squishies and recycling

hiyall,

this week has been a jackpot in the squishie mail! first, my local blogger buddy Lola

http://ansewon.blogspot.com/

sent a wonderful giftie of a side purse made from the selvages just like the one she wore at the Quilt show in Feb. I admired and drooled over it and she said she was making me one. I kinda forgot about it til I saw it one her blog. Next thing I know, I have one in my mail box! She also sent a stinkin' adorable wall hanging of CAMELS pattern!! I love and collect camels (mainly cause I was born in Morocco, former Navy brat here) and she saw it at the quilt show and bought it. Funny thing is, I was standing right there when she did it! Had no clue that she had done that! She is so generous and sneaky that way. If you like to see more details, go to her blog and check it out. She posted a lot of pictures with details. This woman is very creative! Love, Love, Love it!

Another friend Melissa with the Quiltville Yahoo group I am in, had a bunch of cuff and collars left over form cutting up a couple of dozen shirts she got from the thrift shop. Bonnie Hunter has a couple of books out on how to make quilts from thrift shop 100% cotton shirts.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/

She said she had no use for the cuff and collars after she gleaned the buttons and usable material. She offered them to anyone who would pay for the postage. I resisted at first but then I said, what the heck I asked for them. She sent them this week. Look at all the wonderful pieces she sent me! I wasn't sure what the heck I was going to do with them. I do enjoy a challenge when it comes to recycling unusual cloth items. Then I had a light bulb moment. This pieces are long and wide enough for pouches! Take a collar and matching cuffs and make a coin purse!

I had a template I made from my favorite coin purse that had seen better days. I played with the template to fit the collar. Cut out 2 pieces. then I use template again and use it to make the cuffs as side pockets in the coin purse. use a coated elastic piece and a button for the side pockets closure and a zipper closure for the main body. made a tab from the left over welt on the collar and keyring. I am very pleased withe results.

The purse is about 5 1/2 inches long, I plan on shortening that just a tad. 3 inches tall and 1/2 wide. side pockets will hold credit, loyalty, business cards. zipper will keep what little cash you may have secure. Ribbon on the zipper fob to easy opening.

Didn't take long to make but there are a lot of details in making it. I may do a tutorial on how to make it as soon as I learn how to incorporate into a PDF file. Since the collars already have facing and interface there is no need for lining or enforcing the walls. My plan is to make up all the collars and cuffs into some kind of pouches and sell them thru my facebook page. If they dont sell, I will have xmas gifties for later this year.

Keep On Stitch'n On!

(mauh) Liz