Makeover Monday

About a year and a half ago, a lovely woman came to me to have her grandmother's wedding slip made into a bowl. A piece of it was also used to make a pin for her daughter to wear on her wedding day. Well, that daughter sent me a message the other day! She loved her wedding pin, and wanted to know if I could make something special for her sister-in-law who will be getting married soon.

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She sent me her sister-in-law's grandmother's doily, and a wooden Scrabble tile.  Grandma was an avid Scrabble player.  She wanted me to use the thread from the doily to make a heart... beyond that, the design was pretty much up to me.

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After double checking to be sure it was really OK to take the doily apart, I set out to undo stitches that have been in place for decades.  It did NOT want to be taken apart.  The thread was fine to begin with, and brittle with age on top of that.  Every few inches or so, the thread would just break as I took it apart.  After the first couple of rows, though, I came into stronger material. 

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I took out just enough to work with, and was left with a curly little pile.  I took out my teeny tiny crochet hook and made a teeny tiny heart.  Too small.  I took apart my teeny tiny heart and doubled up the thread.  Still small, but the best I could do.  I decided to use the inner portion of the original doily as the base, so I unraveled until I got to a good stopping point and then finished off.

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I arranged and arranged until I got it just right...

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... and I'm really pleased with the result!

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It measures 2.5" in diameter, and is light as a feather.  The bride will be able to attach it to her garter or bouquet, and have a bit of her grandmother with her as she walks down the aisle.  Something old AND something new.

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Though there were a few tense moments when the thread wasn't cooperating, I thoroughly enjoyed this project.  If I could do this every day, I'd be one happy lady.  Oh, Martha?  Send me your throngs of customers looking for that little something special for their wedding day ;)

Hasta La Vista Chubby

I am not a health nut, not by a long shot.  But, in my 2012 quest to regain my girlish figure, I've been forced to take a good hard look at some of my very unhealthy habits and make some changes.  Fast food can be blamed for a good portion of the pounds I packed on over the last few years.  Or rather, my EATING of the fast food on a regular basis.  It's so easy.  So satisfying.  Such a lovely guilty pleasure!  I knew it wasn't going to be easy to cut it out of my life, but it had to be done. 

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Since I am often on-the-go at the lunch hour, I now make sure I have easy to eat snacks packed before I leave the house.  Carrots, nuts, pretzels.  Anything that's "good" to grab when I get hungry, so that I don't start looking around at restaurants and tempting myself with things I shouldn't be eating.  That works most of the time, but occasionally I find myself without my personal supply.  I've learned not to panic about this.

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Determined not to fall back into old patterns, my first line of defense is usually to find the nearest Subway.  Failing that, there's always the pre-packed healthy snacks that they now carry in most grocery stores.   Sometimes you just don't want to get out of the car, though.  Am I right?  It's sad, but true.  Enter the weight-conscious person's dreamy little McDonald's treat: the fruit and walnut salad!  Lowfat yogurt, crunchy glazed walnuts, seedless grapes and red and green apple slices.  210 calories and only $1.49.  This little number has really saved me a few times, so I thought I'd pass it along. 

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I'm down over 25 pounds since January, and I'm NOT willing to go back.  I try to add something new to my regimen every month while maintaining what I did the previous months.  So, in January I quit drinking alcohol and eating fast food.  February I added walking.  March I added going to the gym.  April I increased my cardio workouts.  May is "add abdominal exercises" month.  Now that my stomach isn't sticking out further than my chest, I'm ready to tighten up my mid-section.  Do you have any special diet tips that work for you?  Any sure-fire "million dollar abs in 20 seconds" routines to share?  Please leave a comment!

Now and Then

Old fashioned goodness with a modern twist!

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Hopefully you can tell now that the new item is a baby bib!  I finally took the time to work out the details of the vision in my head, and I sure hope others find them as cute as I do.

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First, I found and modified an antique bib pattern.  Then, I dug through my collection of vintage buttons to find just the right ones to complement each color.

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It took me several tries to get the "finishing touch" just right.  What I attempted initially was just way too busy.  The bow is simple and sweet, which is exactly the look I was hoping to achieve. 

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The details: Each bib body is made from silky soft 100% mercerized cotton. These can be machine washed in cold water on a gentle cycle, but handwashing is best. Lay flat to dry. Price: $20

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I value your opinions, and would really appreciate hearing your thoughts, questions, and/or suggestions about the design, price, photos, etc. Thanks in advance!

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

Oh, orange is all the rage right now, isn't it?  So, as my humble attempt at being timely and fashionable, here are some pretty *new* fabrics that kind of fit in with this fad:

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The top one is Vera, so I'm pretty partial to that one.  I love the aqua hints in the last one, too, though.  Do you have a favorite this week?  And how do you feel about the orange craze?

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Thanks for all of your comments and guesses about my new item!  Now I hope I haven't over-hyped it.  I'm going to work hard to get some decent photos today, and I'll be back to share them with you as soon as I can :)

Thursday's Treasure

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Well, for any of you out there who were hoping to see my project from yesterday in a state of completion, I'm sorry to have to disappoint.  I *thought* I was finished, but it turns out there is still design tweaking to be done.  Sometimes the theory and practice don't quite line up, y'know?  I am close, though.  Very close.

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There were some good guesses yesterday about what exactly my project is, but none of them were correct.  So, here is another shot of part of it, along with the same item in two other colors.  What do you think it is now?

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What's the treasure in all of this, you ask?  Patience.  I'm reminding myself that wonderful things take time!

WIP Wednesday

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My neutral rug from last week has had to take a backseat to a new WIP!  Remember THIS wedding with the hay bale seating from last summer?  Well, I'm lucky enough to have another bunch of hay bales to outfit for a June 2012 wedding.  Ester from Massachusetts fell in love with the neutral bale covers that she found in THIS blog post.  She'll be tying hers with twine, though- won't that be perfect?  These are the fabrics I've gathered so far.  Once they are approved, I'll get to start the cutting process.

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And here we have a mystery WIP that I started last night.  It is something I have been wanting to make for a very long time.  Any guesses?  Barring any crazy happenings around here tonight, I plan to finish this and showcase it with her *sister* tomorrow.

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What are YOU working on these days?

And the Winner Is...

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....Donna, from Little Tiny Stitches with her estimate of $29.00. 

Congratulations, Donna!!!

There were SO many close guesses this time- you are all getting verrrrry good at this game.

I'll try not to wait so long between games- this is just too fun :)

Thanks so much to all who played.

Makeover Monday: 4/23

 A returning sosorosey customer needed gifts for three new babies.  She requested "baby's first ornament" stars in red/white, green/white, and blue/white.  Here are the three baby receiving blankets that I found to meet the color request.

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And here are the stars for Jake, Cameron, and Joseph.  The first baby stars sold for Christmas 2012!  I love that these can be given at any time of the year- an affordable and meaningful gift option. 

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Happy last full week of April to you!  This week marks the last meeting that I will have with my mentee for the school system job I have been doing these last few months.  We also have school pictures to look forward to on Friday.  I have bunches of fabric to cut and items to get listed in both shops, too.  A big thanks to those who have gotten in their guess for The Price is Right game from Saturday.  Scroll down to play if you haven't already... the winner will be announced tomorrow evening, so there is still time to get your game on!

Price is Right: Game 12

Come join the fun! The more, the merrier!

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The Game: I show you my thrift haul from one recent outing. You leave a comment with your best guess as to how much I paid. This does include VA sales tax. The person who comes closest WITHOUT going over wins.

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The Rules: One clear and definitive guess per person- no amending your answer. Please do not choose the same answer as a person who came before you- read the comments prior to leaving your guess. Game runs through Tuesday the 24th, 5pm EST and is open to US and international players. The receipt and winner will be posted here: please be sure I know how to get in touch with you either through blog, website or email. Play nice and have fun!!

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The Prize: The satisfaction of winning, AND $5 in "soso bucks" that can be applied toward any purchase in either of my shops. Can be saved and spent at a later time, up to one year. Can be combined with other wins or offers. Not redeemable for cash. Non-transferable.

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The Stuff: This time the loot comes from my favorite thrift shop, non-sale day.  Prices here are relatively high for sheets and larger breakables.  Relatively low for small items.  They do not seem to charge more for *vintage*.  Here's what I walked out with this week:

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 Chevron bedsheet

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 pansy bath towel

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 hand towel

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 3 pillowcases

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 Vera napkins

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 More Vera napkins

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 Large yellow enamelware Georges Briard pot

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 These were all sold separately.  Japan donkey, Garfield small planter, box of curtain tieback pins, box of pink Gibson notecards, vintage Old Maid card game, handpainted diaper pin set

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 This was sold together in one of those famous bags.  Yes, I DID buy it for the FOXY patch.

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A dozen "woven" plastic napkin rings

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There you have it, folks!  A nice haul of goodies if I do say so myself.  Let the game begin!

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

Happy Friday!  Despite having a relatively empty looking calendar for this past week, it turned out to be a busy few days.  I'm looking forward to relaxing and errand-running tomorrow because we have a big day ahead of us for Sunday.  The three of us need to be up and out early that day for a special walk in memory of a good friend's daughter.  After that, my parents are coming down for the day/night to celebrate a late Easter (apparently the Easter bunny left Sophie some loot at their house!).  Somewhere in there I'm going to try really hard to get a "Price is Right" game in, so please come back to visit over the weekend :)

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The four fabrics being showcased this week are in a four way tie for favorite.  I hope you like them as much as I do!

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I've had that second one in yellow, blue and green.  Never the pink... until now!  And I'm pretty sure the third one is the lavender/periwinkle match to the pinks I showcased last week. 

Do you have a favorite? 

And what are you planning for the weekend?  

Enquiring minds want to know!



Thursday's Treasure

Go figure that just a few days after I write that I don't thrift electronics, here I am showing a thrifted small appliance!  Seriously, though- that blue metal?  The clean lines?  The heft and the wooden handle?  This early 50s blow dryer was not getting left behind!  Can you believe it still works?

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Even more of a treasure - I got to meet the previous owner!  I was shopping at a small hospital thrift shop staffed by volunteers.  After one of the workers and I determined that it still works, I stood in line to pay.  As I was checking out, another worker behind the counter said, "I just put that out!"  I said, "I guess I got lucky, then!"  She said, "That was my mother's."  I thought maybe she meant her mother had had one like it.  No, it was her actual mother's hair dryer.  She went on to tell me that she was finally able to start letting some things go, and that she was glad it was going to a new owner who appreciated it.  I told her it looked like it was hardly ever used, and she said they only used it for special occasions.  She went to sleep with wet pigtails most nights. 

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It was so special to feel the emotional history behind this item- a glimpse that I always just imagine as a thrift store shopper.  Now I feel a little stressed about reselling it, though.  Like I have an obligation to be sure it goes somewhere special.  Is that weird?  Perhaps I should just assume that anyone who purchases this item will naturally have a unique appreciation for its history.  Thoughts?

WIP Wednesday

 I really love to see photos of what other people are working on, so I thought I'd share my WIP (work in progress) with you!

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I've been working on this neutral round rug since before Easter.  Very off and on, though.  It measures almost two and a half feet in diameter as of last night.  I have a special idea in mind for this one, and I'm hoping I have the patience to get her to at least 4 feet across.  Wish me luck!

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What crafty thing do you have going on these days?

Hello Dolly

We all have our thrifting "comfort zones".  Items that we know and love, that we gravitate toward each and every shopping trip.  For me, it's usually kitchenalia, linens, and craft/sewing supplies.  And decks of cards.  Sometimes baby clothes.

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I almost never thrift vintage adult clothing, lamps/electronics, or furniture.  Or dolls.  Yet, there was something about this one.  I just couldn't leave her behind the other day.  All I know at this point is that she's an 11" Effanbee from 1966.  And that she has the cutest freckles ever!
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I also happened upon some old, unused doll parts recently.  I have two heads with blinking eyes, two bodies, a pair of arms and a pair of hands.  I need to decide how to get these listed and just do it!

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I acquired this pair the same day as the Effanbee.  Despite the boy's crazy hair and tattered shirt, I had to have them.  There is something so quirky and folksy about them.  I mean c'mon, how often do you run across jointed wooden dolls with handpainted faces? 

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Have you thrifted out of your comfort zone lately?  I'd love to hear what you found!

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Makeover Monday: 4/16

 A super nice new sosorosey customer from Montana contacted me recently about making a star large enough to serve as a trivet.  He preferred a solid color, and chose this deep ruby red from the set of fabric photos that I sent him.

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 I have the hardest time photographing true shades of reds and yellows.  This photo is pretty spot on, though.

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This star is almost 11" from point to point, and is about an inch thick.  It will definitely protect surfaces from hot plates!  I hope it came out the way you envisioned it, Noah :)

Snuggly Goodness

Look at this AMAZING quilt that Rychelle from Las Vegas created with her sosovintage fabrics!  It makes me wish even harder than ever that I wasn't hopeless with a sewing machine.

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 She backed it with one of my all-time favorite pinks.  Isn't that stripe an awesome touch?

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Besides the obvious aesthetic reasons for quilting with vintage sheet fabrics, there is the added benefit of this material already being soft and snuggly from years of washing.  If this quilt were on my bed, I might never get up in the morning.  Thanks so much for sharing your labor of love with us, Rychelle!