Since I first started thinking about this business I’ve wanted to put together my own kits. But I had no idea (still don’t really!) where to begin. But I just went ahead anyway. Based on some suggestions from friends I started with one of my free patterns and one project that was suggested to me.

I put together kits of my eco-tote shopping bag a while ago. I’ve had them here in the store and I have sold a few. But I finally got my act together and photographed them and listed them in my etsy store.
 
A couple weeks ago one of my online friends sent me a link to a rag quilt with the suggestion that these would make great holiday projects. Of course I ran right out to the front room, grabbed some bolts and started cutting and sewing!
 
This is my first one made with squares of all the different holiday flannels I have. It is so soft and cuddly! But then I looked at all the coordinating smooth cottons I have and had to make another.
 

This one is made with the Jennifer Paganelli “Bell Bottoms” line. I added batting to this one too but I don’t like it so I won’t suggest that to anyone else. Maybe a layer of plain flannel sandwiched between the regular cotton would be nice. Flannel would add a little body and warmth without making it stiff like the Thermolam did on this one.
Today I added my first kit for these to my etsy shop: Rag Quilt Kit
Tomorrow I hope to have time to put together a kit out of the Bell Bottom fabric and get that listed too. Of course if you are local and would like a kit you can always stop in the store and pick out your own fabric combination.

Happy Sewing!

 
Earlier this week customer Cammie called and inquired whether I knew someone who could sew an awning cover for her. After talking with her for a few minutes I told her to just bring it in and I’d take a look at it and I thought that with my guidance she could make this herself.

Today she brought in the fabric and the wooden frame her carpenter built for her and we tackled it together. We did some math, measuring and digging around in the basement for a few little supplies until we completed this awesome awning!
 
And we had a lot of fun doing it too. She has very little sewing experience but she was perfectly capable of “following the scalloped line” and sewed the little edging perfectly on the first try. Then we had to get “Girl Scout creative” with our staple gun with a too short cord and no working extension cord and a little more garbage picking to put it all together.

All in all a very satisfying project and now Cammie can tell all the visitors to her basement Ice Cream Parlor that “I made that!” and be deservedly proud of her achievement.

Here is a quick and inexpensive project for making weather proof Halloween bats.
 
Using the same techniques I used to make Recycled Plastic Totes I bonded layers of black plastic garbage bags together to make a heavier “fabric”. Then I just cut out bat shapes and sewed thread through them to hang them from the front porch.

(Click on any of the thumbnail pictures for a larger view.)
Step 1: 
Fold garbage bag in quarters and smooth out wrinkles.
Step 2: 
Place folded bag between layers of paper. I use a large piece of newsprint.
Step 3: 
Set iron to wool/silk setting with no steam. Iron over paper/garbage bag sandwich. Be careful to keep iron moving and apply pressure to get plastic to melt and flatten out. Keep checking progress and flip plastic over periodically to help bond both sides. If the iron is too hot or left in one place too long it can cause holes in the plastic or make it stick to the paper. Gently peal the paper from the plastic if it starts to stick.
 
The end result will be a textured thick plastic “fabric”.

Step 4:   
Cut rectangle of plastic into two smaller rectangles. Using a paper template, and folding plastic in half, cut bat shape from both plastic rectangles. Download Bat Template PDF

Step 5:
Using mono-filament or black thread sew thread onto bat and hang.
 
On one bat I just sewed through the back of the “head” and on the other I sewed through both wings and connected the threads in the middle.