anewoldhobby

[anewoldhobby]

I’ve been on vacation, and have spent a few days making use of fabric I pieced and set aside over the past year or two.

First up is some totes and zip pouches. These were made using some of the same landscape fabric panels I used in a previous post, as well as a green tablecloth I picked up at a thrift shop, and some blue twill I was gifted. The bags are backed & lined with the same fabric as the bottom and straps. Each has an inside zip pocket, and a pocket between the straps on the back. From the remaining cuts, I made zip pouches which will be included with the bags.

I love the look of this pieced fabric. There’s no real rhyme or reason to the color combination, although I did avoid putting similar colors next to each other. It’s been a great way to recycle fabric waste.

I kept notes for future reference in case I opt to make these again.

I also found 3 blocks I made in January. I had tucked them into a drawer, not knowing what I would use them for. I opted for pillows, using some fabric leftover from the Sultan inspired ottoman cover I made in June 2022. The pillows are filled with some reclaimed pillow stuffing that I had previously cleaned and refluffed.

Since carding brushes are pricy, and I wasn’t sure if carding polyfil would work, I tried it with some cheap pet brushes I picked up at Dollar Tree. It took time, but worked rather well. If I were going to do this regularly, I’d invest in larger, better quality brushes or even a drum carder. It will be a good way to revitalize a lumpy bed pillow instead of replacing them.

#scrap fabric #wastenotwantnot #reduce reuse recycle #sewing #upcycle #repurposed

[anewoldhobby]

A quilter I am not.

Spent the better part of 9 hours piecing some of my smallest precut squares together to end up with this little pet quilt for a friend. It’s wonky as fuck, but her cats won’t care 😹. I started off strong with the centers of the nine 1/2 square triangle blocks, which are right at 1.5”. It’s when I started adding borders and other bits that I lost things. I’m quite fond of the outer pieced borders though. The whole thing is just over 19” square, quilted to 2 layers of polyester felt, then backed and bound with purple broadcloth.

As always, all fabric was scrap, or gifted to me.

Update: Ellie claimed it immediately and made herself comfy.

#scrap fabric #diy #sewing #crafts #cats

[anewoldhobby]

Charity sewing today.

I’ve been slowly turning thread clippings and scrap fabric into new fabric for some time. About a month ago, I cut the panels into smaller pieces and added denim so I could use them for zippered bags. My original plan was to make the bags solid on the back, but decided I’d rather hold on to my larger denim pieces for other projects, so the bags are double sided.

Video shows each side and lining of 9 bags, Each of the bags have a side featuring fabric made from thread clippings, arranged on a base layer, covered with tulle, and topstitched. T-shirt yarn was added over the top in random loops and curves. The other side has a landscape design of miscellaneous fabrics, mostly from garments I’ve altered over the past 5-ish years.

I’ll make more eventually. I’ve got plenty of lining material already cut, and my thread bins and scrap boxes fill up fast!

Edit: decided this side needed a little embellishment, so I grabbed my miscellaneous bead and button boxes and did a bit of hand stitching. Not too much though, my hands don’t like it.

#scrap fabric #wastenotwantnot #upcycle #repurposed #reduce reuse recycle #sewing

[anewoldhobby]

Beautifully chilly day, perfect for clearing out saplings growing where they shouldn’t be.

Video is a panning shot along the side of a home with light colored siding. At the beginning, there is an area of mulberry and redbud saplings. As the camera pans, it shows several other sections that have been cleared. There are tools and a small wagon overflowing with trimmings. There are shrubs between the sections.

Changed my mind about the redbud, it will be too close to the foundation. As for the evergreen starts, I meant to say cedar or white pine. Cedar can stay, but pine would be way too big. The pine in our front yard is at least 35’ tall and was nearly the same circumference around the bottom before I had it trimmed a few months ago. I have a cedar that started as a bird dropped volunteer that I allowed to grow several years ago. It’s about 15’ tall, but they don’t get too big around.

[anewoldhobby]

All the leaves found their purpose

In my post last weekend, I showed a pile of fabric leaves I had made from upholstery samples, as well as a small wreath. Today I took the original wreath apart because the gum leaves were too big, and I also wanted to bulk up the fabric wrapped hoop the leaves were attached to.

After I used up the all four rings from the 2 broken hoops, I thought about garlands, but every time I see one, I think “that’s not how tree leaves work!” I really wanted to capture the movement of falling leaves, so I dug out a large piece of tulle remnant I had, and made this wall hanging. I need to pick up a dowel to hang it properly.

With the last of the leaves, I decided to stitch up this quick table mat, and backed it with some wool felt I salvaged several years ago from a damaged coat.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 🙂

Edit to add pic of wall hanging on white background. The tulle virtually disappeared.

#sewing #reduce reuse recycle #repurposed #wastenotwantnot #scrap fabric #upcycle #diy #crafts

[anewoldhobby]

Sewing time!

I’ve been working on a new idea to use up some of the glorious abundance of upholstery samples I have been gifted over the past year or so. I saw a post where someone made some small leaf coasters, and I knew I had several fabrics that were perfect fall colors. I wandered around my yard and gathered up leaves from the trees, then I researched what color they would turn over the next few months. I drew templates of mulberry, sassafras, cottonwood, maple, gum, as well as sycamore. I traced the templates onto the fabric with a sharpie, then got to stitching. The leaves took three 4-6 hour sessions to stitch and trim. I have a stash of embroidery hoops, a few of which have broken closures, so I wrapped one of them with the hem from a t-shirt. Pinned the leaves on, then hand stitched them to the fabric wrapped hoop.

#diy #scrap fabric #sewing #repurposed #reduce reuse recycle #fabric scraps

[anewoldhobby]

Been making flower rosettes for a bit without a real plan for them, but had the thought that they would be a nice replacement for plastic bows on gift bags. I thought about using shoe clips on the back, but decided pins would be more versatile, so I ordered some and dug out my glue gun. The pins work for use on handbags or apparel, and with the addition of a paper clip it can easily be attached to a gift bag.

It was nice to get back to a crafty project again. 🙂

#scrap fabric #repurposed #diy #reduce reuse recycle

[anewoldhobby]

Tiny adventures for all!

Thank you to everyone who’s been sharing my work. I don’t want to say any numbers because I think that’s how I jinxed myself last time, but I’m making real progress, and I’m letting myself daydream about getting things turned around.

The short version, in the last 6 months I lost most of my usual Xmas sales and all my Valentine’s Day ones to Royal Mail issues, I’ve had bonus new health issues (on top of disability), and building renovations, the kind where workmen are climbing in and out of where the windows used to be.

So it’s been a lot! But I’m hoping. And that’s where Tiny Adventures come in.

[ID: 2 small stone turtles, 1 grey, 1 green, walking on the wavy back of a wooden bench beside the river.]

Mr Green in the back is the original Turtle of Calm, the grey one is a recent arrival in labradorite. I’ve been taking them out to see Hampshire and turning the results into wallpapers for desktops and lockscreens.

[ID: A small green stone turtle hiding from the ran under a bright green leaf.]

Every wallpaper gets me one step closer to my goal. I have 96 individual wallpapers up for download now, or you can grab yourself a bundle and get a big discount.

Turtles for all! 

All shares very gratefully appreciated - the more people who see this, the better my chances get! <3 

[anewoldhobby]

[anewoldhobby]

[anewoldhobby]

Beat the rush and bring home a little magic.

[ID: Glowing dark blue drop pendant wrapped in wavy silver wire, in black and white gift box.]

If you’re in the US or Canada, Mother’s Day is coming up fast. Get your orders in ASAP and I’ll have them heading your way in the next post.

[anewoldhobby]

I’m determined to spend at least a few hours in my home sewing space every weekend; even when I spend several hours at the shop too. Today, I finished a few projects that have been in various stages of completion for awhile. These aprons are just 2 of several I prepped sometime last year.

I’ve been creating panels using up threads sandwiched between sparkle tulle and backing materials, and thought I’d see how it would work for trinket bowls. I’m not sold on the idea, but it was worth the time to experiment. The two shallow bowls both use the yellow fabric and are reversible.

#sewing #wastenotwantnot #scrap fabric #repurposed

[anewoldhobby]

#very cool

[anewoldhobby]

Quilt Blocks

Another scrap fabric project. Stuffed with fabric confetti as well, so they are a nice weight, and not too squishy.

While I was piecing the side panels, I decided to make them d6 dice as well. Grabbed one of my @TheDoublclicks dice to get the sides in the correct order. 😊

#scrap fabric #diy #upcycle #wastenotwantnot #crafts #repurposed #sewing

[anewoldhobby]

#wow

[anewoldhobby]

It’s wild how often a client I haven’t seen, or even thought about in years will pop into my head, only to have them call or come by within a few days. It happened last week with one, and again today. The one today was only just over an hour from when I was using an experience with her to answer a question posed by the client I was pinning clothes for.

[anewoldhobby]

before you see something and recoil at the price, be it handmade items, services, art, whatever. when you see something and you think, "i wouldnt pay more than $15 for that," you seriously have to ask yourself: if i were offered that same $15, would i make this object? would i spend the time to teach myself this skill to get this done, for $15? would i do this service for that same $15? would that be worth my time and effort?

yeah, that handmade necklace is $140. you might only be willing to pay $40 for that same necklace, but would you make it for $40 if someone asked you to?

you want to pay the babysitter fifteen bucks for the three hours she's watching your child. but would you honestly do that for $15? would you go into a stranger's house and change their baby's diaper and care for its needs, for $15?

you think its ridiculous that this artist is charging $30 for an icon commission. would you spend years catching up to their skill level to make that same drawing, start using your skill to make some extra cash, and then spend three hours on a drawing just to get $15?

would you be willing to work for $5 an hour?

no?

then don't be angry when someone else won't.

you don't have buy the service, it's okay if some things aren't within your budget or comfort zone, and it's also okay if the product isn't worth that much money to you. but do not be angry. be glad, because you know of another person out there who isn't being exploited for their time.