It was a year ago...

It was a year ago June that we remodeled the upstairs bathroom. When I say remodeled, perhaps I should say that we didn't completely re-gut it, but rather update it. Some of you may remember this post of when we were taking down that wallpaper.

Just last week it dawned on me that I never shared the "after" pictures here on the blog, so I grabbed my camera and took a few to share.

We went with a blue-gray paint, though it turned out more blue than what it looked like on the card. It worked out well though since the flooring has blue in it, and blue is practically the Cross family color!

On the long wall we put up some beadboard, wainscoting, or whatever you wish to call it. We heard at least three different names for the same wood paneling. :) We like the coastal/cottage feel it gives. We said goodbye to the ugly towel racks, and put up this functional one with hooks for the towels, washcloth's, or as one sister uses: a shower cap. 

The factory mirror that extended to the edge of the counter was replaced with two squared beveled mirrors over each sink. It took some getting used to, but now everyone loves them.

 

And on a different note, if you haven't entered the giveaway, you have until Tuesday at midnight to enter!

GIVEAWAY: a summer kitchen collection!!

In celebration of a wonderful vacation and the goodness of coming home, I'm excited about hosting a giveaway! It has been far to long since I last had one, so I'm throwing in a couple extra goodies besides the apron.

 

A lovely half apron made out of an upcycled Laura Ashley sheet and pinstripe white cotton.

A charming notepad and a brand new tin of one of my favorite teas!

With all these, you'll be set this summer! I'm trying out rafflecopter for the first time, so let's hope it works. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back on the Plains

We have arrived back to the plains. My sister and I broke out with "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains" from My Fair Lady. ;)

It's to bad these plains look as though they need rain!

The Loveliest Old Spot on the North Shore

In just a few days I will be departing with my family to our favorite vacation spot which I've deemed "the loveliest old spot on the north shore." It is not Green Gables or Canada, but if you've been a blog reader for the last 4 to 5 years you may know where I'm talking about. (Yes, it has been four years since I've been on a vacation!)

I cannot promise any blog posts while I'm away, after all I'll be reading on lake shores, shopping in cute little shops, admiring the lilacs and flower gardens, and sampling fudge. There, that is a hint! ;) The shop will be closing this afternoon for the duration of a fortnight, and will reopen when I return.

1914 Edwardian Peony Garden Dress

I named this dress after my mother's peonies. Already owning four of these gorgeous bushes, and the one being older than the others, it has produced gorgeous blooms this June. Within the heavenly scented folds of pastel pinks, there are on the outer edges milky whites and ivories.

This dress is one of my dresses that I can add to the list of "burning the midnight oil" though it wasn't quite midnight when I finished it. What is it about sewing historical clothing that causes me to want to sew for as long as I possibly can without stopping? Probably because it's so much fun. ;)

I used three different patterns actually for this dress. Using the 1914 Afternoon Dress pattern from Sense & Sensibility, I greatly modified the bodice. Several years ago I made a white cotton lawn dress without ever making a trial mock bodice. The neckline and shoulders were far to big on me (even for a Norwegian/English build) and I sold it eventually, with even now regrets. It was a really pretty dress! Back to this dress: I grabbed some cotton fabric from my stash and began eyeballing how I thought the bodice should look like with the neckline/shoulders not to wide, and also squared off the neckline.

This beautiful picture has always been a favorite, and it was my main inspiration for this dress:

For the sleeves, I wasn't sure if I wanted straight or lightly gathered. Did I want them shorter or elbow length? Lace or no lace? Looking through my patterns, I found an original 19-teens blouse pattern and decided to use it. Nothing like using something period correct! And for the skirts, I knew I wanted straight skirts; no gathers or pleats. Anything that will slimline a person is greatly favored. ;) I used a modern skirt pattern that was based off of an original 1914 wedding gown.

This is the result!

Right off from the beginning, I knew that I wouldn't keep this dress. As much as this is a beautiful delicate pink, and the vintage lace detailing and vintage buttons kept tempting me, this freckled strawberry blonde looks dreadfully sick in pale pink. It pains me to have to sell it, but I'm sure whoever decides that they must own it will love it as much as I do.

This link will take you to more pictures and the listing. I'm off to teach a violin lesson, but if you have your eye out for some 1930s aprons, I'll be adding at least one to the shop this afternoon. To warn you, it is a very tempting piece of material that looks perfect made into a 1930s depression era apron! ;)

1930s "Decades of Style" Dress

And my dress is completed! It went together well, and I'm very happy that it turned out.

At one point I thought that this dress may have to be put up for sale since, ::ahem:: my body curves are slightly different than Arabella's (though I have my dress form set to my measurements, and yes, that is her name). But I slipped the frock on just a few moments ago, and it looks better than it did a few days ago.

With only having 1/2" seam allowance and then serged seams inside, it wasn't worth picking apart. The fabric still clings to curves that I'm trying to eliminate, but perhaps if I wore a full length slip it would help some.

Click these to see the "before" pictures

- The dress in the making
- Fabric choices
- The pattern I used: #3007 1930s Button Dress

Anyway, enough with those details and onto the pictures!

Front view

I used my serger to roll hem these sleeves. There was NO way on this earth that I was going to do any other method with this fabric!

I love the back neck tie closure. Despite great amounts of ironing, those seams refused to lay flat.

The back view

I was glad that buttons were on sale a few weeks ago at JoAnns. These looked the most "art deco" to me. Sorry for the blurry picture. My camera didn't want to cooperate this morning.

It has a size zipper closure. I've done hundreds (no joke) of invisible zippers, but never before in the side seam. It turned out perfectly.

And I had to grab a quick shot in my mother's bedroom. Someday I'll do better than throwing my hair into a ponytail, and do a nice photo shoot. Which reminds me that I still need to do one of my silk Edwardian dress. Goodness, that was over a year ago!

Next up on my table is a 19-teens Garden Party dress using vintage white laces, mother of pearl buttons, polished pastel cotton, and white airy fabrics. The design is still "on the drawing board" and I'm trying to figure out which patterns to use for it. No worries, I'll share all these things with you as they progress!

Thursday, Tea, and Tidbits

This morning I woke up to my online newsfeed to hear of three deaths this week that effect three families from my church. Not knowing the deceased or those who experience loss very well, it still has a way of making one consider the brevity of life, and yet have hope that Heaven and our loved ones await us.

As I drove over to a violin student's home later this morning, I turned on the local radio station and the following song was playing. It sounded like an old gospel song sung from the 50s or 60s, but it was the words that stuck out to me:

The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away.
It’s not a dream, God will make all things new that day.
Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell.
Evil is banished to eternal hell.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

See all around, now the nations bow down to sing.
The only sound is the praises to Christ, our King.
Slowly the names from the book are read.
I know the King, so there’s no need to dread.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

See over there, there’s a mansion, oh, that’s prepared just for me,
Where I will live with my savior eternally.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

All praises to the great "I AM."
We’re gonna live in the light of the risen Lamb.

Words & music by Walt Harrah

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:18

In Progress: a 1930s frock

You saw the beginnings of this dress, but I didn't tell you that it's a 1930s dress. What I like about it that it's modern enough to wear out in public and people won't look at you strangely or ask you if you're in a theater production (though it has been many years, I have had people asked me that).

 

One confession of mine as a seamstress with a new pattern: I greatly dislike following printed directions. Just SHOW me how to do and I'll do it, but trying to read a pattern is sometimes like reading another language.

My knowledge and skill of crocheting, knitting, tatting, and embroidery all comes from willing teachers (my grandmother, a mentor, and friends). That's why I know nothing of quilting or cross-stitch; the directions never make sense.

As a self-taught seamstress (lots of failures, ripping and re-doing) and a few people along the way who demonstrated how something is done, I will often come up with my own way or method of putting something together. That can be a good and bad thing. Good if you see something in the store or on someone that you want to recreate. Bad when you're working with an unfamiliar pattern. But like my college math professor instilled in me, "Do what it says," I was/am determined to get through this pattern!

I am pretty pleased that these shoulder corners turned out without puckers or anything weird going on that required seam ripping. Looking over the directions, I think I have "the worst" of the construction of this dress behind me.

Now I just need to go to the store and buy interfacing for the next step. I rarely use the stuff and never have it on hand. :)

Thursday, Tea, and Tidbits

Elisabeth Elliot writes in her book, Let Me Be a Woman:

"The way you keep house, the way you organize your time, the care you take in your personal appearance, the things you spend your money on all speak loudly about what you believe. 'The beauty of Thy peace' shines forth in an ordered life. A disordered life speaks loudly of disorder in the soul." emphasis mine

I ask myself: What do I believe about God? about myself? about my circumstances? about my future? It shows in my daily life, whether I want it to or not.

My sister shared the following a couple weeks ago and I found it to be most helpful to be reminded of Truth:

Kids don't have to turn out like their parents... and I'm glad.
Our past doesn't have to be our future... and I'm glad.
God's mercies are new every single morning... and I'm glad about that.
The evil one will NOT get the last say.. And I'm glad about that.
Our enemy will fall into the trap that he set for us... and I'm glad about that.
For all those who love God and are called according to His purpose, everything has to work out for our good... and I'm glad about that.
We have not out-sinned Christ's ability to forgive us... and I am glad about that.
Christ will come back and He will claim His kingdom... and I am glad about that.
There is a world coming that will have no more bad news, no more crying, no more sickness, no more death... and I am glad about that.
The last enemy Christ will slay is death... and I am glad.
Psalm 126:3, "The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad."
 

(Beth Moore, Passion 2013)

 

 

 

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you

free." John 8:32

 

What to do When it Rains

 

My stash of scrap fabric is overwhelmingly full. It's overflowing and piling quite high that I'm surprised the fabrics haven't fallen over. But what does one do when quilting is practically a foreign word to this seamstress? I even found a bag of organic cotton batting in the closet.

 

Cutting a few strips of some fabrics near the top of the pile, I cut 8 uniform ones and sewed four together making two squares. I used these as a pattern to cut out square pieces from some of that batting. Using the old standby of "right sides together," a few stitches, turning it right side out all I had to do was some top stitching and some fake "quilting lines," and out came a pot holder. 

It's not perfect. But I'm not worried. I mean, when was the last time you looked at your neighbors potholder to see how perfect it was?

Exactly my point.

I may make up a few more of these to take with me this fall when I set up housekeeping with a few of my college friends. They're easy and simple to make on a rainy morning, and not to mention useful.

The rain is gone and the first few lines of William Wordsworth's "Resolution and Independence" befit the afternoon:

There was a roaring in the wind all night;
The rain came heavily and fell in floods;
But now the sun is rising calm and bright;
The birds are singing in the distant woods;
Over his own sweet voice the Stock-dove broods;
The Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters;
And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters.


All things that love the sun are out of doors;
The sky rejoices in the morning's birth;
The grass is bright with rain-drops;--on the moors
The hare is running races in her mirth;
And with her feet she from the plashy earth
Raises a mist, that, glittering in the sun,
Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run.

A "love-hate" relationship

Today I am in the sewing room working with the most dreadful and horrid of fabrics you can imagine. Even the lady at the fabric store, who was cutting the ivory silky stuff (don't recall the name, but I'll find out what it is) cautioned me of it's atrocious nature.

Despite the crumminess, they are indeed pretty! Already mentioning the light colored fabric (and I paid dearly for it!) I got away with a steal of only paying a dollar or two for the vintage print. I'm not sure if it's rayon or not, but it sort of feels like it. When I washed it though, it didn't shrink much; for which I was very glad since it was 35" from selvage to selvage.

Here's hoping the final results will be worth it!

When working with such materials, it makes me oh-so-happy to sew with cotton. In fact, my wardrobe use to consist entirely of cottons for awhile. One spring we girls and Mother-dear made matching blue calico dresses to wear on Mother's Day. But that's not all. Our friends had the exact same print made up into dresses. Imagine the fun 10 women and girls had walking into church with matching dresses. ;) We probably have pictures somewhere, that should probably stay right where they are. Haha! While the dresses are long gone, it's the memory of them that made me smile when I made up a Gracie apron yesterday using that exact same fabric.

The color reminds me of the blue flax that grows on the wild prairies of Colorado, hence its name: Blue Flax

Thursday, Tea, & Tidbits

There is great hope that energy will return, and sitting down at a sewing machine won't sound so overwhelming. Until then, I've decided to make use of my Thursday's during the summer months by making a weekly blog series of encouraging thoughts and tidbits that have come my way over the course of the week.

 

Go ahead and fix yourself a cup of tea or coffee if you like. I was going to brew some chamomile tea and then realized I was out, so I used up my last tea bag of Aveda's Comforting tea.

 



 

The following comes from a vintage copy of "Springs in the Valley" by Mrs. C. E. Cowman. Yes, it's the same woman who compiled "Streams in the Desert." I never new she had another book until I was roaming the shelves of our local thrift store last year and quickly picked up the blue hardbound copy for a couple of dollars. It has dog-eared pages; something I was taught to n.e.v.e.r do. But somehow I don't find it detestable, but rather convenient to find pages that were once helpful and encouraging to "Mr and Mrs. Orvin Himelick from Ira and Bertha, Christmas 1946" according to the handwriting on the inside.

 

"When ye pray, say . . . Father." (Luke 11:2)



It is strange how little use we have of the spiritual blessings when God gives us, but it is stranger still how little we make use of God Himself. Though He is "our own God," we apply ourselves but little to Him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we  go about our business without seeking His guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens  ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord that He may sustain us! This is not because we may not, for the Lord seems to say, "I am thine soul, come and make use of Me as thou wilt; thou mayest come freely to my store, and the oftener the more welcome" It is our own fault if we do not make free with the riches of our own God.

Then, learn thou hast such a Friend, and He invites thee, draw from Him daily. Never want whilst thou hast God to help thee; go thy treasure and take whatever thou needest--there is all that thou canst want.

Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee. He can supply thee with all; or, better still, He can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, then, to make use of Thy God. Make use of Him in prayer; go to Him often, because He is thy God. Oh, wilt thou fail to use so great a privilege? Fly to Him; tell Him all thy wants. Use Him constantly by faith at all times. If some dark providence  has beclouded thee, use thy God as a "sun"; if some strong enemy has beset thee, find in Jehovah as a "shield."; for He is a sun and shield to His people. If thou hast lost thy way in the mazes of life, use Him as a "guide"; for He will direct thee. Whatever thou art, and wherever thou art, remember God is just what thou wantest, and just where thou wantest and that He can do all thou wantest!

-C. H. Spurgeon

 

"O little heart of mine! Shall pain

Or sorrow make thee moan,

When all this God is all for thee--

A Father all thine own?"

Downton Abbey in a Modern World

When my sister took a couple pictures of me last week, I took some of her in return. Being a Downton Abbey enthusiast like her older sisters, she put together a lovely Downton Abbey inspired outfit using modern clothes.

 

 

 

 

Blouse: Kohls

Skirt: Thrifted

Necklace: The Limited (I let her borrow mine) ;)

Shoes: Target

 

Elegant and lady-like, wouldn't you agree?

Coffee, Chevron, and Changes

Yesterday one of my sisters and I went out for coffee in "old town" at a super cute café. I was glad for the visit since one almost has to make an appointment to see her since she works two jobs and does babysitting several times a week.



 

I ordered an Irish Crème latte with a Cranberry Lemon scone.

Later on in the morning another sister grabbed a few pictures of me wearing my completed "Pinterest-inspired" skirt. It only took me a couple of hours to make from start to finish. If one knows how to put in an invisible zipper and do pleats, even a new seamstress could make this!

These pictures confirm that I look as "fluffy" as I felt wearing a skirt with lots of pleated fabric and a  few layers tucked in the waistband. Perhaps it's not the most flattering, but it's fun for something different.

Speaking of different, I seem to be going through reverse culture shock being back home. I'm walking around the house aimlessly and bemoaning how bored I am even though errands are being done, and moments of rest/naps are still apart of my day. The change of pace, or the things that define it are probably a good change for a few months.

Aprons at last!

New in the shop this morning! If you have looked lately, I added two aprons from my own collection several days ago. I have a 1930s apron cut out and will hopefully add many more over the summer.

There is some sewing to be done for Mother-dear, myself (as you saw in the previous post), and then I've got several projects lined up that span from the Titanic era to the 1930s. Those will be fun. :)

Chevron (not the gas station)

Chevron in Blue

Chevron in Yellow

Chevron in Red

For my birthday last month, my parents bought me two yards of this beautiful chevron fabric. After seeing the above pictures from pinterest and Ashley's homemade version of this skirt for summer wear, I'm anxious to get started. I have a feeling I'll want this skirt in more colors, though the grey and off-white will be very versatile.

What do you think of chevron? love it? hate it?