Calaveras Tunic

Last year I picked up a vintage Vogue pattern at Brimfield with Elizabeth. I don't normally do much apparel sewing, but this looked pretty easy and reminded me of something Mrs. Roper on Three's Company would wear, so how could I resist.

Fast forward a year and Elizabeth and I were wandering around Franklin Mills and I found this great Alexander Henry "Indigo Skull" fabric on the sale rack. Again, how could I resist? Even though I didn't know what I was going to do with it, I needed to have it. And then I recalled the tunic pattern and got to sewing the very next weekend.

It came together in a few hours with relatively few issues. I had to get out the sewing machine manual to remind myself how to do a blind hem and I modified the sleeves a bit so they weren't quite so gigantic. I made the sash with a yellow fat quarter I had from a collection of Amish solids (you never know where you're going to find that piece of fabric you need in your stash). Overall, very pleased with the result!

References:
Brimfield Antique Show
Elizabeth's Blog
Franklin Mill Store
Alexander Henry Fabric

Day of the Dead (wiki)

Buttons so Hip

I'd like to blame my pal Kathy Sperino on my button collection, but I think she just fueled the fire. It started when I took up making the hats, my sister and I spent about a half hour digging through a bucket of buttons looking for the cute fifties plastic ones that they were selling for 10 cents each. Then this year Kathy asked me to keep an eye out for mother of pearl buttons. I found some of those. And now my eye is drawn to them and buttons of all sorts. At this last Brimfield I got a huge haul from a dealer in the back of a field who saw me looking at a box of buttons and said, "I'll make you a great deal." She then proceeded to bring over another box and offer it all to me for $8 dollars. Hundreds of buttons. I jumped at it.

Later that day we went through a few booths where they specialized in buttons and ribbons which was further inspiring. LizaP has a picture of one of those booths here. At one of the booths I bought a new book, Buttonware, by Amy Barickman. The woman who was running the booth, Susan Gower, had some of her bracelets featured as a project in the book. She had a fantastic assortment of buttons, notions, and other squeal inducing items which she also sells off of her website, NiftyThriftyDryGoods.com.

I made this bracelet from another project in the book, Charmingly Graceful. I'm pleased as punch at how it turned out. Will have to make some more button projects soon.