pretty

pretty, originally uploaded by suesueb.

I was clearing out boxes (more from Mom) and was sorting the items. When I went to pick them up I realized how pretty a picture this made. Lovely laces, crocheted items and crochet thread, all vintage.

Pink Saturday

This week for Pink Saturday Beverly is sharing her studio with everyone. I wanted to share some vintage pink I have and also some pics of my studio. WARNING-there are quite a few photos to follow. My workspace is as full as I can make it and I've taken advantage of every nook and cranny!

The first two pictures I want to show y'all include some vintage lace, fabric pieces, and a beautiful embroidered cloth from my Mom. She was one of those famous recyclers, the Depression era kids. No matter how small a piece of lace or fabric was, it was carefully saved. Dresses were taken apart and remade. Every button, zipper, or hook was taken off and saved for future use. Nothing was thrown away unless it was totally beyond repair. How fortunate for those of us who love these things. I have bags of wonderful lace, fabric, fasteners, and various other pieces. 

Isn't this work stunning? So much time and love involved. Hopefully I can get most of the stains out and finish the edge to be able to use it.

Now for the overload of studio shots! This wall is just to the left of my sewing machine. The little dress was for my mom when she was younger and the longer gown was her wedding nightgown. She gave me the gown just a couple of months before she passed away. I plan of making some sachets from it for family members. The blue hat belonged to my younger sister who died from breast cancer. I love having these items close by because most days this is the room where I work.

 

This wonderful piece came from a shop in Ponchatula. It was a mailbox for a hotel and has a rolldown door. All of my patterns are stored in here along with tissue, bags, and various little items.

This built in shelf unit was a doorway leading to my bedroom. This room used to be for my girls and they kept their little treasures here. Now is full of old jars (from my Grandma) that hold my buttons and threads sorted by color (always had a thing for that). I also have some larger jars holding ribbons.

This closet holds some of my fabrics. I couldn't fit all of them so some are still in my old studio. I spray painted old freezer baskets in different colors and sorted fabric in those. I also have smaller pieces sorted by color in some plastic baskets. It's hard to imagine, but this cabinet measures about 6' by 4'.

An old store rack that holds binding and twill tapes.

My bulletin board on the sidewall left of my sewing machine. It has finished jewelry, some vintage buttons, an Anthropologie fabric stamp, and a few other items I love.

The bright colored dress form comes from Hobby Lobby and I have more finished products on her. The tin plaque of "LOVE" is from Papaya.

And of course, there's a special place for Georgia and Gabe to play when they're in here. I put out my little Singer (no needle or electricity, of course) and a little chalk board to draw on. I really would like to paint the little chairs I have from their parents in bright colors too.

Unbelievably, there are some spaces I left out. More drawers, another closet, scrapbook cabinet and a few other spaces. I hope you enjoyed my studio tour. The blog I'd like to highlight today is The Stone Rabbit. Her posts always bring a smile to my face. Hope you enjoy them too!

One Small Helping Hand

A dear friend of mine called today. cathy and I have created together for years and despite distance and never enough time, "there is a tie that binds".

She and few other friends have decided to help in our way with the crisis in the Gulf. I live a little more than hour from Grand Isle and my hb's family owns some camps in Leeville. I haven't gone down there but the daily pictures on the news break my heart. This is part of my home.

Georgia on Grand Isle beach for the fourth of July, 2008

San Destin, 2008

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/30/louisiana-oil-spill-2010_n_558287.html

There is however, those quiet heroes who start a small movement to make a difference in some big way. Craft Hope is one such place. Through their continual projects, they have brought love and hope to so many others through handmade projects. Partnering with the The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, the Audubon Nature Institute, and the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge  Project 8 involves sending cloths made from cotton fabric or yarn, cotton tees, or old washtowels for workers cleaning up the animals covered in oil. With the help of Kimberly to coordinate the donations, workers will receive the cloths all along the whole coast. 


Please read the link to Craft Hope or their Facebook page to have any of your questions answered about what type of material to use. Cotton and cotton terry cloth is most preferred as it is natural and most absorbent. I'm going to collect t-shirts and cut them into 10"x10" pieces. They are also collecting bottles of Dawn detergent or a giftcard to purchase Dawn. 

There doesn't seem to be an end to the bad news. Besides the environmental impact, so many people make their living from the water and now have no place to fish, shrimp or harvest oysters. Now the moratorium on drilling has already affected the companies involved and the domino effect impacts all the boat companies as a result. I certainly don't know the answer but our whole economy is in jeopardy.

If there is any way you can help, I thank you in advance. God Bless.