Takin' a break

I apologize, but I will be taking a break from blogging for the next week or so. I have a lot to get done around my house, and my allergies have been sucking the life out of me. My shop is open, and I might even list more sweaters this week, but I will not be blogging. See ya in about a week!

Feature Friday (on Saturday) - Jilly Lovett

I have been wanting to feature Jilly for a long time! She mostly sells at fairs, so she didn't have a shop set up, but now she does! She makes lovely recycled cashmere wristlets, beautiful berets, and gorgeous dolls. Want more? Head on over to Jilly's Etsy shop!

Off Topic Thursday - thinking outside the box

I have learned that being frugal & green sometimes means thinking outside the box at resale locations. I often substitute things for things that I need. I go to oodles of garage sales & thrift stores for my sweatering, so to keep my house from getting cluttered, I have to have a specific purpose for each thing I buy. That is my rule for myself, so if I really want to buy something, I have to get my creative thinking cap on!

This cute laundry basket was a great 25 cent find at a garage sale, and came along right when I needed more truck storage.


When we adopted our dog Spots, we needed a dog dish and a dog bed. A 25 cent garage sale Corningware dish became her dish...

... and a 30 cent thrift store king size pillow sham (with a couple of cheap garage sale throw pillows inside) became a bed for her. I might even sew an old baby bumper along the edge to make it cozier. I think she'd really like that.

When my son had a play kitchen, I found this vintage teak wood fruit in a bowl at a garage sale. He loved to play with them, and they looked so much nicer than the plastic stuff! Also just taping an empty box (mac & cheese, cereal, crackers) closed is instant "play food". If they get bored, just take new boxes out of the recycling and put the old ones back in!


Did you know that if you unscrew a Swiffer, and remove the middle piece, it will be the perfect size for a toddler? They are under a dollar at every other garage sale. Jack LOVED to swiffer as a toddler (and still does!) and was very proud to have his own. I just used a cleaning rag instead of the disposable refills.

Tutorial Tuesday - Easy basket liners!

These were so fun, fast, & easy to make! In addition to just beautifying & protecting your basket, wool is insulated, so these would make fabulous bread baskets!

To make your patterns trace the bottom of your basket (make it a 1/2" smaller on either side if you won't have a seam, serging) for your bottom piece. For the sides, measure the side of your basket's width, and add how ever many inches you want it overlapping at the top. Cut your pieces. You will need one bottom and 4 sides. For a more finished look, you can use the hem of the sweater as the edge of the liner.



Now sew your 4 sides together, right sides in.


Sew the bottom to your sides, and you are done! Just slide it into your basket & fold down the edge. Wasn't that easy?


I forgot to tamp it down with my finger in the corners before taking the picture, but it looks much better that this.


FYI, the plaid sweater I used for the liner in the first picture is 65% merino wool/ 35% acrylic, and felted beautifully!

The winner of the ragamuffin giveaway is....

... #3, picked by random.org:

"Cindy in Carolina said...I would give Buddy a good home here on the farm and he could visit with my grand daughter when she visits 2 or 3 times a week.


Cindy in Carolina"

Congratulations Cindy! A quiet life on the farm and a child to love him... what more could Buddy ask for?

Feature Friday - Jill2day

Are you looking for something totally unique to wear? Head on over to Jill's Etsy shop, Jill2day, for some fabulous recycled fashions. Not only does she make her gorgeous garments from recycled wool, but recycled tshirts and other recycled materials. Aren't they fun?

Off Topic Thursday - a green tip!

We just recently celebrated Earth Day, and we all hear the same stuff over & over... use reusable bags, use florescent light bulbs, and use cloth instead of paper products. Here's a huge tip that I never have seen or heard anywhere, but will keep huge amounts of plastic out of our landfills, reduce mosquitoes around your home, make your yard look better, and save you money....

Put away the yard toys when the kids are done playing with them!

- How does this save huge amounts of plastic from the landfill?

Sunlight & weather destroys toys over time, and they end up in the landfill instead of another home... or 20! A sturdy plastic toy should be able to last for decades, but some don't last through one family when they are left out in the elements for years. It is also earth friendly, because the more toys that are able to be passed on, the less new toys are being manufactured. It's all about less waste!

- How does this reduce mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water. Toys left in the rain hold water.

- How does this save me money?

If you keep those toys put away in between uses, they will stay in great condition and hold their resale value. There's always someone willing to pay good money for a gently used brightly colored Cozy Coupe car with all it's decals, but the faded cracked water filled ones? Not so much.

See the crab pool in the picture above? I took this from the curbside on garbage day about 15 years ago, and it looks the same now as it did then because I keep it in the shed when we aren't using it. I am hoping that it will go on to many more families after we are done with it.

At first, when my son was tiny, it was a little annoying to put away the toys after every use, but now at 4, he automatically puts them away out of habit. For ease & convenience, we have a small shed in the backyard, where we keep all the toys and gardening supplies.