· Citrus Coasters ·

These citrus coasters seemed like just the cheery sort of addition our coffee table needed! :-)

They were a Pinterest-inspired idea which I finally got around to making last summer. They were so fun and such an instant gratification that I'm glad I made the effort to getting around to them! :-)

The process was simple: two 3 1/2" circles of colored felt, one 3 1/4" circle of cream felt, and then one 2 1/2" circle of colored felt cut into 8 segments.

 I cut tiny triangle "seeds" out of 3 segments and then stitched each segment through the cream layer and one colored layer with matching embroidery floss.  

Finally, I finished it off by attaching the second colored circle and stitching around the edge.

Voila!  A great beginner project, but still fun for the more experienced seamstress. :-)

Now I'm inspired to go do some of my other Pinterest ideas..... ;-)

· Photos by Kathryn ·

· New Items in the Shop! ·

The weather was finally cooperating with my schedule last week and we were able to take pictures of the rest of our clothing and costumes for sale!

I decided to organize the groupings into colors, so up in the shop this week we have Blues and Pinks!

Stop by and take a look! :-)

Retro-styled dresses, a Tangled costume, Titanic and Downton Abbey-suitable gowns, a brand-new 1930s-styled raincoat, and more!

More listings will be coming in the next few weeks, but get these while they last! :-)

· A New Wardrobe Staple ·

I absolutely, completely fell in love with Simplicity 1459 when it first came out.  Enough so, that I actually made the pattern exactly like it appeared on the cover!!  No small feat for me.  Usually I can't help but make various alterations.  OK, I raised the neckline by an inch, but that doesn't count. ;-)

This buckle was in the stash, and was the perfect excuse for a nice wide belt!

These buttons were from Aunt Daisy's house, and they just happened to be the perfect color, the perfect design, and the perfect number. :-)

I did bound buttonholes, since there were only 2 needed and it would be another opportunity to work on improving my technique.  Still have a ways to go before I consider myself a proficient, but they are suitable enough to show up well on camera. ;-)

As you all know, I am prone to agonizing.  I have been admiring this fabric at JoAnns for 3-4 years now.  Each time I go, I think- "that would make a great fall dress"!  And yet each time it's on sale, I somehow convince myself that I shouldn't buy it. :-P  That's why I have my mother- she called enough enough, and made me finally get around to buying this for a dress.  And 2 weeks later, here it is! ;-)  I am so pleased with the fabric- it is very appropriate for both spring and fall, thus filling a crucial wardrobe gap.

We even had an appropriately cold spell right after completing it, so it has had several outings this spring.  I look forward to wearing it to death in the fall, too. ;-)

· Thanks for the lovely pictures, Kathryn! ·

· Vintage Travel Party! ·

As promised- here are the "Vintage Travel" party pictures. :-)

It all started with the idea to throw a surprise/just-for-fun party for a friend.  That sounded like something right up my alley, so I quickly volunteered to help out with the planning and hosting.  During the planning, a mutual love for Pinterest was discovered, which is always a good discovery to make. ;-)

Since the other party planner was flying in from out-of-state, I was in charge of providing the decor.  After looking around the house for decor ideas, I remembered my ever-increasing stash of vintage suitcases- Perfect!  A quick search for decorating ideas, and I was totally inspired and ready! :-)

Every party needs bunting, and this party necessitated a map bunting. ;-)  I used an out-dated road map of Europe for the bunting which ended up being the perfect visual mix of land and sea.  Well, and it was pretty perfect to have EUROPE bunting!  The map provided enough paper for 2 buntings and tons of mini bunting, so now I have a great stash for other projects!

All of the decor (except the tissue paper pom poms) was either already owned or borrowed.  It was a fun experiment to see how many things we had that fit into the theme!

In keeping with the travel theme, the food was a variety of ethnic finger foods.

Each dish was labeled and had a mini flag from its country.  I was able to use this printable for most of the flags, and then I filled in with these.  They ended up being different sizes, but they looked fine once they were glued onto toothpicks. ;-)

Aaaannnnd, another picture of the Norwegian Smoked Salmon Canapes.  They just turned out so cute! ;-)

They were simple, too!  Sliced cucumbers, a cream cheese/dill spread, then smoked salmon strips arranged in a swirl, and finally- topped with a sprig of dill.

Really, the secret to cute food is just to have a nice garnish. ;-)

I took these pictures before all the food was out, so I don't have pictorial evidence of all the culinary masterpieces!  Our menu consisted of English Tea Sandwiches, Mexican Guacamole, Jamaican Coconut Shrimp, Japanese Sushi, Norwegian Smoked Salmon Canapes, Italian Caprese Skewers, Greek Hummus, with French Macarons and American Ice Cream for dessert. :-) 

The main food table- decorated with map bunting, vintage train cases, a cute map-printed tin that was my great-grandma's, atlases, and globes with a few of my vintage suitcases beneath.  Oh, and tissue paper pom poms hanging from the ceiling. :-)

I had a request for some pom pom tips, and I'm hoping to do a post about it in the next few weeks, once life calms down a bit.

(ha!) OK, how about "In the next few weeks, while life continues on in the now-normal pace." ;-)

The drinks and dessert station, complete with orange, red, and blue suitcases underneath. :-)  *sigh* I really love vintage luggage.

The 2 things I absolutely wanted for this party were tissue pom poms and stripey straws. :-)  These cute jars were leftovers from a friend's wedding and came complete with the straws!  Hooray!

I think layering cake plates is my new favorite way of displaying food. :-)

Two things learned from this party:
1- Parties like this are fun, and I need to do these more often!
2- I need to start a globe collection. ;-)

· Sewing Room Decor ·

I've been a bit hesitant to post these pictures because our sewing room still feels like a work in progress.  Quite honestly, I have grand schemes of re-painting, putting down new flooring, re-doing the trim, maybe even adding built-ins??  Posting about the room seemed anti-climactic when I'm in the "re-do it all!!!" mode, but after thinking about it- all the things pictured are the things I love and want to keep in the room anyway. ;-)  So here you go- a glimpse into the details of our sewing room. 

A vintage train case holds our jewelry supplies.  The "Complete Course in Dressmaking in Twelve Lessons" from 1922 is a delightful read, but also doubles as charming decor. ;-)

At the time of this photo, this shelf housed our button collection.  It has now grown to twice this size, so I have yet to discover a suitable alternative!  The jars are all old food jars, with the lids covered in paper that would correspond to the buttons inside. :-)

I think this print featuring Regency fashion plates is the most remarked-upon feature in the room!  The ridiculous court gowns always provoke comment. ;-)

This cute little shelf houses our collection of snaps, hooks and eyes, and belt buckles.  The top shelf was a great place to feature the vintage buckle/button sets I have. :-)  I just LOVE vintage packaging, so this is a great way to get enjoyment out of these before I use them!  Although to be honest, I love them so much that I have a hard time even thinking about using them....

This shelf has since become much more "cluttered", but in the best way possible. ;-)  It's just too tempting to keep putting cute vintage ephemera up there!!

Gretel got me these c. 1912 magazine pages for my birthday one year, and they hang above my sewing machine so I can admire them all day. :-)

What do practical baskets need?  Why, a mini bunting, of course! ;-)  Our ironing board remodel is still one of my favorite additions to the room!

I covered some boxes with paper several years ago, and they've become quite useful for holding odds-and-ends.  The photo squares are cute, but also make re-labeling the boxes a breeze!  Speaking of which.... I think it's high time to move the last of the paper crafting out of the sewing room. ;-)

Our library was getting rid of their old cardboard magazine files, and at the perfect time!  I was deep in my re-covering boxes phase, so these were suitably refurbished as well.  They also proved to be the ideal use for the Early 1920s Fashion Plate Paper We Couldn't Resist. ;-)  I keep my old magazines, small pamphlets, and assortment of notes/patterns in them.

Maybe in a year or two I will finally have decided how I want to remodel the room, and I can share pictures of the whole thing then. ;-)

· Photos by Kathryn! ·

· While I was away..... ·

Well, life has been quite the whirlwind!!  I am attempting (too often unsuccessfully! ;-P) to find out what my new "normal" is and settle in.  The local sewing business has picked up considerably and is keeping me quite busy!  On the down-side, I've had a bit less time to devote to my Etsy shop than I originally planned.  But, that's how life goes, right? ;-)

This week continues in the "busy" mode, and the next 2 look to be just as full, as a good friend is getting married and I will be in the wedding party!  I get to work on her wedding gown, and let me tell you- I can't wait to finally show you all pictures! :-D  I'm a big fan of the dress. ;-)

Posting might be a bit sporadic leading up to that, so for now I'll just leave you with a short re-cap of the things I deemed "photo worthy" in my spring sabbatical. ;-)

Hosting a fun "Vintage Travel" themed party!  See??  I really do need all that vintage luggage. ;-)

(post with more pics coming later!)

A girls trip to Lake Michigan where I saw my very first giant sand dunes.  Wow.  Those are crazy!  While we were there.....

.... we were tourists in Holland, MI.  So of course we visited the delft and wooden shoe factories.  As well as parking along the road to take photos of the only patch of tulips blooming.  All 7 of them. ;-) 

We had better tulip and daffodil luck at the flower farm!

And we took trips down to the beach each night to take photos of the sunsets. :-)  It was a beautiful change from the cornfields around here, but I don't think I'm quite a beach addict yet. ;-)

This trip was also my very first time taking my camera out in public.  Big step for me!!  I still haven't made much progress in the Photography Skills department, but now that the weather's warmed up, I'll have more excuses to take photos. ;-)

Finally, I received my first custom Etsy order!  I was so excited that I had to take a picture before I even got around to the buttons. ;-)

It's good to be back blogging- I've missed you all! :-)

· Spring Sabbatical ·

I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you all know that I'm taking a break from blogging for the next several weeks to devote more time to family, friends, and projects! :-)  I look forward to blogging more later this spring!