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Saturday, 7 May 2022

The Sewing Equivalent of Dumpster Diving

#10 Tribute Hanging Plate by eSheep Designs
Tempus fugit...
As sewers, we often need quick and easy projects to jumpstart our mojo. I don't know about you, but I often get into a funk about what to take on next, even if I've identified projects that I actually want to do.

One suggestion that I have is to dive deep into your box or bag of scraps and see if any of them "speak" to you.

You may find that the effort leads to the completion of unexpected treasures. Not to mention jumpstarting the mojo.

Today's post is about two different projects that I cobbled together (one very recently and one from over a year ago) using discards that I found in my scraps box.




Do you ever chuck entire unfinished projects into your scrap pile?

I did that with a pin cushion idea that I had, made out of two leftover pieces of my Winter in the City fabric. (It was my favourite design out of the ones that I came up with during my first attempt with Spoonflower.)

Winter in the City coaster by eSheep Designs
One side of the rejuvenated project...

I had just completed some throw pillows and sunny glasses cases with the fabric and had a couple of pieces left over that looked like they could be turned into a miniature pillow/pin cushion. My enthusiasm died, however, after I decided to bind the edge with piping and subsequently had issues doing it.

That was 2017.

Winter in the City coaster by eSheep Designs
Reverse side...

In March last year, I found it while digging to the very bottom of my scrap bin. I didn't take a before picture, but it was the two pieces of fabric stuffed with polyfil and finished off with some ragged red piping. It was truly rather sorry looking.

I unpicked the binding and tossed it aside, removed the polyfil, and put a piece of fusible fleece between the two pieces of fabric. Then I quilted it as you see here.

Winter in the City coaster by eSheep Designs
This coaster has been well used over the past year and some...

Using regular binding that wouldn't call as much attention to itself (and also narrower than the previous version), I finished it off properly and it's been sitting on my desk ever since.

It's home for my cup of coffee or water whenever I'm at the computer. From something that was ignored and virtually forgotten at the bottom of my scrap heap for years, it is now something functional that I see and use every day.


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Part of this next item was also an entire project that was abandoned before it could be finished. (It was supposed to be a customized peanut shaped zippered pouch.) I cut the number 10 out of the leftover floral linen piece. The oval fabric is from a dress; I had used part of it to make a couple of no sew masks for Mom last year.

#10 Tribute Hanging Plate by eSheep Designs
Finding fabrics that complement each other well...

Two weeks ago, I decided to go scrap diving to find something that would inspire me to make a memorial piece for a hero from my teen years. I had no idea of what that would be, however, until I saw this sitting in front of our fireplace...

1070
House number sign...
We kept this when we sold our vacation home. (It used to be propped up on the ledge inside the front window. That is, it wasn't permanently installed outside; we wouldn't have taken it if that had been the case.) Hubby and I decided that it would be the perfect memento of our old home, even though the sign itself was purchased in faraway Mexico.

Once I took notice of the first two digits, I decided that my tribute project would be modelled after a door plate or a house number sign.

#10 Tribute Hanging Plate by eSheep Designs
Determined to add hand finished touches...

The dress fabric was a knit, so I interfaced it with some Decor Bond to make it easier to handle. It was eventually fused onto Peltex to provide structure for hanging.

The floral linen had already been interfaced previously with some SF101. As a result, it wasn't fraying so I didn't bother finishing the edges in any way. (The numbers are fused onto the background with pieces of Stitch Witchery.)

#10 Tribute Hanging Plate by eSheep Designs
One of two flowers I stitched onto the background...

Apart from the white stitching around the numbers, I used a couple of different red threads to add some other decorative bits to the background. (It helps that the fabric's print looks like stitching.)

#10 Tribute Hanging Plate by eSheep Designs
Closeup of other hand stitching...

No, I do not normally like hand sewing, but in this case, it was truly therapeutic... and an intentional and genuine labour of love.


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There is a closeup of the brad that I attached to the number 1 at the top of this post. It's a clock with hands held at about twelve minutes after ten.

#10 Tribute Hanging Plate by eSheep Designs
My finished tribute to Flower...

I don't look for meaning in everything, but in this case, I couldn't help but notice. First of all, it's ten, then it's ten plus twelve which is twenty-two. April 22nd marked the passing of a hockey hero who lifted people out of their seats in anticipation like no other before or after.

"My Way" lyrics
It totally sucks to lose the unique individuals who made huge, indelible marks on your childhood. Judging by the emotional rollercoaster that I've been riding these past couple of weeks — while watching old footage, new tributes, and finally, an absolutely surreal funeral — le numero dix certainly did that for me.

Good night, sweet prince.

'Til next...

1 comment:

  1. I am sorry you lost someone you knew in your life, that is always hard to deal with. Hugs to you Rochelle!!! I think your project was a good therapeutic one to help you work through and carry on. I like the little clock on the number and at first thought it was an old watch. I had no idea they even made brads like that. I have some in shapes like stars, hearts, but love the clock. Now I may need to search for some other brads to see what else is out there that I can use as embellishments when I want to.

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