"Thanks for the Memories"

About 4 years ago my best friend Christine Dougherty, watercolor artist, sent me a large box of old clothing. This box is a treasure trove of great usuable items, silk shirts; silk suits; a tapersty jacket; a few over-sized linen shirts and much more. The thing about this box is it travelled with me for 4 years before I could get an opportunity to be creative with the contents. In the last three months, the box of goodies has been, my main source for new wardrobe items----I've been cutting and building virgin yardage from suits, tops and skirts. Below is two dresses I've made using brushed silk suits in lovely jewel tones. The first is a deep purple silk pieced from jacket and pant, with some salvage yardage as the center panel. Dress number two is a lovely teal color, also made from a pantsuit, with the additional yardage created by reconstructing a short sleeve top to be the dress yoke.

Everything has been cut apart and ready for reassembly into usable yardage.

Its not finish for me, until I add my label.

"Happiness consists not in having much, but in being content with little."

                        -Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington 

"I Going to Make Something Today"

It's been a great busy week, and today I awoke with the desire to do something FUN. I have this great white linen shirt, that had been altered by removing the collar and cutting off the curved shirttails. The shirt is an Xlarge, with beautiful pintucking and machine embroidery down the front. I decided it needed a bit of shaping, which I removed from the side seams including the underarm area. I then added a bias strip at the hem edge, to give the shirt a neater finish. All in all this was really just a fine-tuning of an oversized shirt, made of very good linen. The first remake just didn't work, but the shirt was to good to toss aside. This will be my only white shirt to wear this fall and early spring of next year.

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

                                                                                                 Hebrew 13:6

Patches

Drapery samples Skirt

Red lining add some flair

This is a lovely pencil slim skirt I made from drapery sample squares. I guess I could call this upcycling, because this is the second generation use of the squares. If anyone remembers the days when you could ask for outdated sample books from paint/wallpaper stores to use as you wished, is how I ended up with my samples. My girls sewing class used the majority of squares for first project potholders, which all turned out lovely. Nothing gets wasted, so I have this unique patchwork skirt that is almost seasonless in its wearing potential.

“Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:” 

II Chron. 32:7

A Relaxed Look

I’ve had a two-piece fine knit pantsuit for about a month, I thrifted it on an impromptu shopping spree with my husband. Always one to keep a running list of colors and fabric textures in my ever present journal, the extra-large beige knit pantsuit was an okay buy.  Later I acquired a soft beige and green short sleeved man’s shirt (extra large) that matched quite nicely. Second generation styling is this lovely easy dress, that’s just my style.

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."                      Psalm 139:14