Couching Stitched YoYo Sampler

There is a YoYo Fest going on in my Sewing Studio.

 As usual, my 'OverDoNess' has hit a YoYoHigh,

Now there are a total of 4 smallish YoYo quilts waiting in the wings to be stitched.

Here is 1930's YoYo and More Galore!

Matter of Facts and Figuring

*Pink Background...machine quilted sample/practice piece...basket full of these...useful now!

*2 squares of 1930's pieced scraps...never throw away vintage scraps...you never know!!!

*1 large layered YoYo with button topper...already made for another project...Yay!

*2 small layered YoYo's with button topper...already made for another project...perfect!

*assortment of small YoYo's...coordinated with 1930's scraps. 

*2 pieces of vintage doilies...these were cut from a piece that was falling apart...couching keeps it together.

*embroidery floss - stitching with coordinating colors...want the stitches to show, but not glaringly.

*basting fabric glue to hold pieces in place while stitching...so much quicker and easier than pins.

Work In Progress...but not forever...gotta finish for September 5th First Saturday Booth!

The other THREE as well...no time for too much 'OverDoNess"

Yikes!!!

Super YoYo Maker

Believe it or not, I never ever wanted to make a YoYo quilt.  The main reason was cutting out all those circles and then hand stitching them to form the YoYo.  Too slow and too many to make a quilt of any size.  Not for me.  However, I was not adverse to collecting YoYo's made by someone else.

The someone else turned out to be a Super YoYo maker who made them to keep her hands busy while she talked about her life as a quilter back in the day.  I kept her supplied with fabric and thread and she kept me supplied with wonderful stories and lots of YoYo's.  Many were bundled in neat little packages and sold in my Quilt Shop.  My 90 year old YoYo Maker was so proud to be able to still earn her way doing what she loved....sewing/quilting. 

And I am please to be making my first YoYo quilt with YoYo's made by Yolanda.  I am in the process of stitching the binding and when that is done, I plan to do some embroidery around the YoYo's and add some buttons.  I think Yolanda would be proud of our partnership in this YoYo quilt....even if it is only 18 inches by 22 inches.

Will August Never End

Three more days of August!   As reported in the post below, in the five years I have been a blogger, August has not been my best month of posting. 

This August may be the exception...this will make 13 posts.  Here to fore, 9 posts was tops in 2011.

There is a possibility this record breaking August could have as many as 15 posts.  We will see what happens in the next two days.  I won't hold my breath, and please, don't you either. 

This August has been a productive month for me in regards to my '4 R's Bucket List'...Repurpose-Recycle-Renew-Resale.  I have about Buttoned Up and Buttoned Out every possible creative outlet I can think of from Jewelry to Salt N Pepper Shakers.

When I started  this 'Collection Down Sizing' Bucket List, I told myself, "Sue, don't try and MAKE anymore STUFF or put anymore money into what you already have horded accumulated collected.   Those were the words used in the post...Eating My Words Well Seasoned.  

Over a hundred dollars spent, a dozen Blooming Salt and Pepper Shakers and three dozen and growing button jewelry pieces made later...the Resale part of the 4R's begins.   That will be on September 6th when I will pitch my tent at the Chicken Farm Art Center for the First Saturday Event and Sale.

You can see why I am so ready for August to end and September to begin.  So much so, I have already redecorated CollectInTexas Gal for Fall...



...and started my vigil for September's Full Moon.

Eating My Words Well Seasoned!

I just hate having to eat my words, but at least this time they are well seasoned.  When I started  this 'Collection Down Sizing' Bucket List, I told myself, "Sue, don't try and MAKE anymore STUFF or put anymore money into what you already have horded accumulated collected. 

 

I was doing pretty good until I started putting YoYo's and Buttons together.   What would it hurt to make up a few examples of what one could make? 

That's what I said to myself when I decided to expand my space next month at the Chicken Farm Art Center First Saturday Sale.  Afterall, I have buttons for sale, as well as other supplies that bargin hunting Crafters will want.  I 'Bartered Buttons' at the last sale.  

All it took was to MAKE one little ole Button Blossom just to see how they would make up, and before I knew it, I had a whole Button Blossom Bouquet blooming all over my Studio.  Then I had to figure out how to display them. 

Investment in Button Blossom Bouquet amounts to:

~Using Stash of YoYo's, Buttons, Threads and Wire

~Spending approximately 8 hours getting it all together and figuring out how to MAKE them.

~Another 2-3 hours cleaning up and re-organizing studio.

~Half a tank of gas driving to Thrift Stores in search of bargin Salt and Pepper Shakers.  Finding Zip-NataOne!

~$6 for a dozen shakers.  Found at Dollar Tree...50 cents a piece.

~$3.50 for 'All Temp Glue Sticks'...used my 40% off coupon at HH otherwise $5.99.

~$80 for a Pink Top PopUp Shade Canopy for September's First Saturday at The Chicken Farm.

There's probably more, but I'm out of time, money and ideas for

'How Not To Downsize One's Stash without Making Stuff and Spending More Money'

 

Good thing I like 'Eating My Words' well seasoned!

Yet ANOTHER YoYo Project

Really, Sue, YoYo's! 

What next?  Pin cushions!!

 

It's not that I am burned out on the 4R's...Repurpose-Recycle-Renew-Resale...with Jewelry and Buttons, but I thought you might be.  Afterall, that has  been the focus of just about every post for the last two going on three months.

 

That's just the way I Roll.  Yep, GungHo, UpToMyNeck in what ever project I take on.  It just so happens that I am working through my 'Collections Down Sizing' Bucket List and even though I haven't been going in Alpha Order, it seemed like a good time to tackle the 'Bucket of YoYo's'.

 

That's right, I said Bucket of YoYo's!  Really there are several buckets and more bags than I can count on both hands.  So YoYo time it is!

 

As with the vintage jewelry, I need to know the origin and a bit of history about whatever project I am working on.  So I 'Googled' YoYo's.  Yikes!  There is a lot of YoYo Info out there, but briefly, this is what I found...
~Across the pond in the UK, they call them 'Suffolk Puffs' which they believe originated in Suffolk County.  Although little is known about that origin, examples of quilts using 'Puffs' can be traced back to 1601, and were popular during the Victorian era.
~YoYo's have been popular here in the US since the 1930's when 'Make Do and Mend' found the YoYo being made from worn out clothing and transformed into quilts and used as decorations for clothing and accessories.

What's Next?

YoYo Pink Pins and YoYo Pincushion Pins!

Betcha knew I'd work Pin Cushions in there! 

And more Buttons and Broken Jewelry!

Oh well, that's just the way of The 4R's.

 Linking To

Beverly's How Sweet The Sound Pink Saturday