Adventures in Vintage Resales... fka adventures in baby-sewing

For this three day weekend, Mike and I embarked on a project - turning our master closet into a family clothes closet. This part of the house sees the family activity: there are two full baths, one with shower, one with tub, connected by a short hall with the closet. My washer and dryer are in the shower bathroom, so the closet is three feet from the dryer. It is unusual, but this section of the house was an add-on by the previous owners. The kids dress in these baths every morning and bathe there in the evenings. The girls' bedroom is off the shower bath, but the boys are all the way in the front of the house. For the last few years, all the current clothes were in my master bedroom to ease dressing, but we are overwhelmed by laundry baskets. I am not 100% done, but 5 out of 6 sets of clothes are now relocated. The kids are in cubbies, like you buy at Lowe's, with the cloth cube baskets. Sunday things are hung. We already had a decent setup as we installed Closetmaid rods/shel...

It has been too busy to post - it has been months... Work, kids, husband, baseball, I barely have time to get laundry done, much less sewing, but I have been working on the blocks from The Farmer's Wife Quilt book, Swoon quilt pattern and a few other minor things. When I get the chance to take some pictures, I will. It does feel great to post a bit again and catch up reading on ya'll's blogs.

AMAZING. I got some recently in a fabric.com order and love it. Wool blend, with heathery colors blended so it stripes for you - wow. I just ordered some more... almost every color as I am making crocheted lacy scarves for Christmas craft sale booths.

I have had a hard time getting to the machine lately. You bloggers are so busy at your sewing and I haven't touched the machine to speak of in weeks. 4 kids home for summer, work out side the home everyday for 4-5 hours per day plus helping my husband with his invoices, in and out of the house and car, library trips, store, bible schools, etc, in 100 degree weather are taking a toll on me. I am exhausted in the evenings. Plus child #2, the handicapped one, had day surgery, so I have had to keep up with him healing. Hopefully some sewing will happen soon. On the other hand, tomorrow is our oldest's 10th birthday - 10 years ago tonight we got the call for our baby being born and to head up to Dallas to meet her (she's adopted). We had a party for her today. We also celebrated our 20th anniversary this month.

Just cakes, about 12 so far this month, many are half-sheets, so I have been busy. I am grateful as it is good income for the work. But baking a few cakes on Fridays and decorating most of the days on Saturdays, then church on Sundays leaves me a bit worn out for a few days afterwards, plus all the school stuff, work on Mondays, Tuesdays, doesn't leave much more than Wednesdays and Thursdays to recoup and regroup before beginning again on Fridays. The laundry is piling up... I think it reproduces on its own if I leave it too long... Hopefully I will be sewing again soon.

OK, here are the dresses. The older one's was Simplicity 3329, no date, probably late 1950's or early 1960's. There is no reference to in on the internet to link a photo and I am not in a position to photograph it right now. The dress picture is actually copied from facebook from Easter. It goes into a v-backed neck and should have a bow at the CB which I left off. The little one's was a 1940's mail order pinafore style, not even sure where the pattern is at the moment. Both are from cotton voile pindotted swiss with broadcloth accents/binding. Both are fully lined. I completed the older one's over 3 days of working and the inside is barely finished off, as quickly as I could do it. She would only wear it once or twice anyways, so I decided not to waste much time on it. The little one's is better finished as she still wears dresses at the drop of the hat. These were fun to make, I wish I had more of the fabric for a top for me. It is so watercol...

Actually there are a few more, some maxi dresses as well, but these two are to die for, I think. I bought the Simplicity 7384 back before I knew much about fitting, notice it is way smaller than my size. It's just not worth the trouble for me. The Butterick is closer, but I really don't think I will ever get to it. So they are up for sale, to find new homes, to be loved by someone else. I also have an awesome Gunne Sax pattern listed as well as two Simplicity Designer fashions, one that has been seen on the net before. I really need to cut my pattern stash down, please help me.