In the Autumn Garden

Amber hydrangeas

Little pepper ornaments

The angel with one wing

A Project, Completed, in Season

As the season turns, I need to put away my farmers' market bag project -- juicy peach print + green-and-white polka dot fabrics -- and turn to the fall/winter schemes. This little bag is an Amy Butler Frenchy handbag, using a squishy green chenille-like fabric for the body and a cute-cute bear print (Japanese fabric) for the upper part. I cut the pieces out last year but never sewed them together before the season changed again.



So, with fall here quite officially (both calendar and temperature say it's autumn), I took the pieces from the sewing armoire and put them together. I used the longer handles of the Frenchy shoulder bag and the smaller body of the Frenchy handbag.

The button is decoration; it mimics the pleats of the bag. I'm loving this bag.

Next up: finishing the curtain for the patio door (fabric purchased 4 years ago; cut out last year). Then, on to some holiday sewing projects, to get ahead of the season for once!

Are you finishing up any projects from long ago?

Thrifty Thursday: Vintage books

Of the many things I search for at the thrift or at garage sales -- rickrack, vintage ephemera, dishes, always dishes -- old books seem the easiest find. Here's a stack from the last few weeks.


Anchoring is the red book with gold: 'New Dictionary of Thoughts.' Well, that should cover about everything, I suppose! In case I need more guidance, there's 'Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette.' Useful info, like how to address the children of a Baron. ("All the sons of a Baron and their wives have the title Honourable. The daughters of a Baron also have the title Honourable," fyi.)


Isn't this a lovely book? 'Complete Book of Needlecraft,' c. 1959. And it is compete, I must say. Knitting, crochet, embroidery, quilting, rugmaking, tatting -- all the needlecrafts I could imagine ever attempting.


What really revs my creative engines, though, are foreign language dictionaries. This one is special: it is a Spanish - German dictionary: 'Suer Spanische Konversations-Grammatik.' No copyright date, but quite old -- the German words are in calligraphy -- love that!

Don't you love old books? I'm wanting to do some altered books this winter. . . . after the flannel quilt is finished, the patio door curtain is done, and some wristlets are made. Too few hours in the day for us dreamers.

Sewing Round in Circles

I got a song, it ain’t got no melody
I’ma gonna sing it to my friends
I got a song, it ain’t got no melody
I’ma gonna sing it to my friends



Will it go round in circles?
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky?
Will it go round in circles?
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky?

lyrics by Billy Preston

potholders sewn on 'Ginette' from pattern found in Handmade Home, Amanda Soule

Linen, lace, and mother-of-pearl buttons

Sewing again!

This is my take on the wonderful linen bags I've seen in Japanese craft books. I love how soft and scrunchy the linen becomes as I use this bag.

And this was the right bag for some vintage mother-of-pearl buttons that I'd been hording, er, collecting for a while now.

Oh, and I love to do a hanging, quilted pocket inside for my cell phone . . . and to do a little patch or two on the inside of the handles, for just a glimpse of what's inside.

My assistant

This may be why I can't get things done!

Thrifty Thursday

Oh, it's been a good thrifting week! I've got a couple of photos to share with you today . . . more next Thursday.

First are these old handcolored prints: Eggs. Amazing to find at a garage sale! When I walked up and spotted them on the grass, leaning against some large plastic toys, I thought, 'Those I want. Those I want. My price is $5.00 each.' (I'm not a big spender.)

Do you do that? Set a price in your head before you find out what the asking price is?

Well, happy me. The price was $3.00 each. I took the 'protective' wrap off the one on the left because it was torn and grody. Hoping to find my stash of old frames . . . where did I store those?? . . . or to find some suitable frames at the thrift.

And let's not overlook the fab-o oil lamp in the center. That beauty was at the Inn Shop, the consigment shop at the Historical Society here. My husband said 'I want that.' No problem. It's lovely and old and the base is a wonderful, heavy turquoise glass.




And not to rush the season, but Happy Halloween! This grinning goblin-man with his jack-o-lantern was made by Monnie Wilson, a paper mache artist in Wisconsin. I was so happy to rescue him from the detritus of that particular garage sale. He looks happy to be here.

How about you? Any fun finds lately?