An Awesome Thrifty Find!

During work on Saturday, I hit up Impact!

No cool sewing notions. No nice fabric. Crappy, fugly patterns. Before leaving, I decided to check out the books. I've gotten cool books from there before including a like-new Sunbeam mixer manual from the 1950s.

I was so excited when I saw this book peeking out from underneath torn up craft magazines. I quickly grabbed it and dashed to the counter. I didn't want anyone to intercept my ninety-six cent purchase!


This book is just so beautiful. It's in great condition, the directions are clear, the artwork is perfectly late-forties. I'm in love with this book. I keep perusing it and touching it. I want a glass case for it. (Half-kidding.)

The copyright is 1949. I scanned a few pages.


Tips on refashioning:


Hats! I love these hats!


And I just love the sketches!

(Not so) Tiny Dancer.

My daughter starts dance class on Saturday. She has everything she needs: ballet slippers, tap shoes, a leotard, and stockings. All she needed was a cute little bag to carry her shoes in.
That was my job!

I sketched a ballet shoe and her initial. I then transferred it to thrifted fabric (used the taping to window technique) and then embroidered the design and then constructed a simple tote. I am quite please with how it turned out.

Added bonus: everything (except the thread to sew the bag together) was purchased at a thrift store!

This Weekend's Loot.

$8.00 for a plastic storage box full of sewing stuff! The box was taped up, so I couldn't really dig through to see what was in there, but it looked so cool, I had to have it!


Snap fastener. Pretty cool. It's a lot more sturdy than the crappy plastic ones that they sell now. Also, there are a ton of sew on snaps in this container!

These are sewing needles. I just love the artwork.

Elastic cord. Again, just really like the art.
Lots and lots of binding, and ric-rac.

A New Hobby.

Because I guess I just don't have enough!

It's a snow-ball effect and this is how my fiber-related hobbies began: cross-stitch, knitting, sewing, quilting, and now... embroidery.

I've been looking at kits from Sublime Stitching for some time. Then, a couple weeks ago, I just did it. I bought the Cat-A-Rama pattern. I mean, it's only $5, why was I hesitating!?

I enjoy embroidery because:
1. Instant satisfaction (it works up pretty quickly.)
2. You can decide which stitch you want to use.
3. Pretty colors! Embroidery floss is inexpensive, so you can build up a stash rather swiftly.

This is the first one I did.

It came out OK. Not spectacular, but pretty cute. What am I gonna do with it? Not sure. Maybe make an apron pocket out of it.

This is the second one. I don't love it. I think I should decrease the strands I'm using. I really have no clue what to do with this one. Probably just let it lay around for years until I decide to throw it out and then a few weeks after I toss it, realize that I have the perfect usage for it.

Apologies for the crappy photos. But see what I mean about the thread thickness? Look at this poor guy's totally indiscernible face.

~
Last night was dead in work, so I walked over to my favorite thrift store. I picked up a bag of embroidery floss for $1.



And then after my sushi dinner with my sister, we stopped at AC Moore and I bought this for $6, marked down from $10.99. Cool!

Thrifty Finds.

Lots and lots of fabric! (Some not pictured includes over 3 yards of a nice tweed fabric.)
I know, I know, the below is horrificly tacky, so how could I resist?!
The below is my favorite! Love the color combo and the vintage Christmas theme. No clue what I'm gonna do with it, but I *had* to have it! (It was only like .75!)

And cute decor for my kitchen.