Thursday, July 24, 2014

My (many) Projects Update

Ryan was working in Kansas for about 2 weeks and during that time, I got MOTIVATED.

I decided L's playhouse needed a new location, so I set to work. First, I cut down a dying rose bush planted by a trellis that was way too short. Then I attempted to kill the grass and weeds by covering them with a tarp. I'm impatient so, needless to say, I didn't leave the tarp down long enough to do anything. I bought 3 bags of river rock, went back for 3 more, and still need another! I put them down, moved the playhouse, and then started to frame it in with bricks.

I also started cleaning out a flower bed overrun by irises and in need of a weeding. Cleaning up the end that Zora has destroyed by walking through while on her outside leash wasn't too difficult. I just had to do some weeding and dig up dead iris bulbs. Then I posted a "free irises" ad on a Facebook re-gifting site and had a woman wanting 20. After doing my homework and learning that you can separate irises, 20 was not enough! It hardly even made a dent.









I finally put to use a tutorial I found before I even bought my sewing machine: travel tissue covers. I started by studying this tutorial and then got over excited and cut out 8 covers worth of fabric. Turns out I cut too soon! I thought the liner was optional. Well, it's not, haha! I had to scrap 4 covers worth of fabric because I didn't have enough to cut out a lining for them.


My premeditated cuts.
My first attempt without liner isn't pictured, but it was HUGE. I'm not really 100% how it ended up that way, but what can you do. The ribbon tab gives away the face that a liner is required as well. As L and Daniel Tiger would say "Keep trying, you'll get better!"

My second attempt (cupcakes) came out a little big and lopsided. Plus I missed a layer when doing the final stitching so there is a small area with the underside of the fabric visible.
Then came zebra! I did much better this time! It came out a little lopsided, otherwise perfect. This attempt made me realize, if I want one fabric type I don't need to cut a smaller piece, I can simply cut 2 pieces the same size. Fantastic!

Now I'm on a roll! They are all perfectly sized with (little) signs of flaw! Plus, I've found a way to salvage some of my very first cuts. Anyone that doesn't think Dollar Tree is amazing is CRAZY! I bought the largest white shirt they had and am going to use that as a liner. It's a genius plan if you ask me, but I guess I'm biased. Haha! While I was there I bought (2) 6 packs of travel tissues. The plan is to sell each for $1 and make a $9 profit after spending $3 on tissues and the t-shirt.





This is my most recent tissue cover, and once again, it's big! It's more of a coin purse size and I have no idea what happened.
 Look forward to see more travel tissue covers in a future post!


On a, practically daily, trip to Wal-Mart L decided she needed some markers. Fantastic! Markers and a 3 year old, what could go wrong? Lucky for her, we found these lovelies. Day 1: 4 master pieces! (Which were all made for Daddy as welcome home presents, of course, haha!)




4 comments:

  1. Amazing! I think I want one of your tissue covers. How much? think it would cost much to ship? I'll send extra. And I really super love those welcome home gifts.

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    1. They're $1, I've got all that are pictured sold already. Stella & Tracy had a competition to see who could confuse me more over what they wanted haha! I should have some free time to put the rest together today though. I'll send a picture of them once I'm done. :) I'm really hoping to find some free or cheap fabric so that I can make some more. No luck so far though. :(

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  2. Any thrift stores around? They usually have cheap old clothes that you could use as fabric.

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    1. I looked at sheets at Salvation Army yesterday. They only had one that I liked and I didn't really LOVE it so I didn't get it. Once I make some money I'm buying myself a tank top pattern and I want to find some cute fabric to try that out with.

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