Sham & Shame

actually this tote started as a lovely acetate pillow sham:
I know it's another over-the-top one! I'll be listing it on ebay tonight if you're interested, let me know!

Spring in the air. I'm thinking of tea rooms, book clubs and luncheons where you can wear kid gloves and air kiss your girlfriends. Or pair it with jeans and you won't need any jewelery at the at the local antique market.
The shame, you ask? My camera. My former digital camera took...gasp...floppy disks. So, I click away with my cellphone until I can go from my Rebel to a digital Rebel. Yesterday's button pictures on Flickr made me seriously embarrassed for my picture quality, but ya still love me, right?

Button, Button, Who has the button?

Here are a few of my favorites:

Stop by SugarSugar! Button Flickr Group

A great way to display your favorite buttons & bling! I won't bore you with my whites, blacks and browns!
Show yours! I know you have some...

busy, busy, busy

It's been a whirl here...

French Country Butterfly Weekend Tote

(click picture to enlarge for detail) Blue & Salmon Funky Floral Tote

V and his girlfriend, C spent a few days with us. I wish I could say they were enjoying their spring break. Instead, they tackled the terrible task of helping me sort out our messy basement. I took before and after pix but I'm too embarrassed to show either! The girls love to have them, and Aesop, the kitten visit. I was just sipping hot cocoa and talking with DH about how nice it is when they visit, they are so patient and good with the girls, I'm the one that got the spring break! I'm hoping all my recent totes on ebay tomorrow.Yawn, I guess that means I should log off and stop looking to buy fabric on ebay tonight...

What happens when a vintage Lilly Pulitzer tennis skort meets sensible Aunt Ann's housecoat?

A tote is born of course! Bright and happy for a spring day.
If you've been following my totes, I started putting together some vintage clothing items and juxtaposing them into totes. Menswear meets millinery flowers. This is no exception, a simple little housecoat with the barest of embellishments - a tiny white rickrack & charming print, has been mixed with a flashy vintage Lilly tennis skort, it started off with big kick pleats and gum ball size lace trim, and the unmistakable Lilly splashes of vibrant colors and patterns. To complete the juxtaposition and to make it sturdy- vintage cottons are fully lined with upholstery grade reproduction matelasse. I'll add a few buttons while I'm watching DD's dance class tonight.

I picture this pretty little purse/tote going to a picnic or brunch!

Butterfly & Retro Floral Totes

I love this floral fabric, I'm not sure how old it is. And the other print - vintage barkcloth in a neat little pattern. And the pale celery brocade - saved from the dumpster from an upholstery shop going out of business. Thrifty business! Handmade pledge! I took a break from sewing and am so refreshed! And used the elegant script on the selvage as part of the design. My friends laugh, but I love the edge and reverse of fabrics - often more interesting than the original! These pretties will make their way to ebay soon. Or if you're interested, by all means email me!

A butterfly glass button and bead... And elegant script on the selvage:

Spring Sewing

I've decided to close the post with the pix of my auto accident. Here's what I was doing the day it happened and where I'm trying to get back to: Nothing like a new season to inspire sewing. I've packed away the tweeds and dark, heavy fabrics and suddenly I'm all about sewing again! And, going back to Project Runway again, I decided to make this tote a bit over the top, with a huge rose and overscaled tied strap. Inspired by the couture look that Christian and Chris did. Not for everyday of course, but for a special occasion. In my mind it works. I stand by my work (lol!).

Liv poses in a today's creation - due to the cold weather, I decided a nice white turtle neck and a a new white cardigan with a skirt would be more practical. Cause we know how practical I am, lol! She's 4 and loves to twirl so her skirt had to be full. We're both pretty pleased with the results.

Beware the Ides of March!

I love to say that. Add that to the many cool things this week. DH's birthday is the 16th, and he hates it - people who mistakenly think he was born on St Patrick's Day, that his birthday is always dismal and gloomy. He is a Pisces and I love to remind him that he's a big, wet fish. My old boss was born this week too and he was always in the same mood as DH - affected terribly by the weather... I couldn't win! I'm not Irish and haven't celebrated it again since I was 18 and got married on that date, yikes! There was no luck for me on that gray day in 1984!

This year I threw my old resolutions about St Patty's Day to the wild March wind & joined 2 tag swaps! These are some of my efforts.

April in Paris

Enjoy the trip...

Sadly, I've never been to Paris in April. My blog friend Pam of Preserve Cottage is hosting an April in Paris tea at her real store next month. I'm getting the spirit and am working on a little project and if I get enough interest, I'm considering An April in Paris swap. Leave a comment on this post or email me at junqueygal@aol.com if you're game, I'm leaning towards an altered art/collage page that can be displayed around your home or tucked into a scrapbook/journal, maybe 6x6 or 8x8, versus tags. And there will be a little themed give-away to a lucky blogger. Stay tuned for more details!

#$%!*

I was in W for groceries. And spotted this lovely cotton eyelet dress with blue hydrangeas. Mass produced in some sweat shop, right? Not handmade, home made like I was planning. But, man, do I love it. Tell me all the reasons it's so much better to go pick a pattern and my own pretty fabric. Help!!

Hippity Hoppity

Easter's on it's way!

But, it's just not working for me this snow on the ground and planning children's Easter attire. Last year, we had the Egg Hunt in the snow. So much for pretty dresses when the snow parka is covering it! So, I'm waiting 'til the last minute to make, or buy, the girl's dresses. 'Cause that's how I operate any how!!

Instead of sewing, you'll see that I'm still glittering and glueing. And here's the happy little results. This paper is vintage wrapping paper that I found in a big box of really, really musty old papers. And I've carefully planned every inch of it. The DDs have been given the "hands and scissors off" warning. I used white ultra fine glitter on all the polka dots, and all the bunnies. Can I tell you how happy these look in real life? Charming if I do say so myself!
And, I noticed that this vintage yellow wallpaper has a medallion that is oval, so I made some pretties with lots of vintage satin ribbons & glitter. They do look like eggs and not Xmas ornies, right?

The Baking Ballerina

Liv dropped out of preschool. She assures me that this isn't a trend and that kindy won't be the same repeat performance of clinging and crying. I'm choosing to believe her. And really who would want to go play with their peers when they can stay home with their ultra-cool mom and do crafts, go thrifting & bake?

Here she is striking a pose in the dining room. On closer review, it doesn't appear to be an actual ballet position. She's up on the chair cause the puppy likes to grab ankles and knees and bite. This day was complete with ballet & tap lessons followed by sugar cookie baking. The apron is one I bought before my DDs were ever born way back in my ebay craze of the late 90s. I'm so glad I kept it. You can't tell by my pix, but it's a pale calico and matchs her lavendar leotard. The best feature - a tiny pocket near the waist - you know how little ladies love little pockets. She wore this outfit all day, and later added her pink glitter snowboots. Fashionista!

Spring Bling & Sewing Strength

I've officially put away the St. Patty's Day stuff from my craft table. I've listed some of the leftovers on etsy if you're interested. And I'm moving towards Spring with some more pretty bling. This K could be for Kelley, but it's not for Keeper. I decided to make a few in colors I don't typically decorate with (but love!) and in some letters that aren't mine or my DDs! So, this K is being offered on etsy too. That green butterfly is a hair barrette and I purchased an entire bag of crappy stuff (broken yucky watches, keychains) just to get to it and memories of my childhood. It had to go with this pretty collection of bling & buttons!

Did you watch Project Runway? Were you disappointed? I was. I was happy that Christian was a bit more humble at the end but I must wonder if he'd have been the winner had Posh not been the judge! And Jillian - the weird helmets just did me in. I couldn't get past it. I prefer the segments with them slaving over the design concept and the sewing machines.

Which reminds me that I MUST finish an Ohio State tote for my niece that I started in January and then got discouraged. And then her bff wanted one too. Are you that way? Do you have trouble working on stuff you don't love? I am pretty excited that some 18 year old girls like my purses, but still. Speaking of sewing, Julie over at Jane's Apron has some great links for the sewing amongst us - stop over if you haven't before - her style is so fresh and bright and clean. But back to my avoiding the sewing OSU totes - in a cleaning and decluttering burst, I put the sewing machine away and have been playing with glitter & glue instead. But these glimpses of spring have me itching for some new totes and some dresses for the DDs. If I can only tackle the red & gray tonight. Give me strength! So tonight - S is for sewing strength.