Well, Charley and I did a little dance together..I because I won a prize and Charley because she loves a little dance;0) Dear Timeka from Sewlovable was given a three months subscription by the website Instructables.com. The generous girl decided to organize a give-away and I won! Wow, the website is amazing and almost overwhelming!! Having lots of fun with it.
Also check out Timeka’s lovely website with beautiful sewing, stylish fashion, and delectable recipes!
So now you are wondering about the shirts? Charley and I tried to do a selfie whilst dancing but failed miserably. Ah well..no but Sewlovable got me thinking about my own sewing. (Not nearly as good and presentable as Tamika’s.) Mr. Walker loves his cotton shirts. I do too because he looks so dashing and handsome in them.
But extra bonus : once worn out, I use the lovely fabrics for all kinds of everythings. Like these vintage style potholders.
Some cushions and granny squares.
And these nice pencil cases together with left over funky fabric from curtains. Got that idea from Cathe.
Ha, gezellige fotos van dingetjes en dangetjes gemaakt van Meneer Walker’s oude overhemden. Zoals je ziet, houdt hij erg van zijn overhemden…ik ook want hij ziet er bijzonder appetijtelijk uit ;0) Ik dacht eraan omdat ik een prijs heb gewonnen van Timeka en ik 3 maanden nu een gratis abonnement heb op deze website.
Love and Liefs, Johanna
Hi Johanna, congrats for the prize! I love your yellow cushion, I use the fabric from my old skirts to make cover for my cushions too. I’ve never thought about hubby shirts, but it’s a good idea. Have a great Friday!
Thanks Elizabeth!
What a cool way to repurpose old shirts! Nice!
Thank you so much!
How creative and resourceful, Johanna.
Congrats on the prize.
Thank you, Cynthia
Oh Johanna! You are so sweet and so clever! I LOVE the cat pot holders! You sew so well and I always love shirt material, those cool, clean stripes and checks. I absolutely loved the post of yours where you created an image of Charley entwined around yourself portrayed as a little Owl. Did I get that right? Was it representing the two of you? If I ever want to feel safe, that is the image I will bring up in my mind. It was so comforting.
I am dreadfully behind with blogging. My big cat Otto became very ill last week and has been in hospital. He already has a very bad heart, but he was going to die unless I put him through an operation, during which, because of his already bad heart, he could die anyway. I took the risk and he has come through the operation. Now he has to survive the next few days without his heart failing. I took Otto in as a stray and I always meant to be careful and love him less. But I can not. Love is not like that is it? I love him so much. Fingers are all crossed for my dear Otto, the cat who likes to sleep in the Chive bed.
Love Karen.
Karen, I hope your dear kitty Otto recovers. I know this must be so hard, my heart goes out to both of you!
Cathe
Oh Karen what scary news about Otto! I hope by now all is so much better!! I know how you love your cats and how important they are to you. I am thinking of you and sending good vibes and healing thoughts.
I love your imagination…but no it is not Chalrey and me
Ooops pressed a wrong button and send to early. There is a drawing of a bedroom with a woman with a sleeping dog on her bed, thats more Charley and me;0) But this drawing is Genevieve’s Cupcake. A very special dog that has become my litle muse. But I am very happy you found it so comforting!!! Take your time with everything dear Karen, xo Johanna
Well done on winning the prize – lovely! And your sewing looks excellent to me – what a good use of old shirts – I wish I was that clever! 🙂
Pah, nothing clever there…just good olde Dutch thriftyness ;0) Have a great Sunday!
So exciting! Congratulations on winning a prize. I love your recycling ideas. It’s a whole different kind of creativity. Impressive!
Thank you dear Genevieve, and my apologies to Cupcake for using cat shapes…or does she like cats? Charley hufs and pufs when she sees one….have a lovely Sunday! xo Johanna
Wonderful! My son has a very nice flannel shirt I’ve long thought to make into a pillow (cushion) cover. It doesn’t fit him anymore, as he is 26 and his grandparents gave him the shirt when he was about 4. 🙂 That was also about the age he decided not to wear stripes anymore (“Grown-ups wear stripes. I’m not a grown-up so I don’t have to.”) and heaven forbid plaids! (“Plaids are stripes in two directions!”) Oh my… So the lovely little shirt was worn once, I think. But it is from his grandpa and grandma, and oh so soft and comfy. Perhaps now is the time…
What a sweet story!! I hope you make something beautiful out it and please show out on your blog than!!!! xo Johanna
Oh, these are wonderful creations. I especially love the pencil holders. 🙂
Thank you Galivanta…they are fun and I made few more as presents. It is so easy to do (like I said not very good at sewing) My oldest son showed his of to his friends…I made me very happy. Being green and happy!!! xo Johanna
Great ideas! I love the pot holders:). I save my husband’s worn shirts for fabrics too. I love the good material and the way the patterns combine with florals. congratulations on your prize:)
I agree, those lovely fabric in subdues colors and patterns match anything. And with only worn colors ans cuffs…my thrifty Dutch heart cannot endure the idea of throwing them out ;0) have a lovely Sunday! Johanna
Good morning, Johanna,
I love your recycling of fabrics. Well, actually I love the products that come out of it. What a great idea.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Pit
Thanks Pit and a good weekend to you too. I hope the flood damage is under control again! Cheers, Johanna
Good morning Johanna,
Here, with us, there wasn’t much damage. We just lost 3 branches of our cedars. The city’s pump station got hit by a tornado. It’s still working, though, but needs repair. That’s all. We and Fredericksburg were lucky.
Have a great Sunday,
Pit
Very clever! Love the pot holders! You are so creative! 😊
Thank you Jill!
Congrats on your prize! I went over there and really liked the bookshelf chair. I had to leave before getting any more ideas. I like the idea of repurposing fabric. It’s a nice way to keep something around that you like that has worn out for its original purpose. I do like the cushions and pot holders and that pencil holder is “wizard,” as a friend’s child used to say!
A ” wizard”..how I love that! Kids and using language creatively, it fascinates me no end!
I love the website too but indeed I make my visits short as not get overwhelmed;0)
And thank you for your kind word, recycling and being creative makes me green and happy;0) xo Johanna
These are all lovely! 🙂
Thanks you very much, Janette! have a lovely Sunday, Johanna
Johanna, I wish we were neighbors so I could see these beauties first hand…and spend time painting together. You continually inspire me with your endless creativity! This post is delicious!
Oh my goodness, I like that idea! We would make great neighbors I feel! Kindred Spirits next door. And thank you agian for the post on your pencil cases..xo Johanna
So, how about a drawing of you and Charley doing your dance? Your drawings are more fun than photographs any day! I love any project that re-uses something we have too many of–your shirt projects are great! I like the way you used the placket on the back of the pillow!
Thanks Kerry, you are a kindred spirit when it comes to re-purpose and re-use! Being green and having fun…it des not get any better right? xo Johanna
and about that drawing..I will think about it! Charley is very hard to draw with her black coat. I am so used to her expressive face, it is not easy capture.But I will think about it!
Hi Johanna – I really enjoyed your post. Your up-cycled projects are all so creative. We have everything we need to be creative right in our own closets and drawers. 😊
Have beautiful day.
You are so right!! When I want to start a project, I always look around in the house first…before I go to the shops! A good money saver too ;0)
I love your sewed creations – the potholders are fabulous! I particularly like the pencil holders (and that you can roll them up). A longer one would work for knitting needles, too. Nice ways to use the fabric!
Thank you Sheryll…they are fun and I made few more as presents. It is so easy to do (like I said not very good at sewing) My oldest son showed his of to his friends…I made me very happy. Being green and happy!!! xo Johanna
You are so ingenious! All the things you have made out of re-cycled shirts and other scraps are wonderful! Congratulations on winning the give-away!
Thank you Clare!
So clever!
Your creations are wonderful and congrats on the prize!
Thank you Laurie!
You are such a clever recycler – and this is such a happy blog, you always make me smile! Love those pencil holders especially …
Thank you Anna, I am glad you enjoy my blog!The pencil holders are fun and I made few more as presents. It is so easy to do (like I said not very good at sewing) My oldest son showed his of to his friends…I made me very happy. Being green and happy!!! xo Johanna
Congratulations on your prize, hooray for dancing with Charley and I know what you mean about the beauty of well worn shirt material…so soft and easy to work with 🙂
Being green and happy…it does not get any better. Textile waste is as bad as any kind of of waste. Ha, and you are well familiar with the frugal Dutch heart…
Snicker, I really want to see some of the selfie ‘outakes’. I’m sure they’re cute! Congratulations to you both xo.
The pot holders are adorable, such a great idea to reuse a cotton shirt. I see Mr W enjoys that one brand. Only you could make a photograph of mens shirts look so charming Johanna 😀 With all the brand tags matching and the wooden hangers, it makes laundry day look like a scene right out of a nice magazine. I used to iron all of Jim’s work shirts but finally admitted I was over it. I offered to take them to a nearby cleaners once a week (his building actually has a concierge that’d do it for you too). He stubbornly said, “if you’re going to do that, I’ll just do them myself “. To which I happily agreed would be wonderful. So now, every Sunday, he watches old episodes of Archie Bunker and Irons his collared shirts. Seems rather ironically comical to me…snort.
The pencil case is fun and fantastic too. I bought material in Washington to sew some summer dresses, I best pitter patter. Hugs to you and snuggles to Charley xo
Ha, Kelly the joy of doing laundry indeed. Not only am I Dutch and affected by the national obsession with cleanliness…but I started my ( very diverse) career as a professional house keeper. A 2 years hefty training in the domestic arts! I loved it.
The pencil holders are fun and I made few more as presents. It is so easy to do (like I said not very good at sewing) My oldest son showed his of to his friends…I made me very happy. Being green and happy!!! I hope you will show your dresses on the blog! xo Johanna
😀 you are a delightful enigma Johanna ! I had no idea you could take a 2 year course in Domestic Arts……or are you being witty there? LOL I might be a little like Sheldon on the Big Bang as sometimes ‘sarcasm’ goes over my head even though I attempt to use it at times, snicker.
I actually did Blog about my last sewing conundrum here, read on for a giggle:
http://boomdeeadda.com/2014/01/21/im-no-expert-aloha/
No I am not kidding! ;0) I really had a two years training In The Netherlands to become a Professional Housekeeper. By the end of the two year I was working for a company who send me to families where the mom for some health related reason was not capable, temporarily, to look after her household. I worked at big farms, high social class big households, and anything in between. Looking back, I was so young but so self assured. I would come in, do my assessment and say” nothing to worry about”…by the end of the day, house was clean and well organized, kids in good order, mom well looked after in a clean bed (if applicable) and totally spoiled and dad would come home to a nice meal. I did budget, planning, diet cooking and if necessary helped to get the cows in the stable or made sure the Tennis Ladies had their tea. It was delightful and after that I moved on the become an RN and after that a Child Therapist. And after that we start living abroad…so many more different jobs in different fields, like a Dutch Language instructor for Immigrant children or working in the local libraries in rural Canada…
ps I wonder if Domestic Science was a better translation????
So much responsibility for a young woman. That is a diverse (and long) list. I’m more than impressed. I worked for the same company for almost 25 years. It was a very big company and I moved around to multiple jobs. On the plus side, I shall start to receive a nice allowance on my birthday next year. On the minus side…….well that list is long too, LOL. xo
Johanna, I am not a whiz with the sewing machine, but you clearly “is”. Enjoy your repurposed shirts – everything looks lovely.
Thank you so much…but do be fooled, these things are really easy to make..anything more complicated and I will make a mess of it ;0)
lol!
My daughter has made beautiful aprons with my SIL’s shirts but you even went above and beyond. Nice reuse of good fabric. 🙂
Thank you so much…but do not be fooled, these things are really easy to make..anything more complicated and I will make a mess of it ;0)
Thank you so much for the mention!!! You are a creative genius your projects are fantastic!!!!
Thank you so much but…Thank you so much…but do not be fooled, these things are really easy to make..anything more complicated and I will make a mess of it ;0)
Congratulations! You have got to be one of the most creative people! Love the things you’ve made from old shirts! Love those kitty potholders! 😀 ❤
You clever lady ! Congratulations 🙂
I too love those kitty pot holders … a feline Miffy face 🙂
Congratulations on the win. I’ve won a few gifts via blogging, and remember feeling overjoyed!
I’m just tickled with your shirt/cat/potholders. What a charming collection you have.
The artist loves the pencil case!:)