New Dress

 

This pretty aqua linen is a piece I've had in my stash for a very long time. It was lovely to work with and although there wasn't enough to make it longer, I think it turned out quite nice. The sash is a piece of batik from four years ago that I saw in a store and fell in love with. 

I made a muslin to check the fit and got most of it right; I forgot to bring in the neckline on the final piece (note to self: write it all down!).  I'd like to make this again in a winter flannel (cotton) with a fun plaid sash and long sleeves. 

Linen

Count Your Blessings - Day 7

My all time favorite fabric is pure linen!

A recent addition to my kitchen.

What I look for in a kitchen towel.

Tuesday's Treasures

I followed a prompting to go to the thrift store last week even though it wasn't on my list of places to go, and am I glad I did! I hit the jackpot!!

Remember my living room makeover? I hung up some plates and have been looking for more to fill in the space.

Blue transferware plates are not so easy to find. I keep my eye open for them and I managed to find two, a large and a smaller, but didn't want to hang them up until I had enough to make the pattern even of large and small.

Last month I finally found another smaller plate at "Chuck's Bargain Barn" outside of town.

But here is the proverbial piece de resistance:

I like the plate to be meaningful to me, in design or picture. We visited Mt. Rushmore as a family in 2014.

Now I have enough to complete the pattern and fill in the space. Yay for cheap decorating.

Other items from my jackpot haul included:

One tile trivet and two other tiles to make trivets with. I asked TopDad if he'd help me this summer make frames and he said he would.

Beautiful brass candlestick for stay-at-home dinner date nights.

And then there were the linens. Oh be still my heart.

First up is the gorgeous linen cutwork embroidered tablecloth, large enough for my big table.

Detail of embroidery

Assorted dresser scarves, napkin and yellow linen towel.

Flannel sheet set for $6.00!!

Another flannel sheet that will make a great backing for a Christmas quilt.

And, pink sheets, top and bottom, for my pink bedroom.

I also scored some DVD's for $2 each, but as they are gifts, I won't show what they were.

And that is why I like shopping at thrift stores. It is a treasure hunt that never gets old!

Tuesday's Treasures

Confession: I have an obsession. Yes, I admit it. Every time I go to a thrift store I check the linens to see what treasures have been turned in, abandoned by the unappreciative. I find the prettiest things!

26" square either napkin or towel

Lily of the Valley motif on each corner

Linen kitchen towel with liquid embroidery
In all of my study of domestic history, Monday is consistently washday. One historian believes that is so that the best linens, used on Sunday would be washed before any stains could set. Makes sense to me.

This gorgeous peacock is embroidered on a piece of polyester linen-like fabric.
I'd like to make a sofa pillow out of it. (17"x 13")

Peacock tail feather detail

Lovely natural linen hand towel

Detail of daisys in dark and light orange with grey stem and leaves

Bleached linen hand towel

Detail of pulled thread embroidery and yellow and grey flowers

Linen is soft and absorbent; it feels so nice against skin whether it's a towel or handkerchief or napkin. There is just nothing like it. I pay anywhere from 25 cents to $5 for the things I chose. Low end for small items like a hanky or napkin, up to large tablecloths at the high end. With new linen costing anywhere from $10 to $100 per yard, I think I pick up absolute bargains, especially with all the handwork included! Can you see why I'm obsessed?

Do you have an obsession? What do you collect? What can you just not resist? What attracts you at thrift (or antique) stores?

Cotton and Linen and Wool, Oh My!

Yesterday I spent three hours organizing my fabric store room. Seriously, I have enough to open a small store. I had gathered everything (I thought) into one place, then I found a few more things still in the old sewing room and brought them up. As I usually do when I clean a whole room I began in one corner and worked my way around the room.

I opened up the first tub, saw what the majority of contents consisted of, made a label (a piece of used paper and a Sharpie) and pulled out anything that wasn't supposed to be there; then on to the next tub. I ended up with twenty-two tubs, full to overflowing, and one empty (which came about because I shared a whole bunch with someone).

  1. cotton - plaids, stripes, gingham
  2. cotton - holiday, novelty prints
  3. quilting fabric - red, pink, orange, yellow, cream, floral on light ground
  4. quilting fabric - green, blue, purple, brown, black
  5. wool
  6. quilted double-faced, fleece, knit, terry cloth
  7. cotton dress goods
  8. solid colors - denim, cotton, linen, pique, etc.
  9. assorted, miscellaneous scraps (still needs to be sorted)
10. flannel scraps - less than one yard
11. flannel yardage - longer than one yard
12. U.F.O.'s (Un - Finished - Objects)
13. unbleached muslin
14. corduroy
15. silkies (real and otherwise)
16. linen, canvas, duck, upholstery
17. curtains (already made from other homes, waiting to be recycled)
18. interfacing
19. more flannel scraps (needs to be sorted)
20. costume fabric (mostly leftover from a biblical project)
21. white fabric - bleached muslin, eyelet, white on white stripe, etc.
22. unfinished quilt projects

Plus three tubs of "pretties" such as tablecloths, doilies, napkins, dresser scarves, tea towels, etc.

My next projects will be to further organize the quilting fabric into individual tubs by color so I don't have to dig; and further divide the novelty/holiday tub.

As we say in our family "I'm upcited!" My big sewing season is beginning and I'll be able to find fabric easily, put fabric away easily, and not have to buy more because I can't find what I thought I had.