sewtakeahike

zipper reduction

I'm such a junker at heart.  I think it must have been imparted to me when I was growing up.  I dreaded driving anywhere with my dad in the summer because those trips that should have taken 20 minutes, always ended up taking 2 hours with all the detours to follow garage sale signs around town.

Now, I'm often just.like.him.

One thing I usually see in abundance while junking/thrifting are zippers.  And I snatch them up.  You can't beat the price at 5 or 10 cents each, and most of the time they are new, still in the package.

And yes, they're usually odd lengths like this 22 incher.   And that's perfectly fine with me since I can always cut it down to the size I need.

Here's how.

I have a project that needs an 8 inch zipper. 

Zippers are measured from the top of the zipper pull when the zipper is closed, down to the little metal stopper at the end when the zipper is open.

I measured from the top of the zipper pull, down to eight inches, marked the zipper, and then used the bartack stitch on my sewing machine (see the blue, highlighted stitch #25?)

to tack the zipper on my marking.  Then using a pair of craft scissors (not your good sewing scissors), cut the zipper about 1 inch below your new zipper stop.  Don't be timid, this will work even if the zipper teeth are metal.

There it is, the perfect zipper color and size for my project.

Happy Wednesday to you!

~Penny

vintage polyester quilt top

My mom and dad are so sweet when they find things at estate sales or garage sales that they think I may like, they will buy them and post them to me. 

In one of the packages my dad sent, were these 3 inch vintage polyester squares that someone had cut and backed with stabilizer.  They had that "old" smell to them so I put them in a delicate bag and washed them up.  Some of the squares lost the stabilizer and curled up madly, so I had to toss some of them.  But I was able to save most. 

This pillow was the first project I made from them

and now I have this 31X31 little baby quilt.

It's pretty heavy, so to cut down on some weight, I think I'm just going to back it with some flannel, no batting. 

What do you think?  And how would you quilt this little gem?  Or would you tie it?  Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Penny

p.s.  The Tiffany snail lamp giveaway is still going on, so go here and enter!  There aren't too many who have entered so far, so your chances are pretty good!

thrift shopping in photos

 

isn't this the sweetest little polka dot seahorse ever?

 

 

 

 

look at these vintage cottons, all three prints are curtain panels.

 

 

 

 

love these selvedges:

 

Total spent: $4.24.  Unbelievable!

right now....

it's spring outside, and inside!  I can't get enough of making these serged bags out of these beautiful thrifted sheets and fabrics! 

 

thrifted sheets to gift bag

I've been hanging onto this little peanut elephant to give to the first person I knew to have a girl since I made it and horray!!,  one of my coworkers just had a baby girl a week or so ago.   I didn't have any gift bags on hand and didn't want to run to the store, so I serged this little bag up in no time out of some thrifted sheets I have.

 

so my little peanut the elephant is finally going home!