Pretty Pattern Finds

Sorry about the crummy iPhone photos, but I bought these at an antique shop today.

I think my favorite is the Vogue blouse in the top photo-very practical and very pretty!

Homemade Custom Sew-in Tags

Today I took a break from a biggie sewing project I have been working on to do a small and satisfying project. I have wanted my own sew-in labels for my handmade clothing for some time, and I was originally planning to order some. Instead I did a Google search for sew-in tags, and I found this tutorial. I had everything I needed to make these, so I decided to give it a whirl.

I love them! I think they turned out very nicely, and I spent some time this afternoon sewing them into some of my handmade garments. I do come across home sewn clothing frequently in the thrift shops, and I always wonder about who made the items and when. Well, if anyone ever comes across mine they will know when they were made, and they can stop on by in the virtual sense if they are curious to know who is sewing formal spring capes in the year 2011.

Roadside Botany- Wild Orchids

A few months back while out running errands with the family, I noticed some pretty violet flowers growing throughout a vacant lot on the roadside.

I thought to myself that they looked remarkably like orchids, but then I reminded myself that I was nuts. Orchids grow in tropical climates, right? Why would they be growing wild in a lot in the mountains of North Carolina?
To satisfy my curiosity and reaffirm once more that I invent all sorts of craziness in my head, I stopped for a closer look.

Well, there was no mistaking that these were indeed orchids!
A quick Google search taught me that there are many orchids that grow wild in NC and are native to the area.  You learn something new every day! And now that I have recognized these flowers as orchids, I see them all over the place. Western North Carolina is a truly beautiful place, and I discover new things to love about living here all of the time!

Our 4th Anniversary and the Dress to Go With it

Brian and I celebrated our four year anniversary last week. We left the baby at home with her grandparents and went to dinner at a local Italian spot. We have a special honeymoon tradition that we record the year's goings on and put a new family photo in our wedding anniversary book. The book is pretty. It looks like this....

We received it as a wedding gift from my aunt, and we do enjoy taking a few moments to recall how far we've come in the last four years- from being a party pair in downtown Tampa to being a settled married couple in rural NC with a 17 month old. We wouldn't change a thing.

Another anniversary tradition for us is to drink champagne in our wedding flutes (we don't get many opportunities to bust those out, and they are lovely as well.) This year we forgot to toast in the flutes, but as Brian's birthday is the day after our anniversary, we had a special occasion to toast the next night too.

Back to our dinner out though. It was pretty funny- my husband is a teacher who wears a suit and tie to work because he likes to be professional. He was still wearing his suit when we went to dinner, and I wore a dress I finished sewing the day before from Simplicity 3463 circa early 1960s.

We got a lot of funny looks and stares for being formally dressed! It didn't bother me any- I guess I still believe that one cannot really be overdressed. How are you supposed to dress to go out for dinner on your wedding anniversary? I know many vintage seamstress/bloggers have lamented the demise of regular formal attire, and it does appear that nice jeans and a black shirt are the new version of "dressy." I don't really care either way what other people wear, but for me it is hard not to sew pretty things, and once you sew them, you have to wear them, no?

We like to snap a family photo whenever we are dressed well at the same time

LOVE!

And my husband snapped a few pics of the dress for me to share....

Gotta get some use from these heels before Labor Day, har de har! 

I don't know why I like to show the hem lace...it's just so pretty!

Ever since I read about Amy's Swirl Dress Project on Sewing through the Motions, I have badly wanted a back wrap dress pattern to make my own (Hey! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!) Now I have one! Dresses are all about how you feel wearing them, and I must say I felt really good in this one. If you sew or are interested in vintage sewing, I am posting more on the sewing process at Sew Retro.

Uh Happy Birthday to Me, Barump Ba Dum Dum Da Dum!

DISCLAIMER! GLOATING AND GUSHING TO FOLLOW!

Today was my 31st birthday! My man made me French Toast for brekkie with fresh bread and eggs (yum!), and my baby brought me a birthday card in bed. Then hubby piled Gremel and I in the car to "go have a picnic at the Biltmore." On the way there, we stopped off at one of the best pattern thrifting spots, and I bought some pretty separates patterns. Then we got to Asheville, only we didn't go to the Biltmore, but we went near the Biltmore.

 My husband surprised me with an hour and a half in the spa for a Swedish back massage and a facial! Love that man! I would have never done that for myself being a self-neglecting mommy and all, so it was really fab. Da took baby to an art show, and I got all pampered up.

Then, on the way home, we stopped at another thrifty spot that I kinda love/hate because it has big bins of stuff that you have to dig through, but you pay by the pound ($1.10!). I picked up a couple of books and while scanning over a few of the clothing bins, I found an original Pendleton Wool '49er! It has the pretty little gathers in the back and the neat shoulders. It also has a couple of moth holes, but nothing that'll keep me from wearing it this fall.
So, thank you, Universe, for another lovely year. I think this is going to be my best one yet!

My Vintage Button Stash...Too Much of a Good Thing?

So when I was sewing the Sorbetto top I wrote about last time, I tried a few buttons just below the neckline in front. I rooted around in my large button coffee can, and rustled up a few possibilities. Some of my buttons are strung or on cards, so they are easy to locate, and I always know how many I have to use. The rest of them were (!) in a miserable heap at the bottom of the can. I inherited our late Grandma's button stash, and while I'm sure she knew what was in her tin, I had only a faint inkling from previous rummagings. I thought of this as I tried the buttons out on the blouse, and today I set about making them all visible and tidy. Would you believe it took me a good portion of the day? Turns out, I have buttons....

 And more buttons....

 And, yes, more buttons....

 And, well, even more buttons....

There are more buttons that I didn't photograph here, because they were in my "to get rid of" button bag already. But don't call "Hoarders" just yet. I now have one tidy coffee can full of the buttons I intend to keep, and the ones I am getting rid of are on their way out. I will probably list them on eBay or Etsy. How did I organize this off the chain collection? I pilfered a wonderful idea from a fellow seamstress (Jenny of Kerrfect) over at the Sew Retro blog. I reproduced one of my own vintage button cards (you can have the download for your personal use here free), and printed several with which to wrangle these little beasties. I wish I had looked back at Jenny's files first, because she has some really cute button cards! Oh well, when I was out scouting the thrift and antique shops today, I spied some fabulous vintage red and gold buttons that I probably have to buy. And, I will probably have to put them on Jenny's adorable button card.
Here is my collection being wrangled:

Recognize these lovelies Portia? :)

Aren't they purty?

And just for fun, here's what I am doing with the odd buttons out:

I had some adhesive magnetic tape in my craft cabinet, and we can always use fridge magnets. Plus, they make me smile.

Birthday Sorbetto

I just finished up this blouse tonight. It uses the free Sorbetto pattern as well as the Sew Weekly's sleeve pattern. I had fun experimenting with my narrow hem foot which I used successfully (for the first time!) to hem the sleeves.
Now, my 31st birthday is coming up, and I have requested that my husband take me bowling. At our local bowling alley, after a certain time they do that crazy "Space Bowling" (or whatever) where they switch to black lights and project stuff around on the walls. Wouldn't it be positively revolting of me to wear this top? Yeah, I think I'll do it! Cover your eyes.....