Snow Day Contentment

This week-end looked like this outside. I had two getting-stuck-in-the-snow adventures but I don't really want to talk about that. 

Instead, I want to tell you that I enjoyed spending some quality indoor time with fabric, needle and thread. That is one of my favorite things. I felt content.

I can't tell you what I was sewing as it is top secret and it isn't even my secret. I was just doing some finishing work on one of Maria's projects. Don't worry. After Christmas I bet I can get her to tell you more about it on her blog, Little Things are Big. As projects go, this one is pretty sweet! 

What are your favorite things to do on a snowy day?

Up-Scaling Makes Me Feel Like a Hero!

There's something new going on at our Wyoming Rose Boutique.  Yes, we're still crocheting and crafting but we've added up-scaling to the mix as well.  Have you done any up-scaling that you'd recommend?

If you don't know what I am talking about, let me break it down to two simple steps.

1)     SHOP!  Maria and I aren't too excited to shop the usual way.  We aren't big on going to department stores to find our treasures.  What is the most fun is to shop thrift stores, keeping our eyes (and minds) open.  We really try to see items through our creative vision glasses.  OK, we don't have special glasses.  But we are developing an eye for potential.  We don't always know what we are searching for until we see it.  Things that catch my attention are classic styles or delicate remnants from the past.  Sometimes it is just a unique color or texture that I want to enhance.

2)     LET YOUR IMAGINATION RUN WILD!  This is the part that takes the most time.  I take one of our treasures back to my Rose Room and start experimenting.  I can't tell you how many different ideas I worked through on this golden purse, for example.  What I ended up doing is cutting out this piece of vintage lace and appliqueing it to the front of the purse.  The lace itself has some history.  My mother-in-law gave me some of her sewing things years ago (more than 30 years) and I still have some of it.  (Carol, do you recognize it?) This lace is one of my favorites as you just can't find any like it now.  Isn't it pretty?  It took this purse to a new level of of awesome.  But, I still felt like it needed something more.  I cut and twirled and tied and imagined for quite awhile before I realized this purse just needed some bling, so I made a bracelet for it.  I was really quite pleased with the result.  I like the mixture of antique and glamour, don't you?  We have it listed on our Wyoming Rose Boutique on Etsy.

I went kind of a different way with this classic red purse.  I wanted to keep it youthful and fun but it needed some personality.  I pawed through a lot of fabric before seeing how this bright apple print wanted to bring out the best of the red purse.  I put a lot of time into the process but the result was a cheerful, unique and spunky looking up-scaled bag.  What do you think of it?

I am pretty proud of this next one.  We found this chocolatey blazer and I knew right away that it was a candidate for up-scaling.  It was in excellent condition, soft and cozy - perfect for chilly days.  It already had some interesting lines.  Some of the vertical seams actually had encased elastic that gathered it up just enough to give it some drama, but it still wasn't really living up to its potential.  I took  it home and loved it up.  It had perfectly nice covered buttons but the brown on brown just went flat.  I replaced all the buttons with cool white ones that celebrated the fun of shape.  No more round boring buttons!  Then, I started experimenting with color.  I settled on a peachy cotton thread that had kind of a special smooth finish to it.  I hand-crocheted a lace that could peek out at the bottom of the sleeves.  I did not want to over do it but I still felt it needed a bit more.  I then used more of the fun thread to crochet a flower.  I centered the flower on a cut-out of more antique lace (thanks again to my mother-in-law) that was already a daisy-like design.  I centered another of the funky buttons for the center and sewed it all together.  When I attached it to the blazer, a star was born!  To see more detailed photos just click here.  

So, there you have it.  Go shopping and see if you get any fun ideas to upscale something.  I know that it made me feel rather heroic, as though I'd rescued something from boredom.  Have fun!

p.s.  Anyone who orders from Wyoming Rose Boutique can enter the secret code at check-out to receive a 10% discount.  The secret code is:  DISCOUNT 

My Mom's Sewing Machine

I have something I want to show you!

It's my Mom's sewing machine and cabinet.  She decided her sewing days are behind her and she has given it to me.  It had to hang out in the basement during all the carpeting hoopla, but it is at home in the Rose Room now and I am so happy!  I set it up so that when I sew I can face the room instead of the wall.  I love seeing all the stacks of fabric as well as the colorful yarn.  I think it is inspiring.

This is the front side of the cabinet.  Mom used it for many years so it has some character.

One year she had some puppy troubles of her own and the cabinet developed more character yet...

Here's the fancy part!  The sewing machine is nestled down inside the cabinet when not in use.

There is a cool lever that makes it smoothly glide up to position when I am ready to sew.

I'm excited to have this in my home.  It feels like having a bit of my Mom here.  She used this machine to sew such beautiful things!  She made men's suits, lingerie (not for men), beautiful quilts and clothes for our whole family.  She used this machine to sew for many others over the years as well.  She sewed a LOT!  I remember coming home from school and finding her sewing most days.  I'd plop myself on the bed (she didn't have a Rose Room so she sewed in the bedroom) and blabber on about my school day.  I can't imagine that I had much that was terrribly interesting to say but she listened as though I were fascinating.

My Mom made my wedding dress on this machine.  I had a clear vision in my head of the dress I wanted but we couldn't find a pattern to match.  Mom had me just sketch the dress.  In case you don't remember, I only carry the artistic gene, I do NOT draw well.  Nevertheless, she managed to get the idea.  She measured me one morning before I went out the door and when I returned that evening, my wedding dress was on the hanger! 

I am not the seamstress my Mom is, but I do love to sew.  I'm so grateful that she taught me to sew and crochet as they are two of the hobbies that bring me the greatest joy.  It is just so wonderful to take pieces of fabric and turn them into something pretty to wear or a quilt to keep you cozy for years.  It was also wonderful to have a Mom who took the time to show me what she was doing and to encourage me to create things for myself.  Thanks, Mom, for the sewing machine and for the memories!


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Back to Sewing!

Yesterday, as I worked on my room some more, I kept turning green!  No, I wasn't sick.  I mean, literally, I kept turning green.  Remember that I was spraypainting the dresser the day before?  Apparently you really should do it outdoors or in an open garage as the can says.  Although I couldn't see green anywhere, it kept showing up on my hands!  It seems a green dust had formed on some surfaces.  My computer was in there (Netflix kept me entertained as I worked) and so everytime I use my computer yesterday, I got green fingers.   It was weird.

The important thing, though, is it is all back in order and my dream room is again being used to create!  No carpet yet, but that will come.  I also haven't had the guys move my new/old sewing machine and cabinet up from the basement yet.  I'll tell you more about that someday but it will stay downstairs until the carpet is in.

Here is a picture of two of my shelving units.  The one on the left has fabrics, patterns, etc.  The one  on the right has jewelry-making items as well as beautiful yarns.  I don't know what it is but I just love looking at all that potential there, especially the fabric and yarns!  It is kind of like I have my own craft store!

This is where I sew.  I was so excited I had to start a quilt already.  I've been watching the series Eli Stone on Netflix as I worked so I just kept watching it while I sewed.

So, I am going with Kate W.'s suggestion of calling it the Paisley Room.  I just love paisley fabric and I love saying the word Paisley.  I looked it up on Wikipedia and found that the design we know as paisley is from India and Iran.  The word, paisley, is from a town in Scotland.  I have some Scottish roots; maybe that explains my love of that word!  I even like Brad Paisley!

Lucky for you all, I just backspaced over an educational lesson regarding paisley.  I decided to leave a little mystery, meaning I didn't want to get tooooo boring.

You probably can't see it but that quilt top has some black and white paisley in it.  I noticed that a LOT of my fabric is paisley.  I'm going to move my paisley giraffe in there for inspiration and I think I will make a paisley wallhanging for decoration!

Kate, I thank you!