Thrifted Sheets Project: Aprons #2

Yesterday I showed you the gingham aprons I made from a queen-size bedsheet. Well, today I'm going to show you the really pretty lavender ones I made. This sheet was even softer than the red gingham, and I love the way it drapes!



Here's another view of the back:



I was a little more careful in tying this one, so hopefully you can see the details of how it's tied a little better.

Again, I got three of these out of one queen-size bedsheet. I'm keeping one of these for myself, too, and I think the rest will be going into my gift stash.

Enjoy! :)

Thrifted Sheets Project: Aprons #1

Do you remember the lovely red gingham sheets I found at a thrift store last week? Well, I always think of kitchens and country when I see gingham. I am in love with ginghams! So my first thought was to make an apron with it.

I searched on Etsy to see what kinds of aprons were out there, just to get an idea of how I wanted to make mine ... and I found the exact apron I was looking for. It was even made from a sheet, too!

The only problem was that I didn't have the pattern, and it didn't list one as being used (obviously). So I sat down with a calculator and my brain and figured it out. :)

Here is the finished product:



It's a bib-style apron with a full skirt, pockets, and a tie closure. But take a look at this closure:



Isn't it cool? No D-rings, no bias tape, nothing of the sort. It's 60" long ties that get threaded through loops on the waistband to make it custom-fitted to almost any size.

I say "almost any size" because the size of the waistband does make a difference. I made the first waistband 28", and there was just no adjusting it to my petite figure. It would fit my mother or mother-in-law perfectly, though, so I'm setting that one aside for my mother-in-law for Christmas. On the second apron, I adjusted the waist to 25" (before sewing, so it's smaller than that finished), and it worked perfectly.

All together, I was able to make three of these aprons from one queen-size flat sheet. I was pretty happy!

I have appliques to add to the bibs, but I haven't gotten them added just yet. (I'm knee-deep in another sheet project that I want to make sure gets finished first.) I'll share pictures of the decorated bibs when I finish them!

I hope this has inspired you to take a fresh look at sheets ... and to try your hand at designing a few patterns. If it doesn't have sleeves or armholes, every pattern is just a matter of squares and rectangles and a healthy dose of math. :)

I Challenge You Wednesday: Shaped Cards

This challenge has been a few weeks in the making, thanks to my friend's revival and our vacation, but it was a good one - shaped cards. I always admire shaped cards, but I rarely think to make them.

As soon as she told me the challenge, I started thinking about what I would make. This is the first idea that came to me:



Supplies: paper (GP); ink (BIC Mark-Its); Martha Stewart daisy chipboard coaster; iridescent Stickles; Nestabilities Scallop Circle Large.

This card base uses the largest of the Nestabilities Scallop Circles Large. It comes out around 4" all around.

I've had these chipboard daisy coasters for over a year now. I really love them, but they're pretty big so they don't fit a lot of the projects I make. However, this was the perfect way to show one off. I simply outlined the petal details with my Ultra Fine Yellow Blaze BIC Mark-It and added iridescent Stickles to the center.



To jazz up the inside a little bit, I added a smaller scallop circle in a coordinating yellow. I haven't stamped a sentiment yet, simply because this could be used for a get well, thinking of you, or birthday card. I'll stamp the sentiment when I know what I need it for.



Supplies: paper (ATG print, GP cardstock); Nestabilities Scallop Circle Large; silk flowers.

This one is similar, and I only thought of it because I have the daisy coasters stored with my large silk flowers that I've taken apart for cards.

Again, these large daisies are so large that they don't always work for a lot of my projects. This, however, is a perfect way to showcase those lovely large daisies. I've used components from two different silk flowers on this one - a yellow and a pink.

I added the background print so that the card base didn't look so stark, and I like the fun feel the polka dots give to it.



This one is plain on the inside, but here you can see the shape of the card base. Again, I'll be adding a sentiment when I use the card.

That's all for me this week. Now you can go see what my friend came up with. Enjoy!

Rag Quilt Throws

A friend of ours recently gave me a cute twin-size flannel sheet set of penguins ice skating, skiing and sled riding. Unfortunately, my kids don't like flannel sheets on the bed, though. So I thought up the idea of making two rag quilt throws for them instead. (For some reason, they love blankets to cuddle up with.)

I cut up both the fitted and flat sheet to get enough 6" squares for two of these throws. I also added in a thrifted white flannel sheet set that I got for $4. Once you add in the fleece I used in place of batting, I have around $10 in both of the throws put together. Not bad for really cute throws that my kids love to pieces!

We were on vacation last week, and these were the projects I took along. I love to sew rag quilts, so this was a great vacation project. It was relaxing and fun - and profitable, too!

A few minor details, in case you're wondering ...

The squares were cut at 6". The seams are sewn at 1", making the finished squares 4". It really "cuts into" the finished size of the throw, but those fluffy edges are worth it!

In case you're like me and forget, save yourself a lot of cutting time and simply rip sheets to the desired size. I had a real "duh" moment when I remembered that. Let me tell you, it shortened my cutting time by at least a half hour for the white flannel sheets! All I did was make a small snip every 6". Then I went back and ripped, and it was perfectly sized.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. This was a lot of fun! :)

Black and White Basics Rag Quilt Purse

And here's yet another rag quilt purse I have up in my shop. Obviously, I had a blast making these because I couldn't seem to stop.

I love gingham and thought about pairing this with black, but I chose white for this one instead. Since I have quite a bit of the gingham fabric left, I may just make one with black in the future.



If this looks like your kind of bag, you can buy it from my shop for $15 plus $4.95 Priority Mail shipping, but for today ONLY I'm offering free shipping on this purse only. If the free shipping doesn't show up on your Etsy bill, I'll adjust it. (I'm learning as I go with Etsy, so please bear with me.) :)

If you want to give it as a gift, remember that I am happy to ship directly to the recipient (with a personalized note) to save you extra shipping.

Chocolate and Pink Polka 'n Plaids Rag Quilt Purse

I'll be honest: I've never been a huge fan of brown, so I've always been reluctant to pair pink with it. But when I saw these cotton flannels, I fell in love! You can find this purse in my Etsy shop, too.



Isn't it so fun that we get to pair things like polka dots and plaids on purses when we would never, ever wear them together as an outfit? ;) Have you ever wondered what the difference is? Just something I thought about as I designed a few of these purses ...

Have you noticed the somewhat-shaped edges of the fabrics on these last few purses? I got to wondering if pinking shears would give the same effect as the scalloped square Sizzix die that I can't seem to find anywhere. So I tried it, and it works! You do have to remember to clip the seams, though, since that's what really makes it rag.

To get technical, you probably don't even need shaped edges and it probably won't be noticeable once the bag is washed several times, but it's a neat effect in the meantime. :)

If you'd like this purse, it's available on Etsy for $15 plus $4.95 Priority Mail shipping, but for today ONLY I'm offering free shipping on this purse only.

And as always, I'm happy to ship directly to the recipient (with a personalized note) to save you extra shipping.

Red and Black Houndstooth and Roses Rag Quilt Purse

Have you seen this purse in my Etsy shop? It's one of my personal favorites. I could easily see myself using this one, and to be honest, I was tempted to keep it for myself. But since I really don't need about 20 new purses, I listed it. :)



This one is made from two different 100% cotton fabrics and a black fleece (for the quilted part). As you can see, I made a little change on this one by using black grosgrain ribbon for the closure. I really like how it turned out, and it's so easy to hook around that huge red button. (Don't you just love that button?!?)



Inside, I put another large pocket to help organize your things.



And there are two pockets on the sides (outside) that are great to hold things like cell phones.

Again, this would be a perfect Christmas gift for some lady on your list. The price is right at just $15 plus $4.95 Priority Mail shipping, but for today ONLY I'm offering free shipping on this purse only. If the free shipping doesn't show up on your Etsy bill, I'll adjust it. (I'm learning as I go with Etsy, so please bear with me.) :)

I'm always happy to ship directly to the recipient (with a personalized note) to save you extra shipping.