A huge hobby of mine is creating something useful, pretty and a little bit different from treasures I find in charity shops, at car boot sales and garage sales and anywhere else I can think of.
I sell some pieces at various craft fairs in the area and also on http://www.folksy.com/ under the banner 'Liz Lancaster' and I am attending a Fair this Sunday, 4 March at Stanwick in Northamptonshire.
I suppose I was brought up to 'make do and mend' and now, it seems to be back in fashion. I have always really disliked the 'throw away society' - why did someone think it would be a good idea for supermarkets to stop putting a store of cardboard boxes to be used by customers to take their shopping home and introduce those vile plastic bags anyway ?
However, I digress. The challenge is to find, say a piece of fabric, study it and see what alternative use pops into mind - you never quite know what the result will be and this is what makes it so rewarding.
I have been busy making cushions, aprons, bags etc., from recycled materials and the pics above show two cushions made from four cotton seersucker napkins picked up at a garage sale last summer - one greens/yellows/browns and the other reds/blues/yellows.
They contain feather filled pads and measure about 14 inches square.
They look really fresh and crisp and I am extremely pleased with the results made from something which would otherwise probably have just been thrown away.
Wish me luck for Sunday !!!