Wardrobe Refashion - 1st official project

I joined Wardrobe Refashion for a two-month stint at the beginning of this month but, aside from some embarassingly easy too-short-pants to shorts conversions for the Little Guy, hadn't had a chance to work on any projects. This is my first "official" refashion, beginning with this bag. I loved the fabric and the idea of a hands-free, cross body bag when I bought it, but discovered the bag's structure is just not functional on a very short, busty person. I never used it and had tossed it in the Goodwill donations pile before Wardrobe Refashion.



I dug it back out this weekend and took the bag apart to see if there was enough fabric to create a new bag. Here's the destruction in progress. Round bottom of bag and long strap have been removed, and lining has been separated from all the bag pieces. I was pleasantly surprised to find this left a nice, square shape that could be converted into a decent-sized box bottom tote.



Adding low-loft batting to the lining layer for added strength and structure; one long, wide strap converted into two short, narrow straps...



And the finished product, a much more usable tote bag with a funky button closure.

Happy Independence Day!

I love small-town celebrations. Today started with parades, complete with antique cars, firetrucks, Boy Scout troops, gymnasts, Shriners in little cars, clowns, a high school marching band, local politicians and Uncle Sam.

Today was also the second day of the craft show with Mom. Yesterday was a slow day but more people came by the booth today. Mom sold several baskets and my “sore muscle soaking salts” have been popular. Mom enjoys craft shows as much for the opportunity to visit as she does actually selling her baskets. She still lives in the same small town I grew up in and I think she knew 75% of the people who’ve stopped by her booth. We took turns watching the booth and taking breaks to have homemade ice cream and watch the entertainment (clog dancers, country music and the local dance studio troupe), and we bumped into Abraham Lincoln and President McKinley at the barbequed chicken stand this afternoon.


We finished off our 4th of July with fireworks. This is the first time we've taken the Little Guy to see them. He's six but still really sensitive to loud noises, so we wanted to find someplace where we could see them clearly but still be far enough away to make the noise a little more manageable. He absolutely loved them, and it was so much fun to listen to him ooooh and aaaaah over every one.

Headed to a craft show this weekend

I got a last-minute call to help my Mom display her hand-woven baskets at a craft show this weekend and decided to make up some extra bath salts, lip balms and scrubs to have in her booth. I’d already planned to take some vacation time this week which should have given me plenty of time to make up some products…except the containers I ordered were delayed and didn’t come in until yesterday afternoon…and the show started this morning at 11am. I started mixing bath salts at 3:00 yesterday afternoon and finished labeling the last batch at 1am. When I finally crawled into bed the Big Guy told me I smelled like an herb shop. Here’s hoping Mom and I have a good show! And if we don’t, I officially have enough items to start setting up my Etsy shop.


Here's Mom with her beautiful baskets. The crafty gene runs in the family!

Adventures in beading

For my birthday this year, the Big Guy went together with a few friends to get me a larger bead loom. I have one my Dad made me a few years ago that’s large enough for necklaces (like this one) or small wall hangings, but I’ve wanted to try some larger pieces. This loom can be used as a traditional bead loom or with a double warp like a tapestry loom, which will be nice for larger pieces because it will make them stronger. It took be a full day to figure out the double warp but I finally have it strung and am working on a little test piece. Now I just need to decide on a pattern for my first real project.

More herb harvesting

I had enough lavender from my garden this year to dry seven bundles, plus oregano and thyme grown from starts my mother gave me last year. I spent this morning stripping leaves and buds off the stems and bottling them up. This is the first year I’ve harvested my cooking herbs and got enough of each for a nice-sized bottle of each. I love having herbs from my garden instead of buying them from the grocery store. Peppermint will be next, but it’s not quite ready to pick yet.

Dragonfly wall hanging

I’ve been working on this stained-glass style, quilted wall hanging (from this pattern) whenever I have a few spare minutes over the past several weeks. I’m really happy with how it turned out and the colors are a perfect match for my craft room walls. I hung it up and realized that, in spite of all the years of crafting, it’s the first thing I’ve displayed in my craft room that I actually made myself. I either give things away as gifts or hang up things I’ve bought from other crafters. It’s so nice to show off my own work for a change!

Sweet grass braids

This is sweet grass. A friend who’s Native American uses it for smudging in traditional ceremonies, but she wasn’t having any luck growing it in her garden. She gave me a little pot a few years ago to see if I could get it to grow. It seems to like my herb garden and spreads a little more every year. I can cut it back several times in early summer before the weather turns hot and dry, and it will come back thicker every time. I braid it when it’s fresh and let it dry for a few days, then send a batch of braids back to my friend. It has a wonderful, distinctive sweet smell when it’s cut. My craft room always smells so good when I’m drying a fresh batch!

Lavender harvesting

I’ve been watching the lavender for the past several days, waiting for just the right time to begin picking. This is the first batch hanging up to dry. I’ll probably have 3-4 more batches by the time I’m done, depending on how quickly it begins to bloom. Once it’s dry, I’ll strip the buds off the stems and use them for bath salts and eye pillows. I never have enough for all the crafting I do but it’s nice to keep my homegrown lavender for gifts for family and friends.

Creativity on Parade

"Parade the Circle" is a free community arts parade held in our city every year. It's sponsored by the art museum and includes guest artists, local artists, area families, schools and community groups. Everyone makes their own costumes and floats based on an annual theme. We hadn't been to the parade in years but decided this summer we really wanted to take the Little Guy. It's a wonderful, kid-friendly event and he just loved the stilt-dancers and music.


This phoenix costume was amazing, and she was surrounded by a group of little kids dressed as flames.


I love watching the giant puppets. Most of them have long robes that completely cover the puppetmasters, and they have to move slowly so the wind doesn't topple them. They look like they're gliding along the street.


These were my favorite puppets. Their expressions were so serene - they reminded me of colorful spirits out for a stroll among the rest of us.

Bath salts, lip balms and herb stuff - Oh, my!

For my sister's birthday this spring I gave her homemade bath salts, lip balm and some other herb-y goodness. She liked them so much she asked me to make up gifts for her kids' teachers. Here's the result - citrus bath salts, a grapefruit body scrub, an old-fashioned French clay and lavender powder puff, beeswax lip balm and lip exfoliating scrub. I really like how they they turned out, including the labels for everything. I found some fancy canning jars for the larger items that made it easy to put laminated labels on top, between the ring and the lid.