Once More to the Craft Thrift Store

 I did resist the patterns this time.  And I stuck to a...relatively limited fabric color and fiber range (at least for the stuff not from the Free Bins.)

A Few More Stitches

 As always, I made something to thank the Friend Who Drives To The Faraway Places.  This time, it was also an excuse to do an experiment I'd been thinking about for a while.

A year ago, I had the idea to make a doll jacket with what was essentially quilted clear vinyl on top of a layer of cotton broadcloth, with sequins trapped between the stitches. It looked cool, but I hadn't drawn out the sewing lines so they were kinda...haphazard.  But it still looked neat!

Unfortunately, the sequins made it impossible to turn the sleeves right-side-out, and the attempt to do so caused the sequins to damage the thin vinyl, so I had to sigh and let this project go.

But the basic idea stayed with me, and yesterday I made a zip pouch with the same approach (but heavier vinyl) on one side

This time, I measured and drew lines on the cotton--although, as part of the overall experiment going on here, I used the roller presser foot for the first time, and...let's just say I need a little more practice finding the center of that thing. But!  The stitching is mostly where it should be.

I stitched the vertical center line first--and of course I used a leather needle--then the horizontal center line.  I placed sequins around the stitching intersection, then stitched on the next sets of lines out from the center. I placed sequins in the four horizontal cells, then stitched the vertical lines outside those. This left the cells around the outside, which I filled with sequins then stitched closed at the ¼" seam lines I'd marked when doing the initial measuring and marking.  That's as much sense as my explanation is  going to make.

I chose a dark blue thin vinyl for the back, a yellow zipper, and glowworm green lining, and assembled them in my usual lined zip pouch way.

The only thing different from normal was that I had the ¼"-from-the-edge existing stitch lines to guide where to sew when attaching things to the front.

This was silly fun.  I'm not sure if I'll try it again, but that's mostly because I can't, at the moment, think of anything else to make from trapped sequins like this. But, the technique is unlocked.

A few stitches

Part of the process of clearing out things does include finally using some of them, so I took the time to cut the needed length, stitch the corners, then staple the edges of this hibiscus print Mexican oilcloth (brought in the friend's relative's destash in 2019) onto our decrepit kitchen table...which I do want to rehab, along with the chairs, because, to me, this kind of turned maple wood design is Quintessential Dining Table & Chairs

Does the oilcloth match the style of the table and chairs? Does it matter? It's waterproof (so maybe I can convince Husband he no longer needs to use that old mouse pad as a drink coaster), it's stapled in place so it won't slide around, it covers the poor condition of the table top, and it's a lot of fun to look at. 

And I'm trying not to let it convince me to strip and re-stain the chairs with blue or purple...

(sorting)

Just a note to my future self (because I don't expect anyone else to read this) that there will have been relatively few sewing projects this month, because the friend and I are planning to go to the craft re-use thrift store at the end of the month, and I have been poking into every closet, storage room, box, drawer, shelf, and anyplace else where craft-related things may be stored and ignored or forgotten (boughten and forgotten?), looking for things to donate, and I plan to go back through all of those storage spots a few more times before we go.  There's a growing pile of boxes and bags in a basement corner, and I hope everything will fit into the friend's Prius.  (There's another, slightly smaller, stack of boxes and bags to give the friend--I expect those will have to wait until we return to have enough space in the car, too...)

Of course there are still many things I actively want to sew, and there will always be more things to sew beyond that.  But.  Right now? The desire to downsize is stronger.  So, that's getting all the excitement and attention (and also has a deadline, so there will be a point where I can switch back to regular procrastination about sewing.)