Vintage Chicken Scratch Apron Giveaway!

Last weekend while doing some vintage-goodness shopping, I came across these two old aprons with chicken scratch embroidery on them, and could not resist. Once I got home, I remembered that I don't even wear aprons very often, and I knew that one of these lovelies deserved a home with someone who could really appreciate it. Since chicken scratch is all the rage in crafty blogland these days, I just know there is someone out there reading this who will want one of these aprons. Leave a comment saying which apron you want (I only will give away one) before next Tuesday, and a week from today I'll have Harlan draw a name at random from a hat. Be sure and comment with a way that I can contact you via e-mail should you win :)

Another cute mid-century kid's chair was scored here in the great state of Texas:

Also in crafty goodness news: New curtains for Harlan's closet, sewn from Ikea fabric (forgive the lousy photo).

A plain denim skirt made from the Sew What! Skirts book that I bought a loooong time ago. Yes, it's another photo that doesn't do the subject justice. The skirt came out really cute, but no one is around to help me take a photo right now, so it's just me, the bathroom, and the lack of tri-pod.

Going in the mail tonight is a wedding gift for some friends who got married back in June. I actually had completed the pillow on time, but I was waiting for the second piece of the gift to become finished (it's something Joe made) before mailing it. I hope the recipients are not reading this before they get the pillow. If so, sorry it's so late! The fabric in the background is the same fabric I used to back the pillow with.

French knot details on bride-kitty's dress:

Some vintage 40's rayon crepe fabric that I'm going to make my next super lightweight TX style skirt with:

I'm a little unsure of how it will look once it's on me. It may too shear, and too unflattering, but I'm going to finally take the plunge and cut it up. I've had it sitting around since I got in Portland way back in the day.

Well Hello Dolly

My paltry posting habits are due to the holiday season, I swear! I've been working away on ornaments for this ornament swap and this one (as if I don't have enough to do, but I couldn't turn down a good swap). I'll post pics a week after I send them out. Also, I am replenishing the Rose & Duke stock because I'll be selling again in a couple of weeks in the Guerro's lot on S. Congress. Please stop by and say hello if you are in town, there will be lots of handmade goodness for sale.

We enjoyed a peaceful thanksgiving at Jen and Kevin's with Jen's delightful family. You betcha that I brought some desserts. I made a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip squares (for some reason I forgot to photograph these). Everyone always goes berserk on these and they are quite easy to make. I also took a risk and went with Martha's recent recipe for pear cranberry pie with a lattice top. I used a plastic star from Harlan's shape sorter toy to cut the starts out of the crust. The pie was good but too heavy on the cranberries unfortunately.


At the last minute I decided to throw in a chocolate bourbon pecan pie, because every thanksgiving table needs a good one. I made this one from a combination of recipes and it came out more like a soft cookie on a pate brisee pastry, which may not be exactly what I was going for but still tastes a lot better than a fistful of baby corn or cuchifritos (deep fried pig ears).


I did not want to work on anything I had to do during the vacation, so instead I made a couple of doll dresses for the baby dolls at Harlan's Montessori school. When I picked him up last Tuesday a couple of the kids were playing with the dolls, and I noticed that their only outfits were totally falling apart (and were pretty crummy to begin with). It made me sad. Next I'm going to make them a couple of quilts for their wooden cradles. I can't believe I forgot to photograph the back sides of the dresses, but I did. They are totally open, with two covered buttons and red velvet ribbons on the other side to hook over the buttons. I used a combination of these two patterns. I would like to make them some sweaters so if anyone knows of any patterns for doll sweaters please let me know (knit or crochet).


P.S. I went to the City Wide Garage Sale last weekend and was basically just overwhelmed by the crowds. We only stayed a brief amount of time, but I did score three vintage aprons for $2 each. While I don't wear aprons and bought these to scrap the fabric for other projects, I feel badly cutting them up because they're just so darn cute. What can you do?

How to be a thirfty war wife

Well we are at war, but fortunately I don't anyone personally who is fighting overseas. I still do have to be thrifty though, and apparently my grandmother along with millions of other American wives did too back in the BIG ONE (WWII). My lucky grandfather was a navy officer stationed over in Ireland (where is he is from. He is also an Irish lit. scholar, so I think he must have pulled some strings considering not much fighting went on there as far as I know. I think he says he played a lot of cards). But, Grandma was back home on the coast of Massachsuets in the house her father built, struggling to keep up with a slew of kids. I think actually only my mother and one aunt were there during the war. OK, I'm getting off track. A few years back my grandmother gave me an awesome gift- a book called the Complete Book of Sewing copyright 1943. This is the book that helped her keep house during the war and for the years to come.
It tells you everything you need to know from darning a hole in an underarm to cutting a pattern to making slipcovers, quilting, appliques, etc. The section I read recently that I am getting a lot of out of is on thriftiness and basically recycling worn adult clothes into clothes for your children. I also enjoyed the chart about how to change your wardrobe as the seasons change by just adding a few embellisments to same outfits.

Here is that one first:

If you are wondering how to prepare for March, just check below:

Now, if you are interested in refashioning some of your old clothes into garments for your kids, search no more: