Wednesday, November 18, 2015

MAKING RAG WREATHS

I can't knit or I'd knit a new house probably
I can't sew ( shamefully I'm the daughter of a seamstress ) 
But I CAN tie pieces of cloth together and create something out of fabric :)


I wanted to make a wreath for Evan's room and had no idea where to start - until I saw John destroying fabric swatches from our business
( we represent fabric lines from Europe and so we always have swatches ) 

Suzan screams - OMG - are you throwing those out?
John says - Yeah - why?
John says - They're little bits of fabric - you can't do anything with them
Suzan says - as I'm scrambling around emptying the trash bin - SHAME ON YOU !  These don't belong in the landfill !
John says - Are you going to go through the garbage every time I throw something out?
Suzan says - Well I'm certainly going to start inspecting it before it goes to the curb !



They're very small pieces so I cut each one into 3 strips


and tied them together


so each strip ended up having 4 " tails " which worked great for fullness !

I used embroidery hoops 2 sizes - small and medium -  because I had a few on hand from a project long long ago and tied each strip on them


At one point my fingers started hurting a little

John says - You're going to ruin your hands permanently if you keep up with these " projects "
Suzan says - I want my hands to be completely used up when they bury me - 
John says - You're the most morbid person I know

Ahhh.............but I can make a rag wreath.


Aren't all the little bits of cloth just perfect together?
They're my " wreaths of many colors "
I made them while watching t.v. in bed - repeats of Downton Abbey to be precise - the next morning John woke up with lint and threads all over his boxers - I burst out laughing

Suzan says - You look like a human lint brush
Suzan says - Wait I want to get a picture

But he threatened to break my fingers...............you know - the ones he was so concerned about the day before?

Suzan says - Wreaths are very expensive to buy - think of the money I saved !
John stops ...........
John says - Really?  Why don't you make a ton of them and sell them?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  My fingers John - think of my poor fingers

John says - Well YOU said you wanted to use them up.
Suzan says - You're what the Chinese would call a Capitalist Pig
John snorts - China's full of capitalist pigs - probably more than here

Have a wonderful day everyone
I'm off to google why a communist country is filled with capitalist pigs.
And then I may just  make a few wreaths to sell !
( maybe I could sell them in China ? )

Hugs,
Me


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44 comments:

  1. Only you could find something to do with fabric scraps and a hoop.

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  2. The wreath is beautiful and look at all the fabric you saved. You just sell the samples on Etsy as supplies. Quilters would love them.

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  3. stunningly beautiful and such a happy smiling post too... oh you are such a clever girl even if you cannot sew, you make gorgeous things out of scraps... what a talent that is*** you tell that husband of yours, you are so clever and wonderful !!!!!

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    1. Thanks Jeannine - WOW - I'm going to repeat every word of this comment to John LOL
      xoxo

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  4. Love all those colours together... lots of work, but it's beautiful!

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  5. This is great a green, redo project, in bed even, what could be better? dipped in chocolate maybe...they are adorable, and I actually love all the shirtings in your wreaths...how about a garland??? Tell..John to hold the other end of the rope in his teeth while he sleeps, lol. Sandi

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  6. Hahaha... You're such an industrious person. The dowgar duchess would be proud of you. Love your wreath and love the fact that you are avoiding the landfill! ;)

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    1. LOL !
      She'd say - " A rag wreath? What's a rag wreath ? " LMHO
      Thanks Mary !
      xxx

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  7. Lovely colours. What a great idea. I made one of these once when I was a kid out of cellophane (dry cleaner bags in those days) and sprayed it gold. So 60's. Your fabric looks like men's shirts and could be used in a men's store.
    Cathy

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    1. We used to make them with strips cut out of garbage bags back in the 70's lol - green ones were the most popular !
      Thanks Cathy !
      xox

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  8. What a great idea! The wreaths look great. Something about little pieces of fabric always gets me excited! You could probably just sell the swatches, an embroidery hoop and an instruction booklet and sell as a kit! Save your fingers and make some money.

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    1. Thanks Debbie !
      Although I have to say it doesn't excite me the way a can of paint does LOL
      xoxo

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  9. Beautiful, love your wreath idea!!! Patty

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    1. Thanks Patty - and a new obsession is born - just like that LOL !

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  10. What a Great idea and so clever using up them scraps and your wreath is stunning by the way. Get a piece of wood, put Evan's initial and hang the wreath so that his initial is showing through the center of the wreath.
    I have seen rag wreaths done with old jeans that have been cut into strips.

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  11. This turned out fantastic. I love it and a great way to reuse beautiful fabric.

    Cindy

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  12. Cute, I love how they look. Perfect too that you saved the scraps from the landfill! Laughing at the thought of John looking like a human lint trap. :)

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  13. Haha, your posts always make me smile, Suzan! I like how the wreath turned out! I'm sure you could sell them...which might help cover the medical expenses for your fingers ;)

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    1. LOL - I'm in Montreal - I don't have to pay for my medical expenses - win/win LMHO
      xoxoxo

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  14. since blue is my favorite all time color I really like that first wreath on the mannequins head

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  15. It's a gorgeous wreath Suzan! :))) Glad you saved the fabric and ... put some coconut oil on your hands. It's miraculous.
    Your idea of selling them in China reminded me of the movie "Outsourced". :) Love and hugs to ya'll ~ Christina

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  16. You two crack me up! Your wreath is gorgeous Suzan! Shame on John for throwing perfectly good fabric scraps in the garbage...MEN.

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  17. OMG! I agree with you, Suzan, that fabric is gorgeous and leave it to you to find something Fabulous to do with it!! I love fabric and textiles!! You definitely could sell them! They are so pretty! Congrats on another sheer act of awesome CREATIVITY!! (I am such a sucker for pretty fabric--I've been known to buy something I totally don't need just because the fabric it's made out of is beautiful!!)
    I swear God used the same mold to make men's brains! John sounds just like my husband!
    You're in my heart and thoughts.!
    XOXOXOXOXO
    Laura/Hazel, et al

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    Replies
    1. He's been throwing them out for years and I never took notice before !
      Thanks so much - I needed something to do the last few days to take my mind off things, you know?
      Love ya!
      xox

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  18. Love the wreath, Suzan. Do you remember back in the 80s when we poked those strips down into Styrofoam forms to make wreaths...and then half the things would fall out because you poked them "too close" and the hole would be enlarged too far? That was a fine art, I tell you! I like the tying idea a lot more...except for my fingers. lol

    You better show that hanging on the boyo's wall!!! xo Diana

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  19. Oh! They're bright, beautiful and can stay up year round. Love that they're decorator fabrics and have a beautiful finish.

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  20. Ha! As always you two make me laugh.
    I like your wreath, my favorite colors.
    Carla

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  21. The wreath is fabulous! Glad you were able to salvage the scraps to make something so beautiful! :) ~Rhonda

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  22. Love the wreath...it's very pretty!!
    ~Cindy

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  23. Your rag wreaths are adorable! Thanks for the how-to--I will remember it when I go through my fabric scraps stash some sweet day!!

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  24. Such a cute rag wreath Suzan. Glad you saved them from file 13! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  25. Oh wow...now I know what I can do with all those scraps I saved :o)....I have to ask...how long were those three strips? I'm sorry if I missed thatpart - Absolutely precious and gosh...you might have to find a cabinet to paint and store those samples ! Would be fun to add some to the fronts of drawers...(Modge Podge here I come..hmmm, thinkin.....)
    So sorry about your loss....nothing like sweet grandbabies to make the world go away. He is precious!!

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  26. Suzan that is just so pretty! Perfect for a boys room !

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  27. Love the fullness and the pinked edges. When I look at your wreath I think 'Polo' and Ralph Lauren' the quality and the colours. Happy SYC! Susan - eclecticShorebird@blogspot.com, Susie's Christmas Cottage@blgospot.com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Susan - the pinking is already done by the factories - lucky me !!!
      xox

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  28. That's a great idea and I'd do it if my fingers weren't crippled from making music sheet paper roses for a little Christmas tree. Don't ask; it was one of those crafts that became a full time job for a week. I'll pin this one just in case my fingers heal in time to get it done.

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  29. YAY! You're back! I missed you. Save those fabric squares. Where I live in northern California, we have Fabmo and Scrap. Check them out! http://www.fabmo.org/fabmo/Home.html http://www.scrap-sf.org/creative-reuse

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    Replies
    1. Well thanks very much !!!
      Just checked it out - what a great site !
      ( but I'm saving mine to make more wreaths with LOL ! )
      xox

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  30. Silly boy. And it's a beautiful wreath too! Thanks for sharing this!
    Come over and vote for Mrs. Olson at my blog!
    Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

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  31. Good for you for saving all those pretty scraps from the trash. Your wreath is so pretty and so clever...perfect for any time of the year. Thanks so much for bringing it to VIP.

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Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
Can I beat these spammers at their own game? Probably not - but I'm going
to try my damnedest !!!
xoxo