Taming the Fabric Scraps

You know you have too many fabric scraps when they start to overflow the five tubs (yes, I did say five tubs!) that are already filled with scraps. Summer is the perfect time for me to tackle some of these projects that kind of get neglected during the school year. So I poured myself a big glass of iced coffee and got to work.

I spent most of the afternoon going through all of the fabric I had in these tubs, deciding which fabric I wanted to keep and which fabric I wanted to give away. For the fabric I was keeping, I organized it by colors. I figured this would be an easy way to find and use up some of the scrap fabric I have.

After a couple of hours, I ended up with five bags of fabric to give away, and hopefully a more organized system of keeping and using up some of my scrap fabrics. I was also able to reduce the five tubs down to three tubs. One tub has scraps of batting, one tub has scraps of fleece, and one tub has scraps of flannel. Now to go find some ideas on Pinterest to use up some of these scraps of fabric!

Questions for you: How do you organize your scrap fabrics? And what types of projects do you like to do to use up your scrap fabric?

Making Cut-Offs Cute!

I don’t know about you, but my daughter likes to wear her ‘shorts’ pretty long. Have you tried finding long shorts while shopping? It is next to impossible!! So we have come up with a solution, and it is a frugal one too.

Here is what you are going to need:

• a pair of cut-off jeans (cut these to the length you would like)
• extra wide double fold bias tape
• thread
• pins
• sewing machine

  

The first thing you are going to do is measure around the bottom of the pant leg and cut a piece of the bias tape about an inch or so longer. Using your pins, you are going to basically ‘wrap’ the bias tape around the bottom of the cut-off leg. I use the pins to help the bias tape stay in place as I am sewing around the pant leg.

Then at the sewing machine, sew through all layers of the bias tape and the pant leg.

Once you have sewn around the pant leg, I fold under the end of the bias tape to finish off the edge.

Long ‘shorts’ makes for one really happy teenage girl in my home!

You can really get creative with this project if you want to, but my daughter wanted just plain blue bias tape to finish off these ‘shorts’. Try different colors of bias tape, or get really creative and make your own bias tape out of fabric you have at home.

What project have you done at home lately? I would love for you to share in the comments!

Capture Your 365

Boy has it been a busy week around here, which didn’t leave a lot of time for me to focus on the photo prompts from the Capture Your 365 challenge. Only three photos from the prompts this week, but I do have one bonus photo to share.

ISO 100, 50mm, f/5.0, 1/640 sec

Day 117 – Fresh: Finally had some time to clean up my garden area and get some plants in the ground. Spent about three hours putting in 4 tomato plants, 20 basil starts, 2 zucchini, a whole bunch of marigolds and 3 new rose bushes. Instead of wire tomato cages, I am trying this new thing I found on Pinterest to help support the tomato plants. We will see how well it works.

ISO 100, 18mm, f/8.0, 1.6 sec

Day 118 – On The Floor: Just bought a new piece of furniture from IKEA, so time to rearrange things in the school/craft room…again. With Matthew out of school and Kelsey doing a lot of school work in her room, the school/craft room isn’t really being used as a school room anymore. So we cleared out 2 desks and I am currently on the lookout for a big craft table to use in this room. Meanwhile, there are many piles all over the place that need to find new homes.

ISO 100, 22mm, f/8.0, 1/200 sec

Day 119 – The Price: This is why you fill up your gas tank before you get into the mountains around here. This gas station is right outside of Yosemite National Park, which brings me to this bonus picture for you this week!

ISO 100, 18mm, f/8.0, 1/200 sec

Bonus photo: Last week, I was able to go to Yosemite with three of my friends. It was just what I needed, a little break to enjoy the beauty of this place that God created. The falls were amazingly full, it wasn’t too crowded, the weather was gorgeous…where do you go when you need a break?

Capture Your 365

Time for another week of photos!

ISO 100, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/6 sec

Day 52 – Performance: Kelsey working on her least favorite subject, math. At least she likes the program we use: Teaching Textbooks! I love that all, and I do mean all, of the problems have a solution that is explained in easy to understand terms. The curriculum has made my life easier as a homeschool mom!

ISO 100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/50 sec

Day 53 – Sweet Treats: I have to say I am loving these excuses to bake! Made up a batch of my favorite sugar cookies for this photo prompt. Kelsey helped me with the icing and the sprinkles. Even though the icing turned out a little too pink for my liking, it was the perfect color for the photo.

ISO 100, 50mm, f/2.5, 1/13 sec

Day 54 – Framed: I am not one to usually take pictures tilted, but given the suggestion for this prompt, I thought I would give it a try on this photo. That wicked cough came back over the weekend, so hot tea with honey was my way to try to beat it, with one of my favorite mugs of course.

ISO 100, 50mm, f/2.5, 1/13 sec

Day 55 – For the Love Of Music: Kelsey has been diligently practicing a song with the hopes of playing it at church soon.

ISO 100, 50mm, f/2.2, 1/60 sec

Day 56 – A Cup Of ____ : For me in the morning, it is always orange juice! My favorite go-to breakfast most often is a bowl of cheerios and a cup of orange juice. Yum!

ISO 100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/13 sec

Day 57 – From The Side: This Bible sits on a table in the entry way of our home. It belonged to a set of great grandparents who I don’t believe I ever met. But it was special to my grandmother, and she gave it to me to keep, which makes it a special heirloom for me to cherish.

ISO 100, 50mm, f/1.8, 1/2000 sec

Bonus photo!: On my way home from photography class last week, I just had to pull over to take this picture. The sun was starting to set and I had noticed on the way to class that some of the almond trees were starting to blossom. Sure is nice having that big girl camera with me at times like this one!

What did you photograph this past week?

Want to join in the fun? Visit Capture Your 365 and sign up for her mailing list. You get a daily e-mail with the photo prompt for the day. As you may have noticed, there are days that I have missed, but it sure is fun adding a little creativity to what I am able to capture each day. Hope you join me on this photo adventure!

My continuing education…so to speak

“No one can get an education, for of necessity education is a continuing process.”

-Louis L’Amour

I love to read!

We have books in almost every room in our home, and I am usually reading at least three books at any given time. I have always loved to read. I was the one who would get in trouble for reading past my bedtime with a flashlight. The flashlight would be taken away, but that didn’t stop my. I would sit by window and dream of living with Laura Ingalls out on the prairie…

A few years ago, I was reading a blog post of a friend of mine where she talked about a commonplace book. In this particular blog post, Cheryl talks about the importance of investing in ourselves as wives and moms to be reading good books to encourage us to continue in this path we have chosen to follow.

I have now filled up two composition journals with quotes and Bible verses that have spoken to me over these past few years. I was just thinking today what a gift these will be for my daughter when she is old enough to become a wife and mother.

Have you read any good books lately?