My Vacation Project

I was recently on vacation for 10 days.  It was the first stay-at-home vacation I can remember having for at least eighteen months.  I had intended to clean the house from top to bottom, cook, garden and take care of my husband for a change.  What did I do?  I obsessively sewed nonstop.  Not having a dedicated sewing room, my dining room and kitchen have been covered with the proof of my obsession for the last week.  There was very little cooking going on in that room.  But, on my last day of vacation, the sewing machine kicked up its heels and said “Enough”.  It now sits in the back of my car waiting to go the sewing machine hospital.  The kitchen and dining room table are cleaned off.  Since I cannot sew, I will have to blog about it. 

Since the August Craft Sale I have been on a mission to create better and better items to display at the Holiday Craft Sale coming up in November.  I made yet another version of the handbags Laura and I have been selling for the last couple of sales.  Bored with that, I decided to delve into our ever growing stash of fabric remnants.  I had this idea on how to use them up.  My daughter in law said that I was being “very green” using what might otherwise go into the trash.  So here is what I came up with.

First I cut 3 inch, 2 inch and 1.5 inch strips of a wide variety of patterns and colors.  I sewed the strips together.

Ironed all the seams open. 

Cut out a cardboard template the size of a hotpad that was in my kitchen drawer. 

Used the template to cutout the top of the hotpad.  It made about 20!

Cut another template that was about an inch larger all around for the backing.

I used coordinating fabrics for the backing.  I used two layers of batting and a layer of fleece on the inside.  Did a “stitch in the ditch” to quilt the layers together.  Folded the backing around the front to create the binding.  I made a loop out of the backing material and sewed a button on for decoration.  There you have it.  The first time I ever made pot-holder’s.  Very “GREEN” potholders

The committee hopes to put together some gift packages for the sale.  Maybe we can include some of these in the packages.  A few might find their way into family Christmas stockings.  (With the Christmas ornaments we are working on….pictures to follow)