Thrifty Crafting

Don't you just love a good financial crisis? Austerity measures? Good old cut-backs? Well no, neither do I, but never to be defeated, I've actually managed to find a positive. My little old crafty brain has been working overtime to find a way to make this big old financial pile of poo work for me, and bon jovi if I haven't done just that!

So, poor Chez Gillard is looking a tad weary. For too long now it has needed sprucing up but alas, the munchkins need feeding so no spare pennies to treat our much neglected pad.

Aha, but who needs pennies when you have (de-de-dah) Thrifty Crafter to the resue!

Back in January, my mum brought me over an offcut of rather nice curtain material. Said mother then found her sewing machine suddenly disappeared (austerity measures folks, no splurges on new sewing machines! ;)) and...***drum roll***...lurverly new bolster cushions for our bed!

 

Oooh, but there's some material left, what else needs loving and sprucing up? Hmmm, how about the cheap old plain brown bedroom curtains, they now look a tad dowdy next to lovely new bolsters...

And yet still more material left. Aha, one free quilting book from the library, borrowed to make this last month. But there's not much material left to make a full project. So, a quick rummage round in a remnants bin at the local curtain fabric shop (7 remnants, £5!) and a cheap fleece throw later (£2.99) and...ta-da...

Luscious new quilt for tired old bedroom too!

Even Cindy's impressed and nothing ever impresses her (apart from her food bowl!)

But did we stop there? Well where would the fun be in that? I'm sat here this afternoon, full of cold and it's bouncing down outside. A little rummage through the material scraps box and a little project springs to mind. I've seen a lot of these appliqued cushions about at the moment, but starting at about £15 a pop I ain't spending that on a cushion. But do we need to if we're a thrifty crafter? No! 1 hour later and here's a little present for my daughter: 

OK so I've stopped for now, rotten cold has stuffed up my head and I can't see to sew straight. But is there some left over pirate material with Xander's name on it sat on the sewing machine? You bet your bottom (carefully scrimped and saved) dollar there is! ;)