Tuesday's Thrift

Quite a stack of vintagy fabric goodness.

I gave the dress on top of the stack to my Dear One.

A totally 60's dress. 

I can't wait to see how this creative girl uses it in her wardrobe.

Second from the top is a sheet. 

I'm pretty sure I had one just like it when I was a kid. 

Pass it up, I could not.

What will I make?

I have no idea.

Yet.

The mint polka dot sheet was spoken for at first sight by my young friend. 

This new and excited sewist

wants me to help her in the making of this:

Crepe by Collette Patterns

And the previously loved chenille baby blanket at the bottom of the stack?

Well, of course I'm saving that one,

for someday...

when there are grandbabies

needing this grandmama to sew them

all things good. 

A Pillow, a Laundry Bag and a Girl

I love making things.

 

I especially love making things for my children.

  I often ask them which projecty goodness they want me to embark upon for them next. 

Sometimes I think they must certainly suppose I don't know them well enough at all. 

For you would think I could most definitely figure it out for myself. 

But, I cannot. 

It is not that I don't know them well.

I do. 

But I think it is more that I want them to be part of the creative process,
to have a say,

so it suits their individual unique one-of-a-kind style.

On one of my visits with my ever so far away Dear One in the city, 

we spied upon a vintagy pillow. 

Telling her I could make something of a similar sort someday, 

I took out my little notebook and roughly doodled away. 

I even queried her to choose some Hannah-like fabrics right then and there. 

I wanted it to be as she liked. 

I do hope I haven't given the impression of a finicky girl, 

for finicky she is not. 

After all, 

I don't know of many girls who are excited for the simple gift 

of a mom-made pillow.

Now, with a bag of vintagy fabric happily tucked under my arm, 

I told her she must please forget about the beauteous stash,
and off to coffee we went. 

But forget, she did not.

Instead she was quite looking forward to it, 

for Christmas was not in the too distant future. 

Well, 

I guess the gift giving event was a little too distant for me, 

for a sneakity peek

when it was all in pieces still,

I couldn't resist allowing.

On another trip to see my Dear One and Her Love,

our visit needed to be short but dear,

for laundry, 

this busy girl with hardly a spare moment,

had to launder.

As we were hugging and kissing our goodbyes,

and there were lots of them just now

for brothers and dad were dishing out goodbyes, too,

our lovely Dear One had a mom-can-make-it idea.

Laundry bags.

Laundry bags for two.

BIG ones. 

With straps for carrying.

I was to design laundry bags for their uphill ambling together

to the place where such mundane things need to be done.

She even handed me the destined vintage sheets as I was walking out the door.

Oh, yes, my sweet daughter knows of my affinity

for making goodness with vintagy sheets.

Behold my Dear One and Her Love,

ready to depart from our homey Christmas gathering,

happy with all their vintagy home made gifts:

But worry not,

for a bottle of good scotch to Her Love was in addition given!

A Vintage Sheet Christmas

How many things can one do with old sheets?

 Alot!

We all are feeling that times are tight.

But I don't think that is why I've turned into a penny pinching,

side-of-the-road free-box scavenger 

and thrift store frequenter.

It's just what I do now.

I enjoy it.

I find I don't quite look at things the same.

When I go to the mall, or look through catalogs, I'm really not enticed anymore.

I simply like the old stuff,

the throwaway stuff,

and quite enjoy updating it.

I hope things won't always be so sparsity sparse, 

but I think I will always be found with piles of old ladies' throwaways laying around

with pieces cut away to create new lovelies

in an attempt to make my tired house a homey home,

and to share handmade goodness with dear ones.

 

The first vintage sheet project I will show you is one with a story.

Here is my Christmas dinner table.

Notice the tablecloth and napkins are made from old sheets.

Nothing matches. They are all different.

They were made the night before with what I had left after all my other gifty projects.

I was quite happy with them.

It brought together all the other decorations I had made for our Christmasy home.

Well.

A few minutes into dinner

one delightful son notices that they are sheets.

In great horror he proclaims his discovery

and proceeds to enlighten the younger folks...

what sometimes happens on sheets.
The thought of someone sleeping on their napkins was just too much.

Shrieks and laughter prevailed.

Thankfully, it was family,

so I wasn't completely mortified or embarrassed,

but let's just say some did not use their napkins,

but left them neatly folded where they were placed.

 I am hoping my obsession with vintage sheets has not damaged them for life. 

But I have a feeling this will be another one of those stories they tell about me throughout the years, 

although I'm sure it will be exaggerated.

If that is possible.