Vintage Novelty Fabric ~ In the Garden

Spring offically began last week (yea!), so for many of us that means gardening. I thought it would be fun to hunt through the stash and archives for some garden related vintage fabrics. Here's what I found... a variety of cute novelty prints with gardening related themes. Patio print from the 1950's. Children's fabric from the 1970-80's. Cute border print. And a couple in the "formal gardens" category; a striking black barkcloth. And a lovely scenic cotton fabric from the early 1900's. What about you, any garden themed fabrics in your sewing room?

Mid Century Barkcloth in Chartreuse!

I recently came across a wonderful piece of mid century modern barkcloth. It has a cool design of waves (or maybe they're claw marks?) on a chartreuse leopard spotted background! The name of the pattern is Aurora and is a Goldco Vat print according to the info on the selvage. I've had this design before in a green and a brown colorway, but I think this acid yellow or chartreuse is my favorite! Its currently listed on the website here: http://www.nieszvintagefabric.com/productdetails.aspx?productID=722We're having the most gorgeous summer-like weather here in Southern Ohio, so I'm heading out to the yard to play in the garden...hope you're enjoying spring, too! :-)

A Fold Over Clutch in 70's Brights

I was in the sewing room last week working on a custom order clutch. She loved the fold over design, but wanted something in bold bright colors. After looking at some fabric options, she chose a fun lime green daisy print from the 1970's. We paired it with a teal corduroy and a green print for the lining. I think it fits the bill for "Bright and Bold" and will be a fun bag for spring and summer.

Magnetic Chalkboard Pantry Door

I recently dressed up a plain pantry door with Rust-oleum's magnetic primer and chalkboard paint. I first applied 3 light coats of the magnetic primer. Take note: this stuff has some strong fumes and requires a lot of ventilation. Also, to avoid a tedious clean up, I used a sponge roller and disposable paint tray that I could just throw away afterward. The next day I applied 3 coats of chalkboard paint. This paint has way less fumes and cleans up with just soap and water. Honestly, I was pretty happy just to see the ugly veneer door black, but the fact that I can now use it as a calendar and message center is a big bonus! I waited an entire week before writing on it with chalk, so in the meantime I made some fun magnets. I've read many blog posts about how most magnets won't stick to surfaces painted with the magnetic primer, but I have found that the sheet magnetics work great and easily hold up papers and cards. All in all, I'm very happy with the results.