
Kitchen Craze Sewing Round-Up
Food brings people together. Whether with family or friends, we all seem to agree on a great gathering centered around great food! This month, I’ve gathered some of my favorite kitchen, party, BBQ, grocery, and transport items to showcase in this August Kitchen Craze Sewing Round-up. These easy-to-sew projects will be a hit at your next gathering!
No Strings Attached Criss-cross Apron
Sew a quick, easy, and reversible Crisscross Apron ideal for wearing while baking, during a garden harvest, or for next weekend’s BBQ! Sewing With Nancy friend and guest, Mary Mulari, shares her all-time most requested apron style! You can sew in an evening—with no strings and no ties! Learn more about this design on Mary’s guest blog post.
60-Minute Jeans Potholders
In about an hour, create a pair of durable recycled jeans potholders that are pliable and easy to use, while giving protection from the heat of hot dishes. When you watch online, you’ll learn the basics of taking apart cast-off jeans, and making something creative. Read and watch more on this blog post.
Porthole Mesh Bag
Make this pretty bag with a fat-quarter and Porthole Mesh. Check out this tutorial from Nancy’s Notions guest blogger, Emily Jansson. These mesh bags are super-easy to make. It’s just a drawstring bag made out of mini mesh fabric, with 3/8″ double-fold bias pulls. Add a pretty label or a touch of embroidery to make it your own. Trust me, everyone will be jealous of your fashionable “eco-prowess.” Grab the tutorial here.
Casserole Carrier—Perfect for Potluck
Stitch this Casserole Carrier project in an evening or two. Then, let your tasteful carrier help you get a handle on things. Cook, place a casserole in the center, wrap and GO! An insulated carrier is perfect for picnics and potluck dinners. The inner insulated pocket lets you store a hot or cold pack to keep the temperature of your dish just right. The carrier folds flat when not in use and can be laundered. Sew through the complete tutorial here.
Sew a Quick Hostess Tote
Here’s a quick and easy gift inspired by one of the projects featured in my book, Nancy’s 30 Favorite Gifts to Sew. The original wine tote in the book uses two coordinating cotton fabrics. My new version shown above, uses double-faced quilted fabric and bias trim. Follow my tips below for sewing this really fast hostess tote with prequilted fabric. See how easy it is to sew this gift on this blog post.
Insulated Picnic Tote
It’s that perfect time of year for toting food to picnics and cookouts. Whether you’re planning a family outing for the day or packing the car for a road trip, this modified Weekender Tote will keep hot foods warm or chilled foods cool. Here’s how to make a personalized insulated tote. Simply follow my modified instructions found in Sew Simple with Rectangles & Squares by using double-quilted fabric lined with Insul-Film. In an afternoon, sew a So-Cool Picnic Tote. The large bag holds everything you’ll need and still stores flat when you are finished. See how the tote bag is adapted in this blog post.
BBQ Placemat
Team up your casual meals with upcycled jeans placemats. The BBQ placemats are durable, while adding a down-home flair to a meal with family or friends. Two placemats can easily be made from a no longer worn pair of jeans. Plus, there will be extra “fabric” left over to use in other recycling projects. Grab the project ideas here.
Watch Sewing With Nancy online and on any TV.
For a chance to win a copy of Sew Simple with Rectangles & Squares from Nancy’s Notions, leave a comment telling us what fabric items you recycle into new projects?
The randomly selected winner of the Hoop It Up—Guide to Successful Embroidery from Designs In Machine Embroidery (DIME) is Joyce.
Her comment was, “I just made my first bibs and burp cloths and embroidered them. Had so much fun, I wish I knew more babies!”
Bye for now,
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Mary Jane Pell
I have used a lot or recycled items. Jeans have been a big thing for me. I have made a lot of jackets, my husband”s billfolds, handbags, etc Also make jackets from sweatshirts, I myself like men’s T-shirts for jackets, they are perfect for cool spring and fall days! I enjoyed watching the placemat and casserole carrier video, lots of information, thank you Nancy!
Love to sew, Mary Jane
Vivian K Oaks
I have a couple of HUGE bags of old jeans that I’ve cut apart to reuse. I also save almost all my quilting scraps for future projects. My biggest problem is finding the time to do all the projects swirling around in my head…. 🙂
Ennis A
I like to re-make a dress of beautiful fabric into a dress for my 5 yr old granddaughter. Fun to use beautiful fabric more than once!! Thanks for a chance for the book to make more items!!
Margie Herrell
I like to sew with old jeans making children’s overalls
Nancy
I like to recycle jeans and clothes. When I retired, I had a lot of nice clothes that I no longer needed. I hated not wearing them, so I restyled them for a more casual look.
Cindi Weddle
I recycle items (in excellent condition) from Goodwill just to get the fabric. I find “retro” prints, take the item apart and/or cut off the section I want to recycle. Pockets from men’s shirts make nice pockets elsewhere. Love your ideas.
Thunder
I recycle jeans and shirts/blouses into bags and patches for quilting. I use t shirts to make stuffed critters.
thanks for the giveaway 😉
Jan N.
I use old towels to make unpaper towels. I recycled an old suede jacket into a handbag. I take the hardware off of old handbags and use it for my handmade bags.
Gladys Schulz
I like to recycle men’s dress shirts the cotton fabric dyes beautifully. There is quite a bit of nice fabric and it combines well with fabric from my stash to make totes, placemats, lap robes and kitchen gifts for friends. Thanks
Carol
I have saved skirts that my daughters used to wear so I could use the fabric in other projects later. The fabrics always brings back happy memories of my children.
Lillian K
I have recycled jeans in the past; making potholders and a “doo-rag” headwrap.
Joyce West
I save all my quilting scraps for use in future projects.
Susan Spiers
Looks like a wonderful book! I have recycled cotton shirts & pants!
Cari K
I saved tee shirts from my kids and made quilt. Also I have saved my kids jeans and now I have some great ideas to recycle them.
Cecilia B Young
I have recycled jeans into quilts.
Laura
I’ve recycled jeans, upholstery scrap and clothing from thrift stores (silk blouses are fun for art quilts!)
Heather
I have used old jeans, fabric scraps and quilt batting scraps to make different projects.
Vicki
Recycle jeans into pot holders and tote, which I gifted back to the prior owner of the jeans. Clothes into memory quilt and ITH animals.
Lynn D
I buy men’s shirts from Good Will and make them into aprons. I have made a couple of bags from recycled jeans as well. Pot holders look like a great idea and combined with denim place mats I think would make a great kitchen gift.
Cheryl Fabiano
Unfortunately, I save everything but I have not repurposed most of it yet. Fortunately, you and your guests have many great ideas for useful and pretty projects.
Jenny Rojas
I’ve used old jeans and tapestry scraps to make picnic quilts. Then I back with dollar store tablecloths.
Kay Statom
I recycle jeans and old shirts from my husband. They make great quilts for the grandkids and they enjoy getting something that was “grandpa’s!
Sheri Austin
I go through the left behind clothes at local washateria and take cotton items and all denim. They will be refashioned, cut up in various sizes. Nothing goes to waste.
Jackie T
I use drape material and jeans to make shopping bags .
Rita Skraba
I mostly recycle jeans and buttons. I love to make potholders from the pockets but have turned many into purses as well. I also have a bucket of scraps and tub of buttons from my mom that she had left over from making our clothes when we were little. I have used them to decorate potholders and towels for each of my sisters so that we all have a little remembrance of her in our kitchens.
Bonnye
I use jeans to make purses and jackets. For one jacket, I collected a 5 inch square of Jean fabric from friends. I sewed the squares together to make the jacket and gave it to a friend from England who was in the U.S. For two years and had to return to England. The squares reminded her of all her new U.S. Friends.
Patti Wells
I have been repurposing men’s shirts into aprons. I have two styles. One has the collar attached and the other uses the button placket as the neck strap and is adjustable by using the other side of shirt front (one with button holes) as the bib. Pockets are really fun as they can be made from back of shirt or from the sleeves ( using leftover sleeve fabric or from the cuffs). Every apron is unique and special.
BB
I added tabs to the top of a bedspread to make a curtain to close off the sunroof during the heat of the day!
Brenda
I added tabs to the top of a bedspread to make a curtain to close off the sunroom during the heat of the day!
Marla
Love to recycle my husband’s old jeans into tote bags. Love the idea for the denim placemats and pot holders!
Edith Cameron McMillen
I’ve used old stained tee shirts to make tee shirts for my granddaughter’s dolls. I’ve also made aprons from men’s shirts. I’ve saved lots of old jeans and hope to recycle them soon.
Starla
Our city is about to outlaw plastic bags at grocery stores, so I’m working on a set of shopping bags from an old sheet — some to keep, some to give to friends.
Peggy V
I am retiring and for many, many, years I wore uniform smocks and white pants. Recycling into a quilt!!!
Lynette Wilson
I have been using and embellishing old jean pockets to sew on shorts, purses, etc. Saves time and is fun to do.
Juanita Decquir
I recycle jean fabric from denim shirts and jeans, They offer various shades and weights that can be used for quilts, purses, and many other items. I also recycle t-shirts into bag holders for plastic grocery bags. Every now and then I deconstruct dresses or skirts made with interesting cotton fabric to use in quilts.
Ellen
I re-purpose my Dad’s old neckties into vests for me. It is fun to mix the colorful fabric with the plainer fabric to make a special garment – complete with memories.
Linda Pierson
I recycle old jeans into quilts and other projects. I have a huge stash of them.
BevM
As most of your followers, I recycle denim jeans.
CarolKE
I recently used fabric I had previously to make a portable play mat with a road and pocket garages.
Mary
Denim into a wallhanging and other quilt projects, and cotton shirts and skirts into strips for pieced quilting. I also have a box of my friend’s de eased daughter’s clothing which I’m to make into a memory quilt.
scarter
Like many others, I recycle my husbands jeans pant legs when I cut them off for his shorts, then I use the pant legs to make preschool tote bags for my grand children filled with items to keep them busy during church. So, not only does he have jean shorts but the grand children have tote bags. I love getting ideas from your show and books.
Gloria
I like to recycle old denim jeans … I’ve made purses, tote bags and yoga bags. I plan to make a denim rag jeans soon.
Beverly
I retired from nursing several years ago and found I had acquired more than 30 sets of scrubs that were still serviceable. Deconstructing and recycling those old uniforms has brought me many happy memories and has been great fun.
Karen
I recycle old jeans into cell phone cases and old silk ties into small purses. If I had more storage space, I would love to do other things!
Janice Beitz
I like to use old towels and wash cloths as padding for potholders and mug rugs. I put several layers in the project. I just stitch an X through the layers. No shifting or bunching when they are washed.
Kathy
I have been using old fur coats and making memory bears.
Noreen
I made an iPad carrier from old jeans. Jeans are great for so many things!
Jennifer Fried
Jeans for sure. Use them for quilts and carrying bags. I reuse lots of things, wool coats, curtains , and clothing. I have made lots of things stuffed animals, card wallets, placemats, ect. Just enjoy creating new usable things from something else. Hope things are going well for you Nancy. The Old Sew and Sew.
Gail Beam
Right now I am using several pairs of jean shorts in a sz 22 that I got at 90% off and I am going to make then into tote bags. Love the jean placemats and jean potholders that you made.
judy
I don’t do much remaking or up-cycling because I have so much new fabric in my stash. When we were first married, my husband worked part time as a collage janitor. He brought home many old towels that had seen better days. I cut some up and overcast the edges for dish clothes, others I made into good size bibs with added bias tape for our first daughter.
Patricia
My recycled blue jeans became pocketed
Placemats & we still use them more than 30+
Years later. Everyone loves the fabric napkins that coordinate by the seasons!
DeAnna S
I upcycle jeans into aprons, placemats and table runners. Love the idea of the jean pocket potholders.
Barbara gearin
I use a lot of blue jeans and men’s shirts. The men’s shirts make great lining for my hippie purses.
Barbara gearin
I use a lot of blue jeans and men’s shirts. I use the men’s shirts for lining in my hippie purse.
Louise Johnson
I like to remake thrift store clothes into something that fits me or into an accessory. It is a lot of fun to remake a 3x size shirt into a skirt!
BB
I repurchased a bedspread into a curtain by putting tabs on the top for my sunroof to keep the heat out!
Clovis
With my old purses, I take the zippers out to use for other projects.
Arlene Burger
I rrecycle our family’s old clothing for sewing doll clothing and patchwork blankets for my granddaughters dolls.
Carol in Arkansas
I am fairly new to sewing things, but I have recycled sheets into other items, and have plans to use scraps from making the little bags and things that I’m now learning on. I love to be creative so it will be a challenge. 🙂
Amalia
I recycle almost any fabric I have or purchased at Savers, and other discount stores. Made potholders, children’s aprons, small purses, hot pads, even resized clothing, placemats, pouches, etc. There is so much you can make, let your imagination go.
Anne Z.
I love to recycle denim into reusable grocery bags.
Peggy S
I have jeans in various colors and like to mix the colors. I am making a picnic blanket for my granddaughter’s family, making tote grocery bags and also little girl purses. Thank you Nancy for all your ideas. They are great!
Mary Ellen Coumerilh
I love to recycle vintage sheets into quilts