"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle"

I am totally and completely behind this phrase (you have to really look hard or use your imagination cause I'm not that thin)...I love to re-purpose and recycle lots of things. I usually have more fun doing that than I do buying retail and going home to make something with it. You may have heard about my treasure hunting at the Rummage Sale and Garage sales this weekend. Here are some pix of those great 100% cotton shirts I got to for making a quilt. Four of them by chance coordinate with 5 others I had gotten a few months back. I may have enough to do the disappearing 9 patch I'm planning. The idea for using men's shirts came from Bonnie Hunter and her book, Scraps and Shirttails.


A quick funny here....I put these in the washer and Rick finished putting the clothes in the dryer and then folded them. He was very puzzled when he saw all these men's shirts in the laundry. Rick called me from another room and asked, "Kelly.....what are these?" I didn't have the courage to tell him that I'm am having on-going affairs with several men that wear different size shirts....so I just told him they were for a quilt. Can you believe he fell for that one?

Then there was this Old Navy bag. It was not big enough to hold an umbrella. The fabric was cute and it had two little handles. I could only guess it came with a bathing suit in it or something. Really nothing usable.....or was it? I saw a fun Bag Tag in my future and got so excited that I forgot to take a before picture. Schucks or as I taught my boys to say Schuckeleydoo!!! Take my word for it....the little bag would not hold a bottle of sun tan lotion it was so small. I even used the handle for the Bag Tag. When I cut the bag apart I could not bare to throw away that little "Old Navy" tag....so I used it as an embellishment. Waste not, want not :) [I know what you are thinking...."I'm so glad she did not find an old bra or pair of underware" Am I right?]

After I completed the re-assignment surgery on the little bag I started making the Bag Tags for the winners from the "Tag You're It" giveaway. Ever notice how you use the same ruler and read the same measurements....but something funny happens? Take a look.....

They came out different widths and lengths....How does that happen? I'm really asking you that....How does that happen? Please tell me. Perhaps I need to wear my glasses downstairs.

I selected the fabric for the giveaway Bag Tags from my stash. The gals e-mailed me their color preferences. I have a fabric stash....not a really big one....but one none the less. I guess I never planned on needing a thread stash too!!! Take a look at this.....I needed it to stretch for a bobbin and top thread for 4 Bag Tags.....do you think I made it?

Stay Tuned: A Cliff Hanger....please don't chew on your nails while awaiting the outcome :)

Smiles,

Kelly