What do YOU do with your old North Korea maps?!

I have mentioned before that we have plenty of old maps at my office. (Maps marked Soviet Union don't have a lot of credibility these days!)  The Roommate has taken many of them to school for his 8 year olds to color on, and we have lots more stored downstairs in our basement either for pattern making, gift-wrapping, storage-box decorating, or...my latest idea...pattern storage!  

Because I like to use vintage patterns, I find that some are extremely fragile.  So often before I even start cutting out, I just re-trace the whole thing onto better paper.  Not only does this keep them from tearing even more, it ensures I don't lose any of the original pieces, which unfortunately has happened. :-((

Life's eternal questions:  What to do with old North Korea maps?

Sometimes I use grid easel paper from Staples, and sometimes it's onto an old map (no particular reason for using one or the other).  But patterns, like maps, are a pain in the rear to re-fold, and if it's a vintage pattern, even the pattern packet can be quite fragile, too.  So it's frustrating to try to fit the fragile pattern into the fragile packet.  I've just given up!  Instead, I use and old map, fold it into an envelope, staple it in a few key locations & viola!  A big, sturdy place to put the newly copied pieces, the original pieces & the packet.  It doesn't completely cut down on folding, but it sure makes putting patterns away a lot less frustrating.  

A place to store them is another issue, since I haven't really standardized my new envelopes, but basically, I'm filing them all upright between some magazine storage cases.  Now that I have a place to store traced patterns, I think I'll eventually re-trace all my vintage patterns (as I use them).    

Any great ideas you've come up with to solve this folding/fragility issue?  Please post below!

Old Maps for New Patterns: A Recycling Story

Guess why this map was recycled!

I work in a library where we have lots of maps. Recently the maps librarian decided to get rid of all the out-of-date maps, and there were stacks of them.  

So I asked if I could have them, and the Roommate came by and picked me up and we took many of them home. Now I'm using them to trace patterns onto, if I am changing a pattern, or just don't want to cut one up.  

I learned a technique in the Copy Your Clothes class I took at Bits of Thread DC.  It works best if you have a nice cutting board (mine is large and made of cardboard).  Put the map down (or the tracing paper), put the pattern on top, and start poking a straight pin through the pattern lines.  It's a good idea to put a few pins down at the four corners to keep the pattern in place while you're marking.  

When you're done poking, fold up the original tissue pattern piece (good luck with that), connect the dots you've made on the map or tracing paper and be careful not to forget dots or other pattern markings, like grain lines.   

And viola! you've got a sturdy pattern piece that you will hopefully remember you made the next time you need it.  (I put a post-it on the front of the original pattern packet, and keep all these large pattern pieces rolled up together.  Though as I get more and more a real system may have to be invented.)

In addition, the Roommate will take many of these old maps to school for his students to make posters or draw on, or just cut up and glue.  Speaking of the Roommate and maps and his collection of fun shirts, here's what he's wearing today:

Slenderette 2: Fully-Lined & Finished!

Here's my 2nd take on Simplicity 2847, a Slenderette pattern (just love that name!).  I finished it a few weeks ago & have worn it twice--and received lots of comments about people needing a vacation!  

Close-ups of the fabric & the pattern are here.  

The Roommate thought the fabric was for him when I first pulled it out!  I set him straight on that, explaining that it was 4 yards, not 2, so unless we each got matching shirts, I was turning it into a dress.  He decided he didn't need another surf-themed shirt.  

I also fully-lined this with some 60/40 (poly/cotton) I got on sale at Hancock's.  I think I bought 10 yards.  I mostly had the lining figured out but got a bit of help from Allison at Bits of Thread.  

I am still using up bits of my old hapi coat from Japan; I'm really having trouble giving it up.  You'll see to the right that I used it to line the sleeve-cuff, and I also used it for the pocket-lining.  I like having those little reminders.  

This is a great summer dress.  Nice enough that it looks good for teaching or conducting tours at work, but it's very comfortable & has pockets.  I also think it's flattering...although I'm not sure I look slender in it!  But I can dream. 

NO Plastic Bags! Make your own shopping bag!

My friend Vicki, in Pacific Grove, CA, is part of a program to disallow plastic bags within the city limits.  Plastic bags are a huge problem there--they end up in Monterey Bay & kill all sorts of wildlife, mostly sea turtles & sea otters.  So here are a few ideas for making your own re-usable shopping bag. The first is how to turn an old t-shirt into a shopping bag.  And the other site is a list of 50+ different sites that have "how-to" instructions to make your own shopping bag, so you don't need to make the paper or plastic decision ever again.

Recycle a T-Shirt into a shopping bag!  Instructions here. 

And another site with many patterns for making your own shopping (or book) bag.

The photo is from Essie's Handcraft Cuteness on Flickr.