Another MAP BAG

The hubster had asked for a bigger document bag this morning to carry his stacks of papers...and so I went to work on my sewing machine with a map that I had rescued from the trash and lots of vinyl.

This was an easy one to sew...I decided to sew on the wrong side instead and so I had to flip the bag to the right side and that was what was really hard to do.

My paper map got a little crumpled in the process but no biggie as the vinyl layers have kept the map in one piece with no tears or whatsoever. So here it is....my waterproof (crumpled) MAP BAG for my dearest.

The map is printed on both sides so it's mappy on the inside of the bag too...NICE!

And there's a map of Boston and vicinity....good for when we get lost!

Temperatures are dipping.....

The past weeks had been pretty warm, which was quite unusual. Finally the temperatures are dropping and it's starting to feel more like winter. Good thing however that on the northeastern coast, cold wintry days aren't dreary like in some other parts of the world. Like now, it looks sooooo sunny outside that you wouldn't be able to tell that it's cold unless you step out of the house. And it's the colder months when the sunrises and sunsets are particularly beautiful. Just the other day, I snapped this shot of the red fiery sky minutes before sunrise. It was most amazing! 

RG received his belated birthday present from his family...and it's an iPad2. I'm so jealous :P It even comes engraved with his name and favorite quote. It's the very first i-something in our household so that's a big deal!

Now apples aside....I found these weird looking dark brown tomatoes (called Kumatoes) at the supermarket. I don't really know what to do with them yet....will have to taste it first to see how best to eat them.

Got this big bottle of Earth Friendly hand soap for a great price at Ocean State Job Lot. It's not only gentle on the hands but good for the environment too. It's free of formaldehyde, petrochemicals, GMOs, phosphates, chlorine, ammonia and it's biodegradable and pH neutral. I'll re-bottle the hand soap into one of my foam pump ones to stretch my dollars even further :P 

RG needed a document bag to hold his stacks of paper.....so I made him a simple fabric tote using this beautiful map fabric that I had bought awhile ago on etsy. He loves maps too so I figured it'd be a great fabric for him.

Upcycled map of NEW YORK cosmetic pouch

I'm kind of a travel brochures/maps hoarder. Wherever we travel to....we'll pick up tonnes of them. As my stash continues to grow at exponential speed....I was thinking hard if I could use the beautiful brochures/maps for anything else before resorting to dump some of them out with tomorrow's recyclables. And since I managed to make some cute stuffs out of candy and chips wrappers....I thought why not do the same with the brochures/maps. So here's my upcycled creation for today....I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out. I mean...I love sewing and I love maps...and there's nothing more enjoyable and fulfiling than to combine these two of my loves. Now my cosmetics have a new home - and a darn cool one I'll say!

Arghhhhhh.......vinyl problems! (Recycled Reese's wrapper coupon pouch)

I was totally frustrated this morning while sewing another vinyl pouch. I had used the 20-gauge vinyl (vinyl on the front and back for each sheet of recycled wrapper). The sewing part was easy peasy....I usually sew it the way I'd using regular fabrics (sew on the wrong side of fabric and then flip out to the right side).

The cutting/sewing took me altogether 10min the most and I spent another HOUR(!!!) trying to flip it out......geez. In the process, I poked myself in one of my fingers till it bled and I also broke a nail. And despite all my efforts.....the corners still looked like these.......

I tried various things like rounded the corners and made small V-cuts on the rounded corners, I also applied talcum powder on the vinyl so that it doesn't stick.....but still it's super duper hard to make the corners look nice. Anyone with tips for me please??? I'd be eternally grateful. My last resort would be to redesign the pouches or perhaps sew on the outside such that I don't have to do any flipping. But I really prefer a cleaner look with stitches on the inside. So HELP!!!!

Anyway, here's how it turned out. I like the see-through part!

And despite the ugly corners....the pouch still works in all the ways that I have wanted it to...so I can't really say I'm not happy with it :P

Fritos zipper purse (recycled wrappers)

I couldn't wait to try out the teflon presser foot on an actual piece of sewn work.

My first project with the teflon foot was this Fritos zipper purse using recycled Fritos chips wrapper and 12-gauge vinyl.

I cut the chips bag into 2 halves and used the Fritos logo part (top) on one side of the purse and the picture part (bottom) on the other side of the purse.

My favorite Fritos flavor!!!!!

If you want to know the nutritional value of the fritos chips...please look inside the purse...haha :P

The exterior and interior of the purse have all been lined with vinyl. This could work well as a wet bag to hold diapers and wet swimsuits if it had been bigger. Will try to collect those super-size chip wrappers (just an excuse to eat more chips really!) to make into larger size wet bags.

This fritos purse is just the right size to hold my cellphone, tissue paper and wet wipes! And one more wrapper saved from the landfill.

Zipper pouch from recycled Reese wrapper

I was loving the recycled Reese wrapper concept and decided to make a little zipper pouch today. I cut 2 Reese's logo out from 2 wrappers and then sandwiched each wrapper logo between 2 sheets of vinyl (cut in the exact shape).

I used an orange color zipper to match my wrapper!

It turned out to be so yummily cute! It can hold my change, cards and even my cellphone.

I would totally add a keyring to the pouch if I had one.....then I can swing this little thing around my finger.

Luggage tag from recycled Reese's wrapper

My blue suitcase is a very common one and I just hate it when I keep picking up someone else's suitcases at the conveyor belt 'cos theirs look so similar to mine.

I decided to make a bright orange big luggage tag so that I can spot my suitcase even from a mile away.

I sandwiched a Reese wrapper (which screams "ME!" 'cos Reese is my favorite peanut butter chocolate!!!) between 2 sheets of transparent vinyl, added a pink ribbon and sewed all around the edges. I also added a vinyl pocket to hold a name card or address label.

Here I'm just using RG's bag to "model" my luggage tag.

Green household tip.....#1

I usually buy those foaming hand wash in a pump bottle. And after I've finished using the hand wash.....I cleaned the bottle and filled it up with approx 3/5 dishwashing liquid and 2/5 water and stirred/shook till the two liquids were well mixed.

The addition of water is important in diluting the dishwashing liquid such that it gets pumped out easily and effectively.

The special pump foams up the dishwashing liquid like this (not sure why my photo appears like that but I guess you can still see what I mean).

It's eco-friendly for numerous reasons:

- an old handwash bottle is being reused
- the pump turns liquid into foam which makes the removal of grease/dirt much easier and hence requiring less dishwashing liquid and water for rinsing
- the use of less dishwashing liquid is not only beneficial for the septic systems, it also reduces the potential of ground/surface water contaminations as well as eutrophication (my Environmental Geog lecturers will be so proud of me!).

It's pocket friendly too.....I find my bottle of dishwashing liquid lasting almost twice as long after I started using the foam pump! :P

Anyway, my favorite dishwashing liquid is from Dawn. You've probably heard that the International Bird Rescue Reseach Center and the Marine Mammal Center use Dawn to clean animals that are affected by oil spills. And it's as gentle on my hands as it is on feathers! I had used other dishwashing liquids before and they tend to make my hands very dry and itchy. It does cost a little more than the other brands....but well worth the money!

Ring pin cushion.....

I saw this cute little ring pin cushion in Martha Stewart's magazine recently and I thought that I could get it for myself for Xmas. A pin cushion that you can wear on your finger....HOW COOL IS THAT (ok, you'd probably only think it's COOL if you are a SEWer like me)!!

Anyway, I did a quick price check for such pin cushions and the price range is between USD10-20++ (excluding shipping). Well....I'm sure it's worth all that money as it takes time/effort to make those cute little things.....but I figured it won't be too hard to make one myself especially when I already have most of the materials. Afterall, a penny saved is a penny earned.

So I gathered a plastic bottle cap, some scrap fabrics and a small bunch of poly-fil stuffing....and with my needle and thread, I made this while watching a house-hunting episode on HGTV.

Ta-da......might not be as pretty as those for sale online but it'd serve my needs very well.

To give you an idea of the actual size of it (see photo below). I made it slightly bigger 'cos I use TOO MANY pins...haha!
I bought an adjustable ring with a flat plate from etsy(it's making its way to my PO Box right now)....on which I'd glue my itsy bitsy pin cushion. The cost breakdown of my ring pin cushion:

Fabrics from scrap bin - FREE

Plastic bottle cap - FREE (courtesy of Florida orange juice)

Small bunch of polyfil - $0.0000001 (since I paid only USD4 for the 32oz bag)

Adjustable ring - $0.75 (inclusive of shipping)

GRAND TOTAL came up to $0.7500001...and I do my teeeny part in recycling plastic and fabric. Not bad at all.

Solar compactor

I saw these solar compactors in London and I think they are absolutely AWESOME!

As the name suggests, the bins are solar powered to compact trash.

These "BigBellies" are good in many ways:

(1) they make use of renewable, clean and green (& free!) solar energy

(2) they help compact the trash so that effectively, the same landfill can hold more compacted trash

(3) they reduce the number of trips required for waste collection --> reduce operating costs, reduce fuel consumption by trash collection trucks, reduce greenhouse gas emissions

I hope to see more of these everywhere in the world!

GREEN TIP: If you aren't recycling your plastic bottles, juice cartons, food containers, try to crush them to eliminate any airspaces before disposing the items.

Recycling day......

Well....not that it's really recycling day today. Ours is on the first and third Wednesday of the month.

I say it's recycling day 'cos I'm following my friends' (JA & TP) advice to "recycle" the chicken carcasses by boiling them down to make a yummy soup stock. Now why didn't I think of that earlier?!!

And while that's boiling away and making the entire house smells really amazing.....I gathered 4 of the empty Caprisun juice packets and turned them into a small pencil case by sewing the individual packets together and adding a zipper.

It was surprisingly easy to sew through the packets. I used a denim sewing machine needle for the task. The only problem was that I didn't dry the drink packets sufficiently.....so the whole project was getting really wet! :P

The completed pencil case looks kinda cute. I should try it with other prettier looking packages. Good way to recycle the otherwise non-biodegradable drink packets that are gonna end up in the landfills. 4 packets saved from the landfill - and 1 new pencil case. How's that for a win-win situation!

Recycled denim tote.....

So after my earlier plastic bag saver project in which I used one leg of my old "holey" jeans....I used the remaining of my jeans to make a tote bag.

Ta-da!.....here's the fruit of my 1/2 day labor. Scarves/ribbons of different colors can be threaded through the original belt loops to match my different outfits and moods. heh heh....

The front pockets on each side would serve to hold my keys and cellphone....how convenient!! :)

I have lined the inside with a bright red pokka dot fabric....reminds me of Minnie Mouse...CUTE! Instead of a zipper which is more leychey to sew....I just added a magnetic snap button.

Brand new bag at no cost.....apart from some blood (I poked my finger with the darn needle) & sweat. LOVE it!!!!

The eco-friendly sweeper cover....

My mom uses the Magiclean wiper stick and wiper sheets to pick up dust. She'd often rinse the dirtied wiper sheets, dry them and then reuse them a couple of times before tossing them out as the thin sheets would start to disintegrate. Her practice is not only easy on the wallet but also very environmentally friendly.

Over here, I use both the dry and wet wipers for my floors. I always find it such a waste to dispose of the sheets after just a couple of times of wiping. And the refill sheets aren't exactly cheap either!

Imagine my joy when I found a lady selling hand-crocheted reusable wiper covers in Etsy!! Her covers are very nicely made and really thick too to withstand tough cleaning jobs and also countless of machine washes. The covers can be used for both wet and dry mopping!

And her eco-friendly product is just USD3.50 (excl postage)!! It costs so much less than a box of the 12-pc refills (around USD10) and yet lasts much longer. It's really a no-brainer decision for me to switch to her reusable covers.

If you are interested to check out Amie's eco-friendly products, do visit her Etsy shop at www.amieq.etsy.com (NOTE: This is neither a paid advertorial nor am I vested in her business in anyway. I'm also not related to Amie - apart from being a very happy customer of hers)

YES to saving money and the environment!!! You just can't lose.

Snip snip snip.....

The dryer has taken yet another victim.....this time, my very expensive pair of River Island jeans. I found a big gap near the @ss part....a patch job will be too obvious....and I'm too old for the tattered jeans grunge look (well, actually the main reason is 'cos my @ss is too fat now!).

I was tossing between recycling the jeans into a pair of skirt or turning it into a tote. I decided on the latter 'cos I also thought of converting one of the legs into a plastic bag saver. I was at the Christmas Trees Shop on Saturday when I saw a fabric bag saver and had almost wanted to buy it for $5. But the material felt kinda thin and the elastic opening a little weak...I really doubt it could hold all of my plastic bags. God knows how many plastic bags I have saved over the months (I just piled them in my cabinet so much so that the cabinet doors don't shut fully now!).

After making my decision.....my scissors went snip!snip!snip!

And in less than 10 minutes of sewing and threading of the elastic band through the fabric opening......I've made my very own sturdy plastic bag saver. Super easy! I decided to spruce it up with some colorful felt flowers...pretty!

This is such a good project to start me off after the prolonged sewing dry spell.

So long now....I've a jeans tote to make.

Look what I dug out from the trash.....

My landlord was going to throw this plastic tray out. I believe she had used it to carry her potted plants back from the nursery. It seems like such a waste so I reclaimed it from the trash and gave it a good scrub and rinse to get rid of all the dirt.

I cut out a small fabric piece from a reclaimed flat sheet and sewed a recycled piece of elastic band (cut out from an old fitted sheet previously) all around to turn it into a fabric liner. Took me like a couple of minutes to sew it. I fitted it over the plastic tray and I've got myself a pretty display tray for my yard sale this weekend! Everything from this project has been recycled....isn't that great?

Go look in your trash today....keep an open mind and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you can turn your "trash" into!

Everything deserves a second chance....

I found this sad looking piece of bedding at the thrift store....it was actually very pretty as it had all these different flower prints on it. I brought it home for a mere $2.99 and seeing that the flower prints were approximately 4"x4"....I decided to hand cut the flower prints into small square pieces and made them into coasters (I probably can make at least 50+ coasters out of the single piece of bedding!).

I thought the coasters turned out really sweet....kinda vintage looking too! The prints are different so each coaster is unique.

Stack them up....add a ribbon and a tag.....it'd make a great gift too!
So before you toss something out.....give it some thought as to whether or not it's possible to turn it into something else that can be of some use. Everything deserves a second chance!

New from old.....

With recycling....you can often give old stuff a new lease of life! Using the queen size fitted sheet that I bought in the thrift store in New Haven, I made 6 new 18" square cushion inserts out of it.