You Can Wash These Things. Like, With Soap 'n Water.

So yesterday I start making-over a thrifted lamp, right, with the cleaning and the painting and the sanding and all that? Ya.  So I figure that while the paint is drying, it might be a good idea to skoot over to Canadian Tire to grab a new shade for the lamp 'cause the old one I have is kinda gross and grubby, right? But then, I have this idea, right?... Why not try cleaning the shade I do have before going out and dropping money I don't have on a new one. I figure it's worth a try, right?

And then I think to myself: "Someone out there has done this before." Gotta be, right? So I google it. And lo and behold, HERE is a tutorial at TLC Home. You can wash these things? Once again, I was clueless. I've never washed a lamp shade in my life. But the best part, it came out like brand-spanking new. I just followed the instructions with the warm water and the dish soap and stuff. And boom. Beautiful and clean again.

So lamp shades are washable... I learned something.

♥M

Series 9: Old Towel New - Bath Puppet

Ah yes... Here we are. 'Tis the final chapter in the Old Towel New saga. With only scraps and dregs left over from the other towel projects I barely managed to scrape together this sweet double-duty bath puppet. See? It can serve as both a toy and a soft washcloth. The little ones can simultaneously have fun AND get sparkly clean. Handy, no?

Here's the how-to:

I made a simple newspaper template as below and cut out 2 of the large pieces and 4 of the circles.

I sewed two pairs of circles together, leaving a gap for turning. I then zigzagged around all edges of the two large pieces. I snipped the edges of the two circles (ears) and turned them inside out.

I cut a piece of freezer paper big enough to accommodate a face for my puppet and ironed it to one of the large pieces. I drew the face. [Note: I used freezer paper because it's difficult to transfer a design onto towel with all those nubblees hanging about.] Now, using a running stitch and embroidery needle and thread, I outlined my design directly through the freezer paper. I then carefully, very very carefully, removed the freezer paper. Finally, I went over the entire outline with a back stitch. Oh yes, and I used satin stitch for the tiny myopic eyes.

To put the puppet together, I placed the circles (ears) onto the face as shown below, and then put the other large piece on top and pinned the layers together. I machine-stitched around the perimeter just inside the zigzagged edge, leaving the bottom open. I stitched one last zigzag around that bottom edge to finish it off neatly. Finally, I flipped the whole thing inside out and...

Behold! One fine play 'n wash bath puppet:

That Terry... He's hilarious.

♥M

The rest of the Old Towel New series: mop pad, washcloths, soft watchband, car sponge, oven mitt.

Series 9: Old Towel New - Washcloths

I hope you're enjoying some well-deserved rest this lovely Easter weekend.

A quick and quiet "Old Towel New" installment today. I'm transforming old towels into other stuff in this series. This one's a no-brainer. It goes a little something like this...

If you're not familiar with how to make seam binding, an extremely thorough binding tutorial resides right here! Once you've made the binding, then...

Don't forget to sew it down! I did it by hand, but you could do it by machine as well.

All of which leaves you with...

Match them to your bathroom or kitchen and enjoy!

Have a safe and Happy Easter!

♥M

 View installment 1 of this series HERE.

Series 9: Old Towel New - Mop Pad

The mop below is one of my favourite household cleaning items. Its telescopic handle and pivoting head are genius for reaching into the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of our little house. It is grrreat for mopping the floors. With a spray bottle, I simply mist the floors with a vinegar-water solution and then pass the mop over them. So easy. But best of all, it has a long-lasting, removable, and washable cleaning pad. When I'm done mopping, I throw that dirty pad in the wash and that's IT, I'm done. I know I sound like an advertisement, but this is how I feel about this mop deep down in my heart. Also, I can assure you that I do not, nor have I ever, worked for the makers of this mop,Vileda.

As far as I can see, there is only one down-side to this mop. It came with only one cleaning pad, and sometimes, when I've let things slide around here (who, moi?), a second replacement pad would really come in handy, you know?

So just in time for spring cleaning, I decided to fashion a grubby old towel into a second replacement pad! Yip yip. Here's what I did.

I cut a rectangle of old towel slightly wider than my Vileda pad, and twice plus 3 inches longer. Then I folded it in half and machine-stitched down the long edge with a 1/2 seam allowance.

I trimmed the excess beyond the stitching. Then flipped the whole thing inside out.

With the sewing machine and my good old walking-foot, I quilted the towel layers together with semi-random parallel lines of stitching. Then, I grabbed a few cotton scraps, cut out a couple of squares, folded them into rectangles and lay them along the short sides of the quilted towels like so.

The raw edges (along the short sides), I zigzagged shut multiple times. And finally, I folded the long edges over about an inch and stitched them down.

Such a useful little project. It makes me happy.

Here's Vileda modelling her new outfit now...

Oh, she look gooooooood. The height of moppy fashion.

Oh and by the way, this is the first post in a series of old towel refashions. I wonder what'll be next? Hmm...

Well, you have a lovely day now.

♥M