Gorgeousness to Share

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Remember back in the beginning of May when I posted about my scrap pack idea?  Well, I've sold 31 of those bundles to date, and have often wondered what fun projects people whip up with those fabric bits.  A big, big thank you to Kiley for sharing pictures of her fabulously BEAUTIFUL quilted pillow with me!  Isn't it amazing?  Be sure to visit Kiley's blog Always Come Home for more details about this project, and to read more about all of her crafting and thrifting adventures :)

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

Just a day late.  It could be worse, right?  Today's fabrics are posted with a special person in mind.  She has been on the hunt for pink, and I found some pinks in my stash that I wanted to share.  Most of these are available in very limited quantities- like 1 or 2 fat quarters.  Whatever Stina doesn't want will be posted in sosovintage soon!

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I have the blue and ochre colorways in the shop already- what a treat to discover the pink!

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This one is a bit faded but still full of beautiful flower power!

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I also have this in turquoise- love the pink!

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So dainty!  This is folded over, so you have to try to picture it without the "shadows".

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Bold and beautiful!  Mod ripples in orange, pink and white.

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And this one has pink AND green in a pretty line, dot, floral stripe!

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There you have it, Stina- I hope you see a couple of these that you like :)

Thursday's Treasure: 7/28

I am not typically a fast mover.  Unless I am late- I hate to be late.  So, in thrift stores that I am familiar with, I don't tend to dawdle.  I move along at my *casual slow* pace, reaching carefully to look certain things over, gently moving this knick knack or that odd-n-end to be sure I don't miss anything.

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But on occasion, a find calls for swift action.  This comes from the more subconscious region of my brain.  The place that quickly registers *pink* or *aqua* or *pyrex* or *atomic*  before I've really even laid both eyes on the item.  The place that screams "GRAB IT" before I have time to even think. 

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When I reached out my hands for this amazing lidded divided dish in the more rare promotional pattern "constellation" today, I felt like a frog flipping his tongue out for a fly.  I probably thought the same thing as the frog, too, "Mmmm mmmm".

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This dish and lid are in as near to mint condition as I've ever seen.  Absolutely stunning.  Look for them in sosovintage later this evening!  When was your last frog/fly catch?  Do share!

Vintage Gift Wrap

I scored three packs of unopened vintage gift wrap yesterday- for just 90 cents!  This is my favorite- how cute are those bluebirds?  And their parasol? 

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This is an American Greetings design from 1972.  Two sheets for a total of almost 8 square feet!  Let's have some fun- how much do you think the original price was?  Leave a comment with your guess- I'll be back with the big reveal tonight!

What Could Be Cuter...

... than a ruffle bottomed baby reaching into a handmade toy basket?

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Perhaps said baby INSIDE the handmade toy basket!  What a treat to receive these photos of baby Stella enjoying the basket I made for her over a year ago.  She has quite the wonderful and thoughtful Mommy, don't you think?  Thank you, Dana!!!

Makeover Monday: 7/25

I have a VERY exciting custom order, and this is the PERFECT fabric for what I need to make.  A neutral cotton with the tiniest lighter colored diamonds.

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I started the usual way, by cutting the fabric a uniform width and wrapping the long strip into a ball.  In this case the width is about 3 inches.

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Using a large hook, I've crocheted the very base of this project to be about 8 inches wide.  Before It's all said and done, it will be going up many more inches and out a bit too.  I don't think anyone could guess what this will be/represent in the end, but guesses are welcome!  I hope to be finished by the end of the week, and I'll show you the final result.  I hope you can stand the suspense, lol!!!

So Many Squares

I finished my 125 vintage fabric squares that will be used as wedding napkins.  What a fun project!  I got to use my new cutting mat and rotary cutter, and I must say, these are just perfect. 

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I got the new cutting set up from my husband for my birthday back in June. But, since I tend to resist change with every fibre of my being (especially when it could involve accidently chopping off a finger or two), I have been dragging my feet about learning a new system.  I think I've got it down pat, though, since I had plenty of practice with this project.  The squares are now on their way to North Carolina for hemming!

A Visitor

What a treat to find this large swallowtail butterfly flitting around Sophie's windowbox!  She has the best view from her room.  The butterfly really loved the lantana-  about five times he considered flying away and then turned right around and came back. 

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See that green stalk jutting out from the right hand side up there?  That's the plant Sophie brought her dad from school for Father's Day.  We suspect it's a bean, but aren't really sure.  It was only about 3 inches high when she brought it home, and I didn't have much hope for it when I placed it in the flowerbox.  It seems to be thriving, though, so that shows what I know!  If it does anything legume-y as the summer goes on, I'll be sure to post about it :)

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

I can't believe it's Friday already!  Where did this week go?  As usual, I spent some time browsing the op shops, and have some delicious fabric to share.  Faves from this week's thrifting include:

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It doesn't get much better than this- aqua blue, stripes, dashes AND flower vine scrolls!

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Here we've got flowers, stripes and dots going on- with a bit of retro flair thrown in for good measure!

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I've had this one in the shop before and was thrilled to find it again.  Love the fiddleheads!

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This one has only been available in charm packs before- now I have PLENTY to offer in whatever size you want!

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Gorgeous COTTON flower power in pink, orange, aqua and avocado.

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Ooh, I do love some polka dots!  What pretty little bundles of posies, too.

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It is supposed to be triple digit hot and humid here this weekend.  You can bet I'll be doing everything I can to remain indoors.  Hope the weather is more reasonable where you are, and that you have a bunch of fun lined up!

Thursday's Treasure

Sophie got to go blackberry picking and fishing with my dad this week! He took her to the farm and pond across the street from their house.  They came home with a pound of fresh berries, and *together* they managed to catch two sunnies.  Here she is looking dainty and proud! 

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Some of my fondest fishing memories include my grandfather. In my mind's eye I can so easily picture his giant hand reaching into the cricket container to nab one to put on my hook.  Trouble was, about ten of the darn things would jump out every time he did this, and we'd end up with crickets chirping all over the boat!  What a treasure to know that Sophie will have fond fishing memories with her grandfather, too.

Rainbow

Yep, there he is, friends.  Rainbow the fancy tailed goldfish.  No, I have not posted some macabre death photo.  This is how he rests!  The first time we came upon him in this frightening pose, we thought he had surely passed on to the great fishbowl in the sky.  After a tap on the glass, though, he wiggled and righted himself in short order. 

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After several weeks of these bothersome sightings, I took it upon myself to see if other people had fish who slept upside down.  Google produced loads of information.  It turns out our darling boy is suffering from a problem with his swim bladder.  He is apparently taking in too much air when he eats, then he becomes basically the human equivalent of bloated. 

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Armed with this information, I set out to see my friend who works at the pet store that Sophie and I have visited about twice a month for the last five years.  I was assured that Rainbow is not in any pain, and that he will not die an untimely death due to swim bladder complications.  She suggested that we may want to try a different food that contains wheat germ to aid in his digestion.  He has lived almost two years on the same food, though, and I am hesitant to pull a switcheroo on him.  I will continue to deliberate on the best course of action for our sweet finny friend.  Have your pets ever had any odd issues like this?

My Stack

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Did you know that stacks of vintage suitcases are currently all the rage in home decor?  Well, I finally accumulated enough vintage jewelry boxes to make my own special stack!  I truly did purchase these with the intention to resell them, but sometimes you just have to keep things for yourself for awhile, y'know?  They really look sweet in my sunroom, and there's no statute of limitations on reselling.  They'll just be even more vintage if I decide to part with them ;)

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Do you have a certain something (or somethings) that you bought to resell and then kept for yourself?  Do share!

Makeover Monday: 7/18

My cleaning out process has included going through every fabric I have accumulated over the last 4 years. 

I have had some pleasant surprises, and some *what was I thinking* moments as well.  This one stood out to me as a mix of camouflage and tie dye, and I decided it would be just right for a Monday makeover.

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The light isn't ideal for photos this morning, but I hope you can see the flecks of green in there with the blue.  Definitely an oceany basket! 

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Though I've not posted many larger bowls in sosorosey of late, that is going to change over the next few months.  I have decided to pull my inventory from The Muse, and anything that I pick up in August will find its way here.  I loved my relationship with that shop and I loved having my work on display in a place that I truly respect.  I've decided, however, that consignment is just not for me.  It's too important to me to have the ultimate control over how my items are displayed, and I dislike the pressure (from myself) of keeping the stock current and fresh in two places.

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Here's hoping that you have a great week in store.  I will have some extra Jennie-time this week as Sophie is currently in cartoon and sugar bliss with my parents for a few days.  I'll be continuing my de-cluttering process, and posting lots of new goodies too!  What do you have on your agenda?

Pay It Forward

A little while back, I was lucky enough to be chosen as a recipient of a blogger style pay-it-forward.  The lovely hostess from whom I received my treats was none other than my good friend Donna over at Little Tiny Stitches.  Her wonderful blog is HERE, and her sweet Etsy shop is HERE.

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The way pay-it-forward works, as I understand it, is that I now get to show you the awesome things that I found in my package from Donna.  While you are oohing and ahhing over my goodies, you can be thinking about whether or not YOU would like to get a package in the mail from ME.  For free!  If the answer is yes, you just leave a comment saying so.  By leaving a comment, you are committing to blogging about what treats come your way and then paying it forward by sending things off yourself.  And so we go, making the world a happier place one blog post at a time. 

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I will pay it forward to three people.  If I only get 3 comments, well, you are the lucky three!  If I get more than 3 people interested, I'll have Sophie help me draw names.  If names must be drawn, I'll do that on Sunday evening and announce the names here on my blog.  As my package came all the way from England, my pif people can absolutely be from in- or outside of the US.  I won't spoil the surprise and tell you what you will receive, but I will let you know that I'll do my best to send things that are as special as I received.

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If you've read this far, you must be dying to see my bounty!  Here is what my package from Donna contained:

A beautiful wall calendar featuring gorgeous scenery and very interesting recipes for each month.

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The sweetest little handmade bird... look at the rosey fabric and the dangly legs!

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Three precious baby chicks with little bead eyes and felt wings

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And my very own crocheted flower brooch, with a stunning vintage button center.  I have it displayed for all to see on the project bag that I take with me when I'm out and about.  I've had many compliments already :)

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I'm anxious to see who I get to gift, and I'm looking forward to making and gathering some fun things for my pif people.  A big thank you to Donna once again for her generosity, friendship and talent.  xoxo

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

It's that time of the week again, friends!  Time to celebrate a hard week of work by reflecting on the successes of the days before and dreaming of the relaxation and fun to be had over the weekend!  For your viewing pleasure, here are the newly chosen vintage fabrics soon to make their way to the sosovintage shelves!

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Large abstract roses in pink and orange

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Violet roses and ribbons on bright white: 100% cotton!

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Lavender pagoda~gazebo in a scrolly, delicate Asian garden

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Detailed birds, butterflies, wreaths and flowers on palest yellow

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Large lavender and aqua peonies

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Pink, yellow and turquoise daisies with orange and lavender forget-me-knots on ecru

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Do you have a favorite from this group?

Thursday's Treasure

Remember the hay bale wedding I talked about in this post?  Well, it went off without a hitch!  Er, maybe I should say it went smoothly with a wonderful hitch- the marriage of Erik and Sarah!  In any case, the sweet bride recently sent me some of her photos to share. 

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Vintage yellow gingham rounds used as table toppers for the rehearsal dinner.  Sarah also purchased strips of this same fabric to tie around the utensil and napkin sets, and to decorate centerpieces as well.

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Here are the wedding programs that Sarah made using some of the leftover hay bale tie fabrics.

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The honey jar favors topped with the vintage aqua fabric covers.

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And last but not least, the hay bale covers in action!

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I'm so grateful for Sarah's generosity in sharing these photos.  I look forward to seeing more when the professional shots come in!  In other exciting wedding news, I have a new fabric job for a ceremony coming up next spring.  125 12"x12" squares in various pink and green vintage fabrics- to be used as napkins at the wedding reception!  Yippeee- stay tuned for pics in the coming weeks :)

Sweet Family

Three darling elephants looking for a good home.  Small, quiet, and loveable.  A mismatched herd that prefers to stay together.  Ha- that last sentence could be the very definition of family, couldn't it?

Garden Treasure

Ice cold Gold Peak green tea in my favorite tall glass.  With spearmint grown by me.  Now that's some summer lovin'.  Sorry Olivia and John... yours was great too :)

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Americans, did you get your free 7-11 Slurpees yesterday?  Sophie and I did!  The poor manager at the location we went to had already gone through 2,000 cups by the time we arrived at 5:30 pm.  He was kind enough to be using his *small* size cups (versus the 7.5 ounce ones reserved for the free event).  The line was 20 deep when we got there, but it moved quickly.  There were easily 30 people behind us when we left.  Sophie opted for a mix of Berry-Burst and Alienation... some red and blue thing that was purple by the time we got into the car.  I went with good old cherry.  100%.  Now, had there been grape and/or banana, that would have been a different story.  Anyhoo, I digress.  If you missed it, mark you calender now for 7/11/2012- free Slurpees all day long!!  Wahooooooo!!

Makeover Monday: 7/11

I came across this bowl the other day.  I probably made it with the intention of making a nesting set, and then got sidetracked with something else.  It didn't look quite finished to me, so I poked around in my *rag-topping* stash and found this pretty orange fabric.

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Ah yes.  Just the thing!

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Now she has a happy little glow to her sunshiney self :)

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Here's hoping you have a happy glow this week, too!  Sophie has Art Camp this week in the mornings, and then swimming lessons in the afternoons.  We have a lunch date today as well, and we're looking forward to a visit from Nanapa this weekend.  Woohoo!  What's in store for you this week?

Wise Guys

Whoooooo found the cutest owl cards in her stash?  Don't you love the 3D effect faux stitchery going on?

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

Happy Friday, Friends!  It's official- I will be using every Friday to post my latest and greatest vintage fabric finds.  Not only do I like the way Friday, finds, favorite and fabric all start with the same letter, but I also thrive on routine and know I'm not alone.  (*winks at Victoria)

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Beautifully detailed and well saturated turquoise and green flowers on aqua

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Blue and avocado green floral

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Yes, it's true: nautical flower power!!

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There are quite a few other fabrics on the way... without summer camp for Sophie this week, I've gotten a little behind (more than usual) in washing, photographing and listing.  Be sure to check the *newly listed* section of sosovintage when you visit to be sure you catch all of the new arrivals :)

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In exciting happy news, I am over halfway done with the major big dig project in the downstairs room!  After taking two trunkfuls of *stuff* to the Purple Heart donation center, and several large trash bags to the curb, I am now at the point of sorting and storing the remaining items.  This is no small task, but I find that working on a couple of bins per evening while I keep some mindless TV on for company makes a dent after awhile.  My big reward after I finish this part is that my husband is going to install a sturdy closet organization system.  I will finally have a place to hang all of the gorgeous vintage fabrics that are waiting for new homes.  I have a feeling I'll often be found sitting down there just staring lovingly into that space.  You understand, don't you?

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Here's hoping you have a wonderful weekend on tap!  Any fun plans?  Please share!