Houzz 7 Tips to Get With a New Minimalist Mentality

7 Tips to Get With a New Minimalist Mentality

T-shirts Refashions

My husband and I have been dieting.  That's a different story.

The side effect is that we are able to go through our closet and are finding many pieces of clothes that no longer fit.  So far I'm just removing and not really replacing a lot of new things.  When we took our road trip we would stop at different thrift shops to get new pants that fit better so I do have those.

Amazing that I had so many clothes in different sizes waiting to be worn again for so many years. Some had never been worn before. They were just taking up space and making me feel like I shouldn't buy any new things!

We take things we are no longer using to Goodwill or if Amvets are coming by I leave them for them to recycle.

I've been putting some denim items in my to-be sewing room, thinking that I'd use the denim in some other project.  But lately I'm finding t-shirts that aren't good enough to give to goodwill, but not bad enough to cut into cleaning rags, so I'm starting a stack of them too.

A few years ago - gee it might have been ten years ago - I gave my son's girlfriend a book with ideas for revamping t-shirts along with a stack of used t-shirts.  She had come over a few times to sew and I was dreaming this would be a new project for the two of us to bond over.  I'm not sure if she ever did anything with the book or shirts.  She was a confident and skilled sewer, much better than me.  She has been pretty busy with gainful employment and living.  I know she is not painting or knitting or doing any of her crafty things. When they have spare time they rock climb!

Anyway, I'll have this stack of t-shirts and have found some nice posts with ideas of things to do with them, so just posting here to remind myself of t-shirt refashions...

https://www.pinterest.com/curlysue77/t-shirt-refashion/

http://andreasnotebook.com/t-shirt-upcyles.html

For many years I was the one wearing the plain t-shirt and jeans. No style. Just clean. At some point I discovered (make that was-horrified-to-realize) that I was more comfortable in men's t-shirts. It's nice to be able to go into a store and buy regular women's sizes again.

But since I have these used items it might be good sewing project to remake them just to practice learning the procedures and concepts. Would be fun to have my own large t-shirt made into a dolman t-shirt!

It's hard to know what to keep and what not to keep.  It's a burden and a gift to have so many things.

Found a post today on decluttering that was interesting.
http://www.thriftydecorchick.com/2011/01/but-first-we-declutter.html
She says each year she cycles thru the house to get rid of things and to clean up (she also does many beautiful projects in the cleared out spaces).  In 2011 she started with that area so she had energy to really do it completely. Also, because previously she had been putting things she wasn't using in the basement she already knew much of it was going out the door. I just left a comment on her blog asking how the basement looks now - we'll see if she posts a new photo to inspire me!  : )

MAQ: Tessellating Windmill Pillow Class

I went to the Mid-Appalachian Quilters July 2015 event and took the Tessellating Windmill Pillow Class to learn how make the design - and how to put a zipper in!

First we arranged the charms we had brought to class so the different colors would be distributed.  

Here is how I put my blocks - now I can see two places where the colors were too similar and I wish I had done differently...

The instructor, Heather, had taught this design many times, so her in-class tips were helpful... But as you can see, there were many pieces to keep track of!

The zipper directions were posted on the Moda website for a different pillow design that is also really cute...

The template made this design rather easy to do, buy oh it was easy to mix the pieces up.  I've thought this design was so interesting and I'm glad I made it, but determined after the class that I didn't enjoy making it at all.

I gave my template to one of the ladies I sit next to at the once a month sewing session that I attend.  Just wasn't fun for me to have to keep track of the pieces and so disappointing to see that the colors were not ordered as well as they could have been.  Perhaps if I had picked different fabrics, or just was a faster sewer this would have been something to make again...

Thinking of Kitchen

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/55682234?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u1959&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery0

The open shelves might be nice as it preserves the window light and in our case would be view too!

Having the appliances on the wall opens the center.  Having moveable island makes it flexible space?  Not sure how to get at the hanging items though...

Cultural Fusion: Hour Glass - and basting in a pinch!

* New (to me) way to baste!

Last summer I was able to attend two workshops taught by Sujata Shah (The Root Connection Blog).  What a wonderful way to spend two days!  Sujata was a delight, I have made a new friend.

I've finally pulled out my machine and sewed the Cultural Fusion Hour Glass blocks together, added some borders and basted the result. The block was fun to make.  I thought I had picked a good number of blue and green fabrics, but while cutting I starting doubting myself and added some more yellowish material and mixed myself up on how I was doing it too.  So some of my blocks are not following the guidelines but the results are still striking.

I'm making this quilt for a local charity.  They organized a sewing session last weekend that I attended. The ladies there picked the fabric for the borders and gave me the batting, a thick polyester something I've not used before.  If I had thought ahead I would have made more hour glass blocks for the frame, but I just have borders now.  The other ladies were also using that batting, so I could see how lovely the stitching shows on the quilts.

We meet once a month to sew from 9 to 4 - all day.  The location (a church) has a person who sets up the sewing tables including (higher) cutting tables and ironing boards.  We just have to contribute one quilt a year and spend one day each year only working on their projects.  Oh and we each bring a salad to share for lunch with the others.  Last weekend I made a grape salad, more like a dessert - it was well received.

Grape Dessert Salad - (Because it's near Halloween my husband named it eye ball salad topped with crumbled bones.)
1.  Clean and put in a dish - about 4 lbs of assorted grapes (mine were frozen as they were over bought for a party we held a few weeks ago)
2.  Cream together: 8 oz sour cream, 8 oz cream cheese, and about 1/4 c sugar.  Add to the grapes and mix
3.  Right before serving top with some brown sugar and nuts.

The ladies are very nice, I feel very lucky to be included in the group.

I still haven't quilted my tumbler quilt, it has all my pinmoors as it's basted and waiting for me to finish - but I wanted to get this hour glass charity quilt at least started during the day long session.  * I taped the backing down so it was taut on the table and then just put the batting and top of that on the table.  I used regular straight pins to baste! When I finished I took the tape that had been used on the backing and put little pieces on the sharp tips of the pins.  It worked!  I was able to stitch the seams and then remove the pins without sticking myself once!  So now I just need to decide on how to add a FMQing design and finish the binding!

I'm looking forward to making more quilts from Sujata's book, Cultural Fusion.  Several folks are making rail fences following her guidelines, I'll be joining in!  The results are posted on this website - http://culturalfusionquilts.blogspot.com/

Winner: Received: Machine Quilting with Style (from Martingale)

I followed most of the blogs postings about Christa Watson's book: Machine Quilting with Style, and was so happy to learn that I won the ebook version from Martingale.

This is my first quilting ebook, it will be nice to have access without having to find an actual book on a shelf.


The projects are really attractive.  I'm really going to make many of these!  I'm looking forward to participating in Christa Watson's quilt along for the facets design - January 2016.  Grab a book so you can sew along too!

So thank you again to Martingale for picking me to receive the eBook version of Christa's first book!

Facets Quilt from Machine Quilting with Style

MAQ Winner:

I forgot to post that I won the drawing at MAQ 2015 for this lovely Debby Kratovil quilt.  Just as they were drawing the names, I had told my husband if I won I would give the quilt to our friend who really like aqua and beautiful quilts.  After MAQ we drove to her house where I presented the quilt.  She then gave the quilt to her daughter who lives in Northern California.  The quilt has been on the wall at that house since then.  Adding a lot of beauty there.  I just noticed the image on the group's facebook page so grabbed it to share here!

Posted 3-22-2019 but dated closer to the event...

Striped Design

This would make a terrific quilt with sample fabrics! It's on my list to make for Quilts for Kids next fall!

20150208 Official Quilts for Kids Sewing

I went to Chula Vista for the official Quilts for Kids sewing time.

There were two pairs of moms and daughters then the organizer and me.

Lots of room to sew and work.

I got the rest of the charm squares sewn into nine-patches then went thru her fabric to pick fabric to use for setting triangles as I think I will make at least one of the quilts so the blocks are on the diagonal.  I have enough nine-patches to make at least two quilts for quilts for kids.

Next time she will have batting I hope so I can start to actually quilt the projects together.

I hurt my back last Sunday after my friend left, helping my DH move some furniture to and from his office - a few flights of stairs were involved.  Today is the first day I have really felt completely well again!  I spent a few days in bed, then got up to do more and more things.  On Thursday I walked to our nearby coffeeshop, but had to have DH pick me up as I was worn out.  Friday after the quilting class I went right to bed and slept for hours and hours, but today I didn't have to do that!  So again I have learned that I need to be careful with picking up things and helping out.

I put my sewing machine in a suitcase so it was easy to move it to and from the sewing places this week!  I couldn't have picked it up I think without wrecking my back again.

20150206 More progress in crowded room

Attended the adult ed class.  The room was so crowded, I had to set up in the back row where the tables have computer monitors!

The tables are about half as deep, but I was able to push the monitor back so my sewing machine fit nicely.  I was behind some nice ladies who included me in on their conversation.  They attend a monthly guild that is near my house - at a church.  Each month there is sharing and sewing time in a big room they said with lots of seating.  The dues are just $25 a year so I may check them out.  After the first lady left the second felt she needed to tell me they have a lunch and say a prayer before eating.  So I have to think about it some more.

Even with all the talking, I got more of my charm squares sewn together.  I sewed so I have a bunch of pieces with three squares across.

No pictures this time.

By being in the back of the room, not only did I have the ladies behind me to listen to and chat with but I was facing a window with a beautiful view so it was, it turned out, a very nice place to set up my machine.