Sock Darning to the Rescue

After holding my breath to pay my bills I decided to darn my socks....see a complete "how to darn" February 14, 2008 blog entry. Do you want to know how long it took to preform this task...seriously...3 minutes! These socks were not even old socks, they were maybe worn a dozen times and I probably paid $8 for them...so there you go!

Knitting For Blythe

A few years ago, while living in the desert, I became obsessed with "Blythe"....obsessions were common place for me in the desert....no friends and a lot of time on my hands.

I had an Ebay customer that send me a picture of her Enid Collins handbag collection, something that we shared in common. Propped up against one of the handbags was a Blythe doll. I googled Blythe and was enthralled! To make a long story short I spend the next few months scouring the Internet for one of my own. The dolls are made in limited editions and the prices can rise high on Ebay. I managed to find one in my price range on Amazon...the only problem, (for me anyway) was that she had pink hair. I had read many articles about customizing these dolls and figured that I could make a few changes by enlisting my hairdresser Michael.

...and that is when Blythe cursed the day she ended up in New Mexico.

My hairdresser was probably my only real friend in Santa Fe and I love him dearly. We share the same offbeat sensibility so when I approached him with the idea of taking on a "vinyl diva" he was up for the challenge....it was not until later that he confessed to a pile of "skinned" Barbie dolls in the closet of his youth! (the hairdresser prodigy that he was).

Apparently when I went to pick her up he had to fish her out from under the back seat of his car...he had put her there because she had basically turned into "Chuckie" after he made a mess of the dye job...her eyelashes fell out and she was covered in black streaks! He was not quite sure how to break the news to me since I had high hopes of her becoming "The Next Top Model" for my own personal line of Blythe fashions.

....well something was lost in this whole process(but not my hairdresser). I dressed Blythe in her store bought clothes, wrapped a ribbon around her head and propped her up on my work table, sans eyelashes...and that is where she has stayed until recently when she has decided to forgive me for the "wrath of Michael"....I think I owe her a new dress.

Birthday Girl

While I was putting together my patchwork monologue entry for today I thought about this quilt that I made a few years ago and drug out another dust covered box from under the bed to retrieve it. This project was part of a quilt group challenge that I participated in. The challenge for this particular piece was to use the ugly green fabric that can be seen in the skirt. I was also experimenting with other techniques like curved lines and digital printing on fabric. I am not sure how this ties in with today..."my day of days"...but it reminds me how much joy creativity has brought into my life for 57 years and even when my venue changes my innate style remains the same.

.........my horoscope said this is my lucky year...maybe I will win that dream house!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

I am headed to Austin, TX today to visit my best friend Ann...YIPEE!...I'm thinkin'....margaritas, Texas barbecue, shopping...resale shopping, and some much needed "talk til ya drop" therapy!

Patchwork Monologue will be on hiatus until Tuesday when my creative juices will be flowing over.

"Misti Alpaca Tunic Sweater Vest"

I finished my tunic sweater knit on circular needles and I am very pleased with the results! I have to admit I was "winging it"...sort of a "design as you go" project. I used 2 different patterns as a jumping off point, one for the top and one for the bottom. I have knit handbags in the round before but this is the first time that I have knit a sweater. Circular knitting is great for the "knitting while you do something else" projects, also there are no seams to finish so when you are done, you are pretty much done and that is always exciting!

I have a set of Denise Circular knitting needles that have inter-changeable tips and ends so when I finished the bottom I just snapped the needles off and put the plugs on the ends to hold my stitches. I worked the top pretty much "free style". I found a pattern for a top down knit vest and used that as a guide for how many stitches to cast on. I had to work out my pattern so that I would end up with the same amount of stitches left on my top needles as I had left on the bottom stitch holders. I transferred the stitches to straight needles

I joined the top and bottom with a "three needle bind off". I had used this stitch before when I was making handbags and thought it was so cleaver I wondered why you don't see it used more often.

To do a three needle bind off you hold the needles with the 2 pieces that you are joining side by side in your left hand then using a third needle you place the tip through the first stitch on each needle as if you were knitting one stitch only you knit the 2 together as one. You knit a second stitch, the same way as you would for a regular bind off and then put the first stitch over the second and proceed with the remaining stitches.

Using this method leaves a beautiful smooth seam front and back!

Workin on it.....

I have started the "top down" loose turtleneck for my tunic. This yarn knits up real fast on size 13 needles. It really flows and those little felted leaves just pop right through. I think I will just knit until I run out of yarn, in ever increasing rows, and then see what happens next!..I love this kind of knitting..... I am thinking just one odd stripe and then more of the alpaca before I join the top and bottom.

Knit Tunic Project

I started this tunic vest on New Years day. I saw this knit sleeveless tunic in a shop in Sutton's Bay, Michigan last summer. I have a picture of it on my Blackberry but have not been able to download my pictures with any success but I will keep trying. It had this nice big soft turtleneck that was slouchy and knitted with an interesting variegated yarn. The bottom was slightly flared. I found a pattern that was close to the same shape and I used that to knit the bottom on circular needles. I am using "Misti Alpaca Baby Chunky" yarn. I am close to the armpits and have decided to start the turtleneck on different needles and work from the top down. I have a really interesting idea for joining the top and bottom so we will see how that goes and I will post my results. I am going to work in this really cool novelty yarn that I bought in Venice, Italy 4 years ago...as you can see the colors are perfect together!! YEAH!

DIY Purse Organizer

How to make the purse organizer:

Supplies:

2 pieces of template plastic 14"X4"
2 contrasting pieces of fabric 29"X4.5"
1 piece of fabric 29"X9"
1 piece of quilt batting 29"X4.5"

*Layer the two contrasting fabrics and right sides together and the quilt batting on the bottom.
*Stitch 1/4" along one edge.
*Press seam towards batting. Fold in half and press.
*Trim 1/4" off the raw edge of batting.
*Place layered piece on top of the 29X9 piece of fabric.
*Measure the areas you want to divide for the items that you carry in your purse and mark with pins. Make sure to give a little ease so that your items will fit in comfortably and stitch through all layers to create pockets. Back stitch at top to reinforce.
*On one end turn the batting filled piece under 1/4" and stitch through all layers.
*Fold larger backing fabric over and line up raw edges.
*Stitch 1/4" along edge and along the end that was not folded under.
*Turn right side out and slide in the 2 pieces of plastic template.
* Turn in 1/4" on raw end and stitch closed.

Voila!...Purse pockets!

"Purse Pocket"

As the winter sun is setting my bright yellow bag has a new custom made purse organizer!

I will post the "how to" tomorrow.

Yellow Bag Project #1

The problem with this yellow bag is the inside...there is no lining....its like a black hole...no real pockets or compartments.

Last fall Oprah featured a handbag organizer on one of her "favorite things" show. My Mom called me hot on the trail for this item that was only available at the Container Store...poor her, no Container Store in Santa Fe. I headed over there and snagged the LAST one...and then had to decide if I should be a good daughter and give it to my Mom or keep it for myself...Mom won.

The "handbag organizer" is just what this bag needs and it looked really easy to make... plus I get to make my own fabric choices!

...........so that is my Saturday afternoon project....finished product coming soon....

Yellow Bag

I have an idea for a project and it involves this new yellow bag...that I bought 1/2 price from JCrew. More later.

J'amie le verre de blue francais

One of my favorite collections!

I have been formulating a plan to move my quilt journal to either a new blog or a folder on this blog and revive the essence of froo*gal because that is where my heart really is and my ideas are starting to pop again...I feel like I needed the quilt journal to kick start my creativity.

I have such an urge to continue my love of fashion and design and feel that the universe is calling the froo*gal spirit in that direction. It may take a few days to move things in that direction so bear with me.

Belated Christmas Gift for the Girl That Has Everything

I must confess that Christmas came and went in the twinkling of Santa's eye. As I mentioned in my last post, I worked at Neiman Marcus for the holidays AND continuing my Ebay business. I was wrapping gifts for customers until 5pm Christmas Eve...needless to say not a whole lot of holiday cheer left my house this year so on the 16th of January I was busy making a gift for my college roommate and long lost friend who is part of the higher echelon of a most famous retailer...I won't name names but the background of my photo should give you a hint

....so what do you give the girl that has diamonds at her fingertips...for me I have always chosen to "craft" my dear friend a gift!

J. Crew had these cute little bug pins in their holiday catalog that caught my eye and I just knew that I could improve on the design and add my own touch. This little pile of fabric and beads had been on my work table since November and finally came together yesterday and will be winging its way to the "Big Ap" next week....I hope I will be forgiven my tardiness!

New Year New Juice Old Projects

I just finished reading a comment on my last blog entry from Jennspiration and it was just the jump start that I needed to write a new entry...sometimes I spend too much time thinking about what I will write and end up not writing at all.

Since September I have consistently read cjanerun (who btw just won the Weblog Awards for Best Major Blog) I have realized that I don't always have to have a purpose or a goal for every entry...I just need to DO IT after all cjane has a baby under a year old and has taken on the care of her sisters 4 children after her sister and her husband were badly burned in a plane crash.... if cjane can find the time to write witty and uplifting blogs nearly every day I can certainly find the time...how about if my goal is writing an entry everyday with a picture... it can even be 1 line or paragraph, I just need to be consistent...OK! I have verbalized my intent...or should I say "blogalized"!

I have been thinking a lot lately about "unfinished projects" and yesterday I dragged a dust covered box out from under the bed and when I opened it this(see picture above) was on the top.......this is a block for a quilt that I started 3 or 4 years ago, at a time when I had hours every day to devote to creative pursuits...sadly it doesn't look like that will happen any time soon with our economy failing and the bank account dwindling...so the challenge now, for me personally, is to try and find a few minutes each day to give myself some JUICE!

Creativity has always been my form of meditation and relaxation. I have come to realize that starting this blog last year, one of the busiest years of my life, was an attempt to hold a place for myself in my creative world and in many ways I was able to achieve that goal...however, the "not buying anything new" goal?...that is another story...one that I don't care to focus on now...I failed to make it to the end of 08 but I did make it until August....WOW!!!

Then....it all slowly came undone...but not in TOO bad of a way and to be perfectly honest I think I have always been a froo*gal, I just needed to stop using credit cards...like millions of other Americans...so onward and upward....believe it or not I actually ended the year working at Neiman Marcus so you can imagine the temptation there...30% discount (a couple of times even an EXTRA 30 off already marked down merch!!!!!)...try NOT SHOPPING in the Emporium of Style with that incentive...anyway...I digress.....

......so....about the daily creative activity that will actually WORK for me...you know the "middle of the night idea" I had...so this is it......

A QUILT A DAY...I am not talking a bed size quilt here, I am talking about a 16 patch...I am also not talking about stitching...I am actually trying to come up with a way I can make my quilts... easy to assemble, small, paper or fabric glued to paper, in a book, journal style, with NO LIMITS only that I have to document each day on this blog with a tiny quilt.

The goal is to CUT & PASTE 16 tiny squares into a journal every day.........let the journey begin.

HOW TO Make Your Own Designer Medallion Necklace

Mission accomplished!.... and I am thrilled with my new one of a kind designer inspired necklace....and this is how I made it:

YOUR OWN DESIGNER INSPIRED NECKLACE

It helps to have a "stash" of treasures, but if you don't you can find everything for this project on Ebay ( if you need help email me!)....for me, hunting for the treasure is part of the creative process and is what will make your necklace truly unique to you. I did a search under "antique applique" and that is where I found the most beaded pieces that will work for this project. You may also try "bullion patch" or "vintage sewing trim".

When you have found the centerpiece for the necklace you will need a base to attach it to. I used a scrap of felted wool. You could also use a piece of felt. I cut 2 pieces about an inch bigger all the way around than the beaded patch. I fused the 2 pieces of felted wool together using Heatnbond which you can find at Joann Fabrics. I then hand stitched the beaded patch unto the felt.

When the bead work was in place I carefully cut around the edge leaving about 1/8th inch border. I have a large collection of antique cloth buttons(which you can also find on Ebay) and I selected three and sewed them to the top of the medallion.

I had this beautiful scrap of vintage silk kimono fabric that I have held unto for years because it was long and narrow like a ribbon and it had a beautifully frayed edge. I was never sure what I would do with it but I knew that someday it would make its way into one of my projects. I wide silk ribbon would work equally as well.

I made crochet loops on each side of the top edge of the felt and knotted the strip of fabric to each loop. I then threaded 2 fabric covered beads that I made(see instructions for Fabric Bead Necklace from January blog entry) onto the strip of fabric and knotted each side, I then added 2 vintage wood beads above the fabric beads. I had a small piece of the kimono fabric left so I gathered it into rosettes and stitched it to the back of the felt. The finish touch was the purple silk ball that I attached to the bottom....and within a couple of hours ....VOILA!...my very own fabulous chunky, centerpiece, one of a kind, beaded medallion necklace.

New Inspiration for Fabric Bead Necklace!

I clipped a page from October Vogue magazine that featured a beautiful fabric and bead necklace designed by Roseanne de Pampelonne. I immediately remembered a lot of vintage beaded medallion's that I had purchased at auction recently and was inspired to created my own version of this $675 necklace.

Yesterday I dragged out boxes of vintage kimono silk, antique fabric covered buttons, hand dyed felted wool and metallic seed beads. I have allowed myself the luxury of an afternoon project that is long over due.

I recently was asked to have my Louis Vuitton Knock-Off Fabric Bead Necklace featured as a holiday gift idea on a wonderful website www.sewmamasew.com.....check it out! (Thank you to Beth Wilson for returning my attention to my true passion.) I would also like to post an easier solution to stringing the fabric beads that I discovered.

I am hoping to post pictures of my afternoon project sometime in the next 24 hours so check back for results!!!!!

Signs of Re-Entry

This is what creativity looks like ...I know, kind of a mess but for much of the last 4 months this workspace has been CLEAN except for packing and shipping supplies for the ever growing Ebay business.

I recently returned from a short trip to Santa Fe, NM, the place I called home for 5 years before moving back to Chicago a year ago....to be honest it was somewhat of a reluctant trip, although I was excited to visit my Mom who still lives there, I had no great desire to return to the place where I always felt disconnected. But you know a surprising thing took place....everywhere I went I knew someone...I was in fact....connected....people asked "where have you been?"...as though I had only been gone a couple of weeks! It was really comforting to know that I had been "visible" to so many people and that I had in fact been "connected" even when I felt like an alien.

The other revelation I had on that trip came from wondering around my Mothers home..a mini museum of my creativity.... the quilts, the art work, all the little treasures I have crafted for her reminded me what I am all about. I had a sudden pang of homesickness...not for a place but for a part of me that has been sadly neglected in the past few months.

And now my mind is a buzz of ideas....so many it is hard to focus on one, but it will all come together. Right now I am writing a pattern for a vest that I plan to knit, designing my nieces wedding invitations, working on my own interpretation of a Marni necklace I saw and planning the quilt for my bed....and there is WAY more to write from the "confessional booth" in regard to falling off the "froo*gal" wagon...I am not looking forward to that but the story must be told ...."My name is Kathy and I am a clothesaholic"....at least when I indulged it was'nt campagne.....it was beer!

Long ago, in a far away place.......

Hello my friends!!

I have been gone but hopefully not forgotten!

The other day I stumbled upon a disc entitled Kathy's Projects and found this collage that I did a few years ago for an art auction to benefit the arts council where I once lived. Seeing it again gave me a much needed shot of inspiration. I have had an idea lurking around my brain involving some old t-shirts, some photographs and a printer and it may even involve some Kool Aid...hows that for a summer taste sensation!

...all these ideas came together when I saw this collage with new eyes....it reminded me of the yarn that I dyed at my last Craft of the Month Club which seems like months ago and come to think of it it was...that is where we experimented with Kool Aid as dye!... and you can see how lovely it turned out...I just happened to lay it down on top of a book my Mom left behind from her visit last week...I had not really noticed the title until I took the picture and then I picked it up and read the back and it it must be an omen....This Charles Dickens novel is "a brilliant defense of art in the age of mechanism...England as it struggles with the massive economic turmoil brought on by the Industrial Revolution"...sounds like a tale for todays world....hmmmm..maybe I should read it.

I am on my way to buy some Kool Aid.

NO NEW CLOTHES.....The saga continues....

No I have not buckled yet...nearly...a couple of times but...alas...I have been saved of disaster and ruin....I owe it all to my dear friend Wendy who is getting married this weekend. She presented me with a gift card to Nordstroms in lieu of payment for invitations that I designed for her bridal luncheon....after hours of deliberation I ended up with 2 very sensible clothing decisions....an "everyday" pair of black flats and a fashion forward long slouch cardigan in a neutral taupe with a fleck of gold...a great seasonless investment for this unpredictable weather we have been having lately.

and the RESALE RACKS have turned out some interesting ingredients for my summer wardrobe. I have decided I like the idea of a cotton blouse instead of a tshirt...don't get me wrong, tshirts are still high on my list but blouses seem fresher, and here is what I found:

a mid century print blouse by Marni...$5
a green gingham check blouse with a tiny ruffle and puff sleeves by The Gap...$8
an all over rose print sheer cotton blouse by Express nwt...$14.99

and I also found a pair of mens seersucker bermudas...like I said before...I am loving the fit of mens pants better than womens right now..and I am on the look out for a tiny floral print blouse to wear with these..I would love to find a Liberty print...but so far no luck.

and the search continues...

froo*gal

Four T-Shirts and a Confession

Okay...I"M BUSTED...I caved, and for $34 at Old Navy I could not be happier.

The truth of the matter is, when you are as busy as I am you don't have time to SHOP...let alone look in the closet and try and figure out which t-shirt doesn't look like a dust rag... untidy and ungroomed don't work well on an over 50ish woman.

The whole idea of "upscaling" an old piece of clothing can look fun and hip on a young woman but can look really tacky on someone my age. So I have decided to rethink the concept behind my New Years resolution and the creation of this blog. I want to come up with ideas that can really WORK for a woman that cares about fashion and personal appearance but also wants a creative twist. I will not give up sharing my PROJECTS because that is the key for me and was the inspiration behind froo*gal but its time to break some of my self inflicted rules....I have always hated rules anyway!

T-shirts are like underwear...hard to buy at the resale shop...I know because I have tried for the last 3 weeks to find ONE decent t-shirt that wasn't piled, stained, stretched and too short...that is when I threw my hands up and went to Old Navy(always my very FAVORITE for good quality great selection and price when it comes to t-shirts) because t-shirts are like underwear, they are the foundation of a wardrobe.

Who can beat $35 for 4 t-shirts and they made me feel SO GOOD everyday this week when I put a new one on...the BEST!

froo*gal

The "It" Bag and Riffs on Life

To tell you the truth....I am very discouraged...I have, on more than one occasion, in the past month thought about throwing in the towel on this whole idea. It did not help matters when my computer, like myself, decided that it was overwhelmed and bit the dust. So on top of everything else I am having to relearn updated versions of all my programs including how to get my pictures on this blog vertical...why did this work so easily before???...isn't newer supposed to be easier and more efficent?

First of all, the highlight of starting this blog was to be about "me being creative" , well in order to be creative you need TIME which is something I have very little of these days...you can't buy, list, sell, pack & ship 50-75 items a week on Ebay and have any time left.

You have to be somewhat STILL to effectively create...you have to get in the the FLOW...it can't be just, "trying to get something over with so you don't have to look at it any more". I need STRETCHES of time...I need DREAM time....and right now I NEED shopping fulfillment...according to Eckhart Tolle, that may have something to do with my "painbody"...if I just had another hour in the day maybe I could keep up with "A New Earth" reading and find out what exactly a "painbody" is...oh well...

So here I am wanting some wardrobe perks...how shallow is that?... and very frustrated with trying to find something worthy on the "resale' racks....the good news is I did find a very cute NEW Gap dress/tunic at the thrift store in my NEW favorite color of blue..COBALT!

Oh and btw...in case you didn't notice I did finish the "IT" Bag in a feverish pitch last weekend...I had one hour...and guess what...it wasn't fun...it was WORK. so for the time being ALL projects are on hold...I don't need anything else, especially self inflicted stuff, hanging over my head.

....and I still have not surrendered to the retail shopping urge...in many ways... because I HAVE NOT HAD TIME!...okay, I feel much better now....whew!

froo*gal...wiping her brow

PS....when I am in a better state I will give you the details of the bag construction...but don't you love the addition of the Marimekko coin purse?

Spring Fever....

The last couple of weeks I have had the fever...the shopping fever, in a BIG way. You know that feeling where you can't wait to rip that #@$% scarf, hat, gloves, boots and ALL heavy clothing off your body and trade it in for a light weight, itch free NEW frock?...the key word here is new...I really miss shopping...like an old friend. Shopping "resale" is a lot of work and can be very uninspiring....but I have to admit, I am hanging in there. The very best reward is not seeing credit card bills in my mail box! YIPPEE! and....

Yesterday I wore the Calvin Klein skirt pictured below with a gray sequined cardigan that I bought last year at a thrift shop in Santa Fe and I had 3 people that I didn't know tell me how cute I looked....now that is the real pay off.

So...my goal this weekend is to finish the "IT BAG"...Yes!!!...I am begging myself for 2 little hours at the sewing machine...you may even see that reworked man's shirt on Sunday.

..and oh, I forgot,...my latest inspiration. While I was digging through the resale racks a couple of weeks ago, I gazed a pair of 32X30 mens trousers in a fine Italian wool crepe... the light bulb went off! Men's trousers unlike women's are made to be altered. There is this easy to open seam in the back of the waistband...BRILLIANT!...they have been hanging on the door for 2 weeks waiting for sewing time...more to come on that project.

If you have not already started watching The Sartorialist blog www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/ you should check it out this week. There is a photo of a girl that is wearing the cutest outfit made from Marc Jacobs childrens clothes..yes, you have to see it to beleive it!

froo*gal

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