Show & Tell Friday~

Okie dokie folkies~.... Here is what I've made this past week :-) This is one of those take-a-long shopping carts...well, I've made an ubber cute bag insert for it! The lime green and white fabric is an old light-weight bedspread that I found at a local thrift store for $3 buckeroos~ I made two 6 inch pockets inside for holding paper & pens, business cards etc.... I've fitted the bottom of the cart with some foam core poster board to firm it up a bit. Seeing how I love scalloped edges on EvErYtHiNg...I took the time and made a fabric scalloped edge for my cart, added a few buttons and "taaaaaaa-daaaaaaaaa" instant cute cart! Below is a close up view of the pocket before I stitched it on :-P I also made a little plaque and attached it to the front of the cart.... and of course a little bag to house extra/emergency plastic bags!

I think if I were to make this again...(and you know I will!) I would make it a little bit bigger as its kinda snug. You can see in the above photo that it looks like there is a line going along the buttons...nope...its just pulled tightly. I am hoping that that will work itself out and relax a bit. I don't want an "uptight" cart! lol

W.I.P. Wednesday

I've been feverishly working on serveral projects at once. Ok, thats a fib, I'm not "feverish"...its just getting hot here in California! I am lucky enough to have access to a large cache of die-cuts :-) I'm talking hundreds.... Yesterday I spent over an hour cutting shapes. I took along some old books that have beautifully aged pages...that along with some cardstock and I was in die-cut heaven~ I cut out some letters to create the words...Comfort, Merry Christmas and Artsy Fartsy. I've glittered the bunch and now I've just got to string them up for some added room bling! Thats my first WIP....

A while back while browsing blogs, I came across a photo of one of those small take-a-long shopping carts that someone had made bag insert for to hold odds and ends that normally slip out. Well...needless to say, I HAD to have a bag for my cart as well. :-) I bought a vintage lightweight bedspread at a local thrift store, along with some textured white fabric (total $7 bucks) I think the color combination and texture of both fabrics are perfect together! I am putting two pockets inside and I am going to whip up a small plastic bag holder to match. (Sometimes at block sales and swap meets the vendors don't have any bags left... so I thought having a small bag full of plastic bags would be a fabulous idea!) Thats WIP number twooooooo~ Here is the pocket.... don't you just love the lime green fabric? Soooooooo cute~Numero three WIP..... Christmas stockings~ I've got the stockings

traced, the embroidery finished...now its just a matter of adding lace/buttons and then sewing it all together!

WIP number four.... Felt. Red & white felt. I love it! Nothing screams Christmas like the colors red and white (to me anyhoooo) I have finished one of the penny-rug doilies (one more to go...for me ;-P) and I made a red/white felt frame piece (made with a blanket stitched edge) to go atop a book for my daughter for her yearly Christmas family portrait and Christmas memories....

Okokok....one more WIP.... the Partea tea swap.... I've gotten everything, now its just a matter of wrapping it all...... and shipping it off!

Show & Tell Friday~

I purchased this sweet vintage sewing box for only $3.00 at a local thrift store. Lucky meeeeeeeeeeee~

Passion for Purses

Hello, my name is Jody and I am addicted to vintage purses. I have so many in my stash, I can't keep any more. But I also can't resist buying them. I mean, someone has to save all the vintage from those dark closets and attics. Someone has to bring these marvelous handbags back to life, right?

These are recent estate finds, and it is really hard to let them go, but it will be good karma to share the wealth.....right?

And so, it is my sworn duty to offer you this incredible 50's faux leopard fur purse. It's a beauty and it's huge!

Or how about this deliciously sweet box purse, in a unique oval shape, also from the 50's.

But wait! How can you resist this pearlized pink teardrop shaped bag from the 1960's????

Or this unusual green alligator bag from the 50's?

Do you see my dilemma? They're like potato chips! If I keep one, I have to keep them all. Please help me! Purchase these poor lonely purses and give them a good home! You'll be so glad you did when strangers on the street ask, "WHERE did you get that bag?"

See these purses and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Christmas~

On Saturday it hit me... its almost Christmas. With that looming in my mind I headed over to the fabric store to stock up on red & white felt and some red ticking fabric. I am trying my hand at making a couple"penny" rugs. Okokok... more like doilies. :-P So far they are coming out pretty darn cute. I deck out my dining area/den in the red and white colors for Christmas. This year I am fortunate in that my daughter wants a set of red/white for her house :-) Makes a mom happy/proud when her child wants what she crafts..... So, now I'm going all out. New set of stockings, pillows, table cloths.... felt cones...and whatever else catches my eye that I can make! I am not going to tell her exactly I'm making for her house. All she thinks I'm making her is a set of new Christmas stockings..... this way if I get overburdened with other things she won't be disappointed.... But on the other hand...I can razzle-dazzle her if I can get all this accomplished without her knowing about it and give her a fabulous surprise! Every year we usually set up for Christmas on Thanksgiving day. While the food is cooking the tree gets decorated....boxes upon boxes of Christmas treasures and bling gets opened and sorted through. It is a fun/tiring day..... and so it begins. The Christmas season~

I found this old wooden framed mirror at a yard sale for $2.00. The mirror has a few slight imperfections, but the frame is solid and all the wood is intact. It would loooooook so much cuter painted white :-P

Show & Tell Friday~

Last year I had an opportunity to do some work for a local country club. The theme was "The Wizard of Oz" I created 9 putting props, tons of two-sided small characters for table centerpieces in baskets of poppies and 4 life size characters for the stage. It was a lot of fun...a lot of work.... and I'm a "wiz" at the characters now :-P I opened a flickr account.... here is the rest~ http://www.flickr.com/gp/8341340@N05/9D299i

Daisy loom blanket

Well I finally finished the small lap throw I was making for my mother. 65 daisy loomed flowers were made and hand stitched on.... ugh, thats the worst part lol. Its alllllll done *big cheer* I absolutely love this crocheted pattern. It is simple once you get going on it. It has a solid block then an open block. It is super easy. This is the third one I've made... and I guess I'll fire up another one :-) It is one of those "projects" that is nice to bring out while your watching t.v..... and you've got nothing else to work on. Although... Christmas is right around the corner... *gasp* I am wanting to make some Christmas stockings for my daughter and her family. My grandsons first Christmas.... I'm overly excited already!

(if you googled "daisy loom blanket and thats how you found me.... if you want any of my instructions on how to use the daisy loom, just e-mail and ask me. I'd be happy to share my vintage pattern book instructions with anyone who wants them)

Jonathan~

What a face. This is my grandson who turned one month old on May 12th. Smiling already you say?? Tis true. This little happy soul has been smiling since birth. Finally, we've captured in an actual photo what we've been seeing all along! lol He wouldn't smile big for the camera... so his mother had a stern talking to him and told him he better smile if he wanted a bottle of milk. Ta da!....huge smile! lol Bribery works like a charm~

Sigh~

My beloved '66 Mustang is in the shop... yet again. I've spent $1,500 so far on the little devil and the problem still isn't fixed. Now, they are talking a blown head-gasket. Is it wrong to pray for your car to be fixed cheaply???

sigh....

Well, I've been crocheting a lot lately.
I've made 3 of the crocheted cupcake pincushions. They were fun.... now I'm thinking..."What do do with them?" lol






I did break out my sewing machine and made up this little kitty~ I like how its kinda floppy. I'm thinking of making up a lot of them and giving them out at Easter next year. I used flannel fabric so they are cuddly~






I have 4 real cats...3 indoor. I wish they would just hang out like this one and stop using the litter box so much! lol

National Apron day

National apron day? Well, let me toss in one of my favorite aprons.

It is made with a fabric that has cats all over it. It is very sweet with the pink trim/pockets and ties. It is very well made and in mint condition.

This vintage cutie cost me $2.00 at a local thrift store.

Daisy loom blow-out

(if you googled "daisy loom blanket and thats how you found me.... if you want any of my instructions on how to use the daisy loom, just e-mail and ask me. I'd be happy to share my vintage pattern book instructions with anyone who wants them)

I blew out my daisy loom today. I was releasing a daisy I had just finished making and the entire thing fell apart. It was tragic. Fortunately I found all the pieces and glued the thing back together and reinforced it to continue making the 65 daisies that were needed to complete the latest crocheted blanket I'm making. So, with all those daisies finally finished I am delighted with myself :-) I've just got 27 more to sew on then its a done deal. I've called my mom and told her that I'll bring it out to her in two weeks thats the soonest I can make it out to her place~

Below is a picture of my new grandson Jonathan trying out his new vintage baby bassinet. I picked up this gem for only $5.00 at a yard sale. It was in the original paint color of beige, and it came with a mattress and a bumper pad along with a floor length skirt. Unfortunately it was a little to modern looking so I opted to redo the bumper and then I adhered some fabric to the sides of the bassinet. That along with spraying it white, I think it turned out beautifully~ I've even managed to create matching sheets (not shown in photo) life is sweet~

Two baby blankets~

Here are two baby blankets I have crocheted for my daughter... for her son. The far left is a yellow zig-zag pattern. That blanket was fun to make. The second one is a granny square blanket that I found the pattern on the back of the label on some white yarn. I am by no means a fabulous crocheter...but these were simple and they ended up looking beautiful~

More from Maybelle!

Several months ago, we featured some of the hats from the Maybelle Farrell collection in our blog. Maybelle had such flair when it came to hats.

We've recently pulled another load of vintage hats from storage and there are several more from Maybelle's closet in the selection. Those of you who follow the fashion runways know that hats were featured prominently in several designer collections for Fall 2007. We think hats are the next big trend, but more on that later......

See these hats and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Show & tell Friday~

Show & tell Friday~

Here are a few pictures of my backyard....

I laid all the brick myself, three pallets of brick~
I dug this area down so I could have a step down.... okokok, honestly I needed the dirt somewhere else in my yard so thats what caused me to create the step down lol~
This is one of two matching tables under two matching gazebos side by side~

Daisy Loom Baby Blanket~

(if you googled "daisy loom blanket and thats how you found me.... if you want any of my instructions on how to use the daisy loom, just e-mail and ask me. I'd be happy to share my vintage pattern book instructions with anyone who wants them)

Here in this photo is a darling little baby blanket that I crocheted for my daughter for her new baby. During her pregnancy I kept myself busy crocheting baby blankets. (This is one of four.) This is by far my favorite pattern. The pattern is from an old 1978 "Daisy Loom" book. I remember my mom having one of these little daisy looms way back when, she could never figure it out lol...I came across a set at a thrift store a few years back. Years later I came across a 23 page booklet on how to use it along with things to make.

I am now on my third crochet/daisy blanket. The most recent WIP is being worked in a beautiful sage green which I'm going to embellish with beige daisies... this is going to be called a "lap blanket" and is going to be given to my mother for mothers day! I want the same sage green with white flowers. But alas, a crafter never crafts for oneself lol~

Charter member~

I've begun this newest blog to showcase some of my work. Hopefully this will inspire me to continue to be creative. I have come across some beautiful, awe inspiring blogs created by some fabuloulsy creative crafters out there. My bookmark on my computer is bursting at its seams! (It is my secret desire to become bestest-buddies with the lot!)

Next on my list of things to do is purchase a really nice camera so I can take fabulous photos to put on my blog!

Another Alix dress

In a serendipitous juxtapostion of two recent posts, today I listed this gorgeous vintage 1960's dress in my EBay store. It's another beauty by Alix of Miami. Didn't I tell you all their dresses are incredibly sexy? This one is fashioned from off-white lace over matching taffeta and the whole thing is covered with swirls of irridescent sequins. And doesn't it bring Marilyn to mind?

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

For those of you who may have wondered why I haven't posted in awhile, I just got back from sitting under that palm tree on the far left on a beach in Jamaica. It was a much needed break from our long, cold Boston winter. The weather was perfect, the water warm, and the beach uncrowded. But now I'm back, I'm rested, and I'm ready to get back to work! I'm adding new vintage daily! Come check us out!