Last Week's Thrifty Moves

This week was fairly quiet around here.  As we geared up for the final days of the school year, the girls had assignments to finish up and exams to take and study for.  There was also a school dance to get ready for.

A couple weeks ago I had gone to both Walmart and JoAnns to get big snaps for some projects I'm working on.  One word.  Expensive.  $4 for six snaps.  Whaaaat!  Last week I got on eBay and found a HUGE lot of snaps and other fasteners that will keep me well supplied for quite a while.  Only $7.28, including shipping.  Now that is a bargain. J

Last week I decided to give my grandmothers mending box a mini makeover.  I have a little story to tell you about her box. 

First of all my grandmother absolutely hated to sew!  Anything.  Even a button.  As soon as I was old enough and knew how she would save her mending for me to do.  The more complicated stuff we saved for my mother, but all the buttons, split seams and fallen hems were my job.  I loved it.  Anything I could do for her made me very happy.

Her button box, an old lozenge tin.

Not just buttons, however.  A vintage mini screwdriver handle minus the blade,
a tie tack minus the decoration that used to be on the front of it, a vintage valve cap
cover for a bicycle tire, a pump adapter for blowing up basketballs, a couple nuts and a golf ball spotter.

To say her mending box was a little limited would be an understatement.  Not much in there that really related to sewing,  it was more like a catch all for junk. J  Last week I took everything out of the little square leather covered box and vacuumed out the satin interior and felt lined tray.  My daughter joked that I was sucking up antique dust and lint and I probably should have saved it to sell on eBay.  Funny girl.

Inside the box was a darling crocheted pin cushion my great-grandmother had made for my grandmother.  I carefully hand washed it in the bathroom sink, reshaped it and set it to dry.  It s all bright now and looks like new.  Just like when great-grandma made it.  When it was dry I put a few hatpins I had in it.  I think it looks so sweet.

My great-great-grandmother's button hook (for her shoes),
one of my great-grandmother's  thimble and an old cloth tailor's measuring tape.

The handle has been missing for as long as I can remember so I carefully trimmed off the remnants of it and washed the exterior with some mild cleaner.  It really made a difference.  Inside I used some glue to reattach one of the side pieces that supports the little tray and then where the lining was loose.

Not very big, as you can see.  But then she didn't need much.

I'm really glad I have her mending box and I plan to re-supply it and start putting it to use once again.

Bright and early Saturday morning the girls had doctor appointments for their school physicals and they got their latest immunization updates.  After a stop for breakfast and hot chocolate at IHOP (they ate like they were starving to death) we headed over to ShopKo.

The girls always buy me flowers for Mother's Day and due to our crazy schedule I had them put it off until I knew I'd have more time to plant them.  ShopKo had a sale on their four packs of petunias for $1.69 each.  They bought me six of those and I found a nice sized pansy on clearance for $2.  I can't believe plants are already being cleared out, but obviously waiting paid off.

Fabric scraps to be put to good use

While the girls took over the couch and recliner and convalesced watching episode after episode of Gilmore Girls I took up residence on the living room floor to work on some of my sewing projects.

I finished the Americana stencil quilt!  Whooo hoooo.  I'll be sharing it soon in an upcoming post.  I love it when a vision in my head comes to fruition.  I looks just how I imagined it would and I am so completely thrilled.  My girls were quite impressed.

I started a couple other things too using some to the fabric scraps I have leftover from my previous projects.  Another doily and a fancy scrap quilted throw pillow are now in the works.

I started a batch of home brewed beer.  I nice summer time beer.  I also took advantage of a 30% off sale with a free shipping offer to restock my supplies.  I won't be buying beer brewing stuff for well over a year, I imagine.

We fed our chickens lots of good kitchen scraps and they provided us with over two dozen eggs.

How was your thrifty week?