Curbside Cleanup and Covered Buttons

     One thing you will learn about me is that cheap or free pretty much guides my project production.  I grew up going to garage sales and auctions, even the dump and loved it all.  I love to collect (some people call it hoarding) and my parents and I treat thrifty acquirement as a sport.

     Every April, Bloomington Minnesota offers a city wide curbside cleanup.  We take a truck and prowl the streets with other "pickers."  Most of the home owners are friendly about it but some really resent people picking through their discards. I think of reuse as the best kind of recycling.  All of the cabinets and the workbench in my garage were torn out of Bloomington houses.  In fact, my sewing machine was picked up last year.  It's a Europro 8260.  My mom checked that it worked and gifted it to me this January.  We downloaded the manual for free online and with it, I've learned to sew.

     This year, I found a doll cradle.  I actually walked away from it the first time but then I just didn't want to leave it, mostly because I could envision the tiny quilt I would be able to make for it.  So I used this tutorial from Punkin Patterns to sew the mattress (my first experience with covered buttons and piping) and I love the results.  Now I have to decide upon the fabrics for sheets and blanket!

Good as new.