Category Archives: UpCycling

Professional Duo Complete from Repurposed Ladies Jacket

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The recycling and redesigning the women’s tapestry jacket was rather difficult, if I were to tell the truth.  Even though things look one way in your head, accomplishing that goal can be a whole different chore.  :)   But the jacket has now been completely disassembled and reassembled into two useful items.  Here is the tapestry jacket’s photo history…….

Sleeves cut away from jacket and splayed for cutting (in previous post)

The completed iPad cover made completely from the sleeves of jacket (in previous post)

Jacket body formed into a tote - items to complete are only laying on body. Handles, magnetic closure, black belting....

Professional tote/iPad cover set - not sure how to set this up to photograph decent. :)

Complete tote from tapestry jacket showing off its true color outdoors.

I lined it with a gray embroidered satin lining and couldn’t resist to put a final little touch to its closure – a silver leaf.  As soon as that went on, it truly had my name on it.  Not sure what will happen with this yet as Bill thinks I should be the one to enjoy this one.  He’s one of my biggest supporters, but if this could sell and make a couple of bucks, then that’s what we have to do.   :)

Thank you for stopping by and giving this a final look over!  One day it may make it into the Etsy store, but until then I’ll enjoy looking at it and thinking of ways to improve on the upcycling and repurposing of the great thrift store finds we have in our possession.  Yep, there is a whole tote full of beautiful sweaters, jackets and suit coats to re-fashion.

Happy Monday and happy crafting everyone!

Improvised iPad Cover

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Recycle and reuse – I’ve done this in the past, but this may be a good year to dig in a little deeper with the idea.  Saturday I completed the iPad cover that came from the sleeves of a beautiful ladies jacket.  The tote bag to go along with this, will be done at some time from the body of the jacket – it’s just waiting to be completed.

So I just wanted to share what the end result looks like with the silicone skin attached to the interior……

iPad cover closed

iPad cover open showing pocket and closure

The corduroy used for the inside lining really picked up all the little red pieces of ‘lint’ from when cutting the tapestry fabric, but hopefully the picture shows it cleaned up a bit.  :)

Happy crafting!  It’s Monday, so off to work I go…….

Revising Thrift Store Tapestry Jacket

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After having a weekend of thrift store shopping, cleaning those items up and basically having no actual crafting mojo, this is all that was accomplished.  It’s not much and when I was working on the design it was feeling forced.  That means it’s time to stop.  I usually like to take a project and complete as much as possible when it gets started, but at least this little combo restyle is underway.

This started out as a ladies tapestry jacket with a zippered front.  I had cut one of the sleeves off the night before to show Bill just how much fabric there is in clothing that can be used for items.  Here it is with both sleeves cut off and splayed out to be re-cut into an iPad cover.

Ladies Tapestry Jacket (with zippered front)

And a close up of the beautiful fabric – it’s very lush and we both have really fallen in love with it.

Lush tapestry fabric

The sleeves are slowly turning into an iPad cover and here is how the closure looks.  It’s taken from the caps of the sleeves and shows that same shaping.  Velcro has been sewn underneath the flap.

Sleeve Cap Closure Flap

The lining to the iPad cover is really a soft gray corduroy which the picture doesn’t show real well, but trust me on that one.  :)   After this pic was taken it was time to get the hammer out and apply the 4 mega snaps to the inside lining and the silicone iPad skin so it can be removed when needed.

After showing Bill what little I accomplished, he kind of took a step back and said, “You’re going to have to keep this one – it’s VERY cool!”  Told him the handbag needs to get completed from the body of the jacket, then I’ll decide if it’s my style or needs to be listed in either Etsy or MySupaDupa Shop.  It will be a one of a kind combo package either way.

Keep checking in though!  There is never any creating on Tuesdays as that is my 12 hour day at work, but the rest of the week may hold some surprises.

Happy creating and thanks for stopping by!

Just For Fun And I Didn’t Break the Bank!

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With a new year comes new challenges and projects – is there any other way?  Didn’t think so.  :)   Of course there’s always going to be the hand knitted handbags happening around here, but the sewing room needed something a little different going on.  I have had an idea or three rolling around my head for a long time and yesterday, out of the blue, came an opportunity to stock up on items that can be upcycled in to new, useful and fun things to offer.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook probably saw all my excitement over thrift store finds yesterday.  Yes, I purchased 7, yes SEVEN men’s suit coats.  Bill was honestly intrigued by the idea mulling around in my head, but had to try on each suit coat, just to make sure HE couldn’t use them!  Bill and I are both short people, and finding a coat that doesn’t have arms down to our knees is always a challenge.  Hence, none of them fit him, all were too long.  But for TygerLily and Journal Junction, it was a relief!  Suiting fabrics are beautiful and professional.  It is just a perfect fit for the organizational side of our creations.

We challenged ourselves to come up with a professional type combo item, such as a matched set of something.  I found a perfect women’s tapestry jacket to upcycle for this project.  So Bill could wrap his own mind around how it would work with only a small women’s jacket, I showed him how to get more bang for our buck and started cutting it apart – just to show how much fabric is really IN a jacket!  You’d be surprised!!!

So before I go off and start getting some stuff done (like laundry), I wanted to share the photo of all the goodies purchased at two of our local thrift stores yesterday.  For the price of a movie for two and a large popcorn, this is what we ended up with…..

Future Handbags, Totes, iPad covers and Journal covers.......

There are hundreds of key chain rings in that little bag and under that is a box of FIVE vintage broaches that I found, which got polished up last night.  The stores obviously wanted to clear their racks, and I was more than happy to help them out.  I did sneak one summer sweater out of the group and put it aside for myself to actually wear.  tee hee

It’s time to write up an application to a crafting throwdown and enjoy one more cup of joe.  May you all have a wickedly fantastic day, and please keep checking in now that we’re back up and in the swing.

Blessings, my friends.

The Ultimate Challenge (and a free knitting pattern)

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While surfing around the web on Christmas, we came across the greatest and funnest  Ultimate Challenge ever!  Somewhere along the line, I have been blessed by being called “McGyver” and people ask me first when they are ready to throw something out if I could use it or make something out of it!  So here’s the deal………
Now Seeking America’s Most Talented Crafters!!!

Are you ready to show America your unique, creative skills?

Do your friends refer to you as the “MacGyver” of arts & crafts?

Can you create, design, build and implement visually stunning
and out-of-the-box creations on the fly?

A MAJOR CABLE NETWORK & the Executive Producers of “CUPCAKE
WARS” and “HALLOWEEN WARS” are seeking Arts & Crafts Designers
for a new competition show.

Each episode will feature Arts & Crafts competitors who battle
against each other for a $10,000 prize and an opportunity to
publicly showcase their craft masterpiece!

Casting Males & Females, (18 and over) with fun and upbeat
personalities that can think on their feet!!!

If this is you, we want to hear from you ASAP!
Email craftcasting@gmail.com the following information:

-Send us your full name & contact numbers
-Tell us what city you live in
-Tell us in a short paragraph about you and your specialty
-Pictures of you and samples of your work

Here is someone’s YouTube audition.  Don’t think I could actually do that.  But I could sure use some help writing up an audition email!!!  Any takers on that one?

Can’t leave without throwing in a free pattern.  Found this lovely thing this morning and will put it into my own library – it would be perfect on the front of a handmade purse.  Don’t ya think?

Click the photo and you’ll go directly to Berroco for the free pattern download.  ENJOY!

 

Geometry Lesson & Repurposing

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CosineTheorem01

With running the JournalJunction on Etsy, there are days that I need to get my geometry skills honed up and used.  So I decided to run with abandon on a project that’s been sitting on the ‘fun’ side of things for months.  If you remember back a bit, one of the doctor’s I work for was letting go of some of her little girl’s clothing.  And I’ve been hoarding those treasured items for long enough.  First item out to repurpose was a darling little knit shirt with incredible embroidery on the front.  It is listed over at the Journal Junction if you want more photos.

Base Cutting and Placement of Pocket made from Embroidered Girl's Shirt

Complete and listed - with a very precious photo I keep by my computer.

It was a good morning to be thankful for all God has blessed us with – in so MANY ways.  As much as we wish Lily would be here and celebrating her 5th birthday soon, we know she is somewhere far greater…. and that she’s sitting with Jesus or throwing a ball or two around with her uncle.  Yeah, have to think of all the good stuff.  :)

Blessings to your Sunday!  Say “I Love You” – often.

Billy’s Sweater Re-Do is COMPLETE!

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Sweaters.

Men's Sweaters

This was sooooo much fun to do.  And I should have really been doing a ton of other things, but I really needed to just have a little fun.  Remember the sweater of Bill’s I scored earlier today?  Well, it has now been totally reworked into a snap-shut handbag.  There’s nothing special about it, no embroidered TygerLily on the inside, no pockets, no nothing.  Just a plain jane upcycled sweater purse.  Plain and simple.  Here’s how the process went…..

Laying on the ironing board - just waiting for that first cut...

Sweater cut, interfaced, zigzagged around and inside fabric picked....

Tubing around top, and nice belly at the bottom.....

Fall type 'tree' cotton for the lining that's now sewn in.....

One side of 'snap' closure pulled through fabric tube....

Opening done and chain handle clamped on....

All finished and ready for a nice fall trip somewhere..... hmmmm

Now that it’s done, I’m not sure what to do with it.  It’s different.  It’s something that’s been recycled.  I like it, but not sure I want to keep it…….  Best thing is to sleep on it.  But it sure is a different kind of bag.  There’s a Budweiser sweater still sitting in the recycle pile… wonder how that would look in this style?  hmmmmmm

Nightie Night Everyone!  Thanks for stopping by.  zzzzzzzzz

Score!

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While getting my ducks in a row this morning I noticed my husband’s sweater shelf had been cleaned and straightened. Hmmmm. So I asked him what he did with them, and he proceeded to say he put some aside for me to make purses out of if I wanted. What a guy!!!! So I dig through the pile and pick one out. He said, no, don’t use that one….yet. I picked another one and got the same response. In other words, he isn’t quite ready to give them all up to me yet. LOL. But I did get permission to take THIS one to the sewing room and I LOVE it. And when it’s done I may keep it for myself.

20111022-090515.jpg

Can you just picture this completed? Add a fabric flower or leather something and it will be a knockout.

Keep watching for updates. You never know what’s going to pop up around here. :)

Thursday Updates From a Slow Week

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The Head Ache

The Headache

It’s been a quiet week here on the blog which is not like me.  But when headaches hit and won’t split, the computer is the last place these eyes want to be.  And yes, the head is better this morning, so I wanted to share another challenge that has my interest piqued.

My supervisor said she found a handbag at The Dressbarn and thought it could be something I could duplicate.  OK.  The challenge is on, and she hasn’t purchased it yet.  So I looked on the Dressbarn website this morning and found two bags I would love to try at some point using suiting and leather fabrics.  These are just too cute:

Dressbarn Handbag #1

Dressbarn Handbag #2

I thought first about going to Goodwill and finding a suitcoat, either men’s or women’s style, to upcycle for this project.  But then I pulled out the Joann’s flyer for this week and they have their suitings on sale for HALF OFF!  And with all the other coupons I have, I am hoping for a very successful trip to Joann’s after my meeting this morning.

As far as the Prairie Cable Bags, there are still 2 on the needles with no progress this week whatsoever.  I guess that makes me a headache weenie, right?  :)  Hopefully this coming weekend there will be a lot of challenges and orders completed.

btw – I ordered a book in Japanese off of Etsy.  I don’t read or speak Japanese.  But there was some charting for knitting in this book that I know I CAN read.  :)  The book should be here this weekend, so hopefully some new inspiration will arrive with it.  There are wool yarns that are begging to get made into something unique!

Gearing Up for MARCH MADNESS!!!

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I believe that March will be my month for hunkering down and getting serious about recycling, upcycling, designing, and generally getting some product done.

So in getting ready for my BIG month coming, Goodwill advertised a HUGE sale ending today.  Got in the boo-boo-bug and slushed my way over to the neighborhood store and ended up bringing home a garbage bag full of sweaters, jumpers, ugly dress suits and ties.  Why you ask?  Because they wanted stuff out of their store and some of this stuff will make perfect bag linings, photo backdrops and yes, the bags themselves!  I can’t wait to dig in as the ideas to make these boring sweaters into something fun and useful are swirling around in my head.  Just look at this pile……..

Sweaters to Recyle into Bags

See the ugly purple jacket under the sweater pile?  Don’t think I’d even wear this as a joke, but the embroidery on it is out of this world.  And texture?  This baby has got it going on.  The picture in my head of this bag finished is outstanding.  And yes, there are two Christmas sweaters in there, but don’t gals like to sometimes carry a seasonal bag?  hmmmm  But wait, it gets better……

Golf Vest

You got it!  It’s a never before worn knitted golf vest.  See the price tag still attached?  You are reading it right.  It says $84.00 and it’s a Pendleton.  What a fun spring bag this will make.  My dear husband said when he saw it, “Why don’t you just wear that one?”  Um, well honey, number one… I don’t golf.  Number two, it’s stinking ugly!  :)  But that’s just me.

Yesterday’s errands found me at Joann’s and Staples.  Weird combo, but it works for me.  Staples discount bins were out of this world.  And Joann’s was Joann’s, it’s always fun there.  But I did find fat quarter bundles for 25% off, so these are going to make some fun little stuff to put IN your bags or totes.

Tools and just plain good stuff....

As I write this, my dear one is still rummaging through the pile of sweaters wondering why I don’t just wear them!  I spent some big bucks, too, and found a Husker tie I thought just maybe he’d like to wear to work on Fridays.  But if he doesn’t wear it, it’s going to get recycled into something else if he doesn’t watch it.  tee hee

So bring it on March!  I’m ready for you.  Let the ‘madness’ begin………….

And happy creating, everyone!!!!  Thanks for stopping by.