Friday 23 March 2007

Proof that I do use up fabric I buy

In between sewing some things for others this week, I found a use for some of the thrifted fabric I posted about a little while ago. This busy, bright print was not something I would normally buy, but I have been inspired by retro fabric lately and decided to give this trend a try. The apron and hot pad are from Amy Butler's book In Stitches. The oven mitt is my own design. Besides using my thrift store fabric find I gave new purpose to a wool winter coat by making it into the oven mitt which is lined with the thrifted print. By putting my new kitchen gear to good use, I should be able to cut down the risk of burning my fingers and ingredient splattered clothes... but then I think this set would make a friend a nice gift and if I keep it I'll only end up burning bits of the hot pad and getting stains on the apron... guess I'm back to using the ratty threadbare hot pads. Just need to stock up on bandaids and stain remover ;o)

Oh, and I also managed to find time this week to wander through a couple of thrift stores (can't let my project to-do pile get too small!!) and found this fabric that I'm considering making into a summery dress. I know, I know, I just find fabric so hard to resist buying. It's crazy because at the moment my dining room looks like a fabric store disaster zone (this is what happens when I tire of packing everything up every evening because it only makes each sewing project longer to complete if I have to keep putting everything away all the time.) Lucky for me, my husband and sons seem to understand my need to create with fabric and just avoid that particular room. Well, actually it's not much of a choice because with all the stuff I've managed to cram in that room - you can't really move around easily. Anyways, back to the dress idea. That won't happen too soon as I have several projects in the works before I will get to this one, but it's nice to dream of the warm days ahead and something that will look nice while keeping me cool. Ha! Who am I kidding? At the rate I'm going, if this dress gets made it likely won't be for this summer!


7 comments:

Heather said...

Wow, you have been busy! I love it. I think you're right though, it is too pretty to use. Actually nah, it is similar to that use the good china thing we were talking about once. You should use it, it'll make you feel good, and it will give you an excuse to go get more fabric at the thrift store if you want to make some as gifts. ;-)
Toss out those band-aids!!

Is that fabric for the dress cotton? I like the looks of that halter style - you know that now we are gonna expect to see you in a dress come summer. I think I need to come to your place for inspiration for my thrifted fabrics...oh, O.K. and carob cookies if you insist.

Samantha said...

Katherine, I am so in love with that apron. Can you help me make one too??? (everyone rolls their eyes as I attempt to add yet another project onto the pile ;o)

Katherine said...

I never seem to need an excuse to buy fabric. Thinking if I give this one away that I'll HAVE to sew another one ;o)
Easy, peasy, Samantha. In other words - yes - you could make one too!
Nope, the latest thrifted fabric isn't cotton. It's a polyester silk chiffon. It should drape really nice for the halter style dress. Don't get your expectations too high, Heather. I may get the dress sewn up - but I may not like the way it looks on me...that happens, you know!

Mary-Sue said...

oooooooooh! fabulous! loving your creations and feeling inspired now to get down and clear out the piles on my sewing table so that I might just MIGHT get a project done before the full-on-outdoors-season...
thanks for sharing!
and i think that dress would look SO beautiful on you! what a great print for that halter dress! that's something i've never learned to sew -- silky dresses. love them though!

Nicola said...

Just to bring this down to the usual tone of our friendly emails, I think you should put on the apron and the oven mitt to greet D at the door (wearing nothing else but a smile, of course)!!! That's why Samantha wants one, after all (grin)

Samantha said...

Well, we know to never make a surprise vist to Nicola's house - esp around the time R gets home! ;o)

Katherine said...

What a wild suggestion, Nicola! I guess this is payback for me suggesting that you could knit another "apple hat" and string them together to make yourself a bikini top to wear.
By the way, Samantha, how did R like your handknitted socks?