Forever in Blue Jeans

Pile of old denim clothing

I had been working with vintage linens for a couple of weeks and made a couple of really wonderful pillow covers to sell in my Deb Upcycles shop on Etsy so I decided to do something different a couple of Fridays ago. I have a small cabinet full of old beat up blue jeans and other denim and I decided to play with that all day.

Well, it lasted a lot longer than a day. I started by making "a pillow or two". Cut a few pairs of jeans and then cut a few more until I had a large pile of blue jean parts.



Then I started making stuff, I cut out a bunch of potholders, eye glass cases and lots of pillows. Threaded the sewing machine with heavy duty denim thread and started sewing.

This was the hardest one to make, but I really like it. I think I'll try to make a couple more. I'm waiting for better weather to take pictures of a couple more to list them and four or five more cut out and waiting to be made. I had to stop for a little while to work on a special order from a local shop (more about that in another post). But watch Deb Upcycles on Etsy for more denim items. For some reason that pile in the first picture is growing instead of shrinking. I keep finding more denim as I go through my bins of stuff to upcycle.

Works in Progress and Other Sad Tales

I have a problem with a pile up of works in progress, it's not that I start a bunch of stuff that I never finish. Everything eventually gets finished. The problem is I start working on more projects than I finish in any given week.

So I made a vow to only work on those projects that were already started. Most of them were gift bags and plain pillow covers from decorator fabric. Those are just so easy to cut, I cut a lot of them.

The problem with this is;
A - I'm easily bored.
B - I keep coming up with new ideas

                                                                                                                

 The pillow cover above was one of those ideas. I finally decided that I needed to work on my ideas before they get stale. I was losing too many of them to trying to finish the "pile" of work. I know everything will eventually get done. I had several of these potholders in the pile

Finished the ones on the right the other day and posted them this morning.

This is actually a pile of  pillow covers I finished yesterday, all they need is to be turned right side out, ironed, put in the insert and take the pics.

So I do get things done, I need to stop "waiting" to start on new ideas and just do them.




What's the other sad news? Well, I need to give Fuuko her medicine and she hates it. Poor kitty.

Happy news is my birthday contest is still on, tell me about your works in progress on this post to be entered and see the contest post for other ways to enter.

Fabric Samples Galore

  

The Upcycle Exchange was given what was described as a "truckload" of fabric samples. They posted it on Face Book and I dropped everything and ran over there. This is only part of what I came home with. There's very large pieces and also small ones, everything from cotton/polyester blends to handwoven silk. Lots of colors, textures, designs, patterns and more.

 

Of course I can make more pillow covers, some of them are going to make great pillows but the pattern on some just don't lend themselves to good pillows, either the pattern is too large, small or intricate. I've made one pillow so far, it's on the right. I have about 8 more of that type of fabric sample. A couple more in blue and then in purple and green. Many of the samples I have two or three pieces that are the same making it easier to piece out pillows.

There's also some pieces that are too small for pillows that I want to make drawstring bags of one type or the other. I've made a couple project bags so far and am intending on making more. Still working out how the best way to do it.  But I still need ideas. There's an awful lot of fabric here that I need to use up.

OMG I Had to Pay Retail.....

I had to go to Hobby Lobby yesterday for some things I've been unable to find at thrift stores. The only reason I choose Hobby Lobby is that it was the closest to where I live.I hate shopping at regular stores (except maybe for groceries) but sometimes it's necessary. I keep giving away my pillows to friends and when I do I give them the inserts, so one of the main things I needed was pillow inserts. I got two new sizes to add to my collection at Debupcycles.

Just as a side note, I loved what it said on the side of the bag about recycling it. The only problem I could see was one of the suggestions on this huge bag that held a bunch of pillow inserts. Do you see it? They must be packing a lunch for a whole class of first graders or something.

One of the other things I needed was cording to make some small project and tote bags. I bought a huge stack of fabric samples at The Upcycle Exchange the other day and they are too nice just to use for gift bags and many are too small for pillows. I've been looking all over for cords to use in the bags and although I found a few things, I really had to break down and buy it new so I could make more than one or two at a time. I've only made two, the first one I'm keeping, the second one is to the left. I'll be adding them to my store as they get made.

I had a couple stained Christmas tablecloths I was planning on making something out of and yesterday I finally got moving on them, I think they came out beautiful! You can find them and other Christmas pillows in my shop.

Today I'm at work and brought a bunch of Hawaiian shirts with me to cut up. That sounds like a good project! Watch for the Hawaiian pillows in my shop soon.

From Old Curtains Come...

I was strolling through the thrift shop one day, in the merry, merry month of May, or was it March? Anyway I was taken by surprise by some very colorful curtains.

 The colors just screamed 70's to me although I had no idea how old they actually were. I swear I had sheets with this or a very similar print when I was a teen.

Anyway, visions of pillow covers and other things danced in my head and I decided to spend the outrageous price they were asking for them (I think they were $1 per panel, so $3). I put them away and forgot about them.

Yesterday I was looking for some Hawaiian shirts for some pillow covers I knew I had (Coming Soon!) and found them again. So this morning I cut them. I was even able to use the side seams for the envelope closure in the back. I sewed them up this afternoon and am so pleased with the results. The set made two 16" pillow covers and three 14" pillow covers with a nice piece that was too small leftover, to do something else with.

If you think you could give them a good home, they can be found in my shop at Deb Upcycles.

16" Pillow

14" Pillow

My Garden and Shops

Wow, I've got to start taking this blogging seriously again. Have a lot to say, lot of different things going on. I have a great garden this year, my new landlord actually built me a couple raised beds for it. I've been out watering it everyday because of the heat, not real efficient on the water conservation but I haven't had to buy many fresh veggies lately. What I do buy is bought at our Farmers Market. It's a little bit more expensive but it's local and organic. The money I've saved growing my own, covers the extra expense.

I've also been working hard on my Deb Upcycles Shop on Etsy. Made some more gift bags and a few more pillow covers. I'm working towards the day I no longer have to have a day job. I don't know if it will work but I'd love to try

I've added a lot more to my other two shops, Deb's Crafts and Deb's Patterns. Both of them are stocked with sewing and craft supplies I've saved from thrift shops and yard sales.

Cleaning Out the Craft Room

I wish I had taken before pictures but I'm not even done and it still looks pretty bad. LOL I spent all of Tuesday sorting out all the stuff I had. I found a ton of things I was going to make pillow covers out of and I guess I need to start cutting them out and sewing them together for my Deb Upcycles shop. I also found a lot of fabric and lace that I'm already listing on Deb's Crafts.

I have three bags of fabric scraps and other items to go to The Upcycle Exchange here in St Louis and another couple bags that need to go to Leftovers, which is a 30 minute drive but I try to get there on a regular basis. As well as all that, I have a bagful of stuff to go to the thrift shop across the street. I don't like to see anything go to waste.

I still have an outrageous amount of patterns that I need to list on Deb's Patterns but I am slowly whittling away the pile.

Busy, busy week.

Hawaiian Shirt Bonanza!

Sometimes I just get lucky. At the thrift shops around here Hawaiian shirts are usually few and far between. I don't know if it's because so few donate them or if they sell before I get to them. This is the midwest after all. The thrift shop across the street from me (my favorite because I can walk there) was having a sale on mens short sleeve shirts because the season is over. Not only that but someone apparently just donated a bunch of Hawaiian shirts because I was able to buy ten of them.

I love the patterns and I love how they look as pillow covers. I've made a few out of the shirts I was able to find before, like this one

The one I really loved though was this one:

So, the next week or so I'll be making these shirts into pillow covers, if one of the patterns catches your eye let me know. I'll be glad to reserve it for you when it's finished.