Sunday, December 16, 2012

Ive been sewing!

I am having so much fun making stuff to sell in my store! wow. Who would have thought that, it took me a year to get my courage up to try to make something and now that i have, im going to town.

I love cloth napkins.... so of course they were first.....

This yellow set is so cute. Ok, i have to get better at the pictures, i can see that!



but these little gems of cuteness i love. Sharon asked for a set for her and sophie to have tea parties with!


they are 5 1/2 in square and washable. I can think of so many uses!

and today i have started working with the plaid shirts... i am making a baby quilt to put on there!



Wednesday, December 12, 2012

I opened an Etsy store

Dont we all do it sometime or another... us quilters??? we open etsy stores to sell our stash because if there is one thing we do really really well it's hoard fabric!!!



I have a stash management issue. My recycled fabric now exceeds a closet and someone has moved into the room with that closet, and i need to clean it out and give them their closet... so what is a girl to do??? sell it on etsy of course! So... you 20 followers out there... here is your mission... lol if you know of a way i can advertise, have a giveaway to promote the store... ect... please please let me know!! (oh if you have any suggestions on how to move the items too let me know!!!) if you have any friends who quilt and who are into the vintage sheet thing... let them know!



but this isn't just any stash. It is my collection of over 70 vintage sheets (so far that is what ive found... i have a few more bins that im sure is full of vintage sheets) I have started cutting the sheets down to fat quarters and half yards. I will eventually have whole sheets and scrap packs... oh and pillow cases, i have a gazillion of those! I have started with the fat quarters and i now have 8 listings on etsy! woo hooo!


I have over 50 different plaid and striped mens shirts. I plan to cut these down (because i need some of the fabric, right???)  and selling them as packs of the backs and then scrap packs.

pictured above: Shabby stripes quilt made from recycled shirts and Ralph's quilt from his recycled plaid shirts

But wait... there's more!!! See, our lives have changed. We have moved back to San Augustine and although we are going to eventually open another store, this one is not full time for both of us if Caty (his daughter) stays on and quite frankly we need a break. Ralph is going to pick up some more horseshoeing customers to increase his income and keep busy and  i decided that since i have all this fabric floating around, I'm going to sew some things with, and sell that too (probably not quilts too much work, and too hard to get what they are worth!) Cloth napkins, pillow covers, bunting, you know the easier to make things.....

am i crazy??? probably. I had wanted to do this before opening the Houston store but i couldn't do both so i put this on the back burner. Since we came home and i am spending alot of time at home and it would mean we would have to pay a babysitter for the grand babies if i got a job i would really like to make this work. I really don't want to get a part time job in East Texas! lol first of all that's assuming i COULD FIND a job in East Texas! lol.

Ok, i will just come out and say it!!! I really want to try to make a small income from fabric and making things. I think im having a hard time admitting this because who wouldn't like to, and over the year ive seen people come and go trying! so here its my turn and im throwing my hat into the ring!

big sigh... i feel like i just confessed a deep dark secret! lol!! wish me luck and please visit my store!

www.etsy.com/shop/upcycledfabric



Tuesday, December 4, 2012

In the Blink of an Eye

One day we were working our tails off opening a restaurant in Houston. Then next i was back in San Augustine working, taking care of a 17 month old child.

Life can change in the blink of an eye and this little guys family is having some problems, mom is pretty sick and dad is having a hard time too... so paw paw and i are helping out for a while. We couldn't do it from houston so we came home...



He has stolen my heart. the little monkey butt!!