sewing and standards

i popped into our library yesterday and popped back out with this fabulous book - for FREE! there was a plastic bin full of free books hanging out in the lobby and ta-da, a sewing book just for me. i am definitely a sucker for free, but i think i would love this book even if i had to pay for it.

there is no date in the book, but i would guess it is from the 60s. it discusses button holes, hemming, pattern making, drapery, slip covering furniture, you name it. if it has to do with sewing, the instructions are in here. being that it is a better homes and gardens book, i imagine it has graced shelves in many homes.

aren't old craft books the best???

may arts and a ribbon tutorial

remember when i went to the atlanta gift mart show and came home with some fabulous ribbon? that ribbon was from may arts and they are currently looking for a tutorial writer for their blog - how cool would that be??? when i read the design team call, i knew i would be perfect for the position. because, if there is one thing i love, well, it is ribbon!

for my tutorial entry, i wanted to carry on the path that i have been going with embroidery hoops and flowers. i created this sweet flower vignette using only may arts ribbon, buttons and embroidery thread.

want to make one for yourself? click here to download the pdf :)

estate sales and loot

estatesales.net is my new love, no more searching the paper for sales. instead, i get a customized list delivered to my inbox every friday showcasing all the sales in my area. something about the sale i went to last week spoke to me. i poured over the preview photos and mapped out my plan of attack because there were so many items i wanted. there was an amazing blue glass set of dishes, but when i showed up, the $60 price tag was waaaaay too expensive. never fear, i managed to find a lot of other goodies to fill my basket.

i scored 2 pairs of lamps, that are going to be gorgeous when i fix them up. a deviled egg tray also came home with me because, well, i go weak in the knees for deviled eggs! i also found a bunch of old buttons and thread spools and last but not least, a beautiful teal candy dish perfect for easter. never mind the fact that it is currently holding my last bag of candy corn that was stashed away last october :)

scallops and scissors

thanks to mmmcrafts, i am now the proud owner of scalloped fabric scissors. i had been on the hunt for a pair of these for months now, and apparently i wasn't the only one. they aren't cheap, but they are oh, so worth it.

i am awfully glad i scooped them up because when i went back to the site to copy a link for all of you, it wasn't there. these scissors vanished off their pages. crazy that these aren't in every corner craft store!

flowers and markets

a fresh market store recently opened up in my little atlanta suburb and i am speechless. this store is exactly what my town has been missing! from a full florist to a butcher to a prepared foods counter, to an old fashioned candy bar - i think i could live here. seriously, i might ask them if i can move in.

but back to the flowers - i told my husband he never has an excuse for not buying me flowers again!