Ladybird Bags

I found, for a buck, a kingsize bedskirt in a thrift shop which was just the right color and design for my kitchen. I turned it into a valence for over the window and made another for the laundry room window. I used some more of it to make some towel toppers to hang over the stove bar. There was a little bit left from which I made a fruit bowl liner (it's walnut and needing a refinishing job badly) All that coordinating makeover for a little bit of straight stitiching.

You could cut up the Ashley and piece it back together in a patchwork plan and maybe make a tote, or small luggage accessories? Small makeup brush roller? Jewelry roll? There are patterns out there.

It took a little retraining, but now, as part of putting away groceries, I return my canvas totes to the backseat of my car. So much easier to carry than those pasltic bags which can cut into the hand, if they're really loaded. I had a ton of charity thankyou totes (like WWF, Nature Conserv) and finally put them all to use.

I wish MY state would ban those darn plastic bags, plus styro drink cups. If you live near a fast food joint, there are lots of them lying around on the ground about a mile away. Adn fie on those cheap coolers ppl buy for weekend fishing trips and vacations, and then toss on the way home.

Also, cut up those sixpack hitches too. I'm glad my supermkts. have bins to return plastic bags and those foam trays and egg cartons. I also dump resto takeout boxes there too, much to their dismay, I bet. I return paperbags to my local health food store who reuse them for customers. My city has curbside recycling and recently allowed us to pitch all numbers of plastic plus junk mail, any paper that is tearable. Man, did I clean out the files and toss catalogs etc. when this came into being.

snipped-for-privacy@mypacks.net wrote: snippd

ocket for spur-of-the-moment shopping,

I have acquired a pile of fabric bags..from charities, and also from all the RV Rallies we go to. I have each WIP or UFO in it's separate bag, along with the threads etc. I usually put the threads, needles etc in one of those plastic boxes that you can buy on sale before school starts for about 88 cents each..They fit nicely in those freebie totes.

I then hang them in a closet, and it is easy to find the right one and get it down.

Gillian

Wow good ideas - sooner or later I will think of something, I might even make a couple of bedroom lightshades with it.

"lucretia borgia" wrote >>

Last time I was at IKEA, they had lovely lampshades with a crewel type embroidery on them, sort of folk art designs of birds and flowers. It could be done to cover a shade with a worked piece.

Dawne

Or a mat for the nightstand...trim placemats...cut up and hem for napkins.....cover for a paperback....gee, you could be the next Vera Bradley!!

I don't know who she is (I confess) but somehow I don't think so !

She's a lady who made a gazillion dollars selling quilted purses and totes and a slew of other fabric stuff. Very light weight and very chic chic

And I honestly don't see why they are so popular. I think the fabric is ugly...

So do I, but they're very popular around here. I have no idea why, except that they're very lightweight.

Lucille

Nah I'm not like her. I'm too practical, though I did knit and felt a purse for myself for this winter.

And not that well made

I googled her and it's not really my type of thing. Though I suppose much of it would go with jeans lol

And...I think or bet they're coming out of China now. I do have the travel case tho and love it - haven't seen a knockoff to equal it for compartments. I am not crazy about the totes and purses tho - clashy with most outfits. And the garment bag is verrry expensive. LIke I said, there are patterns to make thine own.

And trust me, I'd rather make my own.

Someplace on my computer resided the directions for making a "humbug bag" and after a couple for me or DD, I'm going to make a bunch for gifts and then figure out how to translate one to a cross stitch....

Cheryl