vintage finds

Oh my goodness.  I loved Avenue Antiques, once I discovered the downstairs. 

That place is so big I never bothered to go upstairs until last weekend.  It's even BETTER up there.  It's like vintage pyrex heaven.  I think I was in the whole store for two hours (poor Ben).  That place is a gem, and luckily I don't think anyone from Baltimore reads this blog, so I can keep it to myself a little longer...

Charlie Brown/heart monitor skirt (I don't know) - $10!!


 I'm working one of these plate walls - $6!


I untangled this necklace for 10 minutes in the store without knowing if it was worth it - my hard work paid off - $10!



And a vintage map of Massachusetts for $6.

Earlier in the week I picked up another addition to my vintage suitcase collection from Avenue Antiques and it's becoming a paper and pencil organizer for the kitchen because EVERYTHING ends up on the kitchen table.  This was half off - $7.50.

I know it's probably so tacky to list the prices but they're SUCH good deals!  You'll know if I don't list the price I'm embarassed to admit how much I shelled out for something...

Blogging has been slow because I've been waiting for my new camera (and now a CF card?!) and I wanted to take these pictures and others with it.  Hopefully today - I got the camera yesterday and I was sitting there with the manual in one hand, dslr guides on the computer with the other hand and somehow a third hand fiddling with buttons and switches and then I just put everything down to start looking for photography classes.  I feel like a baby learning to walk.  I'm SO excited though.

handmade wardrobe 2012

I'm gonna do it!

I joined Jen from Grainline's Handmade Wardrobe on Flickr and I am going to attempt a mini spring wardrobe...  I'm not going to be drafting my own patterns just yet though.  Here are the first of my goals, minus fabric choices:

Of course, a Grainline pattern.

Scout tee via grainline studios

 The tulip skirt I'd been searching for forever.

tulip skirt by wiksten via interweave

I have to knit something, of course, despite the fact that I just moved somewhere that will probably not allow me to wear a cardigan far into the spring, BUT, I think I want to knit this up with Rowan Creative Linen.

snowbird by Heidi Kirrmaier

And maybe a handmade swimsuit?!

sew mama sew bathing suit tutorial

You can use the Handmade Wardrobe 2012 button on the right to see the flickr group.

Uh, by the way, I don't have any fabric or yarn for these projects yet.  Shopping trip this weekend?  I'd so much rather shop for materials than shop for clothes!  Hopefully my next post will be some fabric purchases.

camera recommendations

Tax refund time - I want to finally buy a dslr but I don't have the first friggin' clue what I'm looking at.  What kind of camera do you use?  What brands do you recommend?  What should I pay the most attention to, especially since right now I don't know what most of the descriptions even MEAN?!  I fully realize that a nice camera means nothing if you don't know how to take a picture, so I'd like to pair this purchase with a photography class since I'm so clueless - which unfortunately means I have to stay on the low end of cameras price-wise.

I posted this picture because it makes me laugh - I would have liked this picture if it wasn't for the fact that you can see the lens cap (cover?) in the corner because it won't always open all the way because is sticky with the remnants of peach juice.  That's not funny actually - this owner needs to take better care of things, particularly a future camera.

I also posted it because summer sounds nice right now.

tova top, shortsleeves

When life gives you the wrong sewing pattern...

...make a short-sleeved Tova top.

Huh? 

So, yes, one moody day I meant to make Kristina's version of a sleeved Wiksten tank, and I grabbed the pattern for the Tova top and cut away.  After taking a week-long break and acknowledging that I did not have the fabric supply to make a brand new top, I made a Tova top.  BUT, I made it short-sleeved. 

I chopped the sleeve to about 3 inches below the armhole decrease (is that what you call it in sewing?) and hemmed it to the same dimensions as the shirt hem.

Funny story.

So, as if cutting the wrong pattern wasn't enough, I managed to cut the back piece about FIVE INCHES shorter than the front, due to a fold in the pattern that I didn't pay enough attention to.  Ugh again.  Like the hack job I am, I just sewed a panel on the bottom back, see?

It's there, but the fabric is busy enough that I don't think it's too noticeable.

And another thing.  We went to Philly yesterday (loved) and look what I found:

And all the fabric stores are closed on Sunday.  Smunch Luck.

it worked, enough

I had a whiny post last week about how "nothing was working," and had myself a crafty little tantrum.  Here is the file cabinet with a shoddy spray paint job that I strategically painted and placed in such a way that you have no idea that the parts you can't see are still black or half-painted with drip marks!  This color was not my first choice - for some reason I picture lavender (?) but that is not a common spray paint color, come to find out.  Today I saw at Michael's though - who knew?

 Here's the other half of this room so far - more room for sewing.  Now I just have to sew correctly.

And look, a Valentine's rose, a pretty card, and a book about Sam Cooke.  Despite my best efforts not to, we celebrate Valentine's Day.  I'll have to try a little harder next year.

vintage shopping in baltimore

One of the first things I loved about Baltimore was Hampden, a neighborhood full of vintage shops (hence the love).  I have trolled it many times with little money to actually make a purchase, but last weekend I finally went into Avenue Antiques with a few bucks, and learned that there is a DOWNSTAIRS full of clothes and some home goods.

I found this little button-down with tiny whales all over it for $10.

And this little pitcher - I just love the shape and the cork stopper.

Which reminded me that I never posted this blanket that I LOVE that was also a Hampden score - at Charlotte Elliott, back in November, when I had no business spending a dime without a job.

I am hoping the posting of vintage items I have purchased is going to surge soon...

little lamp

Remember this great little piece of fabric from my last What Cheer? trip in Providence?
Now it's a lamp shade!

I used this tutorial from Pinterest on how to cover a lampshade, and well, this worked out much better than some other things have recently...

I couldn't decide on a color, so this blue I spray-painted on the base could change in the future.  I guess it matches the nautical theme, but I don't like things too matchy.

That table and those curtains are hopefully up for remakes in the future as well.  And maybe one day some trim on the lamp?

I made a board on Pinterest called "pinned it and did it" with all of the Pinterest inspirations I've made into reality.  Not sure why but I guess I like to take inventory of things.  And wouldn't you know, that board's already got 30 pins.