REPURPOSING STUFFED TOYS INTO CUTE PURSES

Months ago I cruised through Goodwill and flea markets for just the right stuffed animals and toys for a list of projects I had in mind. 

There were a couple of bunnies that had Easter baskets made for them made out of empty oatmeal and salt boxes for a couple of great grandchildren. There was even a Big Bird that had his own basket but he will probably have another use soon since he stuck around with the box of toys that had future plans for them. It seems when I get started with one idea, others follow for the same items. 

Several little dogs were chosen to be made into purses and yesterday that finally happened. I have several great, granddaughters so there is  a place for each creation. Then the idea hit for making a purse for the American Girl dolls that I have been designing for. BEANIE BABIES!!

 Especially since I seem to have a ready supply that my friend, Mary, and I picked up at a yard sale several years ago. Yep, I am not the only wild one out there. We have sewn Beanie Baby bags for craft shows, we have given them to our grandchildren and great grandchildren, we have put them in anything and everything we could think of and now-they can be purses. 

The lizard Beanie Baby doll's purse is my fave of the purses I made and it is as cute as a button as my Granny used to say. 

Here are the others just in case you want to take a look at them also:

These are so simple to make but just in case, here is a video:

If there was a bazaar in my future, these would be on my list to make several of. They should be quite popular. I know my great, granddaughters-Jenna, Hannah, Ashlynn, Maizin and Allyson love little things like this.

Have fun with these and post your photos if you decide to make them.

Join me along with other crafters @


Have fun with these and be sure to share your photos for us to see
God bless you
Carolyn Wainscott

Check out my designs in My Pattern Store

@
https://www.etsy.com/shop/QuiltingCarolyn

HOW TO HAVE A VERY FRUGAL EASTER

Take an oatmeal box-make a Easter basket for a recycled bunny or other stuffed toy or even to add to table decorations. That is what was done with a couple from my oatmeal and salt box stash. I keep telling my daughter, Donna, that mine is not a "hoard", it is a stash. 

The stuffed animals had been picked up for a very nominal cost at Goodwill and from a booth at a local year round flea market. I have a list of projects repurposing stuffed toys and am finally getting around to working on the rest of my list. 

1. zigzag over 1/4" elastic around edge of 25" circle 

 2.center salt or oatmeal box on circle, gather by pulling elastic, tie off, push gathered fabric into box

3.  cover 4" cardboard circle with 6" fabric circle, put into box to cover bottom [see video]

4. fold 6" x 45" fabric strip lengthwise, right sides together, sew length together, turn, press, tie bow       onto stuffed animal

5. repeat #4 on 3" x 20" fabric strip-turn, gather onto 1" x 10" plastic canvas rectangle, glue to fabric       covered box. 

Here is a video for this quick, easy and economical project-more economical if you already have the stuffed toys. 

Add a few treats and you are all set. 

Happy Crafting and God bless you,

Carolyn Wainscott
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check out my craft and quilting designs in My Pattern Store

 @

http://www.craftsy.com/user/43851/pattern-store

Carousel Baby Quilt Pattern-Hawaiian Style
cut four motifs in one cut
see Carousel/Circus quilt applique @
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xELOBj0ejkA

Circus Baby Quilt Pattern-Hawaiin Style
cut 4 motifs with one cut

Socksy Monkey Baby Quilt Applique Pattern
see my Youtube tutorial for the quilt @
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGYWYSwQHOg

MAKE A SKIRT FROM A DRESS IN 15 MINUTES

If something doesn't fit perfectly, it just hangs in the closet. That was the case with the orange knit dress. The fabric is good, it washes well, doesn't need pressing [glory!!]. It fit just a little more snug through the shoulders than I like, though, so it mostly hung there. 

It was going into the give aways but I could use some everyday skirts so decided to refashion the dress into a skirt. It wouldn't take long. 

The elastic was found, laid one of my favorite skirts onto the dress to get the right length, cut off the dress top leaving enough fabric for the elastic casing, serge the edge of the waistband, sew casing, insert elastic. Done. Didn't have to hem or anything-it was already in the dress. My kind of project. It might have taken 15 minutes start to finish. [There is enough fabric in the cut off top for a doll something-can't throw away perfectly good fabric, can I?]

Here is a video tutorial for the skirt:

Have you been over to www.Craftsy.com? 

If I didn't have to pick and choose, I would take almost every quilting, sewing online class offered on the site. There is only so much time in the day and money in the checkbook but eventually I may get to finesse the skills and learn new ones I have thought about over time. Being able to take a class in my own time, in my own sewing room makes it possible to achieve all I want to learn. 

this class is free so I am going to download it as soon as I get done with this article-if I just didn't have to sleep, I could maybe get it all in:

I don't know what it is all about but I love photo quilts. Just going to check it out. 

Did you know you can upload your original patterns in pdf form to www.Craftsy.com in your own pattern store? Check it out. I have. Here is my link:

http://www.craftsy.com/user/43851/pattern-store

God bless you and thanks for stopping by

Carolyn Wainscott 

CUTE & SASSY APRONS FROM A DENIM JUMPER

These aprons have been on my to do list for many months because I like aprons and wear them often. Now they are on my done list-finally. The jumper they are made from was a favorite of mine for a long time. It was retired into a future project box when I was  organizing my closet. Something had to go and this was one of them. There was also a denim dress in the same project box that made it back into my closet the day I pulled the jumper out. It had been planned to go the way of the aprons also-it seems to have stretched out a little so it got to stay in its original purpose. There was another nice jumper in the box but it is going to missionaries from my sister's church. I surely don't need more denim aprons and it is too nice to cut up. 

The aprons were quick and easy to do. Both were completed in a couple of hours. I sewed a tube of fabric to make the neck band and ties, cut the front and back apart, sewed the hem all around and the ties onto the aprons. Done.

An apron exchange in a Facebook group, My Sewing Family < 3, suggested by member, Trish Wilson, kind of brought the apron back to mind so I drug out the jumper and went to work. Trish has the group making an apron from a man's shirt, though. She has provided a video tutorial link in case anyone needs any suggestions on making the exchange apron. It is going to be really interesting. I even signed up for it, now I just have to find a shirt. I went to the tutorial and it is fairly simple. 

Here is the video tutorial for the denim aprons:

Here is the next online class I am planning on taking when I get more into my paper piecing one. It is on sale right now at www.Craftsy.com.

http://www.craftsy.com/class/free-motion-quilting-with-feathers/242

Please check out my patterns that are available @ http://www.craftsy.com/user/43851/pattern-store

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoy quilting and crafting as much as I do. 

God bless you.

Carolyn Wainscott