Rona's Throw Out Made Good!

Clean and ready for action.

This cardigan was found outside an Op Shop in the free 'Please take this away' box.  I immediately spotted it had vintage potential mainly because of the perfectly old shabby pink colour.  I picked it up.  Someone called Rona had scribbled their name inside the collar.  I knew whoever she was she would be pleased with the project I had in store for her castoff. Back at home and all lavender lovely from the wool wash I set about chopping the cardigan up.   

Measure twice cut once!

Firstly I turned it inside out then I stitched along the bottom hem and then in from the side seams to fit snugly around the cushion inner that I already had.  I have found that most jumpers and cardigans are easier to fit to oblongs.

Next I sewed across the top of course hopefully leaving the right amount of space to fit in the cushion pad.  The buttons up the front of the cardigan make the perfect opening so no need to bother with a zip or any other complications and there you have it.  With very little bother I have a lovely almost free upcycled vintage cushion to cosy up my home with.  Any way must dash ... I am off to find my next more dash than cash project!

Outdoor comfort.

Button side up.

Washi Tape, Washi Tape, I Love Washi Tape!!

Almost edibly sweet!

Running an errand in town took me past the Red Cross shop.  Well of course I did not go past I went in!! I got a lovely Japanese horse tile for HORSE -mad Stella and an old fashioned  white silk ribbon wrapped lucky horse shoe which may be incorporated somehow in her upcoming ' pony party '. I also got an old picture frame for 50c.  Here it is ... thought I would paint it for Stella but when I got home I instead decided I would wrap some of my Washi tape around it.  I have found this stuff well nigh impossible to buy in New Zealand up until recently, in the shops that is, of course. Online shopping is an option but fripperies like these tapes are more likely to catch me on a whim in the flesh than online where postage and card transactions etc leave me time to come to my senses! Anyway this little project took me around 10 minutes and then I put a lovely Mabel Lucie Atwell,  picture in the frame and I was finished.  Crafty happiness for just over 50c!

Doilie, doily, doyley, doiley, d’oyley or d’oilie?

I was wondering since I had so many of the darn things if I was spelling the name doilie correctly and whilst searching for the answer I came across the following snippet on The Dreamstress blog all abut the history of the word doilie! http://thedreamstress.com/2011/06/doilie-doily-doyley-doiley-doyley-or-doilie/.  I often wonder at the lives of the people who put so many hours of painstaking effort into these beautiful little works of art and how different my life is and how I barely have time or the knowledge to make anything let alone something so intricately complicated. This weeks creative pinnacle was to merely glue a doilie onto an old battered stool. A very simple idea but as you can see in the photos it looks interesting and evokes for me just enough pretty but not enough to be cloying.  I always love the juxtaposition between opposing forces, bitter sweet, old and new, love and hate it excites my senses indeed!

Darling Doilies!

Doilies are something I cannot resist when I am out trawling the op shops which is a pastime I love to indulge in on a very regular basis.   They are often inexpensive and they are always examples of amazing crochet/lace-making skills and I feel that somehow it is my duty to 'save' them from extinction (my excuse!) The thing is not only am I on a mission to save the doilies of this planet but my darling Mummy must have felt the same way because I have inherited stacks and stacks from her as well. So something must be done with the veritable Everest of linen froufrou teetering dangerously in my arty farty shed.  So today my 15 seconds of craft was devoted to turning this plain old op shop cushion............

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Into this beauty!!! ................. De na!

Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder and maybe the beholder just sees a plain old cushion with an old crochet doily sewn on it but hey indulge me!!! I always feel satisfied when I have had a little creative outlet in the day and for today this was it!!!

Patriotic Pin Cushion

Sometimes things come into my house and just lie on the kitchen bench waiting to be attended to.  Just such a thing was this little coin purse my lovely friend gave me who knows I love all things 'Cool Britannia'.  After using it a couple of times the zip broke and I knew immediately I wanted to re-purpose it into a little pin cushion.  It has taken me a long time to get to it but once I started it was a task quickly completed by just pulling out the zip, filling the inside with stuffing (not sage and onion!) and sewing round the edges.  Before you could say Jack Robinson I have a plump little cushion for my vintage pin collection to be stabbed into and displayed!

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