The Journey Continues ... New Life from Old

A couple years ago I purchased an entire box of patterns at our annual church "garage sale".  It's actually held in the church basement, not a garage!)  I knew the lady who donated them had been a hat maker and excellent seamstress in her day, but now she was clearing out a lifetime of possessions and downsizing. I never really took the time to go through the box until recently.  It has been fun to check out the vintage styles.  It just seems like it was such a glamorous time, and I love the look, but I don't think I"ll be creating any of these for myself any time soon. So so Fifties!  The tiny wasp waist and the huge full skirt are amazing.  The halter dress is demurely covered up with the cute short sleeve jacket. This is labelled a half size Slenderette pattern.  I love the square neckline on the dress.  Unfortunately the hat is not part of this pattern.  This has never been cut out. Another full skirted dress, belted at the ...

The Apple Butter Project I have been meaning to write about some of my fall canning projects.  I haven't finished ... more about that later ...  When I was out walking in the early autumn, I was dismayed at the number of people who were wasting the apples growing in their yard.  I saw countless apples rotting on the back alleys.  Such a waste.  I considered asking if I could pick some of the apples, but before I got up my nerve, my aunt asked if I'd like some apples from their tree. There was no saying "no" after I had been visualising getting some apples for some home preserving projects.  My only momentary hesitation was when I saw how small the apples were -- more like crap apples really.  Not that there's anything wrong with crap apples; I got some of them to work with later.  The thing was, I intended to peel the apples to make apple butter, which as far as I could tell is more or less "apple jam".  And peeling those apples was go...

The days are getting colder and shorter where I live, serving as a daily reminder that winter is coming very soon.  And every year I hope for just a few more nice days as I put off doing some of the fall gardening and yardwork that is calling to me. Part of my procrastination is due to the projects that beckon indoors.  I've never been a real "outdoorsy" person, although I do love my garden plus camping and campfires.  But the sewing and crocheting and baking and reading ... ah, that's what I am more apt to be doing, even as the thought of winter's cold days should inspire me to spend more time outside now. A check-up with my doctor, that indicated cholesterol levels were becoming a problem, convinced me to see if I could bring down those levels with a vastly improved diet.  My thinking is that if a really strict healthy diet doesn't decrease the cholesterol levels, then I will need to take medication.  But if I can avoid any extra meds, that is my prefere...

What do you wear in the summer when the air conditioning in stores and restaurants is just too much, but outside the heat is sweltering? I like to carry a lightweight sweater or shawl when I go out.  Often leaving the house involves a last-minute decision on what I can take that will offer a little protection from the icy breeze while light enough to carry while outside .... and also that goes with whatever outfit I am wearing.   My sister has been busy this summer making lightweight kimono cover-ups from lightweight fabric and large scarves.  I like to think of them as shawls with sleeves.  Easier to wear than a shawl because you don't need to knot it or hold it in place.  Lightweight enough to carry inside your purse.  Quick and easy to sew.  Perfect at a bbq or at the beach, when you want to keep the sun off your shoulders and prevent sunburn. She has made these kimono-like shawls for almost every cousin and aunt in our family. ...

The stores have all their spring and summer stock in place by now, and some of it is adorable.  But it's also pricey.  I admire all the pretty things, especially the little girl dresses, and sigh when I see the price tags.  But at least it inspires me to go home and check my ever-growing stash of pattern and fabric. I "acquire" fabric and patterns at yard sales and thrift shops.  I love sewing, and use up quite a bit of my purchases when I get my sewing machine set up.  But I also sell lots of adorable pattern in my Etsy shop.   It didn't start out that way.  My intention, when I set up the shop, was to sew tote bags and crochet floor rugs and sell them online.  I still do some of that, but somehow I have evolved into focusing on patterns.  I love the hunt for new patterns, and I love sharing them.  I enjoy the listing process, including googling to find the right terms to describe collars and trims and styles in general. ...

A few weeks have passed since I last posted anything on this blog.  At the time, I was perplexed at being unable to rotate photos that I was trying to post.   No one was able to offer any advice on how to correct this issue.  I have spent hours googling the problem, and discovered it's related to Google switching from Picassa albums to Google ones ... yes, that is an over-simplification.  But it reassured me to know that things really had changed out there in cyber-space.  I had previously been able to use Picassa to rotate photos after posting to my blog, and all ended up looking just fine.  Now, it has changed. I cannot seem to get my blog photos on Picassa to show up on my Google photos.  That means I can't correct and edit the photos on my last post.  For someone who doesn't like to leave things without fixing the problems, this has taken way too much of my time and no "fix" is in sight. I am wondering if it would just be easier to ...

Sewing with Vintage Patterns My sister and I went thrifting today.  We both have booked winter vacations and wanted a few new-to-us items to round out our holiday wardrobes.  Since it's the middle of winter, and since we live in a cold climate, the retail stores haven't got very much summer stock out right now.  That is, the retail stores that sell brand new clothing.  There's always a good assortment of all-season wardrobe items in the thrift stores. I found so many great tops to try on but, as I expected, I only liked about a third of them once I tried them on.  Nonetheless I managed to get 7 nice tops for about $35.  Had my favourite thrift store been open today, I'm sure I would have paid less, but I'm really happy with the items I purchased so it's all good. I really should take some photos of what I bought but right now they are all in the wash.  I am pretty careful with the clothes I own, washing many items by hand, but for their int...

We are experiencing extreme cold weather this week.  The temperature this afternoon is MINUS 26 Celsius or minus 14 Fahrenheit.  Even worse, the wind chill is listed at minus 34 Celsius and that is a big improvement from this morning.  So I am staying indoors! I actually enjoy quiet days at home spent, well, puttering, for want of a better word.  I am the opposite of a minimalist.  In fact, if I don't have a bunch of projects that I could, at the drop of a hat, decide to start working on, I feel agitated and nervous.  I like to know when I wake up that I could, potentially, decide to make beet pickles, organize my fabric stash, begin (or finish) a crochet project, read a book, or whatever strikes my fancy.  I'm all about the process and not the finished project! But these chilly days inspire me to mostly just cuddle up with a book and a blanket.  Or possibly you could say I am not feeling inspired to undertake any substantive work or projects,...

Today, on millions of computers in many, many countries and homes, people are sending out New Year's Day greetings to family and friends.  And here in the world of blogs, many of us are taking a few moments out of the first day of 2017 to send greetings to their readers as well.  There is a certain comfort in having this commonality and knowing that we share so many dreams for happiness mixed with goals and new projects for the coming months. Happy New Year to you all. My resolutions this year are not written out.  At this stage in my life, I know by heart the things that I wish for and the projects I need to work on.  I know the goals and where I have fallen short before.  I know that good health, family, and friends is more important than the pursuit of monetary goals.  I know that I have a strong faith in God and that I believe He provides the nudges, reminders, and opportunities I need when I am ready for them.  Sometimes i fall short in recogn...