I’m still getting used to thinking differently about craft and DIY projects. Instead of trying to think of ways to do things myself, I need to think of clever ways to not do them myself. Sometimes it’s a matter of keeping my eyes open for opportunities.

I had the idea a while back of making a cross between a brush roll and a work apron. What with the table in my studio taken up with the Bond, and sewing low on the priority list of things to spend my quota of hand-using craft time on, I figured it was going to be a long time before I got around to making one. Then at Lincraft the other day I spotted brushes sold in a bundle with a brush roll and it clicked: why not buy one and add a tie?

I went looking for cotton tape to use as ties, but couldn’t find any. Don’t you just love how Lincraft has the same item in three different places by three brands, or else not at all? But near the counter they had these cute shoelaces, so I grabbed a pack.

A few minutes of hand sewing later I had my brush apron.

So I’m feeling chuffed at my powers of adaption, even if I’m a bit sad that I didn’t get to make it myself, and that at $15 someone’s probably working for less than $1 a day to make these brush rolls. Perhaps I could have found a sewer on Etsy or Made It to whip one up for me, but I’m still getting a handle on this ‘getting others to make things’ thing.

Like the painted vest. I finally got the right bias tape and dropped the vest off at the laundrymat to be sewn. I’ve also ordered some custom made pillows from an Etsy shop. Now I just have to find a painter to do our fence and deck…