Paper or Plastic

Paper or Plastic? Neither! Use your recyclable cloth bags! If you don't have one, I'll make you one!

I don't just use them for grocery shopping anymore, I take them department store shopping too. The clerks at the big chain department stores used to look at me kinda of weird when I said I wanted to use my own bag, but I think more and more people are doing it; so I don't get such weird looks anymore. I even know of a local consignment shop that will give you a discount if you use one of their cloth bags.

I just saw on the news this morning, it's the 150th anniversary of the brown paper bag, or something like that. Anyway, I remember using brown paper grocery bags for all kinds of things when I was a kid. We used to cover our text books with them. I loved a fresh brown canvas to doodle on. The grocery store logo had to be on the inside, of course! I made a new cover every coupla months because my covers were black with all the scribbling! We made hats and masks. Remember the Unknown Comic?! He made the plain brown paper bag famous and invented a really easy Halloween costume!

Even though the brown paper bag has more nostalgia then the plastic bag, I think it's time is up. Use your cloth bags! And for you people that claim that cloth bags harbor bacteria and germs...well, you know you can wash them!

My niece, Lori Linton, is busy repurposing! She is appliqueing all sorts of found materials, such as doilies, napkins, and bits of tablecloths, on baby onesies! They are very cool. And the babies that will wear these one-of-a-kind, fashionable onesies will be trendsetters! Keep on creating, Lori!

Recycle Runway

On a recent (and much needed) vacation, my husband and I had a short layover at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Imagine my delight and surprise when I walked off the plane and into the terminal (actually International Concourse E) and saw a party dress made out of Target bags! I was so excited! There were display windows up and down the concourse displaying beautiful, couture fashion made from recycled materials. I loved it! It was right up my alley! There was a suit made from parts of a car and a dress made from tires and another dress decorated with pieces of aluminum soda cans. The layover seemed very short since I was so busy taking pictures and admiring the art; I was having a great time - and in the airport! I noticed other people taking pictures that were excited as I was.
I have since learned the installation is called Recycle Runway and it is by artist and environmental educator, Nancy Judd. And there are a total of 18 installations in the Atlanta airport.

On all the display windows was this great quote, "Waste does not exist, only wasted resources." LOVE IT!!

And here is my souvenir from Mexico: These bags were everywhere. They are made from cracker and cookie packaging. Most of the bags were really colorful featuring pictures of food images, like cheese and odd Mexican animal mascots. I couldn't resist this one! It was the only one like it...it's so me!

Grocery Bag Rug

I've finished it! After months and months - and I lost track of how many grocery bags - I've finished the rug! It was a good project to do while watching movies on those cold winter nights. The crocheting was the fun part; but cutting the bags into strips was tedious! I'd get a pile of bags, cut only a couple at a time into strips, because I couldn't wait to get to the crocheting part. I wasn't too neat about cutting the strips - the first few I tried to be neat, but I liked the way the different widths of the strips looked; and I could cut more strips faster if I wasn't too careful. I used no tape or wire - just plastic grocery bags, and a little bit of Bernese Mountain dog fur, which was unintentional and unavoidable in my house!

Isn't it cool?! I love it! I'm going to use it in front of my kitchen sink! The rug is about 30" in diameter. It's not huge, but it took a lot more bags and a lot more time than I thought it would. It was a fun project, but I don't think I'll be doing it again, but... Now I'm saving plastic bread bags - same concept; different project!

Shabby Chic-less

I guess I truly don't have what it takes to be "shabby-chic". I love the look of all white. I drool over those magazine spreads and web sites that are all neutral. Making up a room or a home in different shades of ecru and cream - ahh, so calm, so relaxing. I love it; but when I plan to do the all white thing, well... I'm not even trying for a whole room, just a piece of furniture; it never fails - I decide to add a "splash" of color! Next thing I know that splash takes over and it's bright red or neon green. I'm striving for that creamy confection; a cloud of colorless calm, but I keep gravitating to the whirling, swirling patchwork of color and chaos. I'm redoing an old chair of my grandmother's - I've painted it white and I was planning on recovering the cushions in white on white or a soft muted pink, but I found this fabulous multicolored, multi floral fabric. It's such a happy fabric! Another case in point; check out this cute white table - I decoupaged it with vacation postcards. There is no rest for the eye here, but there are happy vacation memories. So...maybe that's a good thing. I'm living with my souvenirs instead of putting them in a box or an album. I'm creating happy-chic! I'm surrounding myself in busy & colorful happiness!

A good friend of mine, MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson, is creating beautiful art from - for lack of a better word - garbage! She is making these fabulous collages from food packaging. Candy wrappers, fast food wrappers, cereal boxes and Chinese food packaging and more. She is layering tiny bits of colorful paper and foil to make interesting art with a message. Right now she is fascinated by the simplicity and obviousness of the instructions on the packaging. All her collages have a theme.

MaryAlice and I are both concentrating on finding useful ways to repurpose "trash". She is going the collage route and I'm going the utilitarian route. But both routes are very satisfying and, of course, fun!

Show and Tell

I've been busy sewing. I'm having a great time - no plans - no itinerary! Just making whatever strikes my fancy! And, my fancy has been all over the place! I've been getting to those projects that have been in the back of my mind for awhile and mostly just making up stuff as I go along. I'm sort of doodling with thread and fabric!
So this is my show and tell.

This is a picture of a set tea napkins I've been making out of vintage fabrics. I love the pinks and reds of this old kitchen curtain fabric. It's so funky!
The tea napkins are about 9" wide. I've been making them in groups of 4. Perfect for a ladies' tea or for cocktails. I like them because they are pretty and dainty.


I picked up 4 napkins at an Glass and China Outlet for 65 cents a piece! Isn't this a fun tote?! It's sturdy and washable!



And I made these pants out of a tablecloth that I picked up for $3.00!




















And while cleaning out my dresser drawers I found a couple pairs of footless tights. Inspiration struck - I cut them up, sewed on a button and some ribbon and they made really fun, and maybe a little sexy, wine bottle gift bags! These bags will stretch over any size bottle!

Spring Cleaning

I'm sort of in a pre-Spring cleaning mode - I need to get rid of all that stuff accumulated in drawers and closets. I'm taking on one closet or one drawer at a time. No pressure, no big - all weekend project. Just a little bit at a time and I will be rid of all that extra stuff. Lighten the load a little, why do we have all this stuff? Why do we have six decks of playing cards?
And of course, just because I'm cleaning out doesn't mean I'm throwing out! I'm donating, selling, recycling, and giving it away. Just because I'm done with it or don't need it anymore doesn't mean there isn't someone out there who does need it or could use it! I have a huge pile ready for the big spring garage sale. I gave away a pile of cookbooks. And I'm taking my old rollerblades to Play It Again Sports.
Everyone should be more conscious of the waste in their own homes. Think before you throw it away. There may be someone who needs it. Look in your local paper to see who is accepting donations. The Boy Scouts were taking old phonebooks and newspapers in my area. Look online there are a whole bunch of web sites that help you recycle old phones, ink cartridges, and etc.
And speaking of recycling - I found "my people"! I recently met this fabulous lady who introduced me to a really cool shop in downtown Lancaster - Lancaster Creative Reuse!
They sell, at really low prices, donated craft supplies. Everything from fabric, yarn, jewelry, paint, pencils, craft kits, and even fishing lures to plastic supply boxes to beads. I bought two really funky tablecloths! I even spotted a box of men's ties! What makes the shop extra cool is it's in the Old Stahr Armory. A repurposed building! How cool is that?! Theater of the Seven Sisters is also located there. There are local artists' work hanging in the hallways. A really cool, inspiring place. So in my whole house purging I'm sure I'll find some stuff to donate to Lancaster Creative Reuse! Or if I find something I just can't figure out what to do with....

I did figure out what to do with this old needlepoint chair seat cover. It's lined with vintage

fabric and has a vintage button.

Buy Handmade

I just signed the pledge on Buy Handmade.org! Everyone should buy handmade! This includes food too! We received some homemade, from the summer garden, canned food for Christmas, LOVE IT! A tasty gift, that's inexpensive and filled with love! If you can't grow your own - Buy locally grown food! Support your local farmers!

I love this thought too - Love what you have; if you don't love it - make it into something you do love or, give it away to someone who will love it, or have someone repurpose it for you into something to love! It's all about love!

Check out these awesome suitcases that I use for storage. They are in my guest room - I have a travel theme in there! I keep shoes, boots and bags in them. I love the way they look and, of course, they are practical!

Spread the Word

As 2010 comes to an end, I'm feeling pretty optimistic about the new year! There are so many project I want to pursue; so many ways I want to spread the word about repurposing! I see so much waste out there. And I want to make everyone aware of it and help them learn how to make less waste and learn how to repurpose or recycle what they have! We can surround ourselves with beauty and function without spending a fortune or even going to the mall. Recycling, reinventing gives you such a feeling of satisfaction. Make something old - new again; it's fun, it feels good and it helps the environment.
And speaking of being satisifed, my husband and I gave everyone on our Christmas list - chalkboards! We made chalkboards out of repurposed mirrors and frames and blackboard paint. I think everyone that received a chalkboard was pleased. We used elegant and fancy frames; we wanted the chalkboards to be functional art; we didn't want them to look like "school". The blackboard paint is very cool! We used matte black, even though there are many colors to choose from; red, purple, green. I have so many ideas; I saw a globe painted with the black and used as a memo pad. I want to get an old sled; paint the seat part with the chalkboard paint and hang it on the front porch and use it to post seasonal greetings. The blackboards are very functional and practical. They are a good way to communicate and save paper. They can be used in the kitchen, the office or almost anywhere.
With the close of this year; my thoughts are also on the past. I've been thinking about what a huge influence my mother has been on my passion for recycling and repurposing. My mom was recycling before it was popular or cool. She was very "crafty" and frugal. I remember collecting cattails, milkweed pods and thistles; spray painting them gold and making Thanksgiving centerpieces. I also remember the year she made the whole family robes out of towels. They were functional and groovy! We even wore them to the public pool over our bathing suits. Mom found quite a few ways to repurpose used plastic bleach jugs. She made cute, little buckets to store curlers and similar items. She made bedwarmers for those cold winter nights. I remember hesitantly putting my cold toes on hot water filled jugs at the bottom of my bed.
Mom is still pretty creative, she made a quilt out of T-shirts from her travels. She recently made a handbag from a man's tweed jacket. We often share ideas for new materials for handbags and quilts.Thanks, Mom, for the creativity gene.

So Much Stuff, So Little Time

There are so many recyclable materials out there and so little time. I don't have to go out searching for stuff - it just appears somehow. I'm not a hoarder - really! But I have acquired a lot of nice old stuff. So my project box is overflowing. That's the fabric and vintage linens box. There's a headboard for a single bed out in the barn; I want to make a bench. There are a few old single wooden chairs out there too. A chair is always a chair it can't really be repurposed into something else. But I love to rescue old wooden chairs. They seem so lonely when they're by themselves. Oh yeah, I guess I feel the need to rescue old upholstered chairs too. I have a great memory of rescuing an old upholstered chair one Thanksgiving day. The whole extended family got involved, we had a blast! And spent the whole day planning what would become of this chair. Well, it got covered with an old quilt that I got at an auction for one dollar!
There is also a box of old trophies in the barn too - something wonderful could be done with them - but what? Maybe a hood ornament for the car? Top my bed posts with four little bowlers!

And speaking of bowling, I don't bowl, but I love vintage bowling paraphernalia. I have bowling balls in my yard as lawn ornaments. They look like gazing balls and add a little color to a winter garden; and the dogs love to play with them. I have a really cool pair of yellow and green Japanese bowling shoes. I don't wear them often; I don't want to ruin them; they are sooo cool! I carry my ice skates in a vintage bowling bag. This causes a lot of stares at the ice skating rink!

I'm making purses right now, I have been commissioned to make some special ones for the holidays. As I work on them, my mind is full of ideas for new ones. I've been really thinking about these awful velour rug/wall hangings I somehow acquired. I think they would make funky, sturdy totes for the winter season. I have made really cute bags and purses out of vintage tablecloths, vinyl tablecloths, table runners, and old pillow covers. I made a really cool bag out of a souvenir Niagara Falls pillow. My sister claimed that one! My go-to most reliable material for handbags is upholstery fabric. It is sturdy and comes in a lot of real fun patterns. I picked up rolls of it at a local fabric outlet.

The purse on the left is made out of a wall hanging!
I am also making lavender sachets out of old linens. The lavender is from my garden. It's all organic. And they are for sale! Each one is one of a kind. I keep a sachet in my car, my suitcase, my desk at work. Lavender is sooo calming!

Repurposed Ties

As I suspected a man's necktie serves no practical purpose. Ties are strictly nonfunctional. I even went so far as to research it. But I've always loved men's ties. Men started wearing ties literally hundreds of years ago. The tie got skinny and fat, long and short and back again, they've never been out of style. They have always been worn for strictly decorative purposes.

Impractical as they are, I love ties. A lot of men grumble at the idea of having to wear a tie, and call it a noose and other names along that line, but these men have to admit they feel dressed up when they put on a tie. Occasionally, they make an appearance in women's fashion; I even wore ties in the eighties! And hey, all you men out there that I have commented on your tie, I'm not flirting with you, I really am interested in your tie!

Ties are complicated pieces of craftsmanship, layers and layers of material. Even cheap ties get pretty complicated, I should know I've deconstructed quite a few. My first repurposed tie project, a quilt, started out as a vest. I got so many ties and was so excited by the project, it became a quilt. I just sewed the ties together, I didn't take them apart, so the quilt is really, really heavy. It used to hang on the wall. We joked that it would kill us if we put it on the bed. After that project I learned to deconstruct the ties. There is a lot to a tie, no wonder they can get expensive. Some of them even have foam in them. A couple of them were folded up so complicated it was like origami. I've made many bags, and purses and etc. from ties. I have made a few bags for friends from ties from a deceased loved one. The people who receive these bags are always so pleased, because they have a beautiful, functional item that reminds them of their loved one. I haven't got tired of making stuff with ties yet, I have a whole box of newly acquired ties, from the 1950-60's, just waiting to be made into a vest or another quilt!

The infamous very heavy tie quilt -

Here is the dress I made out of the 1970's bedspread, I bought the bedspread at a yard sale for 50 cent! How awesome is that! I'm ready for the office, dinner out or ready for bed!

My latest project is a rug I'm making out of used plastic grocery shopping bags! I'm crocheting it. It's more time consuming than I had thought, it will take a while and a lot of bags to finish it! I'm in no hurry, it's a good TV watching project. I use cloth bags for grocery shopping so I'm not collecting that many used plastic bags and you know, that's okay, the rug can wait.