively smaller, until I found a size that worked for me. The directions for this quilt can be found here.
Today I’m working on a tessellating star quilt, paper pieced, with only star patterned fabrics. I had started it several years ago and got frustrated with it. I have a half a baby quilt size top done, and I’ll add enough to finish a baby quilt. No pictures yet, someday when it’s complete.
Quilt in Progress 