Playing

 I've been pondering the trash we make and the impact a few changes could make for the earth. So today I focused on wine. I do love a good glass of vino on the weekend with a good meal. What I don't like is the paper and plastic bags that package the bottle. We do reuse our plastic bags for our cat litter but the paper bag tends to go into the trash. 

I was given some heavy muslin-like fabric that was going to be sent to the thrift store. I thought it would be perfect for this project. It will work well for another project I have in mind, too. More on that later. 

I used the paper bag as a guide for the measurements. I love making patterns when I have something to base the pattern on. I made quite a few stupid mistakes while working on this. I figure I learn best by making mistakes. 

I wanted the bag to be fairly unobtrusive which is why I liked the plain fabric. After crafting it without the contrasting band I thought it was a little too plain. 

I think the floral band at the top adds a nice touch without being too fancy for a trip home from the liquor store. It could be fun to do some kind of printing or stamping on the front. 

I put the ribbon on the inside (by mistake, actually) but I kind of like how it worked out. I just tied the ribbon once I pulled it tight so it would stay closed. I'm also thinking there could be some other closure options. 

This bag fits a large bottle of wine better than the smaller bottles. I'd like to make a bag for the smaller bottles, too. Once I have things figured out I'll post a tutorial. With the week I'm having it'll be a while!

Altoid's Tin Repurposed

Here's dolly and her tin.

I've had an idea floating in my head for many months now. I just hate to throw away those little Altoid's tins. I was sure there was some crafty purpose to them. When I was a girl, I bought a carrying case that had two little dolls. I can't remember the name of the dolls to save my life. The case was pink, in bad shape and could hold about 10 dolls in all. Each was unique in some way. The set was probably from the 1960's or early 70's. I don't even remember if the dolls had clothes. No problem. I made them little dresses out of fabric scraps. I have the fondest memories of playing with those dolls over the summer on our front porch with my friend Sally. I even remember that the one doll was pudgy and the other thin, just like Sally and I (I was the pudgy one). 

Nothing says 'I love you' like a homemade quilt.

All tucked in for the night.

So in reminiscing about these dolls and the hours of enjoyment I got out of them (I wonder if my mom still has them.....) I thought about making something little and fun for play. These photos show you what I did this morning. I have about 5 more tins so I'm thinking they each could be something different. This one is the bed. I have an idea for the kitchen and even church. Now I need a name. I first thought about calling them pocket pals but I think there are too many other products with that name. Let me know if you have any ideas. I think I'll put them in my etsy shop to sell. 


(** edited....the dolls I had were called Liddle Kiddles. Here's the link for the case I had.)