Thrift Share Monday

I actually found these two weekends ago, but Monday was, well, Monday and slipped right on by without a post. I dug through the pattern box at a local thrift share a few weeks ago and didn't find anything. This time, I found 3 patterns that a) I liked and b) were the right size, or close to it.

They're all Simplicity, clockwise from left: 7167 (2002 button up shirts), 5133 (1981 knit shirts), and 8193 (1969 A-line dress with collar). I can't wait to make the 60's dress - wouldn't it be cute in a lace or eyelet? I also got some wide hem facing and a purple linen shirt. Total cost for all that: $2.

I also found instruction sheet for Butterick 4818 inside one of the other pattern papers. It's another 60's dress, and it has an interested curved seam and button detail.

I should add that this post is linked up to Thrift Share Monday here.

The Usefulness of a Tripod

I have things to share, but no pictures of most of them... I can't find the little thing that holds the camera onto the tripod, so it's kind of difficult to get decent pictures right now. It's getting too dark by the time I get home from work to have any sort of natural light anyways, but I can't even take pics in the morning. For example, I finished my pink jersey skirt and wore it the other day, but... no pictures. I also finished my crocheted neckwarmer, but no pictures... See the theme?

I also picked up a bunch of supplies for Etsy goods this weekend, which are in various states of being washed/dried/just waiting. I use quite a bit of reclaimed materials, such as the vintage (and non-vintage) handmade doilies, wool sweaters for felting, even fabric remnants. I think it's great to use second-hand materials when possible, but I only use things that I can clean and feel that the quality is like-new. I do use a lot of brand-new materials as well, and I like that mix of old and new.

And on a third unrelated note, we're working on our front yard. That is, it's sort of on pause right now, because I'm waiting on other people. But two weekends ago, I spent a good part of my Saturday hauling bags of leaves from a local school to my backyard. I'm planning to sheet mulch our front "lawn," which is basically layering organic materials over it to smother what's growing there now (mostly weeds) and provide a base for new plants above. The stuff we lay down will decompose, and on the very top will be wood chips to be a little more attractive and weigh everything down. So, right now my back yard has:

forty-three bags of leaves. All nicely bagged by volunteers at a school clean-up day. Win-win.

Vintage Needlework

I am definitely not one of those people who can come up with even semi-creative titles here, am I?

A few weeks ago I did a little thrift-store shopping, and I found these:

This is actually the first non-fabric vintage purchase I think I've made. I rarely go to thrift stores, and when I do, I'm usually just looking at the sheets for good prints. I've gone a few times in the last month though, and I'm starting to look around a little more.

They came in these frames, but I spray painted them black. They were a yellowed creamy color, and there's sort of a wood grain texture to the plastic. I don't know what they looked like originally... I can only imagine. One of my favorite things about these is that there was a little note on the back of each one.

One of them said (although I couldn't really read the name):
"Worked by Rita Thilitt
1979 & 1980
Part worked
while right arm
& wrist broken in
fall 5/27/79”

The other said simply:
“See back of
other picture”

They're now on what used to be a completely blank wall between our TV and sliding glass door. Not bad for $4.