Some of my strongest memories of my paternal grandmother are some of the sayings she used to have, maybe that's why I love them and use them so much myself? She was a kind gentle woman who was the first one to call me "Fee", she used to whisper to me that I was her "pink eye" and I remember feeling very special that she would bake my favourite cakes for me to enjoy after school and always made time to spend with me.
Maybe the next few generations of my family will have the same wonderful memories about me? I can only hope that they love and admire me as much as I adored my grandmother. She was a very wise woman and was a wonderful homemaker and thrifter as many in her generation were.
I am happiest when I am creating something from nothing so to speak - When I am upcycling and changing the purpose of something. I love treasure hunting and finding ugly ducklings and turning them into beautiful swans to decorate our home or to gift. The definition of Waste Not Want Not from one of the google links I found was "to be wise with one's resources, to keep one from poverty". What a wonderful thing and how very true......
Every time I visit a thrift shop I always look at the $1 rack and try to look beyond the clothing and it's purpose. I recently bought this lovely gingham shirt on one of those trips.
It was the ruffles that got me in........ Around the sleeves and down the button through front - How could I pass up shabby green gingham and ruffles and for just $1.00?
I added a bit of lace and some cut up doillies along with part of a fat quarter and managed to make 2 cushions. This is the first one which will have to wait for it's stuffing as I have run out.
And here's the second. I had a lot of fun putting them together.
This is one of the ruffles which I adorned with some ribbon roses.
And made a little yo yo with a sweet button stitched to the middle.
It feels wonderful to be able to re-use and re-purpose something that someone else has discarded - It somehow feels right. Our society is very quick to discard things these days - If our socks have a hole we throw them away - In Grandma's day they were set aside to be darned and made as good as new.
It is my intention to use up every scrap of my $1 shirt and I have a few more ideas yet to make
Including these sweet little gift labels adorned with little stick on flowers
My friend Jenny has also been doing some upcycling herself - Did you see this post?
Have you visited the $1 rack at your local thrift shop? I would love to see what you create.
Hugs - Fee XX
26 comments:
A $ , Fee you have made something exquisite , in the cushions, and the gift cards what can one say --- other than Absoloutly Fabulous.
Fee what lovely cushion covers they are pretty and femimine,love that green gingham,well done on a clever upcycling project.xx
Your Cushion is just beautiful and also the tags ....you really are waste not want not love it /////
Fiona that cushion is lovely.... and I like the tags
Oh My Gosh, What sweet cushions Fee. I absolutely love them. I have a few of my late sons shirts....so....you gave me a wonderful idea for a scentimental recycle .Love what you did with the ruffle. Blessings: Dianne
Hi Fiona Your Cushions and gift tags are lovely you are so clever.I am going to the thrift shop to see what I can find.
Hugs Mary.xx
very clever and a beautiful cushion
Krááása!!! ♥
How beautiful, Fee - what a lovely way to honor the memory of your grandmother! I love all of your projects. Waste not, want not was a favorite saying of my grandmother as well!
Your cushions are beautiful. You got value out of your $1 buy. Well done.
Love what you are making with your recycling fabrics...Very Pretty.
cheers
xx
With each picture I just got more and more amazes....I love it all...that pillow is just the cutest!
Wow! I love your cushions Fee - lol! What a lovely memory attached to your nick-name!! ... The family (well, a few of my aunts) have been going through my Grandma's old things as my Grandpa is having to move to a smaller place (from their granny flat at our place, to a smaller space at one of his other children's place) and I was fortunate enough to be over there when they were going through her fabrics stash ... this is a woman who kept EVERYTHING!! Don't get me wrong, she's not a hoarder by any means, but she was sentimental and from an era which upcycled and reused when possible (being a missionary's wife helped with this too, lol!) ... anyway, I was able to get a couple of her old dresses she'd put aside (I can only guess, to either mend or reuse the fabric) as the fabrics will look gorgeous made up into little dresses for my daughter!! I got some of her curtain lace too, which is lovely! ... I might think about making up some cushions, like you've shown, with the remaining fabrics once I've made up the dresses!!
Lovely cushions Fee. They are so pretty.
Gawjus cushions Fee .... you've given new life to that pretty blouse in so many ways :o).
Hugs,
Joy :o)
Oh Fee I love your beautiful cushions
Well Done
Tags are great too Clever girl
Great use of the ruffles! Adore your little gift tags.
Cheers,
Robyn
I love how you come up with so many different ideas from one thing Fee...they are all lovely and how special it was for only $1 :)I have been using that saying for many years and really hate throwing out much :) Hugs Vicki x
So clever, Fee. The green gingham is gorgeous :) I love the op shop, so much inspiration. My favourites are old hand bags for buckles, handles and other 'bits', old belts and large prints in shirts and dresses.
Fee everything looks wonderful. What a great way to recycle.
WOW!
Such pretty items from $1. shirt. Very inventive. LJ
A brilliant post Fee and what fabulous sewing. You are so clever and creative.
That's impressive recycling Fee. What cute ideas! It is a strange concept of my future family remembering me (hopefully) as my "old" self when I have not reached it yet.
WOW! You made some awesome things with your dollar find! So very pretty!
Wonderful! I love all the items you made from that $1 shirt! :)
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