Blogtoberfest Day 29: Work in Progress

Back in September, in preparation for the urge to nest and craft with the cooler weather, I sanded, primed and spray painted these wooden office organization pieces. I needed to prepare the surfaces for decoupaging them with pretty papers. Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph them in the intermediate step of paint only and launched into applying the paper today.


Here are some of the vintage wrapping paper I have found while thrifting in the last year or so. My plan for the storage pieces is to use a mix of pattern and I quite enjoyed choosing and cutting the paper today. I was so inspired by how the project was coming together that I went ahead and braved the crisp air outside and applied the the spray glue to the wood and stuck on the paper. Generally, I was pretty pleased with the results and went inside to let the solvents of the glue dissipate for a few minutes. I retrieved the pieces a little later to let the glue dry fully indoors but have ran into a frustration: the adhesive is not providing a consistent bond! I do not think that I can lacquer them if there are parts of the paper not sticking to the wood, I am not sure that I can try white glue or 'modge podge' when there is already spray glue applied and I do not have enough paper to start again. Help!!! I do not remember having these issues the last time that I tried something like this and I am not sure how to rectify this situation. Any suggestions?



On a more successful note I was very happy that I had brought in all my geraniums and fuchsias into our sun room the other day as we have had frost at night. The sun room is only a three season room and the plants will need to come inside for the winter but it does serve as a quarantine zone where I can apply insecticidal soap and make sure that the plants are pest free before I expose them to my houseplants.

Blogtoberfest Day 18: Weekend Thrifting Thrills!

Starting with Friday, I would say that I have had a rather stellar weekend for thrifting. This past Friday, as I have done for the past ten years, I had my hair done by a hair stylist who lives and works outside of the city in the community of Embrun, which is about 25 minutes east of Ottawa. I started having her do my hair when she worked in an upscale salon in the city. When she had her second child, she decided to work in a studio set up in her home which allowed her to pass on some savings to clients and gives me quality service at prices that I can live with. About a year ago I found a second hand store in Embrun which, for the three to four times a year that I have my hair done, I have added to my thrifting path . When I walked in last Friday, I saw these mixer/processor/blender bowls and blades without the motor for $10. These belong to the Braun 5 in 1 machine which is the type that I have had for almost 18 years and have spent more than $10 dollars when replacing a lid, blade or bowl. The parts are no longer available to order in North America as Braun is now distributing only its personal care products in North America. My Mum still has the predecessor, the Braun KM32, to my machine. It first came out in the 1950's and my Mum purchased one in the 1970's. She was pleased when, last year, I found a unit for her at the thrift store to use for parts. It has only needed minor repairs over the years but with parts unable to be ordered buying a unit at the thrift store becomes sensible so I was happy to do the same for mine. Both machines were designed and produced before the wide-spread practise of planned obselence over-whelmed the kitchen appliance market: With this quality in construction and design it is worth trying to repair them. At this store, I also found a small white with black enamel saucepan, some small, vintage Swedish candles and a little bit of trim in ivory and orange just waiting to be used on a Autumn themed vintage style apron.


The next morning, I was off to the Fabric Flea Market which is held every year to benefit a downtown public school. The vendors are made up of home sewers reducing their stash and professional re-sellers. Just in from the entrance, I rummaged through a table that had hundreds of patterns, sewing books, fabric remnants, buttons and laces and trims. This table was run by the public school that benefits from the whole event and is stocked by donations. The first thing I picked up to buy was a bag of about 10metres of this 1950's printed ribbon/lace. There were a few more bags of this same trim but I felt that I needed to set some personal limits from the start.


The next two bags contained various ribbons. The really wide ribbons(on the upper right hand of the photo) are vintage hat ribbons while the rolls are mostly gift or bouquet ribbons along with twill and seam binding.








The next picture is one of aged and stained bits of lace. Not everything in the bag is shown in this photo. I will wash the bits and pieces and try to remove the stains but try not to whiten them. That may take a little research but I suspect that a bar of Sunlight soap will be involved. Oxyclean might remove the patina of age and, if there is any silk, destroy some of the fibres. Even tea staining does not get the same subtle tone as simple age.








This fabric will likely be made into an apron. I collect vintage aprons and I have almost too many to count but the ones that wear out for me are the full ones. I love beautiful clothes and I have a busy household to run so full protection is a must! The dominant colour in the kitchen is blue with mostly red and yellow accents depending on the season and which direction you look. All of the colours in this fabric are found in my china on the plate rack which is Laura Ashley's Hazelbury.


I bought this fabric from a lovely lady who had all sorts of vintage fabrics and some vintage clothes including some made with Liberty fabric. This piece is likely from the late 1940's and is artificial silk, mostly likely rayon. I love the colours and I think that I have enough to make a sleeveless blouse to wear with a suit. She also had a vintage floral bedspread that was exquisite. It was the colouration and type of floral pattern that inspires Cath Kidston and Cabbages and Roses. I kind of wish that I had asked how much but I was pondering a bigger purchase. I also regret not getting her contact information as she was the type of vendor who is obviously in it for the love of the textiles and I would love to get know her.


Here is the artificial silk again with a little tray cloth/place mat that should look great with my aqua and pink Pyrex and a fascinating December 1939 magazine from England with a Canadian insert. I cannot wait to explore its pages in depth. I was acquainted with at least half a dozen of the vendors but did not have the chance to really chat with any of them. I also ran into people that I know from other interests. The mood was very happy with most buyers not looking to haggle and the vendors did not seem competitive or pushy but just there for a good cause and the love of fabric and everything fabric related.


The bigger purchase that I was pondering was eight 1.2 x 2 m panels of this vintage Gabrielle Cie. upholstery fabric to update the look in our family room. Some of the upholstery that I have already done has some of these colours already and the feel of the room is mid-century modern so this 1950's design will be fabulous. Recently I found a great deal on two upholstered chairs at the Sally Ann and since then I have been looking for suitable fabrics for slip-covers. I was glad that I had limited myself to that point as it was easier to make a bigger purchase when I discovered this material. The analogy of 'kid in a candy store' could not be more apt!







On Sunday the Thrifting Fairies called me again and some of the family made a late afternoon visit to Value Village where I was justly rewarded. The beautiful printed corduroy (1950's ?) and vintage Anchor Hoching Sun Tea jar were waiting for me! The colouration and design are amazing and look great with the two pastel pink platters, stamped Morn Glo, and Ice-o-matic that I found at the Salvation Army on Monday morning. Join the sharing excitement with Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday. I love to see what everyone finds.

Thrifty Treasures

On my list of must finds has been a Liberty of London printed blouse. Last week I spotted one when I popped into the Nearly New Shop of Christ Church Cathedral and discovered that everything in the shop was fifty per cent off. My husband found a sport shirt and I found a beautiful old handkerchief and a silk square in a beautiful icy blue. Before Christmas, I found a beautiful brown patent leather Ferragamo purse and a brown printed Liberty silk scarf so I knew that this was a location with potential.





On this occasion I also found a Kasper jacket. As a student of fashion history, I have been aware of the designer for a long time with his designs being in the Vogue Patterns catalogue years. This particular jacket seems to be like many 'designer' clothes in that it is just an off-the-rack item with a designer's label sewn in but it does fit me well and it is pink!

The Liberty blouse also came with a skirt and shirt jacket. They are slightly faded compared to the blouse and the styling is fairly dated (or too old for me as my daughter said) so I think the parts are slated for a reworking. I am not a big label chaser but the quality of Liberty fabrics is well known and the beauty of the prints is almost matchless. Liberty of London is definitely a place I want to visit when I am in England with the choir. This was definitely my thrifting high of the week but I was also able to make another thrift store visit and some Saturday Garage Sale finds.




I occasionally find hand potted pieces and have a preference for blue glazes. Here is one that caught my eye shown here in our family room with Lily of the valley from the garden. The glaze matches the fruit bowl we use in the kitchen so I can see that this will be used frequently. The other photo shows another cache pot which is one of my recent thrifting obsessions. It is sitting on a new, thrifted linen skirt which combines my favourite blues with a light brown and should prove a versatile addition to my wardrobe.




Another cache pot, this one being made in West Germany with an apron in blue. Have others noticed how we often find items in themes or colours without intending to. The blue apron is beautifully handmade and if you click on the picture to enlarge it you can find the perfectly matched pocket. Sometimes the shorter stitch length used in some home sewing can create an obviously homemade look which is not the case in this apron.


Saturday's garage sale finds included some Ikea storage containers and rail system spotted by No. 3 with plans for its use for his art supplies. We used the same system in my recent sewing room makeover and it is very reasonably priced but he bought it for $2. He is already becoming quite good at finding good bargains and enjoys it like me. He just needs a little more experience in figuring out what we will actually use.

I am a sucker for vintage office supplies, so this mail scale was an exciting find. It does seem odd to me that an item (dated 1982)from the time I was in high school is vintage but I am sure that I will encounter such vintage items again. I certainly remember the postal rates of the time and remember with fondness the letters I received from my long distance boyfriend of the time. I had No. 3 study the scale for a while to figure out what it was and within a minute he had it even though the scales at the post office now are nothing like this one.


I found these jars and the carafe when I went back to pick-up a wood and cor-plast Ikea wardrobe with the van. I will use for summer storage of the snowsuits and parkas. The jars and carafe were free!!! Sometimes the best deals are the things that others have passed over. The jars will likely be used for food storage. With a family of six, I buy a lot of food stuff in bulk through a natural food buying club. It is less expensive and avoids excessive packaging. The carafe still had the tag on it and will allow us to make more than one pot for entertaining. There is also a vintage jar chopper. I already have one so I am not sure if I will keep it.

I love to share all my thrifted and garage sale finds and I have found other bloggers who like to do the same at Rhoda's blog where many other are sharing their treasures.

My Creative Space: Inspiration, WIPs and Results

Inspiration can come in many forms. As with many people, I find much of it in nature and most specifically in flowers. I was fortunate to grow up in a climate that had something flowering most of the year and to be the daughter of a passionate gardener. Living in the climate that I do now has required a lot of readjustment. We have lived in Ottawa for over 18 years and I have learned that I require indoor flowers through the winter and into the spring just to survive. You cannot beat nature for use of colour and design.


When I started making felt purses I thought first of flowers. The nature of the material does not allow for realistic representation like can be achieved with silk but the sculptural qualities of wool can create some surprising results. Graphic design such as this beautiful gift wrap can help translate the suggestion of the flowers more suited to the ability of the wool or maybe just my abilities.



Sometimes my frustration with my work will prompt me to abandon the project. I was attempting to create white lilac on this piece and my dissatisfaction with the result caused me to drop it while still in progress. Last springs weather and the garden beckoned me outside. It is not difficult for a mother of four to be pulled away to other duties. Now that my studio is so well organized and pleasing to be in, I am looking again at some of my WIP's(work in progress) that were temporarily dropped. My critical eye with this piece has softened enough for me to take it up again and I hope to finish it soon. The handle of the bag is being formed by splicing hand rolled felt tubes that are braided so it is an intensive part of the making that can only be done a little at a time.

I have been delighted to see birds used in decorative home accessories and patterns for home decor fabrics. When I first looked at the sweater used here, I thought of a robin even before I taken the garment apart. I used natural roving for the branch and bits of the sweater to create the robin. I dropped it as a project when I was commissioned to make another purse and have yet to figure out the construction of the bag. Usually the size or shape of the original sweater influences my decision along with handle options and the weight of the felt.



The old adage of necessity being the mother of invention is certainly true as shown in this cosy for my cell phone. Using some of the felt leftover from my first purse, I fashioned this with a little needle felting, applied cut-out and shell button. It was such a small project that it was finished before it had a chance to be abandoned. The phone is new (after at least 4 years with the old one) and I hope to keep it happy and new looking for as long as possible with the help of its cosy.



Of course not all projects find themselves abandoned. This purse is one that I have used almost daily since I made it. The process flowed
easily and I do not remember too much questioning along the way. Take a look at the creative process at Kristy's blog.