Sunday, April 12, 2009

Thrift Sense

So I've been a few times to Goodwill and St. Vinnies....

Ok, maybe more than a few times. :)

Here's some fun stuff I've found that I really like.

Brown Faux Leather Purse
$3.99

Straw Bonnet from Frederick and Nelson: Seattle
$1.99

Handmade Pottery Bowl
$0.49

Bright Kitchen Towel
$0.99

Angora/Cashmere/Wool Coat from Facconable
$5.99

Fossil Purse with pretty fabric lining
$3.99

Grey Wool Dress
Wool Fabric: $2.99
Amy Butler Fabric Lining: $4.50
Pattern: McCalls 4319 (This is a pjs pattern, but the nightgown was so cute that I used it to make this dress.)

Sometimes I'm amazed by what I find at Goodwill and St. Vinnies. Sometimes I'm more amazed by how much I actually spend there! LOL! Then I'll go over to Fred Meyer or Mountain High and look at how much it costs to buy clothes and stuff new and I'm so thankful that we have Goodwill and St. Vinnies.

In other news: Today is Easter, the day that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Blessed is the King of Israel! Hosanna!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Yeah!!! It's finally spring! It's GLORIOUS outside this fine Palm Sunday. We had an amazing service today at church followed by one of the best potlucks I can remember. The food was spectacular!

For those who are curious as to what I've been up to, check out the pics below! (No, they are not in chronological order. LOL!)


Flower Tote
PATTERN: Easy Stitch 'n Save M5362
FABRIC: Outer, flower linen I picked up at Goodwill
Inside, satin brocade I picked up at Goodwill
EXTRAS: Snap closure I cannibalized from another purse
Brass Broach that was my grandmothers
NOTES: Super easy pattern that took me all of 3 hours to sew (would have been less if I hadn't messed up and had to pull out a big section. I modified the pattern by adding the clasp.



FLOWER POWER SKIRT
PATTERN:
Easy Stitch n' Save 5566
FABRIC: Green: from Sew Much More (now the Sewing Corral)
Unbleached Muslin: from Goodwill (I bought 10 yards for $8 bucks!)
EXTRAS: Various bits of lace from various places.
NOTES: So this is what happens when you read the wrong part of the pattern and you don't have enough fabric. I wanted an all green skirt, but the 3.5 yards I had didn't match up with the 6.5 yards I needed. So I improvised by putting in three cream colored panels and cut out several flowers which I zigzag stitched on. Then I added bits of cream lace to the cream panels (not visible in picture.) I modified the pattern by doing only 6 gores instead of 8.

BUTTONY
INSPIRATION:
An awesome button necklace from Anthropologie. (It had more buttons and red yarn)
MATERIALS: Cream antique bone and shell buttons in various sizes and designs, green buttons in two sizes, handspun soy silk I made up as a sample for a Seattle fashion designer.



SOMETHING NEW
So I decided I needed a change from the usual, so I checked out some fun hair magazines and some knitting magazines and some websites and found that I really wanted bangs and a total make up overhaul. Kacy at Hanna Marchel Salon took my idea and made it way cooler than I thought it would be. I even invested some money into some good make up and watched a few videos on how to put it on appropriately! It's amazing how much better I feel when I put effort into what I look like instead of just throwing a hat on and not bothering with the make up. And I've even been trying to dress a bit more professtionally for work (I even bought some heels!). Though there are days when I just want to grunge out and feel good about doing so.


COZY
PATTERN:
Cozy from Danielle Schoonover at Knitty.com
YARN: Kid Mohair Blend from Sublime in 0022, 6 balls
NEEDLES: Size 8
NOTES: Beautiful shawl that is just what its name states: cozy. The yarn is gorgeous and feels great. But... it sheds terribly. Don't wear this with black! The shawl seemed to never end. No matter how much I knit on it, it didn't seem to grow at all! Still, it's a great pattern and if you're looking for some mindless knitting to do in the car or while standing in line at the DMV, this is certainly it!!!

FRENCHY HANDBAG
PATTERN:
Frenchy Handbag from Amy Butler
FABRIC: Wool suiting I found at Goodwill for the outer
Poplin from Denver Fabrics inside
EXTRAS: Bit of lace for the inside pocket, flower pin I found at an antique store
NOTES: Great pattern! Super fun and easy. I really love this bag and will be getting a lot of use out of it!

PRECIOUS CHOKER
MATERIALS:
Fine silver wire from Fred Meyer, pink beads and clasp from The Agate Shop
PATTERN: None. I placed the beads on the wire, then cast on 4 stitches and increased every other row until I had 12 stitches, then knit for awhile, then decreased back to 4. Knitting with wire is fun and a lot easier than I thought it would be.

So that's all for now. I've been thrift store shopping a bit lately and will soon put up a post with all my findings!

Happy Palm Sunday! Hosanna!!!!