Friday Favorites, Episode 42

Going to be a long one this time, since I have stuff saved from the last two weeks. So in no particular order…

• Over at Goodworks1’s Notes, she has a denim quilt that she and her sister are making. Same concept as mine, using the recycled jeans and letting the edges fray, but I like the twist of using circles instead of squares!
• Wardrobe Refashion favorites from the last two weeks: theclosetseamstress’s pillowcase top, Gwen’s versatile skirt/dress for a beach vacation, and Carrie’s cute sheet sundress.
• Speaking of refashioning, I also enjoyed Karen’s blouse from a tie-dyed skirt, over at Sewing by the Seat of my Pants.
• A couple inspirational projects– Craft: featured a cd cover in which the artist hand-stitched the artwork for it–and with my addiction to new music, that’s enough to make me want to try and hunt it down! And Whip Up showed an art installation of some delicate-looking trees cut from, of all things, toilet paper rolls. And then over at Crafting a Green World, remember that selvedge dress? Well, the same woman decided to use the same technique to reupholster a chair. I think this is even cooler than the dress, actually!
• Back over at Craft:, they shared a link to an older article of theirs on how to make summer sandals from a recycled sole. With my oddly extra-wide feet, it’s always hard for me to find shoes, so the thought of trying this one is exciting!! Now if I can just find a pair at the thrift store to cannabilize…
• Some home decor-type stuff: CraftyNest featured a tutorial for how to make some very simple Ikea tables much, much cooler with the help of some bamboo veneer. thelongthread.com had some simple pintucked pillows, and Dollar Store Crafts shared a link to some really cute flower vases made from plastic bottles. They look like they’d be great for a bridal shower, so I’ll have to keep that in mind for the next time I’m a bridesmaid… (Incidentally, while looking there just now for the main link, I also found stuffed animals for the grown-up music lover. Heehee.)
• Back to Whip Up for tips on spring cleaning your sewing machine. I know that both my Bernina and my serger probably need it badly…
• The gift bags from thrifted sheets at Sewtakeahike are pretty and practical, but the real reason I’m linking to it is that I am 99% sure I had those yellow sheets as a kid, and so this makes me laugh.
• Margot at The Impatient Crafter shared a link to a free beading project she designed for Beadalon. I like the design but would have to find beads that aren’t pearls to use (because, to quote my friend who got married last summer whose jewelry I made, “pearls make me cringe”. A little too old-fashioned for me. Maybe some glass crystal-like beads for a Renaissance look?)
• And finally, some food stuff. Cheap Healthy Good shared a list of ideas for last-minute dinners for one. Which is great for nights I just don’t feel like defrosting something from the freezer. And Craft:g33k shared a recipe for real chai made with whole spices. Yum.

Ok, that’s it for today… my big project for today, since my time of not working on Fridays is probably over (starting back at the garden center tomorrow), was experimenting with henna to dye my hair. And my time for letting it sit is getting close to done, so I have to go wash mud out of my hair. And then maybe I can go sew!