February 4, 2004 find us
under several inches of snow and that's okay. It is so white and clean,
covering all drab winter terrain. Maybe folks who have to drive to work
are not as tolerant. But, for me being shut in a warm house is not a
problem. My helper came out in spite of the weather and together we
tackled the disheveled tiny, eight feet by twelve feet, craft's room.
The size is actually no more than a large walk-in closet. As it turns
out, this is wonderful. The smaller space gives a more compact, easier to
organize place. I cannot take credit for knowing this though. In 1959
while living in Oklahoma City I went with a friend to collect some
garments she had altered. We entered a back door of a woman's home. The
tiny back porch had been converted to a sewing room. She was a tailor,
actually, and worked for one of the finer clothing stores doing
alterations. Everywhere one looked in the small area was order. She had
used an old door which was padded for her pressing and work table. That
taller table rested across from windows and there was a pleasant view for
her, too.
Four hands are better than
two and in a couple hours my helper and I together had everything back in
its place. Fabric sorted and folded, pins in the pin cushion, scissors on
their hangers, and so forth. I am now ready to get back to the winter
indoor crafts fun.
The first project was
cutting up a very large dress from a beautiful printed pattern in rich
colors. It was the perfectly right color for my kitchen table as a runner.
The pleasure started with my shopping garage sales for this type of
fabric. If the dress is twenty-five cents, so much the better. Try to
choose a fabric that will not fade and is easily washed with bleach as a
disinfectant. The top part of the dress had enough fabric to make these,
large, pin cushions. This will make a nice gift for someone.
The fill for large, pin
cushions are from saved old pillows. This filling also is easily washed
with a strong soap and a little bleach to kill any germs.
What a lot of fun to use
the discarded old dress some lady was bored with wearing. The splashy
fabric was just the thing to brighten up our day.
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