Thrift-A-Palooza

I figured it was time to do a photo dump of some stuff I've found at the thrift stores lately.  There's not enough time and attention span to cover everything that has come home with me, but here are a few highlights.

How about this vintage apron I found last weekend?  Dolly is wearing it with one of my favorite raspberry colored t-shirts, but because she's so puny, I had to do some major clothes-pinning in the back.  She didn't want to look "sloppy" in it.  Well, the nerve.  So what if she's a size 4, at least I have appendages!

Seriously though, isn't it cute?  Rickrack pocket trim, scalloped hem, bias trim, and those colors.  Swoon.

I don't know what this next thing is, or if it has any purpose other than sitting there looking all interesting and stuff.  But hey, I'll buy 99 cents of WTF any day.

It is a glazed ceramic ball—call it a gazing ball or perhaps, more appropriately, a glazing ball, because that's kind what you do (glaze over) when you start looking at this thing.  You are getting sleepy...

This side reminds me of Van Gogh's Starry Night.

I found this platter one day at Goodwill, and the next day found the gravy boat in a different spot.  No, I do not go to Goodwill every day.  The first day happened to be a Saturday, but I needed to go back to see what color tag was on 50% sale on Sunday.  Scientific research, you know.

There are no markings on either piece.  Does anyone have a clue?

And this leaf-themed bowl was the same, no markings.  Looks like it's just waiting for some Halloween candy or those last cherry tomatoes from the garden.

I had to have the small golden enamel over stainless steel bowl too.  Right now it's holding all the Goodwill price tags I've cut off the shirts I'm selling on eBay.  What can I say?  I've been on kind of a jag.

Dolly even got in on the eBay act.  Here she is modeling a Harley Davidson shirt.  She went on strike after this one, though.  Not in the mood to have multiple shirts yanked on and off, and honestly neither was I.  We resorted to photos on hangers after that.  Boring but more efficient and less temperamental.

We do what we have to to keep the talent appeased.

Now these dishes, I knew were Homer Laughlin.  How did I know?  I turned them over, silly.

They now reside happily ever after at Mom Wald's Place!

And last but not least, I have started to think about Halloween decorating, starting with framing some thrifted gargoyle postcards in a likewise thrifted frame.

I would really have liked a goth looking frame to up the creepiness factor, but I'm not going to worry about it now.  Okay, I admit that I tried to make this frame less shiny bright and more creepy with some dollar store "spooky fabric" and about three kinds of tape, but that was a monumental craft fail and there went an hour of my life.  Anyway, I think the gargoyles are doing a fair job of being creepy all on their own. 

That, my friends, is a Merman.  For reals.  He hangs out in Italy somewhere, in a perpetual state of expressing the international sign for choking.  How big was that piece of seaweed?  I think I'll call him Heimlich. 

I'll save the thrift store fabric finds for another day.  Happy treasure hunting to you!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Dad picked up his book from the printer yesterday.  More specifically, 500 plus copies of his book, which, if you ever wondered, looks like this.

It was a big day.  He got busy right away autographing the first few copies for his kids and grandkids. 

Helping edit the book over the past several months was for me a joy, challenge, frustrating enterprise, major distraction, learning experience, and labor of love.  It was all of those things, and more.  Anything worth doing is.

I am happy to see it in its final form, proud of my dad for "just doing it," and excited that he will be sharing it with the area community in the coming weeks and months.  It will be available for sale at several local retailers and nonprofit groups.

Tutorial for Mini Zig

Hi!  Piggy and I are going to show you how to make a Mini Zig today!

Piggy knows what a zig is—just look at her foot!  She would also like you to know that the inspiration for this particular funky-colored mini came from none other than she herself, or as Piggy puts it, "Moi."  That Piggy...such a trendsetter!

So let's get started.  Here is the layout. This will make a mini measuring about 11 inches square.

Choose four different fabrics.  You don't need much fabric at all, so this is perfect for scraps.  Referring to the layout, decide how you want them to appear, i.e., which fabric will be your A fabric, B, etc.

From each fabric, cut 3.5 inches squares as follows:

A - Cut 2 squares

B - Cut 6 squares

C - Cut 4 squares

D - Cut 4 squares

Then sew the squares together in pairs, right sides together, to make half-square triangles (HST).  Sew your squares together:

2 - A/B      (in the example above, this is purple to burgundy)

2 - B/C      (burgundy to green)

2 - C/D      (green to yellow floral)

2 - B/D      (burgundy to yellow floral)

You all know how to make these the easy way, right?  Put the two fabric squares right sides together, draw a diagonal pencil line down the center, then draw lines 1/4-inch from either side of the center line.  Sew along both of these outer lines and then cut the squares in half along the center diagonal line to make 2 HST squares.

After you've sewn all the squares into HSTs, press the seams open and trim the little dog ears from the corners.  If you want to trim your squares, you can.  Mine measured 3-1/8 inches at this point.  If your center seam is a little bigger, you may want to trim them to 3 inches square.

Then lay the blocks out according to the diagram above.

And sew them together!  

You will want to quilt and bind your mini.  I haven't gotten that far with this one, but here is the one I finished the other day.

This mini (directly above) now belongs to Mom Wald, who gave me Piggy!  What a sweetie!  She has an eye for the coolest vintage stuff, and is about the nicest person you could ever meet.  We had tea the other day in Madison along with her dear daughter and swapped stories (and some irises from our gardens).  What fun!  Piggy and I both left with big smiles.

If you make a Mini Zig, I'd love to see it.  And if you have any questions about the instructions, please let me know.

Mini Zig

I whipped up a little mini over the weekend.  I've been seeing some amazing zigzag quilts in the works, like the one Wanda is working on, among others.  Of course, my sewing room is away from my computer so instead of referring to what's already out there for how-tos, I sort of reinvented the wheel and sketched out a rough plan before I cut any fabric.

Yeah, I know, I'm technical that way.  I'm probably the only one who can decipher my chicken scratching there, but perhaps I will post a tutorial in the future.  [Updated to add:  Tutorial is now HERE].

It does differ from others in the fact that I used four fabrics, two of which repeat.  One is the vintage floral print.  I *heart* that fabric.

Are you surprised to see it juxtaposed with the red print that looks like it came straight off The Dating Game set, circa 1970?  That's a contemporary print but I cut off the selvage a while ago now and don't recall who makes it.

I made sure to treat Juki Jane right this time.  Oiled and de-linted her and gave her a fresh needle...which broke about a quarter of the way through quilting when I hit a bumpy seam.  It was pretty dramatic the way it shattered, and it gave me a little scare.  Made me glad I was wearing my reading glasses!

(Back)

Quilted in little free-form daisies, just like the ones I used to draw on my notebook in school back in the day.  Finished at 12 inches square.

This will be a little giftie for a friend.

I'm linking to Connie's Free Motion by the River Linky Party Tuesday and A Stitch in Time 2012 Finishes.  Click and visit!

Number Three It Is

You guys are awesome with the feedback on the border!  Thanks so much.  I appreciate your taking the time to chime in with your pick.

Number three was the overwhelming majority.  I liked that, but I did like number one as well, with the gray/purple borders.  I was hoping hubby would feel strongly about one or the other, but he liked both and didn't really care which way it went.  Coming off a 12-hour shift, the most important thing for him was to park himself in the Lazy Boy, not stand around mooning at fabric for long.  Can't say I blame him.

So I cut the blue and purple borders, and as I sewed them on last night, I thought, wow, this is great!  It didn't seem like there could have been a more ideal choice.

The breeze didn't cooperate with the photo sesh of the flimsy on the clothesline this morning, so we have an "action shot." 

Look at that...the ash tree is starting to lose its leaves already.  September first, and welcome fall!

Linking to Sarah's Whoop-Whoop party today.  Go have a look around, there are always great things to see!

P.S. - It needs a name other than Number Three.  I was thinking maybe Bright Pathways.  Other ideas?