pretty and handy...

i like my things

to look pretty and to be handy,

and in that particular order!

~~~

i like to have my dishsoap handy

because i use it so often,

and in a pretty bottle

so i smile when i see it!

~~~

so i use

a vintage glass syrup bottle

to keep my dishsoap in!

~~~

handy and pretty!

~~~

that's what i like!

~~~

i have another
pretty and vintage
syrup bottle
in the laundry room!
~~~
they're a good thing!
~~~
i think martha would agree!
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a pretty handy dandy day!
peggy

judging a book by it's cover...

i love to read!

~~~

i just read

"saving ceecee honeycutt"

by beth hoffman

(her first novel)

and i would highly recommend it!

~~~

this sad and sweet novel

is about a young girl (ceecee)

who moves to the south

to live with an older aunt

after her mother dies.

~~~

i loved it

you'll love it too!

~~~

now

i've started to read

"home to holly springs"

by jan karon.

~~~

have you read the mitford series

by jan karon~

the father tim series?

~~~

i love, love, love

this series!

love it!

sappy and sweet,

just how i'd like my life to be!

~~~

"home to holly springs"

takes us to where

father tim grew up.

~~~

i love to read

but i don't make time to read

so it takes me forever to read a book,

which tends to be hard on a book,

at least my books!

~~~

i have this book in hardcover

and i know i'll keep it forever

so i don't want to

bend, rip, and tear the dustcover.

(yes, i'm a little (some would say a lot!) anal!)

so...

(finally to the point)

i made a bookjacket for my book!

~~~

i used a piece of scrap wool

and cut the bookjacket

(using the book as my pattern)

the heighth of the book

around the front and the back

of the book,

(moving the book from the back

to the spine

to the front as i cut)

adding a few extra inches

on each end

of the width

to jacket the book.

~~~

i pinned the extra inches

on each end in place

and sewed them

to make the jacket.

~~~

easy peasy!

~~~

the p (for peggy)

is entirely decorative

and is cut from

another scrap of wool.

the button finishes it off!

~~~

and now i have a bookjacket

that will keep my book,

cozy and warm

and as good as new,

as i haul it here and there,

until i finish the story

of father tim's childhood home!

~~~~~

~~~

~

happy reading!

peggy

christmas craftings...

as long as you're

"hanging" around here,

(and i'm glad you are!)

let me show you

some of the

christmas craftings

i've been working on

for the craft show

on saturday!

~~~

i've been sewing and stitching

several wool stockings,

one ready to be hung

by your chimney with care...

~~~

stockings are such

an old-fashioned

part of christmas.

~~~

i love them!

~~~

i love them wooly,

rustic,

and

simple.

~~~

i use recycled

and repurposed wool

for my stockings

and all my wooly creations.

~~~

i love mittens too!

~~~

wooly,

warm,

and cozy!

~~~

and again,

ready to be hung

by your chimney with care...

~~~

and what would christmas be

without a wooly

and jingly tree?

~~~

so...

if you happen to be

in the faulkton, sd area,

stop by

and check out

the 36th annual

arts and craft festival!

~~~

stop by my booth and

i'll treat you to one of my

homemade popcorn balls!

~~~~~

~~~

~

come see me...

peggy

pumpkin pair...

these pumpkins

are part of

what i've been

working on

for the upcoming
craft fair

i will sell

my goodies at

on october 16!

~~~
i have been cutting

and painting

and sewing

and stitching

and stuffing

and gluing

up a storm!

~~~

only 26 days

of creating and crafting left...

~~~

~~~

the pumpkins are made from

an old wool blanket

and trimmed

with a painted cheesecloth bow.

~~~

i love that

these pumpkins

are simple and rustic.

~~~

they have the country look

that i love to create

and decorate with.

~~~

i'll give you a glimpse

of some of my other

craft fair goodies

as i go along.

~~~

let me know

what you think!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a crafty day!

peggy

fall fun...

autumn is full of fun!

~~~

one of my favorite

fun things to do

is to shop craft fairs!

~~~

this autumn,

i will not only shop craft fairs,

i am getting ready

to take my crafts

to be

in a craft fair!

~~~

this craft fair is known

for it's handmade

and homemade items

and is always held

the opening day

of pheasant season

(the third saturday

in october~

october 16 this year).

~~~

i have taken my crafts

to craft fairs before.

it's lots of work

and lots of fun!

i'm especially excited to be

in this particular craft fair.

what makes it

even more fun

is that

i will be

in the booth

next to

my friend debbie

from tyme flies,

who is also bringing

her handmade goodies

to this craft fair!

~~~

i sewed

this cozy wool autumn handbag

for the craft fair.

~~~

this handbag is made from

a repurposed wool skirt

and a felted wool scarf.

~~~

the bag itself and the handle

are made from the skirt

and the leaves

are made from the scarf.

~~~

the fringe was on the skirt

which adds more fun.

~~~

the leaves were cut out

and sewed on

before i put the bag together.

~~~

the button is purely decorative.

the handbag holds

all your goodies securely

with a magnetic closure.
~~~

i love this bag!

~~~

i love it's

autumn colors

and autumn leaves

and it's wool coziness.

~~~

what do you think?

will it sell?

~~~

only 39 days

until the craft fair!

~~~

i better get

busy, busy, busy....

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you fall fun...

peggy

clary's capris...

i loooove these capris

of clary's!

~~~

i love clary!

i love the capris!

i love clary in these capris!
~~~

i love that

these capris

are full of

stitched and appliqued detail!
~~~

i love that

these capris

are full

of summer color

flowers,

and butterflies!

~~~

i love that

these capris

are worn and faded!
~~~
i love that
these capris are
girly and fun!
~~~
i love that
these capris
were jeans
in their former life
and that i found them
at a thrift store!
~~~
i love that
when they got too short
for clary
to wear as jeans
i repurposed them
into capris!
~~~
i love that
when i cut them off
i stitched on
more girly pink!
~~~
i love that
when these capris
are too small
for clary
i'll cut out
all the fun
stitchings and appliques
and decorate
a purse or bag!
~~~
i love that i'll
have these capris
(at least pieces of them!)
for a looooong time...
~~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you long and lasting love!
peggy

red and flowers...

a new bag!

~~~

i have

been wanting to sew

some grocery/shopping bags

this summer.

~~~

i sewed this one up

in no time!

~~~

using fabric bags

means using less plastic

and repurposing

some of my fabric stash~

2 reasons that make this project

a very good thing!
~~~

this bag is made from

a vintage tablecloth.

~~~

i love vintage tablecloths!

i especially love the red

and the flowers

on this fabric!

red and flowers~

2 of my favorite things!

~~~

the tablecloth was big enough

to make a bag...

~~~

and 2 runners

for our kitchen island.

~~~

i still have

a small piece left

of this vintage tablecloth.

~~~

i know i'll think

of something to do with it!

~~~

another project
for another day...
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a day
filled with some of your favorite things!
peggy

sew thrifty...

this is a carryall i finished this week.

the front

is a piece of an old quilt

that i found at

our local thrift store.

the quilt piece is just as i found it,

brightened by a gentle hand-washing.

~~~

the fabrics look to be

from the 30's or 40's.

~~~

aren't they great?

~~~

i love all the color,

the patterns of all the fabrics,

and the way it was pieced together.

~~~

i lined the quilt piece,
added a doubled backing,
a handle,
and a button closure!
~~~
when looking for a button
for the closure,
i came across this red square button
and i just had to add it to my carryall!
i love red and it was made
for the pattern of this quilt piece!
~~~
the fabric that i used
in making my carryall
is a vintage cream flower-flocked fabric,
also from our local thrift store.
~~~~
~~~
~
check out your local thrift shop!
there's treasures waiting...
peggy

hope and cheer...

i made the springy easter cloth napkins

from a vintage tablecloth

i think they turned out great!

i loooove the colors!

springy and eastery...

just what i need!
~~~

i had some scraps left

from the tablecloth

and made this little clutch

for my purse.

~~~

the pretty colors

and the look of spring

cheer me!

~~~

i put a snap on

this springy little clutch

and then covered the snap

with a button

and another piece

of the vintage tablecloth!

~~~

gotta love the repurposing!

~~~

making this springy little clutch today

with the sun shining brightly

gives me great hope

that spring will come

to the prairie!

~~~~~

~~~

~

sending you hopeful, cheerful thoughts of spring!

peggy

coin purse makeover...

i'm always on the lookout

for something fun

to repurpose.

~~~

i found this satiny beigy vintage coin purse

at a thrift shop

for 25 cents!

~~~

i fell in love

and had to have it!

~~~

isn't it the cutest?

~~~

i love it!

~~~

it has been well-loved

which only made it more appealing

to me!

~~~

i wasn't sure what i would do with it

but i wanted to

give it a new life...

~~~look at it now!

~~~

it's even more beautiful

than it was

before the makeover!

~~~

all glammed up

with mother-of-pearl buttons!

~~~

i love it!

~~~

and with this coin purse's

makeover comes

a new life...

~~~

this coin purse

will now be my

jewelery pouch

when i travel.

~~~

a much more elegant life,

quite befitting

this well-loved,

thrift shop treasure

turned

glamorous pouch!
~~~~~

~~~

~

make it a glamorous day!

peggy

easy peasy pretty green living...

i have started to use cloth napkins

to simplify my life.

~~~

i was prompted to start using cloth napkins

as i began looking for ways

i could live more "green."

~~~

using cloth napkins has worked well for me!

i am able to repurpose and live "green"

using cloth napkins~

and they feel so much better

on your skin

than paper napkins.

~~~

i bought these cloth napkins

at our local thrift store.

~~~

these pretty pink and red-flowered

cloth napkins

are repurposed from a

vintage tablecloth.

~~~

i simply tear the tablecloth

into 12x12 squares

and fray the edges.

~~~

easy peasy lemon squeezy!

~~~

i like to celebrate seasons and holidays

and i like variety

so i've made cloth napkins

out of seasonal and holiday tablecloths.

~~~

i have autumn and christmas napkins

and soon i'll have springy easter napkins

out of this pink lavender, and yellow vintage tablecloth.

~~~

how much prettier could repurposing

and living "green" be?

~~~~~

~~~

~

live green today!

peggy

old into new...

i love to repurpose!

~~~

i love it because i can

recycle something i already have

and repurpose it

into something no one else will have like it!

~~~

this is a purse i made from

a skirt, belt, and barrette of my daughter's.

i sewed up the bottom and tied on the belt.

the barrette is sewn on for decoration.

i love it!
~~~

this is a backpack i made my daughter

out of a pair of jeans and a pocket.

so fun and easy to make

and best of all...

no one else has one like it!

it's a one of a kind!
~~~

this blue jean purse is made from

a skirt, belt,

and decorative pieces from another pair

of my daughter's jeans.

i put a magnetic closure in the inside of these bigger purses.

the pink bag is made from

an old chenille bedspread.

i love the fringe!

~~~
i love red and i love wool
and i love this bag!
~~~
this bag is made
from a red wool sweater of mine
that i felted.
the bottom of the sweater is the top of the bag.
the handles of the bag
are made from the sleeves of the sweater.
i sewed the handles on
using the buttons
and then reinforced them
near the top edge of the bag.
~~~
i repurpose fabric
from many different household
(sheets, bedspreads, curtains)
and clothing
(tops, sweaters, jeans)
items.
i love the look and the feel
i get when i use fabric
that has already been
worn, washed, and loved!
~~~
i feel like i make something old new again
when i repurpose,
and that's a good feeling!
~~~~~
~~~
~
make it a repurposed day!
peggy