| If you love thrift stores and garage sales, this is | | | | handbags. Find old craft or knitting kits and use |
| the column for you. There’s gold in them | | | | the threads and yarns to create decorative trims |
| thar hillssewing gold! Change your perspective | | | | for your projects. Remove the back and insides |
| a little and look at the world as one big fabric | | | | of an old stuffed fabric doll or toy, and use the |
| store and you’ll find all kinds of treasures | | | | front or profile for a cute appliqué on jeans. Silk |
| to add to your stash. | | | | or lace from wedding gowns can be removed and |
| - Have a closet full of old bridesmaid or prom | | | | used for other sewing projects, and the tulle from |
| dresses? Use them to make a quilt or a | | | | underskirts can be re-made into pettiskirts. Take |
| patchwork pillow. Give the bride a memento from | | | | a blouse from your closet that you |
| her wedding by printing her wedding details on a | | | | haven’t worn (but can’t bear to |
| piece of printable fabric. Then, use fabrics, trims, | | | | give away) and use it to create a camisole or a |
| and even petticoat tulle from the bridesmaid | | | | fabric belt. |
| dresses (or even the bride’s dress if you | | | | - Robes & Terrycloth. Cut worn parts from old |
| have scraps from alterations) to artfully dress a | | | | robes or towels and sew them together to make |
| pillow she can keep always. Give your daughter a | | | | a fun shower curtain (use with a liner). Vintage |
| memento of her high-school dances with a quilt | | | | chenille is fun to use for stuffed toys. |
| made with fabric from her dresses. Create an | | | | - Buttons, Beads & Jewelry. If you have an old |
| appliqué of a dress to put in each square using | | | | jacket with great buttons, consider taking the |
| the fabric from her gowns. | | | | buttons off to re-use them. Find beaded sweaters |
| - Handkerchiefs, gloves, scarves, bandanas, lace & | | | | or jackets, old jewelryeven shoes-- and |
| linens. When I was a child, we had to have a new | | | | disassemble to reclaim the beads and findings. |
| embroidered handkerchief and a pair of white | | | | Remove belts from cool belt buckles and attach a |
| gloves every Easter. Sew these mementos into | | | | new fabric belt. Re-use hardware from old purses |
| projects to create an artistic memoir. Trims can | | | | to make new ones. Frequently, hardware is |
| often be pricey when new, so take them off of | | | | expensive to buy new but remains undamaged on |
| old garments or lingerie and re-use them. Make a | | | | used pieces. |
| dress from a vintage pillow case or from a | | | | - Scraps. Be sure to use those scraps of fabric |
| bandana. | | | | for small projects like appliqué, scrapbooking, |
| - Used Clothing & Thrift Items. Find tablecloths | | | | patchwork, hair clips, stuffed toys, and |
| with embroidery or lace to transformmany | | | | embellishments. |
| vintage linens were made with handmade lace. | | | | To read about yorkies for adoption and |
| Use old straw hats as forms to create fancy | | | | goldendoodle adoption, visit the Small Dog |
| dress-up bonnets. Use old jeans to make trendy | | | | Adoption site. |