And The Winner Is...

MichelleB !!! Congratulations Michelle!
Michelle has a lovely blog called MichelleSews . Stop by to see her amazing (and I do mean amazing) quilts and her cute tote bag and other sewing projects.

I'd like to thank everyone who joined in on the Spring Floral fabrics giveaway. Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting. It was a lot of fun seeing so many new names and blogs.

Well, I better go get a hold of my winner. Oh and look what I found finally blooming in the yard.

Thanks again, everyone! Enjoy your weekend. :)

Spring Floral Fabric GIVEAWAY! and Baby Gift Ideas Part 2

* Comments are now closed for the giveaway. A winner is being randomly chosen and will be posted later this evening. Thanks everyone for entering! :)
First things first...the GIVEAWAY! Spring officially arrives later this week (Yea!) and to celebrate the end of this dreary winter, I'm giving away lots of pretty floral fabrics. * Two large pillow panel size pieces of vintage fabric. Both were salvaged from curtain panels and would be wonderful to make into pillows for your patio or front porch swing.
* Seven (7) pretty floral fat quarters. These are all newer fabrics in sweet pastels and feature roses. Ok, the black isn't pastel, but the print is little thimbles with flowers, I had to include it. :)

Giveaway rules:

1. Anyone is welcome. US and international bloggers, regular posters, lurkers, first time visitors, ...really anyone.

2. I have to be able to contact you. If you have an active blog, great! If you don't, you'll need to make sure I get your email address. (you can contact me from the side bar)

3. Just leave a comment on THIS post between now and 3:00pm EST Sunday March 22. I'll lock the comments at that time.

4. A winner will be chosen and announced that evening.

Oh, And in case you're not the winner of the giveaway, for the rest of the month (and maybe into April) there will be lots of vintage floral bouquet fabrics ON SALE on the website.

And a big Thank You to Jodi from Simply This, That, and the Other for featuring my blog today! :)

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Gift Ideas for Mom and Baby ~ Part 2

Here's a few more ideas to add to last week's post.

*1* Portable Diaper Changing Pad- This was a pretty easy project and could certainly be customized to coordinate and fit inside of a matching diaper bag.
Several layers of batting covered in Sisboom fabrics fold into thirds with handy pockets for diapers and wipes. (I may post a tutorial for this project in the future.)

*2* Diaper Bag Set - This set was made for a friend several years ago. She had her children's room decorated with Raggedy Ann and Andy and wanted a diaper bag to match. We found this cute vintage print and paired it with denim. A matching zippered pouch and roll-up changing pad completed the set. *3* Slip Covered Children's Chair- Very girly! (I wish I had taken more pictures before giving it to her.) I used an old child sized bentwood chair. It was first sanded, primed, and painted white. Next, I added water-slide decals with big pink roses. Then the pretty custom slip cover was made. I used a vintage white linen fabric for the seat and back along with a sheet from the Simply Shabby Chic line for the skirt. This one definitely required more time than money, but I think the end result was worth it.

I hope everyone is able to get outside this week and enjoy the beginning of spring. Be sure to leave a comment on this post to be entered in the fabric giveaway. :)

Gift Ideas for Mom and Baby

Do you want to add a little something extra to your next baby shower gift? Why not try your hand at one these easy projects for Mom and baby. Here's a few of the things I've given to friends over the years. (please excuse the horrible photography of some of these earlier pictures)


*1* Burb Cloths - A very easy project! I don't think an all-out tutorial is necessary, but here's how I did them. I bought a pack of prefold diapers and washed in hot water. Cut strips of pre-washed fabric 2 inches wider and longer than the center section. Press in a double fold hem on each side and pin to diaper. Now turn the short ends under, press and pin. I waited to fold the the end hems because the length of the diaper can vary a bit. I used a zigzag stitch to attach the fabric. Fold and tie with a pretty bow and you're done!

*2* Minky Baby Blanket- Minky Dot fabric is sold in 60" widths, so one yard cut in half width-wise will make two bankets approximately 35x29. I made a frilly-edged flower and securely sewed it to the minky fabric and used a pretty cherry print for the other side. Sew right sides together, leaving a small opening. Turn right side out and top stitch about an inch and a half from the edge. All done!

*3* Nursing Cover- I used a tutorial online for this one. All you need is a yard of fabric, a pair of D rings, and a small length of boning. Basicly its just a big square of fabric with an adjustible strap and a rod pocket at the top to insert the boning. The boning creates a bowed opening so mom can see her little one and allows better air flow so baby doesn't feel like he's sufficating under a heavy blanket.

*4* Photo and Memo Board- Yes, I know, this can be used throughout the home. But it also comes in handy for baby. All those pretty baby gift cards, Doctor's appt. cards, Mommy and Me classes, play dates, Emergency and First aid instructions, and all the photos can be displayed right in the nursery. I made this one using a vintage cutter tablecloth, ribbons, and little fabric flowers to cover the staples.

I have several more ideas to share in the next post later this week. And a BIG fabric GIVAWAY! Some new, some vintage. So be sure to stop back on Sunday March 15th for all the details!

Treasures From Grandma's Attic ~ Vintage purses

This is the third installment of the series "Treasures From Grandma's Attic", in which I share the eclectic collection of items that I've inherited from my gram.

Today we have bags and purses. The first is a faux pony hide travel bag with patent leather trim. It even has a pocket for an umbrella! Love this one!

Next we have a couple of white sequin evening clutches...very elegant.

Not sure when I would go anywhere fancy enough to use them, though...I don't get to too many cocktail parties or formal dances anymore. LOL

I also have a sweet little tapestry purse. It has a small strip of fabric on the back to slip your hand through.

And this classy black handbag had a fun little surprise inside...

A small bottle of perfume and an Evening in Paris lipstick (bright red, of course.)The last purse I have to share just seems to scream SPRING.

Its a sweet little basket weave purse of pink velvet ribbon and accented with millinery flowers.A few of the raffia pieces are broken, but its still an adorable display item. :)

There are some wonderful vintage bags on Etsy! I really like this one... and this one is cute, too.

My Favorite Vintage Coat and Skirt

Do you wear vintage? I have bought and worn vintage since I was in high school in the early 80's. The quality and dressmaker details in some of the older pieces is really amazing. Today, I thought would share with you my favorite vintage coat and skirt, both from the 1940-50's.

First, the coat... Its a heavy wool coat with a fitted waist and full skirt. It weighs a ton! But it sure keeps me warm. :)

It originally came with the fur collar, but, I'm not a fan of wearing fur, so I removed it. I think it looks better without it, too. The small stand-up collar makes it easy to add whatever scarf I want.

It was purchased over 2 decades ago at a rummage sale sponsored by the Art Museum's Ladies Auxillary. It used to be a big event held very other year in downtown Cincy. (Sadly, the event was discontinued).
The skirt is a gorgeous wool plaid number with covered buttons and sewn down pleats. I think I've mentioned before how I wear a lot of skirts, and this one has certainly been a staple in my wardrobe over the years.
My mom actually bought this at the Goodwill when I was still in high school. (remember when you could still find cool stuff like this?) Thankfully, it was a little big for me then, and she had moved the buttons over...So as I gained weight over the years, I was able to move them back and have it still fit.

This is the back. My manni doesn't really have a butt, but the pleats hang very pretty on a real person.

I have also bought a number of vintage sweaters, dresses, and purses. Although I don't wear head-to-toe vintage, I think adding one piece to an outfit makes a fun statement.
Why not checkout some of the vintage clothing items offered on Etsy.

Vintage Fabric Finds ~ 70's Daisies

I stopped by my favorite antique store today. The owner has a soft spot for vintage textiles and always has a nice stock of fabrics...I never leave empty-handed. :)

Today, it was all about these cute daisy prints from the 1970's. (Oh, and one fantastic 50's atomic-y print. I'll show you that last)

First we have this small piece of daisies with gingham strawberries and turtles...

Second we have blue on blue daisies with pink centers. There has to be 8 yards or more of this one!

Next, its reddish-orange daisies on a semi sheer, linen weave background. The fourth is gingham butterfies and daisies in that classic 70's color scheme of lime green and orange. And last but certainly not least, we have a very cool print most likely from the the 1950's. It has a selvage width of 36 inches and features purple and chartreuse squares on black. (colors are much better in person).

I love it when there's enough yardage to keep some for myself! The rest will be up on the website as soon as I get them photographed and inspected.

The Latest Sash Bag and a New Bedroom Light

I needed a new light fixture for the bedroom. The previous one was an old chandelier and a couple of the lights had started to ficker and sometimes wouldn't come on at all. The idea of an electrical fire from wires shorting out did not sit well, so I started looking for a replacement.

We found this fixture at Lowes. I like that it still has some sparkle but in a little different, more contemporary shape. (Its really much prettier than my photos show.)

Little crystal daisies spread out across the ceiling on airy stems.

And on a completely different note...

So, here's what I've done with those gorgeous fabrics I showed you in the last post. I sewed up another of my Linen Sash Totes and used a combo of Garden Party fabrics for the sash and a Bellbottoms Block print for the interior. Both of the prints coordinate beautifully with the golden yellow lining fabric, but with each side of the sash the bag takes on a different personality.And with multiple ways of tying, knotting, folding, cinching, and pinning its like having several bags in one.

I also picked up some metal rivets to try on my next bag. I was able to find a store that carried them just minutes from me, thanks to Stephanie of Lulu's Cottage. :)

I've been playing around with them this weekend and I'll show you the results in a future post. Enjoy the weekend, everone!

Oh, before I leave I just wanted to let the Typepad bloggers know that for some reason I can't get my comments to post on some your blogs?? I press POST and that little wheel thing goes around and around (which tells me its doing something) but it never finishes. :(

If anyone knows what I can do to fix that on my end, please let me know. Thanks!