I did some thrift store shopping the other day. I went looking solely for pretty material to re-purpose into custom dolls and other little sewing projects I’ve been dreaming about. I spent $38. I suppose this doesn’t sound like much, but to me it feels like a fortune. When you’re trying to live on a budget AND get out of debt, spending a chunk of money hurts. The voices in my head were making me sick over my purchase. “What a waste of money. You don’t even know how to sew. And what if the material just sits, just like countless other art things you’ve bought in the past?”
Maybe I did go overboard.
But I really do have dreams for this fabric, and it was so much cheaper than buying it at a fabric store. And I’m reusing. One of the three R’s I’ve been trying to live by.
It’s amazing what the pressures of a budget can do to a woman. I started cutting into the material the minute I got home. And, as of tonight, I’ve already completed my first project with it. (I’ll have to share it soon. Need to get some pictures first!) I swore to myself, no more buying fabric until I’ve sufficiently dug into the stash I now have. So enough feeling guilty already.
I also spent some time sorting through the fabric I already have, getting it together in color stacks, so I can find what I need easier. It makes me so happy to see the colors all organized this way. I’m a geek for pretty organization. This felt was all purchased for $3 at an estate sale. How awesome is that? I’ve been using it like crazy and still feel like I haven’t even put a dent in it.
I finished this little project over the weekend. I’ve been wanting to practice a little more stitching on my sewing machine. So I pulled out some leftover fabric I had from making my kids some bean bags to throw around. This material was a pillowcase that I thrifted. Nothing fancy and pretty thin, so I decided to make a couple tea-towels with it. Straight, easy hemming. I found out I’m horrible at cutting fabric straight, and at sewing straight. (Trust me, these are some messy looking towels.) But it was a fun project nonetheless. Especially adding the cherries.
Zoe suggested putting faces on them. Great idea! See the towel on the top with the pins still through the cherries? Yes, that cherry on the right is supposed to be winking. I said, “Oh, that does not look right at all,” after I stitched it. To which Zoe replied, “Let it be ‘ISH‘ mommy.” See, I told you we throw that term around a lot. So I couldn’t rip the stitching out and start over. It had to be a lesson in being okay with ISH. A lesson I undoubtedly needed to learn. Later Zoe said to me, “It does look kind of like her eye is missing and she has stitches.” Ha!
Just for fun, here’s one more photo. Something else I got at the thrift store. Jewelry! Happy about this purchase because they were all in a little bag together for $1.
Have you visited your thrift store lately? Or been to any yard sales? (I can’t wait for it to be warm enough for yard sales every weekend again.) How do you like to reuse someone else’s things?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Not sure what a thrift store is? Here in the UK we have charity shops – could it be the same thing? And yes, I love charity shops. Such great choices and bargains to be had… and I’ve never thought about buying the clothes for material/fabrics – excellent idea and staring me in the face all this time.
Love your purchases. How creative and exciting.
Have a truly blessed week, Mandy and thank you for your prayers!
x
I’ve been doing this as well for a while Mandy. It’s hard not to feel guilty sometimes, but then I think about how much I could have spent on the regular stuff at the store too! I’ve found some great deals at the thrift store though, and so really fun fabrics for skirts, dresses, princess dresses, dress up clothes, etc. I can by a nice big bed sheet and have it look really good and and get a way better price from it than if I had bought that same amount of fabric from a store! I found this massive bag of lace and mixed up trims that weren’t the preetiest but I ran across a site on how to color your own lace with acrylic paint, and all the fun bright colorful trims you can make, so for $1.00 I’ve totally got a killer deal. That felt deal is amazing you got though! I’m wishing I could run into a felt deal like that! But I know what you mean… I keep telling myself I have to use up this stuff before I can buy more. I can’t wait to see what you create from these! You’ll only get better sewing on the machine the more you do it too. Just go at it and have fun!
Ohhh, I just like looking at your fabric stash! You got some great pieces! They are so pretty! I’m a geek for organization too…..I love to just look at things organized by color, shape, or purpose…..it’s pretty! I was just at goodwill last week, picked up a couple pairs of jeans to make my girls skirts with. This time my oldest (14) is going to try making her own! I LOVE it! Have fun!! It looks like you have plenty to work with, I can’t wait to see the photos of what you come up with!
Blessings,
Launa
Freecycle.com CHECK IT OUT!!!! There are groups that operate all over the country and its a great way to give and get items that still have life in them! Truly amazing what you can find in your own community…..
Correction…. Freecycle.ORG
@ Diane – Yes it’s probably the same as a charity shop. It’s a second-hand store.
@Shalae – Why am I not surprised that you’ve already been thrifting clothing with re-purposing in mind? I’m not into making clothes yet. I’ve got to get these straight lines down yet. Oh, and I have to be unafraid about making bobbins and changing thread colors. I’m still terrified by the idea of that. I’m stuck with white thread for the time being. HA!
@Launa – So cool your daughter is now getting into sewing her own stuff.
@Chandra – Good advice. I am on the local Freecycle email list in my community. I never thought about putting out a post requesting fabric/sewing/art supplies though. I may do this the next time I’m itching to have some new material.
You’re my kind of shopper. Tim & I go to the thrift store at least once a week just in case they had something new come in. The last Wednesday of the month is half price day and you would think it was a store at the mall. The thrift store in town is absolutely great, when you come home for Kenzie’s wedding maybe you can check it out. I love your site, always interesting and leaving a person wondering, what’s Mandy going to do next…..Thanks a lot for sharing
you know teh blue/green apple material in one of the first photos…is that by chance from GAP?? it looks so familiar!!! i don’t usually go to charity shops as i can’t get the stroller through! not enough space =) will have to try and get in when i am on my own!! i hadn’t even thought of making bean bags….maybe that’ll be my next project! will need to go and buy some material or felts!
thanks mandy
On the apple material, the tag says “Theme.”
Can you find felt there? I could always send you some. Let me know.
i’m sure i can find felt…i’m going to try and go to the rag market in birmingham city centre to get cotton and wool for crochet projects and i’ll be looking for some felt too =) thanks mandy!
“I’m a geek for pretty organization.”
Um, me too. Oh. Man.
We’re totally soul sisters, I tell you.
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