The Recycled Life

Continuing on reusing and reclaiming, we bought this old tent last summer and since it came with no poles, we saw.....Tote Bags and Aprons!


Last summer was long and warm and dry....just how I like 'em.

Found the tent....and laid it out to cut it to usable strips and shapes.....

The product testing phase.....how will waxed cotton wash? It washed the color and most of the wax away!

A few choice stenciled pieces will find their way to tote bags, market bags, and a few aprons too.

Here's the old nail bag.....

and.....the finished bag....perfect for toting groceries, your CSA share......or a ukelele....

I really like how the old nail bag makes the perfect place to stash stuff on the outside.... and other stuff inside, secured with an unused old stock 40s military metal zipper.

that sucker is sturdy!

the tent had yellow twill ties to fasten the tent to the poles....so I reused them for the zipper pull, and to tie the nail bag closed and on the back, I made a loop to hold the nail bag ties....just for fun!

Here's where the cutting and planning and sewing happens....inside.

working on smaller ones too.....recycled leather, and vintage redline selvedge denim....

What I've made lately....

Scary....Skulls....Pirates...Dead....hey it's the Witching Season.... so get some scare on....
 all the Zombies need Fashion and Style everyday!
Carnival
Circus
oh yes!
Not just for Halloween..

Gray knit with sheer black skulls and bones....Sheer jersey scarf is printed with burnout Skulls and Crossbones ....
Long lightweight jersey scarf in gray and black has fringe and wraps and flutters .... LAST 1 !!

Shiny black knit with silver metallic Pirate skeletons, swords, skulls and bones....Silky jersey scarf is printed with shiny sparkling silver pirates smiling skulls and bones ....Wrap once or twice, tie or let it hang....Long lightweight jersey scarf in black has fringe and wraps and flutters ...


Like teeth? Cameo? Creepy?

Yes a tooth.
Ceramic tooth, from a dental supply, is a creepy cameo...
On a metal adjustable ring, plated with sterling silver, is a scalloped circle of vintage black lace, and....
a tooth...and unlike most other adjustable metal rings, this one hides the adjusting area....
and no pinch!
It can adjust from a size 5.5 to about a 10.5.

Still not creeped out? Like a laugh?

handmade fabric pins...DEAD.....witches....brooms....handbags and shoes....bones....teeth....all in thatyountvillegirl shop!

and some melted zombie leggings.....

Bunny Tailcoat........

begin the adventure with a simple 70s coat.....
cut away parts that are not needed, and add lots of lace.






Pour out those cans of buttons and sew many on.




Make a pin of lace and vintage and a key with a heart.





Alice or the Rabbit?
or did you have another dream in mind?


the back has a french blue toile applique with a vintage shell button, long cotton fringe and blue edging, with lots of vintage lace.
The sides have tabs that close with antique abalone buttons......
to pull the waist in a bit....

the lining is sheer matching satin, and I added an inside pocket. The outside pocket is turned askew since it all has to do with new perspectives, anyway......

This pocket has lace, stitching in blue, lots of cotton fringe and a odd vintage googley button.


I changed the collar around so you can button it up......or leave it open........

Real clothes, Real stuff......

One of the greatest pleasures of life is to wear fine clothes that feel good, wear well, look great on you and have that touch of quality.
This is but one reason I love vintage.
Utilitarian. Filson. this one is vintage.


Clothes and most of everything else used to be made of "real ingredients" as I like to exclaim....
I had a yell-fest the other day when I had to buy some dungaree buttons from the fabric store to repair a pair of jeans that had lost the waist button. This is the kind that's metal and is whacked in, instead of a buttonhole and a sewn button......
I don't have any vintage ones on hand...made in Taiwan in the 70s and 80s, and before that, in the US. The ones I bought were Made In China they were shit!
I whacked the first one and it broke!
The second one bent!
First I despise crap made in 3rd world countries because it is usually done by children and exploited workers. This issue is well-know now, so I won't bother with links here (just Google!)
and second, I only want to buy and use Honest to Goodness Good Stuff.
This Filson cruiser jacket will last a half-lifetime of use. And work well. And made in Seattle.



So...I buy a lot of utilitarian, military, fair-trade and local-grown and made, and commercial stuff...and vintage of course!

Military is always made for serious adventures.
Functional. A-2 with a fur edged hood.


Vintage Banana Republic......a fashion line that is excellent quality.




I love linen and silk. Where do they come from? It's hard being me...
Here's some super quality vintage I've just listed.......
a gorgeous full skirt vintage SPRING dress in an XL...




a knock out fabulous vintage Escada suit....so Amazing in the detail, the quality, and the style is classic, military-influenced and so steampunk!
and...so classy for some Old Lady Chic!



A charming turn of the century (last one) style blouse in a sheer soft polyester from the 70s that is 100 times better made than dreck made today...

Here's a gorgeous vintage 60s cocktail dress......the quality and workmanship, and the silk chiffon....fabulous !

and...from remnants of other projects, I made these romantic spats....



when I return next week from my teeny weeny vacay.....I'm starting in on spring coats, spring dresses, denim fables, more men's wear.....tote bags.....
and a line of ultra romantic needs for the steampunk woman......

Yeeks, I can't wait !

the garden...Spring is coming!

What Inspires me today/What I'm working on...

I don't think I will ever tire of dresses/skirts with boots...and really cute sandals.....especially if they have buckles and straps........

A Blue dress for the Alice in you.......on etsy....







A tailcoat of ivory with toile, crochet and shells....and lots of lace......with a blue silk party dress.......
fairytale.........






...................................................................................................................
and this song was playing last night in the "new" Thriftway...as I was shopping for pie and lotion kleenex for my husband......I sometimes forget that I love Christine McVie

The Vintage Forest of Holiday Trees

...or what to do with scraps of fabric....
I admit it...I like fabric!
and when a piece of fabric is cute, or feels good, or is otherwise just damn fine, I want it!


I also have, as you can imagine...lots of sewing notions...
So, I'm thinking of something new to make from small (or large pieces of fabric)...
something for the home...
And it just pops into my head.......
Trees!
I like trees. Birds sit in them. They make apples and stuff.
What's not to like?


So, I made a pattern for a simple tree to sew together...
But what about the trunk? How do I make it stand up?
I don't know where the idea to glue a wooden spool to the bottom came from...
but it sure does work out fine.
It's the shape of a tree trunk, made of tree trunk stuff, and it has enough weight to make the tree stand....tho a gust of wind will knock it down....just like in real life.

I can't toss out barkcloth....even tiny scraps...
I collect fabrics with words printed on them...
I love words and recombining them to make random sayings or small thoughts...
Words can be so powerful...



The first set I made is of some of my all-time favorite barkcloth...
and I have a lot of buttons...
it makes no difference if the fabric is perfect, but it must be washed and pulled on to figure out where the weak spots are and to get rid of the sun rot...



The second set is so sunfaded Florida...which I would love to be in right now if I could Jeannie-Blink myself there..

Who says the holiday decor must be red and green?





The latest set is some green wool I reclaimed from a half-made dress...
Gorgeous color...and since I've been reading a lot lately about equality, and the good ol' constitution of the the United States, I remembered a bit of fabric I have that has a few paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence....





I cut random bits, but I was especially drawn to Equal....All...These...Men Are...Truths...Articles...Tution....and other bits and pieces...






All are available on etsy now....
and I'll continue to make them...as the seasons change...and as a chunk of fabric says....
Make Me!
I think that I shall never see...
a chunk of fabric that could not be made in to a tree.......