Stashbusters #3 and #4

Okay, I know it's February and I should have at least 4 stashbusters posted. I really have been sewing and knitting every night but I just can't get outside to photograph because it's always cold, raining, or snowing.

Stashbuster #3 is a dress for charity from one of my underwear factory remnants. I added a bit of rick rack and little heart buttons to the pockets.

Stashbuster #4 used up a seersucker remnant for two more little dresses. I already had bias binding and elastic so I didn't have to purchase a thing!

Coming soon is my entry for the Patternreview Little White Dress Contest. The deadline is Saturday and I got a late start because my daughter and I couldn't decide on fabric and a pattern. I've always wanted to enter a Patternreview contest and the timing was great on this one. Daughter needs a dress to wear to the Kentucky Derby and this just might be the one!

2014 Stashbuster Totals
Yarn - 295 yards
Fabric - 3 yards

Goodwill Project #1

I thought I'd better get busy on that 38 yards of fabric I bought at Goodwill for $5.75. I mailed the two yards of ski fabric to duckbucket today. I can't wait to see what she makes with it. I used 2 1/3 yards of green cotton crinkle fabric to make 3 pillowcase dresses to send to Haiti. I used this pattern from Nancy's Notions which includes sizes small to extra large.

At 15 cents per yard, these dresses cost about 12 cents each for the fabric. After adding for the bias binding and elastic, I'm up to about $1.50 per dress!

Total Goodwill treasure                        38 yards

ski fabric sent to duckbucket                2

3 green cotton pillowcase dresses         2 1/3 
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Remaining yards to sew                       33 2/3 yards

Treasure Hunt

I made a trip to Grandma's Attic in search of fabric or pillowcases to use for the Dresses for Haiti project we are working on at church. I found lots of pretty old textiles including linen calendars, pillowcases, and fabric.

I can't decide what to make with this old (1991) linen calendar towel that I purchased for $1.50. I love the little rectangles with the herbs on them. I think perhaps they would be cute appliqued on pot holders. Any suggestions?

 
I found this vintage looking pillowcase for 50 cents that will make an adorable little dress for our project. We are up to about 60 dresses now and still sewing!

I couldn't leave without this pretty printed cotton fabric. $1.00 for 1 1/2 yards! What a deal! I think I need to go treasure hunting again soon!

Little Dresses for Haiti

Recently, I have been trying to use up some of my stash which, of course, makes room for more. I made about 20 dresses from this pattern which is similar to the "pillowcase" dress. It is a great pattern with multiple sizes and armhole templates. My church helps support a mission in Haiti so I contacted one of the ladies who frequently visits Haiti and ask if she could see that the dresses get distributed to little girls who need them. She said that she knows of a particular orphanage where each little girl has two dresses, one to wear while the other is being washed. She thought they would feel like queens in their new dresses! Several ladies from church have donated fabric, pillowcases, and trim to make more dresses and we have a group meeting next month to continue the project.

This dress is made from a pillowcase I bought at Goodwill for $1

This is a closeup of a vintage pillowcase donated by one of the ladies at church.

The fabric this pillowcase was made from was only 36 inches wide! How long has it been since you could buy fabric that is 36 inches wide?

More 36 inch wide fabric donated by a church member. I also found the green gingham and the rick-rack in the same bag.