Those of you who know me well know that I am a very thrifty person. Well, at least I like to think that I am a thrifty person. My mother was thrifty, and her mother before her. So, it is in the genes, so to speak.
Now, thrifty does not mean cheap or chintzy (although I have been that upon occasion as well --- just happens sometimes throughout 40 years of life).No, what I am talking about is getting the full use out of an item. I also look at this as way of being a good steward of the earth and our natural resources.
Popo (my grandmother) used to make quilts out of clothes that the kids and adults outgrew. She would cut the clothing up into usable squares and make lightweight quilts. I was fortunate to receive one a couple of years prior to her death - and I cherish it and the remarkable woman who made it.
Because of this, and my friend of the earth motto, I have an interest in using old clothing and scrap material to make usable items -quilts and blankets. Recently, my mother in law, who is a quilter, showed me a wonderful 'crazy' quilt. She doesn't use a pattern - just sews scraps of material on a 8" x 8" piece of paper. After about 100 of these blocks, she sews them together, quilts and binds them and... a quilt appears!! I loved the idea of doing this.
After my visit to my MIL, I pulled out my mom's old kenmore machine, cranked it up, and started sewing. I rummaged around and found scraps of material, cut up some old hawaiian print shirts, and off I went - making a quilt, being a friend of the earth, being "thrifty". I felt smug.
Then it happened.
I realized that the old kenmore wasn't quite as efficient as new machines. And I started browsing on the internet... just to be thrifty, you know.
I meandered to the Overstock.com site... just to nose around. Still feeling smug and thrifty-like. And whatdoyouknow! They carry sewing machines! And at huge discounts! Really thrifty! AND they carry a sewing/embroidery machine - normally $1200 -- but marked down to $299.99!!! The machine is refurbished. Cool! A $900 savings! Now I'm really being thrifty! (Not to mention my increased smugness because it is a refurbished machine and I have single handedly saved another item from going into the landfill...) Heh... just $300 + tax (shipping is included!) and I'm on my way to being thrifty!!
Now I'm really excited! But, I realize that I will need a cabinet in which to put said machine. A cabinet with lots of drawers and nooks for sewing notions. A cabinet with an airlift shelf on which to mount the new sewing machine. A cabinet like this (I found this info on the internet) will run anywhere between $450 and $1000!! Well, darn it – I really need one. I need one in order to be thrifty.
So I go to the sewing/ fabric store to look at cabinets. And I find the perfect cabinet! I know that I really need this one to hold the new, refurbished machine so, I buy it. Hmmm….
And as I wander in the fabric store, I spy many new and lovely patterns and fabrics. And I know that making the fleece jacket that Maegan wanted for Christmas will be thrifty. And I also spy the fleece with Gary’s favorite f-ball team logo… won’t that make really
cozy pjs?!? Oh, and it won’t be too difficult to make gouchos for myself for work….
Hmmm…
new machine… $300
Cabinet… $600
Fabric, patterns
And notions… $150
Being thrifty??? Priceless…
Now, thrifty does not mean cheap or chintzy (although I have been that upon occasion as well --- just happens sometimes throughout 40 years of life).No, what I am talking about is getting the full use out of an item. I also look at this as way of being a good steward of the earth and our natural resources.
Popo (my grandmother) used to make quilts out of clothes that the kids and adults outgrew. She would cut the clothing up into usable squares and make lightweight quilts. I was fortunate to receive one a couple of years prior to her death - and I cherish it and the remarkable woman who made it.
Because of this, and my friend of the earth motto, I have an interest in using old clothing and scrap material to make usable items -quilts and blankets. Recently, my mother in law, who is a quilter, showed me a wonderful 'crazy' quilt. She doesn't use a pattern - just sews scraps of material on a 8" x 8" piece of paper. After about 100 of these blocks, she sews them together, quilts and binds them and... a quilt appears!! I loved the idea of doing this.
After my visit to my MIL, I pulled out my mom's old kenmore machine, cranked it up, and started sewing. I rummaged around and found scraps of material, cut up some old hawaiian print shirts, and off I went - making a quilt, being a friend of the earth, being "thrifty". I felt smug.
Then it happened.
I realized that the old kenmore wasn't quite as efficient as new machines. And I started browsing on the internet... just to be thrifty, you know.
I meandered to the Overstock.com site... just to nose around. Still feeling smug and thrifty-like. And whatdoyouknow! They carry sewing machines! And at huge discounts! Really thrifty! AND they carry a sewing/embroidery machine - normally $1200 -- but marked down to $299.99!!! The machine is refurbished. Cool! A $900 savings! Now I'm really being thrifty! (Not to mention my increased smugness because it is a refurbished machine and I have single handedly saved another item from going into the landfill...) Heh... just $300 + tax (shipping is included!) and I'm on my way to being thrifty!!
Now I'm really excited! But, I realize that I will need a cabinet in which to put said machine. A cabinet with lots of drawers and nooks for sewing notions. A cabinet with an airlift shelf on which to mount the new sewing machine. A cabinet like this (I found this info on the internet) will run anywhere between $450 and $1000!! Well, darn it – I really need one. I need one in order to be thrifty.
So I go to the sewing/ fabric store to look at cabinets. And I find the perfect cabinet! I know that I really need this one to hold the new, refurbished machine so, I buy it. Hmmm….
And as I wander in the fabric store, I spy many new and lovely patterns and fabrics. And I know that making the fleece jacket that Maegan wanted for Christmas will be thrifty. And I also spy the fleece with Gary’s favorite f-ball team logo… won’t that make really
cozy pjs?!? Oh, and it won’t be too difficult to make gouchos for myself for work….
Hmmm…
new machine… $300
Cabinet… $600
Fabric, patterns
And notions… $150
Being thrifty??? Priceless…
