Get Crafty

A while back Mrs. G. scored this quirky little tweed and corduroy patchwork lap blanket from the Andover Shop.
It measures about three feet square. When the boy was but a baby, we used it to bundle him up in the stroller. Now, he's well beyond such things. And my darling little girl is too much of a lady to wear such a masculine piece of cloth.

So the beautiful blanket is relegated to the status of a decorative throw over the back of a wicker chair in the house. Too small for any grown person to actually use in any way, it has been these last few years merely a decoration. That's fine, I guess. Only every time I looked at this thing I couldn't help but wish there was some way I could wear it...these little pieces of cloth really are top quality, after all.

And then it hit me...
I cut the blanket carefully in half. Then I sewed the open ends, and attached the two halves back together to create a long rectangle rather than a square, and folded it lengthwise.
Turns out, it makes a ripping good scarf that looks extraordinary with a Barbour jacket and a lambswool sweater from the House of Tweed. Best of all, it's warm as anything. Wrapped around my neck and draped across my chest, this patchwork masterpiece gave the old Barbour just the extra stuffing it needed on a clear and chilly day.

If you're going to be cheap and thrifty, it is essential that you develop an eye for possibilities, and realize that things need not always be what they are at first. It doesn't hurt knowing how to sew, either. Say you find a jacket made of a beautiful piece of glen check for a dollar or two, but it's got a little hole or two in it. Maybe you can cut enough pieces of cloth out of it to make some killer accent pillows for your sofa. Or maybe you find some crazy go-to-hell cotton pants that are way to short. Maybe they'll make a good pair of shorts come summer. Learn to see things not only for what they already are, but what they might be, given a little creativity.

Go out there and get crafty!