the hannibal lecter of accessories

Have you ever loved a purse so much that you refused to let it go, even when it clearly needed to be put out of its misery?  I have.  The pockets!  The color!  The cowboy-chic hardware!

I can't remember how long ago I found it at Marshalls, but the important part is that I did and it was only $20.  If I saw it in a store today, I wouldn't buy it.  First, it was pleather and I'm working on reducing my plastic intake.  Second, it was made in China and if the manufacturer doesn't have a clear, public policy on labor rights, I tend to assume that the people making it abroad weren't paid a fair wage.  That sort of limits my options for replacing it, so I've been holding out for eons, unable to mend the pleather without breaking my sewing machine.  Meanwhile, the handles continued to catch on doorknobs, stick shifts, and bannisters, and my beloved purse ripped a little more every day.  

Finally, I got the message.  My mother-in-law bought me a beautiful new leather bag for Christmas that will last for ages.  Too beautiful to carry with me while dog walking.  As if my family members already knew that, my sister-in-law picked out some great sturdy fabrics for my stash.  All I need to turn the fabric into a purse is some hardware and lining fabric.  Guess where I found them.

Yep, I cannibalized my favorite purse.  Bags must tell urban legends about me - that girl who'll show you a good time and then steal your kidneys zippers when you least expect it.  The pleather has been deposited in the garbage, but these bits will live on.  


P.S. A warm welcome to anyone joining from the Homestead Barn Hop!

where to begin?

Once I realized just how much I could create instead of purchase, the options were mind boggling to me.  Instead of asking myself "what can I make?" I now ask "what can't I make?" Instead of turning the house into my own personal department store of randomly selected crafts, I narrowed my focus down to a few basics that I use on a daily basis: pitas, pickles and skirts.  

Before starting on my baking on Labor Day, I needed to procure a rolling pin.  Instead of heading to William Sonoma, I pointed Beau towards my old dress form stand, which has been sitting in the basement since it was ousted by my new one this past Christmas.  Ten minutes later, he emerged wielding my upcycled rolling pin.

Baking looks much scarier than it actually is.  I followed the directions prescribed by the very first pita recipe that popped up after I googled "how to make pitas" and was rewarded with fresh, pillowy success.  Whole Foods is insane to charge something like $5.00 for a package of them.  These cost me less than $0.50 and taste exponentially better.

My pickle budget was also an embarrassing $5.00 a week.  Is there anything cheaper that tastes that good with falafel?  I don't think so.  I haven't progressed to canning yet, which made this item a little harder to replace.  That was, until I found Red Fire Farms quickle recipe and promptly reused a few old Claussen jars that were loafing around.  Quickles don't require actual canning, so I was able to do without those supplies.  They just need to live in the fridge instead of the pantry.  Not a huge sacrifice.  Pickling cucumbers are at the top of my gardening list next year, which will reduce each batch to pennies a slice.    

I wear skirts almost every day and most of them are either showing their ages or er, getting a little tight in the waist.  This khaki one is the second skirt to date and by far my favorite.  I used Buttericks 5421 again but the similarities end there since this time I had an inkling of what I was doing.  Since it's grand unveiling a few weeks ago at my nephew's birthday party, it has already become a staple of my work wardrobe.  And at under $10.00 for the entire bolt of cotton fabric at Ikea, it is also, an absolute steal.

I'm happy to think of how much plastic packaging will stay out of landfills from my new ability to make these three little items.  I'm also avoiding an array of unseen chemicals, saving oodles of money and not fueling a garment industry that pays its workers an unlivable wage.  This is a slippery slope I'm on.  What's next?  What can't I make? 

My First Refashion

It's difficult for me to say "No, I don't like that" when someone buys me a piece of clothing. That's why I've had a white dress sitting in my closet for two years that was downright unwearable.

The elastic top, the oddly placed waist, the horrific neckline. Nope. Can't do it. But I also have a hard time disposing of those items. It just seems too wasteful. So this past weekend, I reinvented the dead-end dress into my new favorite summer skirt.

My last skirt project lasted months but this took only a few hours over the weekend. I detached the top, installed a zipper and gave it a clean waistband. It's officially saved from the donation bag! Do I hear the Salvation Army calling my name?

A Very Domestic Weekend

It feels like such a shame to only post pictures of craft projects once they're complete, especially since half the fun is in making them. I spent most of Saturday camped out at the Cape house alternately helping my mother-in-law crank out a double batch of chocolate chip cookies and sewing with my newly pedicured feet up.

Felt, linen, embroidery hoop

Stay tuned for the final product later this week. Meanwhile, I'm still thinking about my haircut. If you're thinking about getting one yourself or looking for an awesome way to waste a leisurely hour, I highly recommend Taaz.com. It's the most realistic free virtual makeover site I've found to date.

Wanted: Your Opinion

My hair is slowly approaching the required length for a donation to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths and with summer right around the corner, I've decided to finally go for a haircut I've always wanted: a pixie. I'm useless when it comes to making the final call on a haircut though. Would you help me pick between these two finalists?

Option #1

Option #2

Please help determine my cranial future by leave a comment saying which one you vote for and why!

Project On Deck

There's a green-sky kind of thunderstorm blowing in so I'm stuck puttering around the house for the afternoon instead of playing outside like I'd planned. I'm trying to be mindful of sitting for long periods of time since I'm officially off of the hazy-making muscle relaxants that have fogged up my brain for the past week so I'll make this relatively short and sweet. Instead of frolicking outdoors, I'm planning my next big craft project. I'm going to attempt to recreate a drool worthy Anthropologie dress.

The Summer Souffle Dress - $198

Vogue 7848 - $5.99 on sale

Swiped from here

My ambition thinks I'm going to wrap the embroidery from the right front of the dress up and around the bodice to peak out at the left side. My skepticism thinks otherwise.

I also bought $12 of white stretch poplin this morning. The zipper will probably cost me another $2 so if I can pull this off, my version of the dress will cost a whopping $20. Well, $20 plus several weeks of embroidery. I'll be replacing the large floral pattern (which would take me several YEARS of embroidery) with a lighter viney version.

Now Watch as I Mangle a Cocktail Dress!

In preparation for next week's cruise, I dug my only semi-formal dress that is not a wedding gown out from the depths of my closet. Luckily, it still fits but an age old problem persists. The straps need to be shortened to avoid exposing too much cleavage.

Hello boobs! Welcome to daylight!

So, I'm planning to rip the seams out and attempt to alter it myself. Who thinks this is going to end well? At least it was a $15 clearance dress to start with.

Ima cut you so bad.

The Winner Is...

No, don't be ridiculous. I don't watch the Grammys. I'm referring to the winners of a much more significant contest: my vacation wardrobe.

Most Valuable Hat

by echo design

I loved the painfully-named Luxury Diva hat but the product pictures were so bad I couldn't gauge the actual size of it.

Sandal of the Summer

by Bandolino

Sigh, I wish the Ralph Lauren espadrilles came in my size but sadly, Zappos is out of eights and I've got an impending deadline.

Best Party Dress

by Sandro

This one really didn't have any competition. The minute I saw it I was sure it was the right obnoxiously bright dress for me. Now I just need to get through two more weeks of cold, snow and rampant viruses. To help me do so, I'm imagining myself on deck seven of the Norwegian Spirit which features a club, casino, three other bars and a 23-hour cafe for midnight snacking. Despite the fact that I've been laid up all weekend with another nasty sore throat, winter suddenly doesn't seem as bad.

What Goes Best with Vacation?

New England continues getting walloped by back to back storms. Today, I tuned out the sleet and focused on our upcoming vacation. Besides the promise of sun, beach and new ports, one of my favorite parts of cruising is that there's still a touch of the old-fashioned in it - playing shuffle board, strutting on the promenade deck, drinking a Tom Collins in the piano bar. Best of all, people still get dolled up. Granted, some show up to the formal dining room in sports jerseys but there's also the crowd that wears their pearls and cocktail dresses. I began my cruise wear shopping with the two most important accessories: a big floppy hat and little white heels. I've narrowed it down to two of each.

Karen from the block:

Echo vs Luxury Diva (shut up)

Labor Day Who?:

Ralph Lauren vs Bandolino

So, any thoughts?

Pattern Bonanza

After I finish Laura's birthday present, I'm determined to finally making things for myself at a leisurely pace - something I haven't done since before the wedding. In preparation for a few months of no-deadlines crafting, I raided SewingPatterns.com:

Vogue 7848

Not that I've sworn off sundresses. Quite the contrary. This pattern has six different length and strap versions to play with once I get the swing of the simplest construction (pictured here). Also, I don't plan to use Hawaiian print fabric and then attempt to look disdainful. What about luaus says haughtiness?

Vogue 2401

Sigh, the coup de grâce is my reach dress. It's a reissue of an original pattern from 1952. The reviews say it's for advanced seamstresses but it's the same cut as my four favorite dresses. If I can learn to make it, I will literally have an entire closet of them. Also, it would be a great excuse to invest in little white gloves and floppy hats.

Butterick 5421

It's likely that my first project will be version A of this skirt. The reviews say it's a good pattern for beginners, which I certainly am when it comes to apparel. The last sundress that I tried to make a few years ago turned into a pillow that lives in my craft room and mocks me from the comfort of the guest bed. I'll show it yet.

The Untrendiest Thing I've Ever Said

I sort of want PajamaJeans. By sort of, I mean, I'm waging an internal struggle between my intense desire for them and my last shred of coolness. But really... imagine wearing these to Thanksgiving dinner and not needing to change into fat pants before dessert. You could go straight from the table to curling up on the couch to nap while the boys watch football. Heaven.