Simply Stephy

A Little More Country Than That

2010-12-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Here are a Few Pictures of the New Lake House!

Imagine a dirt road full of pot holes
With a creek bank and some cane poles
Catching channel cat
It's a little more country than that

Picture a small town with an old hound
Laying out front of the court house
While the old men chew the fat
It's a little more country than that

Think of a hank song from days gone
With a steel ride that’s so strong
It sends chills up your back
It's a little more country than that

If you want a brick home in a school zone
With the doors locked and alarms on
Then you’re way off track
It's a little more country than that

Freehand Blazer Bag

2010-11-07T06:16:00.001-08:00

Create a fun, roomy tote in minutes using a thrifted blazer!

Here's a fun and simple way to transform a thirfted blazer into a tailored, pocketed tote for fall. Tweed is back in a big way this season - especially in accessories. With a quick trip to your local thrift, you should be able to score a tweed blazer with front pockets - I choose pink!

Working with the grain of the weave and the tailored seams, cut out the front buttons and areas surrounding the pockets according to your desired silhouette. With right sides together, sew these two pieces together. Iron this front piece flat, and use it as a guide for cutting a solid piece out of the back of the blazer to create the back of the tote. Using a sleeve, cut out and sew up the shoulder straps. I used a thick, sturdy broadcloth to line the tote and added a flower pin embellishment I made from fabric scraps, a covered button and zippers.

This tote cost $1.50 for supplies and took 30 mins to design and sew!

The Little Things

2010-11-05T10:54:00.001-07:00

It's the little things in life that make me really happy. Like being given an order for a batch of vintage-inspired flower pins in neutral tones with fancy centers, rhinestones and feathers and being told that I can use my "creative freedom" on all the other aspects of their appearance. Freedom = happiness.

Thrifted Sweater Upcycling

2010-11-04T09:43:00.001-07:00

Today, I am restyling a bunch of old, thrifted sweaters. By using French seams I have found that you can do almost anything to chunky knits without having to worry about them unravelling. First, sew right sides together, trim 1/4" from the seam, turn, sew again to enclose your first seam with wrong sides together.

Take in a big, frumpy sweater and add a ruffle for a fun sweater dress, or turn an unsused sweater into an embellished mini skirt in just minutes!

Unused bits and pieces can be thrown into your washing machine at the hottest water setting and dried to create felt which can be used to create appliques, necklaces, brooch pins... you name it! Now that's recycling!

I Did IT!

2010-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Finished the wedding order this morning. Boy, it feels so good to be done these rhinestone feather flowers in gold and ivory with rhinestones and feathers - labor intensive, yes... but OH SO Yummy! My customer is using these as brooch pins for her bridesmaids - I might have to include a matching headpiece for her maid of honor as a gift!

Procrastination

2010-11-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Right now, I should be working on a huge wedding order of flame-roasted organza feather and rhinestone flowers.. but, once again, I am playing my own games and working on something totally different. Of course, it involves zippers. I really love the way this necklace turned out. It's really cute in person. I am glad it's done. Because I have a million things to do today!

Does anyone else find themselves distracted by the projects they want to be working on... instead of the ones which pay the bills? Here are few few things to keep in mind -

1. "Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." ~William James

2. "Every duty which is bidden to wait returns with seven fresh duties at its back." ~Charles Kingsley

3. "If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it." ~Olin Miller

4. "There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back." ~Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister

5. "One of the greatest labor-saving inventions of today is tomorrow." ~Vincent T. Foss

WE HAVE A WINNER!

2010-10-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of you who joined my blog and entered this contest! The winner is....

Paolla Wanglon!!!
I will be contacting you via email for your shipping address. Congratulations!

It's that time again! While organizing my vintage patterns I came across a few duplicates to give away to my fellow vintage sewing enthusiasts. In this group we have Simplicity 1575, 1662, 1657 and 1676. All 4 patterns are SIZE 14 These are UNCUT and UNUSED with Primers (but missing envelop jackets). I will ship these 4 fab dress designs to one lucky winner (worldwide)

How to enter:
- Follow my blog (I need some love!)
- Tell me your favorite pattern by posting a comment
- Tweet or link this giveaway on Facebook for an extra entry!

The winner will be selected using a random number generator on Thursday, November 4th - Good luck!

Dandy Doilies

2010-10-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

3 Ways to Use Vintage Crochet Doilies in Your Decor:

1 - The traditional way - in an old farmhouse cupboard, doilies can group together and highlight your collections.

2 - As a kitchen window valance - easy to add more or change around and no sewing is required! Simply drape your doilies over an existing rod.

3 - Incorporate vintage doilies in your sewing projects - They look great when coupled with old cutter quilts to make pillows.

Adopt a Cutter!

2010-10-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

Table toppers, totes, place mats, plushies, pillows... the possibilities for these freshly thrifted cutters are endless! I just finished listing them on Etsy at super low prices - don't miss them!

I Survived... And So Did My Collection

2010-10-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

A 4.5 earthquake just hit Norman, OK... as I sat listing items on Etsy I felt a big boom here in Edmond and my monitor shook like crazy. My dog jumped into my lap and scratched my leg, but I am happy to report my leaning shelves of metal enamel lovelies didn't fall over. My spools are still standing too. Phew!

Vintage Christmas Fixings

2010-10-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Every month, a sweet neighbor hauls out her vintage sewing goodies from the 1940s and 1950s for me to sort through. I find it amazing that every time she calls, she has new things for me to see. Today, she sold me a huge lot of scrumptious buttons... but also asked me if I might have a use for some old Christmas wrapping paper she had saved over the years. At first, I thought... hmmm... probably not. But after taking a look through her Christmas fixings, I totally fell in love with it and decided I would use it to make my Christmas cards this year. I bought 6 different rolls of 1950s Christmas wrap and coordinating gift tags. I just had to share my favorite - which will be the inspiration for my entire vintage Christmas themed home - lime, turquoise and pink, YUM!

Win This!

2010-10-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have officially become zipper crazy. Read all about it and win this black zipper statement necklace at Miskabelle.blogspot.com

Coming Soon!

2010-07-29T07:39:00.001-07:00

Whimsical Meets Industrial

Bright colors, loopy layers and steel teeth make zipper flowers my freshest accessory pick for fall. Last year, I was lucky enough to attend the estate sale of a former interior designer who used zippers in her pillow creations. I purchased a box lot of over 2000 zippers and have been selling them in my Etsy shop in lots of 30 for $8.00.

I knew many of my buyers were using them to create zipper flowers for hats, hair accessories, shoe clips, bags and totes, but until yesterday, I wasn't sure how they were made. After several hours of trial and error (mostly error) I figured it out. However, most of my zippers weren't long enough to make a single, solid-colored flower. I decided to create various combinations of colors I found while researching hot color trends for fall 2010 - like the orchid, lawn and viola combination below.

I will start listing these floral embellishments in my Etsy shop during the week of August 9th - so be sure to stop by and check out my newest creations! Due to the fact that I am only using recycled and reclaimed zippers in limited colors and quantities, these will not be available for customization and will be sold only in the lots and colors featured.

Vintage Button and Bauble Bouquet

2010-07-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

After receiving a request for vintage buttons and baubles on Etsy for a customer creating a wedding bouquet, I got curious about how one might go about making such an arrangement. I didn't have very many pretty vintage jewelry pieces or buttons left after listing my favorite stash items, so I decided to create my own baubles by stringing and stacking plain vintage buttons, adding beads, and glittering heavily in a pink and green color scheme. I attached them to paper-wrapped floral wire (next time I will definitely use a heavier gauge wire as the heavy pieces create drooping when the bouquet is upright) and tied the steams in a vintage hanky.

Very cute idea Aimee! My advice - use strong wire for the steams :)

Stash Sorting

2010-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was sorting through a huge stash of vintage broken jewelry and beads I picked up at a flea market a few weeks ago and got inspired to create a wreath. I originally found the idea in the magazine "Flea Market Style" and later saw an example my friend Sherry created. This was such a fun project and I an glad these cute mismatched earrings, buttons and broken bits have been given a new life!

Door Score

2010-05-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Chippy, Crackling Architectural Art - The Thrifted Door

Hmmm... Outdoor buffet table top? Rose bush trellis backdrop? Art wall? Wreath holder? There are so many great uses for shabby vintage barn doors. And, this one is nice and skinny with lots of panels! I think I will lay it across 2 vintage wire milk crates to make a coffee table for my covered patio filled with old lanterns and candles.

Check out the perfect patina close up. It's my newest thrift score - purchased yesterday for only $2.00. I have been busy adding many coats of clear, oil-based urathane to this piece in fear the chipping paint contains lead. It will also serve to prevent the exisiting paint from deteriorating further.

Got Notions?

2010-05-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

I love collecting vintage sewing notions - especially buttons - but I often come across examples which are too special to throw back in the button jar. Along with bits of special trims and linens, these buttons really needed a spot to be displayed and viewed - like a scrapbook.

So, today I used some left over canvas to create a TEXTILE scrapbook especially for vintage sewing notions. With fabric pages, this should do the trick for keeping my collection stitched, or pinned, in it's own spot. I even added a pocket for non-stitchables, like photographs and cards.

From Shabby to... Well... A little Less Shabby

2010-04-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

What would you do?

You find a poor, sad (and not even very elaborate or interesting) vintage quilt falling apart at the seams? Trash or sewing treasure? What do you think?

At an estate sale on Saturday, I found this quilt lying in a heap at the bottom of a closet - tattered, torn, and on it's way to the trash bin. It didn't even have a price tag. When I inquired about it... I was told I could have it. So, of course, I had to take it home. After a good wash, it looked even sadder... and it was way beyond any attempt at repair. So, after a good, long glace through my new favorite book - One Yard Wonders - I felt inspired to make something using the quilt - but not creative enough to come up with anything apart from another table runner!

I copied the flower shapes on pattern paper and found some vintage fabrics from the same period as the quilt. I replaced the tattered, torn and threadbare appliques and trimmed them with ric rac by machine (I was feeling too lazy to hand sew this one). While watching episode 2 of American Pickers for the 4th time, I added a little embroidery to the fl orals (I have a few left to finish). Then I made some ruffles to go across the plain green squares... they looked a little naked next to my over-embellished flowers! I am thinking of adding a few of those cute little 1950s pierced plastic flower buttons at the square intersections along the ruffles to add even more whimsy.

Sometimes I just don't know when to stop!

Thrift Score!

2010-04-13T13:46:00.001-07:00

Today I found the perfect solution to a problem area in my kitchen which has been bothering me for years. When we first purchased this house, one of the first projects we took on was to remove a large set of dark, heavy and invasive 1970s overhanging cabinets (you know, the kind that hang down from the ceiling in the middle of the kitchen blocking views and closing in space).

Well, in doing so we were left with a wall which once had a cabinet and incomplete tile work. My quick solution was to hang a metal bathroom towel rack over the space to hide the flaw - but it never looked at home in my kitchen.

So, today at the thrift shop I found the perfect little two-drawer shelf for the spot. It looks like it has always been there and has provided me with a perfect place to store all my vintage kitcheniana!

Tom will be home from work soon. He generally doesn't notice my changes and tweaks to decorative touches throughout the house. I added the big red geraniums to catch his eye. I wonder how long that will take...

Project Adopt a Cutter

2010-04-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular at estate sales, country auctions and flea markets you have seen them. They are used as packaging materials in the bottom of steamer trunks and boxes. They are the dirty, ripped and discarded pieces of America's sewing history. We call them "cutter" quilts - once lovingly pieced and stitched, proudly displayed and adored, these pieces are considered ugly, useless and without value.

At a sale on Saturday, a gentleman kindly allowed me to rummage through his garage in search of vintage sewing treasures. I found two old homestead cutters - they were a complete mess - missing patches, rips, stains, and completely worn out bindings. I was able to purchase the pair for $5.00 (the man was surprised I wanted them at all and was planning to throw them out).

As soon as I got home, I sprayed all the soiled areas with Oxy Clean in my garage. Next, I set my washing machine for soak in the hottest water setting and added 2x the normal detergent. I allowed the quilts to soak over night. The next morning, I rinsed and washed the quilts and laid them flat in a sunny spot outside to dry.

That night I cut away all the unusable parts.

I was left with several quilted squares and 5 long strips which could be patched, bound and made into rustic table runners.

Right now, I am starting the fun part - getting creative. I have a nice stash of quilt vintage squares, trims, embroidery flosses, buttons and bits from other travels. I will use these to decorate the runner and hide little spots or tiny holes.

I love quilting, but would never have the time to complete my own quilt from scratch. By recycling and restyling cutter quilts, more than half the work is already done - making for a fun, quick and inexpensive sewing project!

*SEW* Farmhouse Style! Here are two runners ready to take on antoher 100 years.

Fun Finds!

2010-04-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I must have hit about 20 sales over the past two days and I found a few little goodies. First of all... the trike. Mike and Frank of American Pickers (on the History Channel Monday night 9/8c) got me all excited about vintage bikes. Their wild-eyed enthusiasm is so contagious that I literally dug this old bike out of a farmer's shed all the time thinking, "wow, man, incredible piece of mid-century decor". The only problem is that the only place it really looks at home is in my garden... so instead of rotting in the farmer's shed for the next 50 years, it will be rotting into my rose garden. Maybe it will entice a picker to knock on my door and offer me incredible American Picker prices for my vintage "junque"!

So, the things I can really use, admire, grow tired of and sell:

- 3 pieces of Imperial (marked), "Open-Rose" Carnival glass - covered butter, cream and sugar - mint.

- 1940s Westmoreland (marked) "Victoria Hands" milk glass ready to display small treasures... like...

- A wonderful stash of vintage sewing buttons... or...

- Fabulous vintage jewelry including many high-quality, showy rings in my size and wedding worthy beaded flapper-style chandelier earrings in silver and cream.

- A fabulous antique carrot tin with a beautifully graphic label in excellent condition.

- Couldn't resist the old egg beater

- A long, delicate shabby-chic pained vase in the sweetest shade of pink

- 2 Knowles Taylor and Knowles (marked) earthenware decorated platters without chips!

- A cute small brown crock - looks like it might have had a lid? It has a few rim chips, but good for storing buttons... and... my very favorite item...

- A sweet figural feedsack pot holder in red c1950. Ya, it really is my favorite item of the week.

More Goodies!

2010-04-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

Phew! Another great day in the vintage goodies hunt! I am loving the cameras!

Mothers and Daughters

2010-04-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today I also added 2 new garage sale treasures to my collections - a mini vintage fan and a big, old cast iron sewing machine (ok, it's not in perfect condition, but for $2.00 I couldn't walk away from it). I love how these look next to their larger and smaller companions!

Just For Fun!

2010-04-02T14:45:00.001-07:00

What a neat treat I found today! This tiny, vintage, portable Montgomery Ward record player with a fun assortment of 45 singles from the 50s and 60s. I actually recognized a few of the titles, including Wooly Bully (Sam the Sham) and Do You Love Me (The Stereos).

Most of the artists sound vaguely familiar (at best) - The Shadows, The Marketts, Homer and Jethro, The Ventures, The Echoes, and T Texas Tyler. I am assuming these guys were "hep" in the 50s and 60s... Apart from a tiny bit of speaker feedback, the system works well and I spent the afternoon teaching my kiddos the hop!

Garage Sale Season Is Here!

2010-03-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

... And today, I loaded down the down the trunk with yummy vintage sewing goodies. I even bought a box lot of vintage sewing and crochet booklets and patterns. Among them, I found this AMAZING Coats and Clarks pattern book dated 1945 filled with eight of the most scrumptious retro handbags.

With step-by-step, detailed instructions on...

I am very excited to try these out! I am going to start with the style on the cover. I love the big button closure.

And The Winner is....

2010-03-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ramona Burke!

You were the winner of the random vintage Simplicity pattern drawing! Congratulations.

Your package containing 5 truly wonderful vintage patterns is ready to ship. Please contact me by email at Stephanieokc@hotmail.com with your shipping address. I hope you enjoy them.

Thank you to all who participated. This was a lot of fun!

Sew Organized!

2010-03-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

I have been looking everywhere for the perfect solution to my vintage pattern overpopulation problem and yesterday on the way to pick up a gallon of milk I found it!

As I glanced through the parking lot of the local thrift shop, I saw a fabulous Shaw Walker filing cabinet from the 1940s in a dark, army green with solid brass hardware. The company dates back to the turn of the century and is synonymous with the early foundations of corporate America. Examples like this sell in the $400 - $600. The thrift shop price tag stated $2.00 a drawer. I was silly enough to ask, "If I buy all the drawers, can I also have the frame?" The employee laughed... Apparently that's just how cabinets are priced.

Luckily, this particular, oh-so-mid-century model has 4 drawers. I am thinking Simplicity, Butterick, Mc Call's and Vogue...

I spent the morning sorting through my patterns and organizing them into decades...

Which resulted in finding a few duplicates! I am offering five vintage, uncut 1950s Simplicity patterns (including 1460, 1573 and 1840) FREE to my readers!

These 5 patterns are missing their enveloppes, but are complete with primers. If you want them, let me know by adding a comment below this post. If more than one person indicates an interest in these patterns, I will draw a winner at random on Saturday, March 20th... so stay tuned!

Honey Hole - Part 2

2010-03-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

I couldn't sleep last night knowing that I had only scratched the surface of the honey hole and that the trucks were pulling in today to clean out the house. I made a quick trip back this morning and found a few more little goodies:

Yummy vintage fabrics and linens. I knew I just had to dig a little deeper!

A huge bin full of vintage crochet goodies - including about 6 or 7 collars for garments.

Vintage metal toy trucks - including a 60s Disneyland Jeep. Looks like the TRU Scale tractor plow implement (in red) might be worth a few bucks. It will be interesting to see what it fetches on eBay this week.

A cute little hand-made red wagon toy and a nice old rain gauge advertising piece in it's original box. I also found another show box of vintage costume jewelry with a pretty glass cameo brooch.

An old Jem Junior camera in it's original box and another fishing reel ... The pipe reminded me of my Dad (I took it as a sign that he was with me enjoying every minute of the hunt).

Some old Golden books...

Two tin flip lid boxes filled with children's books, a big brass slide trombone (thanks Donna in CO) and a Triumphant Service Songs music book (I wonder if Tom remembers how to play?)

And... for my sewing room... an extra spacious, oh *sew* retro ironing board in the most fab shade of turquoise! By now, the trucks are pulling away with all the rest of the contents from this estate. I am glad I was able to preserve a few cuties and can't wait to start redecorating!

Honey Hole

2010-03-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

I visited picker paradise yesterday and came home with a truck load of fun, funky and downright delicious vintage goodies. I threw everything into a somewhat organized pile on my driveway this morning to take stock. The estate belonged to the parents of a friend who was having Goodwill come by to collect all the items out of the sold home and she thought I might enjoy a look around before everything was hauled away. She was right! It was heaven!

Note the Carnival glass, Depression glass, old tools, bottles, advertising, coolidge and kitsch. Rusty gold, as The American Pickers call it!

Here are a few quick snapshots of some of my finds:

I love the color and form of this old desk which I believe was used in an old schoolhouse. When you open the drawer, the bottom is full of pencil signatures and dates from the 1930s and 40s. There are about 40 or 50 names scribbled into the bottom, which I imagine were the students who used it.

I found the fridge which matches my stove and sink!

Got a whole bag full of vintage costume jewelry. These are just the earing sets. I put them together on cardstock last night when I got home - 38 pairs, no missing or broken pieces!

I had to do a little digging to figure out what this little lovely was. It's called a shadow box purse and they were popular in the 1950s. This one is truely lovely.

Mint, in the box, never worn "comfy" gold slippers. These beauties really encompass everything fashion had to offer in the fabulous 50s!

Mike and Frank would be proud of me for digging out this old emerson spaghetti cage fan and the old Pepsi trash can.

I really love this old wooden tool box. I also found several old hand forged tools, a tiny oil can, lots of old medicine bottles, a nice set of turquoise pyrex bowls a sweet Huntley reading biscuits tin (too bad about the poor condition, but it's still cute), and some old fishing reels and poles (one is bamboo).

Too, Too, Too Cute!

2010-03-09T17:35:00.001-08:00

Today's Mega Treasure

Check out the fabulous vintage painted metal appliances I found today - in the perfect color combination for my retro kitchen! This 1950s play set includes an oven/stove top combo with built-in salt and pepper shakers and a double sink with storage cabinets. It even came complete with little tin red and white gingham ducky plates, a muffin tin, a baking sheet, frying pans and yellow pots. It currently sits in my garage awaiting a good clean up and a coat of liquid gold. I am not sure exactly where I will be displaying it in my home (like all of my little kitschy treasures, I am sure Tom will banish it to my sewing room).

It is marked San Diego Jr, but I have been unsuccessful in learning anything about this maker. I just love the colors and forms. Too, too cute!

A Look All Her Own...

2010-03-03T07:59:00.001-08:00

Logan is a bright, beautiful seven-year-old with a sparkling personality and a head for fashion. She knows what she likes, and she likes it a lot. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to pour through her closet to gain insight on her personal style. She loves vintage trims, wide black lace collars, big flowers, polka dots and linen - all mixed together. This morning I designed her this dress with an unbleached polka dot embroidered bodice with a mid-length black linen gathered skirt. It ties at the back of the neck (or, in this case, can be fastened with a large brooch with ties left dangling behind the back). I used french seams throughout. I am thinking of adding a 5" unbleached linen ruffle at the bottom, but it might be a bit overwhelming :)

Logan's mom provided me with the bodice fabric and all other materials I used were thirft store scores!

Here's a popular "pillow case" dress I made using the same fabrics and trims. Don't you love dresses that can be made in less than an hour?

A Few of my Favorite Things

2010-03-01T12:12:00.001-08:00

Today I am blogging about my favorite things. Of course I love vintage sewing goodies - like buttons and pin cushions, but I am also very much into 1960s enamel brooches and handbags. Take a look:

I scored this fully functional vintage Singer at R & M a couple of weeks ago for $20.00. Complete with button-holer and cams, it actually gives me less sewing grief than my $800.00 Pfaff!

My mother recently sent me this petite china pin cushion in a package of goodies. She sits on a shelf in my sewing room and always looks quite pleased with my accomplishments. I like her a lot! She one of my most easy-going friends.

I collect all sorts of antique sewing buttons, but my favorite are Victorian buttons which represent hands holding things - like fans, flowers and even bugs. I have no idea what the symbolism is, but they are plentiful and lovely.

I bought this groovy 1960s handbag this morning at Goodwill. It's in exceptional condition and only cost me $3.00. Wow!

I never actually wear these enamel flower and fruit pins, but I think they are little works of art. They always brighten my day. I love rescuing them from junky jewelry destashes at the thrift shops!

Simply Sweet

2010-02-17T10:21:00.001-08:00

I don't collect vintage Pyrex, but after finding these at R & M Treasures of Edmond today I might have to start! I love the colors and prints. They are practical, nostalgic and charming. My mother sent me a few yellow bits of oven wear (which I use often) and I am happy to add a few pinks and greens to my mix.

In other news, I am still working on a vintage quilt restoration project I started before Christmas! I have had to replace every printed diamond on this queen-sized quilt by hand. I have been replacing the patches with applique and then hand quilting them. It's a nice project to work on in the evenings watching TV with the family, but I definitely prefer whipping fabric through my sewing machine. I love the sound my machine makes... "chomp... chomp... chompchompchomp". Kitty definitely finds lap sewing projects more relaxing.

Little Bo Peep

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the most amazing day! I met with a local seamstress who is over-booked with projects and needs some help sewing. She has a beautiful estate, a huge sewing lounge filled with fantastic fabrics and industrial machines, and is one of the sweetest people I have met in a long time. Even better, she has daughters to sew for! She gave me 4 huge boxes of vintage fabrics and trims and asked me to create a few "gypsy-style" skirts for her 7-year-old. In return, I can keep all the left-over supplies and use or sell them as I see fit! Wow!

I found this "Little Bo Peep" skirt in a book called "Seams to Me". It is perfect for mixing, matching and patching up small remnants of vintage fabrics. I am going to sew up a couple of prairie-style tops in cream cotton with coordinating trims. I hope she likes them!

Sew Addicted

2010-02-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

These needle cases are so much fun to make with their bitty pillow pin cushions and patchwork bias trims! I put 2 together yesterday for Mother's Day presents and made 5 more this morning. Love them *sew* much :)

This little project is a great way of using up tiny scraps of fabulous vintage fabric (which I now have mountains of thanks to awesome Ebay seller countryart4u). I think needle cases were a popular friendship token in the 1930s?

McCall's 5022 - The Perfect Treasure Pouch

2010-01-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I ran into a local antique dealer who has saved up a small Valentine's Day stash of little vintage goodies for her granddaughter. She asked me to create a small pouch which could house the small treasures using vintage fabrics. She also wanted the pouch to be primarily pink. I choose a vintage rose feedsack fabric and quilted up my own version of McCall's pattern 5022 from 1972. Here's the result:

Today's Haul

2010-01-26T10:27:00.001-08:00

I love Tuesdays!

Jordan goes to Mother's Day Out and I hit the thrift shops. Today was particularly productive and I came home with tons of my favorite things - a pouch of vintage buttons, a needle book, 4 pin cushions, 6 yards of 1930s fabrics, 2 yards of 1960s fabrics, super cute tins for stashing sewing goodies (including a complete mountable shelf of spice tins I will use to sort buttons), and 11 vintage Vogart embroidery transfers (complete and unused). My very favorite items of the day are the antique pin cushions pictured below.

Feeling inspired, I am off to rearrange my sewing room to incorporate these precious trinkets. I have about 2 hours left of Tuesday "me" time to ponder my next projects.

Sewing Caddy Face Lift

2010-01-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

I found this cute little sewing caddy yesterday at the thrift shop. It was in 4 pieces and needed a lot of TLC but for 50 cents, I couldn't pass it up. I am a huge sucker for vintage pin cushions and I love caddy styles the most!

I had a tiny scrap of the cutest 1930s turquoise tulip print cotton I had been saving for a special project and I found some red acrylic wood paint in my son's craft stash - so this morning I performed the face lift.

Cute, eh? I wish I had taken a before picture, but Etsy has tons of these in pre-primped condition. I think they must have been some kind of woodworking craft kit kids would buy and assemble for mother's day presents in the past.

I might have to start collecting these :)

Flash Back to 1972

2010-01-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

This morning, I took a little sewing trip back to 1972 with Simplicity pattern 5370 and 2 yards of a pink and green seagull print polyester obtained in a garage sale box lot.

I know polyester has a bad wrap, and I would never purchase it new, but I really don't mind it. And, Gypsy Rose Vintage Boutique customers (who are mostly young, broke and fabulous college students) love it, so I will be using up my stash and patterns to create a few fun looks for them - like this babydoll dress.

Gypsy Rose (701 S Boulevard in Edmond) features an eclectic mix of vintage clothing, accessories and home goods from the 1930s - 1970s. My little corner offers vintage sewing supplies - fabric, patterns, trims, buttons and notions for the DIY fashionista.

Start Stripping... Your Vintage Bedsheets

2009-11-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

I recently received an inquiry from a curious Etsy member who wanted to know what types of items one could sew from old bed sheets. The possibilities are really endless! Although vintage sheeting is of a lighter weight than traditional quilting cottons, and have been through endless washings (making them even more soft and supple to work with) they can be a versatile and vast source of fun fabric.

I have used vintage bed sheets to make everything from quilts to coasters to skirts! I even mix my vintage sheet stash fabrics with other reclaimed materials to create patchwork totes like the one pictured here (the pattern can be found in Anna Maria Horner's book "Seams To Me"). Can you tell which 3 fabrics are repurposed bed sheets?

The handles are made of six 2" wide strips of different sheet fabrics which have been braided together. You can also use braided sheet strips to make pot holders, headbands and rag rugs.

So here are just a few quick ideas of ways to recycle old sheets. They are a fabulous source of yards and yards of vintage fabric at a great price. If you don't have the time or desire to thrift for fabric, I sell freshly washed fat quarter bundles in my Etsy shop for $3.00 a yard.

Morsbags

2009-11-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

YIPPEE! I just received my first Morsbag fabric donation. If you still have not joined the cause, you can learn about them at http://www.morsbags.com/.

My son's preschool teacher's grandmother worked for a sheeting company in the 1950s to 1970s. Today she gave me 4 huge bins of vintage fabric to make these shopping bags!

The pattern is so easy my 6-year old can make them. He loves anything that has do with saving the enviroment and especially loves whales so he is very thrilled to help out.

So, I am off to cut out and stitch up another 5 bags. This design is all mine :)

Fabulous Feedsack

2009-10-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely in love with my feedsack fabric stash. The colors, prints and 100% cotton weaves are so much fun to work with. Here in Oklahoma, most of the ladies I have met in their 80s call them "tow sacks" and remember going to the local feed mill as children to help their fathers select the best designs of the day.
In the first part of last century, feedsacks were sold in solid colors. Then, in 1925, colorful prints for making dresses, aprons, shirts and children’s clothing began to appear. During the Depression, manufacturers began to paste on paper labels with soaking instructions for their removal and heated competition to produce the most attractive and desirable prints arose. This turned out to be a great marketing strategy as picking out flour, sugar, cornmeal and even the farm feed became an exciting family affair.

Feedsack production continued until the late 1950s when the streamlined production of paper bags became a much less expensive packaging material. By the 1960s, feedsacks were phased out completely. Luckily for vintage sewing enthusiasts, feedsack bundles can still be found at farm estate sales and online. Soon, I plan to thin out my stash and list some fat quarter bundles in my Etsy shop.
I am quite partial to the aqua/purple/pink designs but also love the red/white/blue combinations. As I become a more confident sewer, I turn to my feedsack stash more and more for sewing projects, like this patchwork tote.

I just love how these fabrics give everything vintage cottage feel.