Happy Easter!

This card cracks me up--obviously I can't send it to my Grandpa, unless he is willing to give it back to me.

Idea!

Ok, thanks for the feedback (woo hoo more than 3 readers!).  Tell me now what you think of my new (to me) idea.  

#1  I am going to concentrate on making my apron dresses and bloomers from newborn to size 4 (or 5?) in vintage fabrics and trims and buttons.  

#2  I will perfect the apron dress and all its permutations with the fabric I have now and will acquire more from my usual sources.  

#3  I will sew these as time permits while I am in school and list a few on Etsy as I feel like it. 

#4   I will scope out the children's boutiques here in town as I have time.  

#5  Then when school is out and I have a decent inventory, I will make appointments with said boutiques and show them my wares.  

#6  I will ask if they are interested and if not, why.  

I am washing a great pile of fabrics right now and will iron them tomorrow and begin cutting out soon.  I have to fit in some homework sometime, but after being in kind of a fog for a few days I am feeling it lifting.  Does anybody else get that fog that just blocks positive feeling and action??  I hate it and rail against it and I never can figure out what dispels it.  I think tonight it might have been seeing part of a PBS pledge week special on brain exercises and how you have to think yourself out of a rut.  So I just decided to pick a path and go down it, hence the apron dress thing.  I know other people make them but I like to make them and think the simplicity of the design really works with the fabrics--plus they are comfortable for the little ones.

So now the danger is my waking up in the morning and thinking that this was not such a great idea and what does it all matter anyways.  

So, once again I ask for your opinion--

good plan or problematic plan?  

Are the apron dresses enough or are the more complicated ones better?  

Is the dress and bloomers enough or do I need to do headbands or bonnets?  

(I should warn you that I never liked the headgear that came with outfits for my daughter and they are awfully fussy to make.)  

But maybe the outfits really need something more?

Of course, I assume that I will drop the apron dresses after a while but I am thinking that concentrating on one thing and getting it really right might be a good strategy for me. 

 See how I am convincing you all that I am right?

Question

Ok, so heres the deal:  I have an enormous stash of fabric that I could never use up for my own consumption.  Most of it is vintage and pretty nice stuff.  I really like to make what I think are gorgeous children's outfits in unusual combinations.  I cannot seem to give this stuff away.  I have my Etsy shop and sell very little there--I don't know if it is me or the venue (probably both).  I am very reluctant to go out and sell my stuff in person (see: rejection, fear of).  So I started this blog as a way to meet people and maybe make connections but that does not seem to be working.  I am a mediocre blogger and picture taker and not really a very good commenter on other blogs.  These are all traits that don't bother me in my real life (I am hilarious and well spoken out here) but are a detriment to making connections in blogland.   

Case in point: this dress is beautiful and if I had a girl who could wear it -- she would (if it killed me).  Do my 3 readers think this is cute?  Would you buy it if you had a size 3 girl child laying around at home?  
Any advice for me?  Hmm?  Buck up Pasha! thoughts?

Thriftin' thriftin' thriftin', keep them dogies thriftin'

You know--sing it to the tune of Rawhide.  I an effort to avoid reality again today (and in a need to keep you all impressed with my fabulous thrift stores) I went in search of treasures in a couple of places that I don't go to as often.  They did not disappoint.

This picture is dark but shows the stitching on the doilies nicely--the sheet is very nice but is only printed on one end (couldn't tell that from the way it was wrapped).

The pink is a duvet cover but has so much yardage of that lovely fabric--It is modern but I still really like it.  The top fabric actually matched so nicely that I bought it, even though I probably wouldn't have otherwise.

This was a little mildewed but was only 10 cents and has some fun stuff in it.

There are actually several copies of each game in the notebook--can you identify all of the actors?

This Pyrex is getting to be a problem.....but lovely fabric, no?  (The middle bowl is plain turquoise and the small one is the same as the large.)

I like these chickenscratch dishtowels--handmade and somewhat used, but still lovely.  They would be nice in a red kitchen.

Hotpad/trivets--probably fairly new but very nicely done and a nice old Scrabble set. I haven't checked to see if it is complete.

I think tomorrow I will do my vintage book collection, so keep your eyes peeled!

Random Assortment collection III

I have lots of things that I have bought on a whim for no good reason (as I am sure you all have too).  Here are a number that were close to hand at the moment of photography.

These gloves (shown with my 4 year old's hand for reference) I have had for ages.  I don't remember when it was (high school at least) but I do remember the extreme thrill of finding them.  Because there are 5 pairs, I used to put one on each finger and arrange my hands just so and imagine that the picture would make a great album cover.  I don't know for who and I am not much of a music person but the idea persisted for a long time.

I have  a cooking friend who looked at this and said "oh, an egg poacher" and looked at me curiously as to why it was perched in my studio.  I don't know, it is just a funny thing and I am not an egg poacher so keeping it in the kitchen wouldn't make sense.

These snack bowls are just so lovely and at 15 cents each.......

Now of course, I need to be on the lookout for some egg cups so I can put my boiled egg cosies on some boiled eggs.  (Then I would have three egg related things...and so, a collection that would necessitate a whole separate post!)

I just got this the other day at the Salvation Army--I am pretty sure the lady gave it to me for free.  I am also pretty sure that it is not a detergent bottle cosy but it just had that shape and I do not have any dolls to fit this (or, actually, any dolls).  The fabric is very stiff and the red is some kind of stiff, shiny, nylon tablecloth material.  I did not take a picture of the back but it has a big zipper sewn in with white thread.  It is hanging on my wall now--I had a small hanger.  (of course I did--I have EVERYTHING!! ( Send for help!))

the problem with swaps

You see, I either do them too soon or too late.  The sign ups are not even closed over at Greetingarts, and I am done with my buttons.  Of course, I will have to do more because I really, really like these and need (yes, need) some for myself and my daughter really, really wants some too.  And while I have faith that I will receive six excellent buttons in return for these, I want these too.  It is too bad I can't seem to get a good picture of them.  Alas, my photog skills are lacking--I should do something about that.

So now I should be showing you another collection but it'll have to wait.  I've got sick kids and homework to attend to and really taking the time to do the buttons (so easy!) was not supposed to be on the agenda today.  After all I had two months to get those done and I have two days to get this batch of homework done.  Can I say priorities?

And can I say housework?  I have not dusted in ages, as you can see by this cobwebby baby slumbering in the sunshine.

Button Swap

So I signed up for the button swap over on Greetingarts.  I have to be very careful with my swapping because I get very burned out on swaps but I watched the last button swap with great envy and  jumped at the chance to join in this one.  

Here is my stuff all ready--the theme is Animal Fair and I have an idea percolating in my brain.  I have to get it done quickly because I have some serious school work to tackle soon!

Collection #3 is coming soon!

Lovely Linen Bits: Collection II

Here is my pile of thrift store linen bits.  I snag them from the miscellaneous bins and usually get them for a dime or a quarter but I have been known to pay a dollar.  If the store has a nicely arranged basket with individually priced hankies that are washed and pressed--they are asking too much.  I think that I will use them but only rarely do--I need to remedy that or when I die someone is going to take all my stuff down to the thrift store and they will sell it by the pound.

 
Pillowcases--I have more but they are in circulation on our beds.

Hankies and monogrammed linens, some newish and some old.

A couple of linen table sets that have never been used and a couple of napkin sets that have a lovely soft washed feel.

Napkins--they might be nice in a quilt?
Real Irish Linen decorative dishcloths--I need to wash them to give them the lovely soft feel.  The red one would make a beautiful pillow.  I don't really do throw pillows though.

More linen dishcloths--so soft.

Not a very good picture, but anything eyelet or cutwork I will snatch up.  Love the textures.  Also green and orange are my favorite colors ever.

More napkins and a bit of hand stitched quilt top--it is pretty ragged but might be nice in an all hand stitched doll quilt.

This collection is also not on purpose.  I just see nice little bits and add them to my pile and every so often flip through them and think about using them.