Thrift store finds

A belated Happy New Year to you all. I hope the year has started off well for everyone. Did you have a good Christmas? I got a nice, new cutting mat! Which I desperately needed :)

A week or so before Christmas, my dh and I were visiting our local thrift store. I am always finding great sewing things there. Usually it's machines, I've brought home two from this thrift store.

But this time, we found a cutter. It works great for cutting strips up, and doesn't hurt my hand to use it.





You lift up the cutting bar, place your fabric where needed (it has a few rulers on the base, those red strips), put your hand on that little deely-bob sticking up and push forward with it. That has the rotory cutter under it.





It's as easy as that. The part that takes the longest is setting it up to the right length.

Then a few days ago, we were in another, newer thrift store. They had some fabric! Most of it was clothing fabric though. Not anything I would use in my quilts. But they had this one bolt of broadcloth, I think that's what it is (I am not that great at what fabric is, unless it's cotton, lol). This cloth is cool because it already has interfacing ironed on it!! The WHOLE bolt was like that! I thought, wow, that will make great bags!


Isn't it a beautiful coral color!! And, it's 60" wide! I got the last 3 yards on the bolt...for only $1.50 a yrd!!

So I took it out yesterday and got right to work. I wanted a new library bag. The one I have is a great canvas one. It's big too, but I wanted something else. And I new that this fabric would be sturdy enough for one. My family of 5 are voracious readers, so a big book bag is in order.

Here is what the front looks like, this is just the shell, without the lining.


Do you see the zipper? It is a recessed pocket for your library card, keys, whatever. My first time doing one! I think it turned out great.

Keep one eye on the blog, I'll be doing my FIRST tutorial, making this bag!

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On the forum news, we've started our Robin for this year. This time it's a Row Robin, our first one we have done on the forum. Here is my row.


It is a Jacobs Ladder variation. This picture only shows part of it, it's actually 36" long. We wanted to make wall hangings, so they will be a bit taller than wide, but not by much.

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Well that's all for today. I hope you come back and cheer me on when I post my first tute! I'm a bit nervous.

Till next time....

Dorian