Inspiration!

I was on a search the other day for just the right little scrap of yellow fabric when I came across a box of vintage kimono fabric that I have collected over the years...it was like finding a little treasure all over again.

Over a year ago I packed up my studio in Santa Fe in preparation for our move back to Chicago which was a serious downsizing..and I mean serious! I had organized everything in plastic containers before packing everything in moving boxes so when I arrived all of these plastic containers where taken from the packing boxes and went straight into the only available space 9 feet up in the hall closet.....all I can say is I am so glad I didn't sell this stuff on ebay(I had actually had a moment of temporary insanity) because with each box opened there is a renewed sense of inspiration!...YES!

...also....I thought I would give a sneak peak of my "IT" bag that is under construction!

froo*gal

Getting The Goods

Another week has flown by without a post...whew!

Life just does not seem to let up. The husband and dogs left a week ago in search of warmth and sunshine..I must confess...I had no desire..my only desire was one of pure selfishness...peace and quiet, no demands, no meals to cook, no one to think about but ME!

Well I have had plenty of quiet but I am afraid that after a record breaking week of sales in my ebay store..there was no peace and plenty of demands...I found no time to stitch on my shirt project but I did manage to duck into a couple of thrift shops and brought home some prizes!!! YEAH!

That got me thinking...I need to be more organized with my commitment of no "new clothes" purchases so that I can see my progress and keep a tally. I have also done some thinking (usually in the middle of the night) about this.....

Okay...so you decide that you are no longer going to make NEW clothing purchases..but does that mean you can just go hog wild in the thrift shop...just because its a bargain? Shouldn't the goal be to have less? and how about the amazingly tiny new closet I have?...I have already started filling a bag of stuff to go BACK to the thrift shop.

Okay so with that in mind.....TADA! Here are my latest finds. All of these items were from a resale shop except the Missoni which was from a charitable thrift shop and that is reflected in the price:

Missoni Cashmere tunic sweater $3
Calvin Klein floral cotton skirt $18
Banana Republic cotton voile tucked front blouse NWT $16
Club Monaco silk pleated skirt $10

I am going to figure out how I can keep that list of purchases running on a side bar.

.......and I could not let another day go by with out some kind of "hands on project", so last night at 9PM I started wrapping beads to make another Louis V necklace and I think it may be my most favorite one yet!!!...I would also like to add that these are all LIBERTY OF LONDON fabrics. These really are the best fabrics for this project. I realize that these fabrics are not easy to find. I just went on ebay and bought a small collection of 50 different prints in 4X4 inch pieces. If you are unable to find them let me know because I am thinking about putting together kits for the necklace.

froo*gal

PS...I forgot to mention the cute brooch on the Banana Republic blouse. That was a gift from my niece Natalie. It came from this cute shop where she works in Holly, Michigan called Laundry(one of many jobs)...she is the "thrifter extraordinaire"....she will even dance for you in her thrifty duds!+ she makes a superb scone..all while talking a mile a moment!...love ya Nat!

BLUE Birthday Shoes...YIPPEE!

Lucky me!...my Mom sent me a gift of $$ for my birthday (understanding her daughters need for a shoe purchase)...I know... I said it before...buying used shoes is a challenge that I am not sure I want to take on, although my feelings about that could change as summer approaches and the poor girl has NO NEW SHOES...what a pitty!

In the meantime I took that birthday money in my hot little hands and headed straight back to Turley Road Boutique where the fabulous Raven necklace was spotted....and also...tada!...a pair of BLUE shoes...in my size...one pair....and guess what?...they were still there...and the best news yet..comfortable..YEA!...and here those little beauties are....how cute with SKIRT 1.1.08....they have a little 2.5 inch heel...a little "witchy"...hey, with the Raven necklace I could get a little upscale "goth baby boomer" thing going.

Still working on the blouse..more to come.

froo*gal

Upcycled Men's Shirt...work in progress

I found this really nice Italian silk men's shirt in a local thrift store. It happened to be a day when they were offering "everything that you can stuff in a bag for $10"...wow...I love that!

That bag has already paid off BIG because I found a vintage 60's Jean Patou hat that I sold last week on ebay for $56. The sale had been going on for a couple of days so everything was very picked over...how that hat slipped through the cracks I will never know.

I was not actually able to stuff my bag because I could not find enough things worthy of my limited closet space, I did however find a few goodies that will be showing up on the blog in the weeks to come.

This shirt jumped out to me because of the interesting graphic print. The silk is very soft and high quality. The shirt had the dry cleaning tags on it and was in great condition.

I removed the collar and cut off the sleeves at the armholes. I am in the process of altering the shirt using soft tucks and folds like the designers are showing on their Spring clothing lines. I am working with some vintage fabric to create loose ruffles and I have shortened the sleeves and gathered the tops to make puffs...and that is as far as I have gotten. I may not get back to this for a week because 2 of my nieces are arriving today for a visit.

the groo*gal

The RAVEN Has Landed!

That fabulous Raven necklace arrived on my birthday Monday.

Yes...it is true, but were you really surprised? I made kind of a "little bit of a big deal" out of it...oh well, what can I say...I wanted it BAD and I knew there was only one way I was getting it this year..unless of course I took up resin casting!...and that is always a possibility.

I was sorry that I did not get a picture of me wearing it on my "day of days" because I had put together a really cute outfit in hopes of getting that necklace as the major accessory piece...Vera Wang for Kohl's purple and gray plaid chiffon dress(huge bargain last Fall), black cropped cardigan, black flat boots and I broke out a great vintage black velvet double breasted coat along with the accessory I can't live without these days in Chicago...my wool cossack hat with flaps!.....56 and workin' it!

froo*gal

Old School Mending

Remember this sweater....the cute little dolman sleeve vintage wool sweater that I found at the Salvation Army?

I sent it to the dry cleaners and when I brought it home I noticed that it had about 8 moth holes. I started thinking about MENDING...what a throwback! What happened to mending? How many things end up in the Salvation Army just because they needed a little bit of MENDING.

I have often admired old wood darning eggs because of their nice shape and smooth patina. They feel at home in your hand like a good tool should. I went directly to ebay and typed in darning egg and found a large maple wood egg that I won with no other bids for $9.99.


When the egg arrived I sat down with with some crewel yarn and a darning needle and taught myself how to darn. And this is how it is done:



MENDING 101

*turn garment inside out
*fit egg under hole and stretch knitted piece over egg
*starting about 1/4 inch away from hole begin to weave your needle in and out of the stitches of the knitted piece
* continue back and forth until you get to the hole then cross over the hole to the other side and pull just slightly to tighten up the hole
*continue weaving until you reach the other side and continue for anther 1/4 inch
*snip thread leaving 1 inch tail

My Crafty Valentine

At the risk of having my cotMC(craft of the month club) gals having a peak, I have decided to post my project in time for Valentines Day.

While perusing my stash for ideas I came across this wonderful old tin Victorian brooch that I purchased on ebay a while back. Since it already had a pin back I just attached the vintage pleated trim to the back with a glue gun, added a piece of an old velvet leaf and then made a bow out of a scrap of antique kimono fabric. That was the perfect deconstructed element that gives this piece a quirky appeal with out being too fussy...a good reason to collect those interesting bits and scraps...BUT ONLY those scraps that are really special. You need to use your creative, crafty eye and know when to "hold em" and when to "toss em"...I also keep interesting scraps of paper in a small box and that is where I found the old envelope with nice calligraphy to make my heart. The heart was then hot glued to an uneven square of felted wool to which I glued some tiny old beads and then I attached it all to a piece of card stock. I then pinned the brooch unto the card so that it could be removed and worn. The entire project took me under an hour, which was good because lately thats about all the time I have!

*IDEA OF THE DAY...for those of you that do not already have an interesting stash....be on the look out for buttons, ribbon, paper, fabric and other interesting objects. Ebay is a great place to find odd and unusual things at really great prices...a treasure trove at your fingertips! Be sure that you have a special box for your treasures so that when an idea for a project pops up you can easily put your hands on the "goods".

Happy hunting.

froo*gal

Message from a Raven?

It seems that lately I am having a continual conversation with my inner voice about "not spending".....lets see... the struggle started when we had friends in from out of town last weekend.

While wondering around in Andersonville, a Chicago neighborhood north of where I live, we stumbled on a fabulous little boutique called Turley Road. What drew us in were the wonderful shoes in the window...I was like an alcoholic wandering into a bar for the first time after joining AA....a bar that makes really good drinks....at really great prices!!!

"This is MY store"...I announced as I picked up the very cutest blue pointy lace up oxford pumps...on sale for around $50....the best $80 handbags I have ever seen, and clothes that looked like designs I would have dreamed up...then I spotted IT...

A wonderful chunky, black vintage bead necklace with an oval framed Raven pendant. Coat and scarf came off, and necklace promptly clasped around my neck...
...I exclaimed..."this necklace has special powers!"
...husband said..."but wait a minute...you are the froo*gal, and you have made a commitment"
...I thought... he LOVES being able to say this, he has been waiting to say this for 25 years
...I said..."but that doesn't mean that I can't get GIFTS!...and my birthday is just 2 weeks away"

Is that magical necklace in my future?...I guess we will all just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I looked up the symbolic meaning of Ravens and found this:

Native Americans believe that the Raven signifies change and transformation. The Raven is the harbinger of messages and comes only to those worthy of knowledge, he is called upon for healing powers and is the.....bearer of MAGIC.

ooo-we-ooo!

THE froo*gal

Old Skirt New Tricks

I was off to a great start with my blog when life stepped in and took over.

The last 3 weeks have been like a runaway train....out of town guests for 3 weekends running, major weather issues and countless trips to doctors and emergency rooms with my dear son who has been having severe stomach issues....I had high hopes for completing another project but not one stitch has been made in that direction.

I did, however, "semi"complete the full length evening skirt makeover before the train went off on its own track. I have not been happy with the way the hem turned out. I was trying to do a "soft" hem, kind of like a modified bubble but the fabric is just not lending itself to that look. Meanwhile the skirt hangs on my dress form waiting some inspiration. I am posting a picture while I decide what to do next. I am thinking I might like to bias cut a length of fabric and just narrow hem it, maybe even several different fabrics. So far this is what I have done to create...

OLD SKIRT NEW TRICKS

Supplies:
1 A-line skirt, long or short
1 5/8 yard of fabric for inset
1 set of toggle closures
1 package of black 1/4 " elastic cord


*If you are using a long skirt, cut to desired length.
*Cut skirt open from top to bottom in the center front.
*Cut a piece of fabric 15-18 inches wide and the length of the skirt plus 2 1/2 inches. If you are not changing the length of the skirt you will need to add enough fabric length to make a hem.
*With right sides together, starting at hem, match front panel to skirt sides. Stitch 5/8" seams from hem to bottom of waistband leaving 2 1/2 inches free to make casing.
*Press seams toward center
*Fold over 1/2 inch at top the fabric and press, then fold over 1 inch to form a casing turning in 5/8 inch at each edge.
*Stitch along bottom of fold on wrong side of waistband
*Stitch along top edge and down the middle of the casing to form 2 channels
*Cut one long piece of elastic and thread through top channel and then continue through bottom channel leaving 8-10 inches free on either side. Cut loop on one end so each side has 2 separate pieces of elastic.
*Fit both pieces of elastic through toggles, cinch waist line to fit then tie knots at the end of the elastic.
*Hem skirt as desired...more ideas to come when I try something new with my hem!

Tomorrow is cotMC (craft of the month club) and we are having a Valentine exchange. I am soooo hoping we do not get the predicted snow storm because I really need some creative therapy and girl talk!

I have taken pictures of my Valentine and I will post a picture after the exchange... stay tuned for more UPCYCLED inspiration!

XOXO......froo*gal

Louis Vuitton "Knock Off" Fabric Bead Necklace

Yesterday was cotMC...code name for Craft of the Month Club...trust me..."this ain't your Mama's" craft club...this is a group of highly creative and talented artists that don't take things too seriously..there is no "Martha Stewart threat of perfection" we just like to get into the creative "flow" together and we always have lots of laughs while we are at it.

Yesterday was my turn to show up with a project and all the supplies. I had clipped this page from Style magazine a year ago that featured a cloth bead necklace by Louis Vuitton made with Liberty of London printed cottons. This lovely little necklace had a price tag of $850...seriously! The froo*gal has managed to recreate the original for under $15. The girls loved the project and we all made a fabulous necklace in about 2 hours and you don't even need to know how to sew! Supplies and instructions follow.

LV "Knock Off" Fabric Bead Necklace

Supplies:

20mm wood beads with large hole...I found these in the wood section not the bead section at JoAnn fabrics
selection of fabrics, light weight cottons work best
2 yards of twill tape or ribbon
toggle closure(optional)
glue stick
size 3 knitting needle
awl (optional but it helps)
steel yarn needle
cutting board and rotary cutter (optional)
scissors

*Cut 11 1.5 X 3 inch pieces of fabric.
*place 1 piece of fabric on a plain white sheet of printer paper and cover the fabric with glue
*place bead in the middle of the fabric and smooth the fabric facing you up and around the ball
*fold over a scant 1/4 inch on opposite short end of fabric and glue this edge
*wrap this side up and around the bead
*work each long end up and around the bead and stuff the raw ends into the hole using the awl and the knitting needle...this may take a little practice so if you mess up at first don't worry just rip the fabric off and start again with a new piece of fabric
*once all the balls are covered take the knitting needle and make sure that you can get it through the hole of each bead
*thread the yarn needle with the twill tape
*string first bead that will be at the end of the necklace 10 inches from the end of the tape and place a knot on the each side of the bead making sure that it is snug up against the bead...it helps if you put the needle into the knot and then push the knot down until it touches the bead
*move the needle to the right end of the tape put on your next bead
*when you have attached all the beads, cut the tape to the desired length and tie on toggle clasp...you could also eliminate the clasp and just leave enough tape to tie the necaklace around your neck

PS.......if you would like to purchase a kit or a completed necklace please visit Whimrose Projects Etsy shop

PSS......The comments continue to come in nearly 3 years later. Check out these great "how to" pictures http://www.erikajean.com/

Salvation Army Pre-Couture

This is the remainder of my Salvation Army "pre-couture" pieces.

"Thrifting" at Salvation Army

Today I made my first trip to Bloomingdale's since I took my solemn oath. My sole purpose was actually a positive one....to return 2 items that I purchased before Christmas and was so consumed with guilt that they never left the bag in the bottom of my closet.

Bloomingdales....AHHHH! I knew this was going to be a difficult journey for me seeing the sale racks laden with goodies right now....hmmmm...how do I navigate into the store and up 4 floors through all that wonderfulness? There is only one answer..."the task master" better known as the husband...very impatient, no lolly gagging type A person...he gave me 20 minutes from drop off to pick up..."and I better not keep him waiting!" I made it with out even touching a garment...I did see some wonderful color combinations...this great yellowy green with gray....and a cute lemon yellow Juicy dress.

whew...got that over with....and now the good news...SALVATION ARMY!

Last week I hit the "big store" under the tracks....the place is breath taking...but not in a good way. You have never seen so much stuff in your life. This SA actually has 3 floors! It was mind boggling...but they do have shopping carts..and that is always a good thing.

How do you tackle this overwhelming mass of discarded apparel? It is no easy task.

Everything is crammed onto the racks..tight...if you are lucky you may see interesting stuff left on the end of the rack or pulled out and suspended between the other clothes...thats how I found the purple wool Vera Wang for Khol's skirt with the tags still attached..IN MY SIZE!...and I actually bought 5 pieces from this collection in the Fall that will match this skirt! That was my first score and then it went downhill for the next 30 minutes...but I stuck with it and devised a better method for my search....its the "feel for good fabric and look for interesting colors and prints" method.

Following is a list of my great finds that are pictured at the top of the post.

* vintage blue sweater...needs some repairs but that is something I want to address in my blog
* vintage red check wool skirt with great pockets...think Juliette Binoche in "Chocolat"
* brown floral puff sleeve blouse with ruffle bib front
* vintage green cotton men's shirt, new! never worn...I have great ideas for reworking this one!
* silver taffeta floor length skirt...this is going to be my first "revamp" project
* green and blue print silk long wrap skirt...great fabric
* DKNY shrunken sweater...I could not resist the ruffle...it will show up later on something
* gray pleated skirt..those pleats will also show up later
* black satin pouf sleeve blouse..this is still questionable but for $1...we'll see

I paid $26 for everything listed above and of course the money went to a good cause.

So there you have it. I am hoping to get started on the silver skirt in the next couple of days and I am also working on an interesting accessory piece that I will introduce to my "craft group" next week and will post the results...Please come back and join me!

froo*gal

DAY OF RECOGNING!

Today is the day I cut up the credit cards.

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about the reality of no longer using credit cards...what a concept. I have spent years NOT paying cash...using credit is really just allowing yourself to believe that you can have something that you really cannot afford..it is really supports a false sense of riches.

Anyway my middle of the night thinking went to ..."what kind of art can you make out of cut up credit cards?"...this could be my next project...stay tuned!

froo*gal

SKIRT 1.1.08

Despite all my stressing about bad lighting and a troublesome husband, I was really pleased with how the skirt turned out. Constructing the skirt went really quickly, what was so time consuming was figuring out the spacing of the pleats. The skirt could be gathered which would eliminate that problem, but the fabric was a bit too voluminous and needed to be more structured....so I was thinking that in my instructions at the point where you need to figure out the pleating...in the words of Tim Gunn of Project Runway..."make it work"...it helped that I had a dress form to work on.

SKIRT 1.01.08 INSTRUCTIONS

* fold fabric in half matching selvedge and cut along fold
* these 2 pieces will become the front and back of the skirt and the selvedge will be at the top
* stitch one side seam using a basting stitch for the first 7 inches down from the top
* place zipper over the basted seam and pin in place
* sew zipper in place and remove basting stitches
* sew remaining side seam
* cut ribbon to waist measurement +3 inches
* fold ribbon in half, mark the fold pin inside the top of skirt matching the fold to side seam without zipper. Extend ribbon 1.5 inches over each edge
* this is where I tell you to "make it work" by adjusting either by pleating or gathering to fit
* pin ribbon 1/4 inch from the frayed selvedge edge * stitch along top and bottom edge of ribbon
* hem in whatever way you prefer (if you hem by hand it may take longer than an hour to complete the skirt)

Skirt Completed!...in One Hour?...no

although I think with some "tweakage" ...it could be.

To be honest...there was not a lot of joy happening at the sewing machine this afternoon...no one said this would be easy...if it was easy it would not be called a challenge!.... but maybe a challenge is what makes life more worthwhile.

I had some obstacles that had nothing to do with the skirt. I have recently moved from a 5 bedroom home in Santa Fe, NM back to Chicago and into a 2 bedroom vintage high rise condo. I no longer have a dedicated studio space in which to create...tools and supplies have to be assembled, sewing machine put up...the space that I was working in seems cramped and the lighting is bad.

I have found in the past that making a new space work takes time...anyway there was a lot of frustration not least of which was my husband trying to cook a pot roast...he doesn't cook..and then slopping a saute pan with tomatoes unto my newly laid (by me) FLOR...I know I know.."who would put carpet in a kitchen?" ...well it is all part of the new FROO*GAL program...it was not in the budget to have the old floor ripped up..and the old floor was a wreck....I digress....

back to the skirt....I will publish photos and instructions tomorrow, right now there is a pot roast waiting made by the husband calling my name!

froo*gal

Confession.....

I woke up this morning in a cold sweat thinking about SHOES....or I should say, thinking about NOT BUYING a new pair for ONE WHOLE YEAR...okay, I really think I can handle the clothing issue because I know I have plenty to work with...I have fabric, I have yarn, I have RESALE....but shoes...YIKES! I LOVE SHOES and I LOVE SHOPPING for SHOES I have never bought a pair of second hand shoes... and I have major foot issues... and I have actually been putting more miles on a pair of soles and heels now that I am living back in the city...this could get interesting.

When I told a friend about my idea for "not buying new for a year"...she paused for a moment and said..."well what about underwear?".....so Friday I made a mad dash to Target to purchase 6 pairs of my favorite underwear, one spanking new white bra, 4 pair of black cotton socks and one pair of black tights....I do have 2 drawers full of black socks and tights, but I just wanted to make sure.

Here is a picture of the inspiration for my SKIRT 1.1.08...and that is going to be my kick off project for 2008...be sure and check back for results...remember my goal is 1 hour....hmmmm?

SUPPLIES:
1 yard of fabric 56" wide...more or less depending on the width of the fabric and the length you want
1 7" skirt zipper
1.5" wide grosgrain ribbon the length of your waist measurement plus 5 inches
thread.

And speaking of skirts.....another confession....I did have one last fling at Neiman Marcus in the sale racks a couple of weeks ago.....and yes, it was satisfying...until the bill came....anyway this was my last purchase of 2007...Marc Jacobs original price $248 marked down $148...it was exactly the skirt that I had been looking for since October..nice fully lined, brown wool stitched down pleats, ribbon waist band..I really DO love to shop...



HAPPY NEW YEAR!

froo*gal

SKIRT 1.1.08

My fondest childhood memories always involve my mother, a fabric store and a pattern book. When I was growing up there were very few fabric stores but all the major department stores had fabric departments, so when ever we happened to be in a Sears or Penny's store we would make a trip through the fabric department.

I am not sure at what age I actually began taking part in the selection process but I know that my mother, from a very early age, made most of my clothing. Like many mothers in the 1950's my mother sewed out of necessity although I never felt deprived because we could not afford to buy my wardrobe at retail, instead I felt special because I had clothing that was unique to me. A few times a year my Mom and I would make a special trip, just the two of us, to pick out fabric and patterns. We would crack open the large pattern books and go page by page writing down the pattern numbers for skirts, blouses and dresses.

Then the real fun would begin....perusing the isles for just the right fabric! I still feel slightly light headed when I enter a fabric store and I have a closet full of fabric to prove it...but that is a whole other story. I don't want to get too wordy and lose you here, so my point is I miss that hands on creative part of fashioning my own wardrobe, and have decide for reasons much bigger than a long lost hobby to "boycott retail fashion emporiums".

I am overwhelmed by the "marketplace", the glut, the outrageous prices...it is not fun any more to dig through racks to find a bargain for $98. After trying on 25 pairs of shoes I no longer feel the need or could possibly decide which ones to buy, especially when I have 50 pairs of shoes at home most of which show no signs of wear...more importantly who can afford even the sale prices of most clothing and why do we need 50 pairs of shoes!

My question is this.....what would happen if you were to challenge yourself to not spend a dime on clothing, shoes or accessories for one year?(....but still maintain a fabulous sense of style!!) For some this would be easy...for this fashion craved shopaholic, it will have to involve my own personal 12 step program! This is my GOAL...I am cutting up the credit cards and opening up my creative pocketbook to see what inspirational fun stuff can happen....I would love to have you along for the ride!

Stay tuned...my first project will be SKIRT 1.1.08...my goal...one hour, start to finish...I will let you know how realistic that is. Every project will have an inspiration. The inspiration for this skirt came from a picture of a "friend of a friends" daughter who's photograph appeared on The Sartorialist blog (a wonderful, visual/people watching blog that led me to this blog network)...check it out, it will make you really think about your own personal style!

The froo*gal

2008 The Year of the Skirt...MY skirt!