Sew there.

Happy New Year!

(2010)  sachets

The month of January always has me pondering what I hope to accomplish in the coming twelve months and after several rough drafts, I’ve finalized my official Annual Crafty/Vintage To-Do List for 2013.

(2008)  barkcloth pillow

It’s sew very short.

(2009)  banner

Just one little word, in fact.

(2010)  yo-yos & feedsack quilt pillow

You’ve heard it here before but this year …

(2010)  sachets

I.

Mean.

It.

(2008)  vintage tablecloth pillow

I really do.

(2010) appliqued tea towels

(2009) tatting & doily towel

Sew there you have it.

(2007) vintage tablecloth pillow

PS Did you watch Downton Abbey last night?! Sew good!

Holey Sheet

Late last night, long past when I should have been asleep in preparation for today’s yard-sale-ing,* it seemed like a great time to start a little no-sew vintage sheet project I’d been thinking about.

Impulse control? Never heard of it.

I’ll be a vintage vendor at two outdoor events later this summer and I wanted to make something colorful to flutter gently in the mild summer breezes that will be blowing softly through my vintage-packed canopy tent.

(This post is actually a subliminal message for the weather gods. I hope they receive it so I don’t end up with something colorful and sopping wet flapping madly in the hurricane-force winds beating against my rain-soaked canopy).

And I wanted it to be fast and easy.

Like tying-knots-onto-string-easy.

And it was.

Have a wonderful weekend!

**************

 *Sadly, June-uary weather prevailed and rained out today’s yard sale plans.



Summer Camp for Vintage Junkies

Or...

 How I Spent My Summer Vacation at Meadowbrook Farm.

I only wish this photo belonged to me ... not to mention that kitchen!
If you'd like to pin this photo, please hop over to Meadowbrook Farm to pin from the original source. 

 

 

Welcome, camper!

Late afternoon arrival will begin with a walking tour of the camp followed by the evening meal* served in the vintage dining hall.

After-dinner Meet & Greet. 
Scheduled topics of discussion include blogging, the merits of chocolate pudding, Pinterest, Downton Abbey and sewing with vintage sheets: For or against?  (For.)

Lights out: Whenever. 

Day 1.

Morning.  Round table talks:  Photography, props & styling, creative process, and pro and cons of Hobby Lobby.

Break for lunch at charming local restaurant. Meal highlight is crazy good cheesecake.

I've got mail. My favorite summer camp junk acquisition.

Afternoon. Tour of antique shops which may include encounters with skittish local wildlife.**

Retire to camp for delicious dinner, vintage chit-chat, magazine viewing and Season 2 of Downton Abbey.

Day 2.

Morning. Chocolate muffin paired with vintage fabric show & tell.  This will also be the time for campers to plan future projects involving current and not-as-yet-acquired vintage fabric and will include a vintage fabric swap.

Please remain in your pajamas for this event as it will extend into the early afternoon and be spread out across several rooms.

An in-depth exploration of gingham begins at noon.

Break for a late lunch at yet another charming local restaurant. Dessert will be an amazing cream puff made entirely of 10 billion calories.

Afternoon of antiquing and thrifting along with wonderful driving tour of local points of interest.

Retire to camp for another delicious dinner, more vintage chit-chat, additional magazine viewing and the rest of Season 2 of Downton Abbey.

Day 3.

Cram vintage purchases, boxes of vintage fabric and fluffier self into jeans-that-used-to-fit/car and prepare for departure.

Next stop, Farm Chicks!

While driving, reflect on amazing moments the internet has brought about and the generous invitation that made attendance at Meadowbrook Farm Summer Camp possible.

**************************

*at this camp, chocolate is incorporated into every meal.

**please maintain a calm demeanor if a semi-domesticated/crazed squirrel named Rosie runs across your shandal and straight up your pant leg at 90 mph while you are simply standing there, minding your very own business.

 

 

One week, two farms.

It’s been pretty darn quiet here lately while sequestered on the couch with The Foot.

I solemnly swear these will be sewn into something useful.

Daytime tv has a LOT of room for improvement and with every book & magazine in the house read and reread, I eventually turned my time and attention to ebay and etsy and the vintage fabrics waiting for me there.

I heart the internet.

I think the Doctor said "No ironing." At least that's what I heard.

And my broken foot and I are thrilled to have been promoted recently from the robotic velcro boot to an equally hideous item of medical footwear I refer to as The Shandal (shoe + sandal) because now I can drive again!

Footwear design inspired by the spatula.

Freedom!

Yard sales!

My antique mall space!

My fingers (and some toes) are crossed that The Foot will continue to heal because I have big plans next week that involve driving.

Road trip!

photo courtesy of Meadowbrook Farm

First stop, beautiful Meadowbrook Farm.

photo courtesy of Meadowbrook Farm

I have the magical powers of vintage tablecloths to thank for this visit. And a generous invitation from Teresa of Meadowbrook Farm, of course.

Because it would be weird to just show up, right?

I thought so.  

After seeing her incredible photos on her blog for a few years now, I am giddy with excitement to see Meadowbrook Farm in person.

From Meadowbrook Farm, I’m off to Farm Chicks! This will be my second trip to Farm Chicks and now that I know what to expect (great vintage junk, amazing displays, zillions of people’s behinds),  I’m feeling more prepared.

Last year I experienced vintage junk overload as soon as I walked in the door.

Just hoping no one steps on my Shandal this year.

Any big plans for Memorial Day weekend?  Hope it’s filled with fun things to do!

 { Thanks to all of you for your kind words, comments & emails about breaking my foot. You. Are. Awesome.  XO!!  -amy }

Dare to be square.

I’m pulling together the parts & pieces for the set-up of my antique mall space happening later this week and thought I’d share my ‘decor board’ for the space.

That’s right. I’m going all Candice Olson in my 15 square feet.

These are the display elements of the space – the vintage fabrics will become mini curtain panels to add some texture & color, the chippy green boards are shelves that will go on a rusty metal bakers rack, the yellow slats belong to a crusty folding screen and the vintage square dancing wallpaper is just to make it all a little bit fun.

A question about the original use of square dance wallpaper: Which room? I have envisioned this in every room in the house and can’t quite figure it out.

The kitchen is my best guess. Or the ballroom, maybe, if you’re a very dedicated square dancing enthusiast.

And have a ballroom.

Focus.

In an effort to keep costs down (and profits up, please), everything pictured, except the wallpaper, is from my personal stash.

Looks like I’ve been stashing more than vintage fabric lately…

Set up is on Thursday. Woo-hoo!

P.S. I bought the wallpaper here.  I plan to 'hang' it on my mall walls with thumbtacks.

And it turns out Square Dance is the official dance of Oregon.

It really is.



The Vintage Crafter Strikes Again.

Despite what’s happening outside today, I see signs of Spring inside.

 

The thimble flowers are blooming.

And I’m surrounded by my favorite kind of roses, the Barkcloth Rose.

 

Just wanted to share these sweet gifts from my talented friend, The Vintage Crafter Magpie Ethel.

Hope you’re having a cozy & creative weekend.

Sometimes I still sew

From where I sit at my computer in the doily factory, I look straight into the lonely eye of the vintage fabric cabinet.

 And those neglected, folded heaps of vintage fabric remind me that my sewing lately has been, um, not so much. 

I’ll blame it on tax time, or as I like to call it, The Oppression of All Creative Urges.

Not to mention this dismal, cold & rainy ‘Spring’ weather in my neck of the woods. 

Not inspiring. At all.

But this inspires me!

 At last! The first pillow of Spring appears

 Fabric flowers will have to do for now until it’s warm enough for the real deal.

And thank you for your helpful comments on my last post about selling at a vintage show – I appreciate it so much! I’ll have an update to share soon.  

Back in the Doily Factory

 Home at last.

The past two weeks on the road flew by for me. In addition to thrifting, antiquing & junking, I spent a lot of time visiting much-missed family, friends and their adorable offspring. I stayed in two hotels and five different homes. I slept in a guest room, an office and a cabana.

Ashland Springs Hotel in Ashland, OR

I ate a lot of ice cream. (Vacation = Validation)

The weather went from sunny and warm to rainy and cold. I wish I had a vintage tablecloth for every Californian who learned I was from Oregon and then asked me if I brought the weather with me.  

Would you like some tires with your dirt bike?

I shopped in over thirty antique and thrift stores. I went to one terrific estate sale, one disappointing barn sale and one ‘indoor yard sale.’ Actually, I never made it inside the indoor yard sale – my internal personal safety barometer started sounding the alarm and I decided to skip it.

And along the way I met many others who are also into vintage.

{ click to enlarge }

I managed to return with a modest amount of treasures mixed with an abundance of experiences.  

It’s good to be home.