From Coffee Cans to Storage Solutions

If you start every morning with these . . .

eventually you end up with many of these.

Trying for subtly with white contact paper,

the cans now

calm the choas of my crafting supplies,

while allowing easy access.

And the lids are bringing order to a drawer of jewelry:

(inspired by this from marthat stewart)

Spare button inspired neckwarmer

inspried by a beautiful spare button left over from an outgrown pair of Japanese children's pants, a neckwarmer made by bosphorus as seen on etsy, and a desire to crochet as winter approaches

Why I've Been "Away": Halloween

Older sister as (reluctant) stand in model during butterfly wing construction:


Pacman costume:

Added challenge: Both costumes must fit in luggage, travel unharmed from Rome to New York, and be used without any last minute help from me...who will not be there.

So....ready for suitcase and travel:

Beloved Old Atlas to Gift Bows

Inspired by Jessica Jones, How about orange . . .

Raincoat to Pen & Paper Tote

Raincoat to Backpack

My being an amateur at sewing, this project benefited from the help of my mother (whose skilled hands appear in the photo).

Raincoat to Apron

How to re-purpose yarn

Here's a link to a detailed description of how to turn a sweater into balls of usable yarn:

How-To: Recycle a Sweater for Yarn

from CRAFT Magazine by Kristin Roach

Cool video:

how a sewing machine works

Pant scraps become covered (small) notebooks

Not really a sewing project. I used spray adhesive. But it is further repurposing of the pants used in the miniskirt project!

Pants to Miniskirt

My first sewing project ever: turning my daughter's outgrown cargo pants into a miniskirt.

Lesson learned: Take photo of "old and worn" garment before it is transformed!

The story behind the title

The title "you can always make something out of nothing" is taken from the children's picture book Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, by Simms Taback, based on a Yiddish folk song "I Had a Little Overcoat."

The story traces the repurposing of Joseph's old and worn overcoat, from overcoat to button. At each stage the new form is used again until it is old and worn: from overcoat to jacket to vest to scarf to necktie to handkerchief to button. Finally, when the button is lost the story ends:

"Now he had nothing. So Jospeh made a book about it. Which shows...you can always make something out of nothing."

I borrowed these final words for the title of this blog for two reasons:

• The sewing and craft projects will all involve repurposing old and worn clothing and objects,and

• This blog is my "something out of nothing", as was the story for Joseph.

The photo behind the title