Ah, the T-shirt scarf. So cozy, so casual, so versatile. Am definitely going to try onion-skin dying a white one with some lacy appliques on it. I just think you can't have too many of these. Would also be cute to insert narrow ruffles in the seams.
Here's the flannel-shirt scarf, pockets and all. I look really carefully at the flannel before I make these. Sometimes the older flannel has a lot of pills from wear, and you don't want those scratching around on your neck.
Here's a look at a little machine couching with metallic embroidery thread on top of menswear wool. I'm not certain this attempt was entirely successful, but I know I'll be experimenting with it more. The juxtaposition of conservative suiting fabric with sparkly, meandering decorative thread is pretty intriguing.
Here's the fold-up charger/cord organizer. T-shirt scraps made the perfect stretchy pockets for various chargers and a flash drive or two. Clearly, this would not win any contests for design or craftsmanship. Did that matter to me when I could quickly and easily find all my gadgets during my recent trips? It did not!
Here's the scissors pouch, which hangs from the side of my sewing table, always at the ready. The thick ribbed weave of the placemat is easily tough enough for this task, and large knitting stitch markers make the pouch easy to hang. The lower photo shows how I boxed off the bottom. Easy!
The little camera pouch, made out of part of a hemline from an old wool skirt. I actually made several pouches out of this skirt. Those elastic hair bands come in so handy, too.
So the original fabric would always be handy (the better to admire the contrast with, my dear), I lined the pouch with the original ivory silk/linen fabric. Can you see the band for the wristlet here? It's the buttonhole band from the blouse. 
Above are the muslin samples. At left is the original unbleached muslin. Following are the samples dyed with onion skins, garden flowers, and red cabbage. With the exception of the onion skin piece, pretty forgettable results.
Here are the pieces cut from the angora/lambswool sweater -- original, onion skins, flowers, and cabbage. I think I'll felt the dyed pieces up and make a BlackBerry case. (Hey! Next summer I should dye a BlackBerry case with blackberries!)
Here's where it starts to get really interesting...the samples from the blouse I got from Coldwater Creek about 10 years ago. Again, the photo above shows the original fabric, and the dyed results from onion skins, garden flowers, and red cabbage.
Finally, here are the cotton doilies ... an original white one, and samples from onion skins, flowers, and red cabbage (which doesn't look blue here in this sunlit photo, but it's really a very distinct blue shade.)
This is one of our favorite family photos of all time: Our Aunt Doris, our Aunt Donna, and our mother, Marjorie -- all with that lovely, shiny hair, shampooed with homemade soap!
There were actually many wonderfully bright buttons in Mother's old button box, but for some reason the few that I saved were in these neutral tones. Clockwise from top are: A button from a fabulous coat of Mother's that had a little mink collar (very 60s chic - she used to look so gorgeous in that coat!!!); one with distinctive large holes, and Karen and I are still debating whether it would have been a "sheep" or a "child" in our play; a metal lion's-head button off an old blazer; two of our dad's work-shirt buttons, which were abundant in that button box; four tiny baby-sweater buttons; and another cute button of unknown origin that we always loved.
Here are the bags my little great-nieces enjoy as they play. I had no idea when I made them that they would have such staying power!
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