Honey, I Broke The Closet!

I knew I owned lots of clothes...but I never realized how many until one of my closet rods broke!

One night we heard a crash and couldn't find anything that fell until later when I opened my closet door. WOW. A two inch hardwood rod had split in the center and pulled down the bracket that held it. Good grief, do ya think I need to get rid of some things? There were more than a few laughs about just how many outfits a retired woman needs.

When we got back from the beach last week, I started purging clothes based on what I wear now. I did this several years ago at retirement, but  I bought more and apparently don't get rid of much. To be fair, some of the extra clothes were my mom's. This time I have four huge bags for donation. I also sorted the guest room closet, which stores my off season things.

My sweet husband and I have installed a new closet system with a few custom modifications (stronger this time!). I love the look. Hopefully now I can keep organized and contain my addicting clothing habits. A photo of the broken rod might be all I need to stay on track. 

 

And, yes, I was too embarrassed to shop for clothing on Black Friday.

Breakfast Dates and Quilt Fabric

Sorry to be late posting this morning, but I had an impromptu date with my sweet husband at our favorite breakfast place. Bacon and cheese omelet, fluffy biscuits with hot sausage gravy, crispy home fries and steaming coffee. If you have a chance, try breakfast at the Highway 109 Restaurant in Portland, Tennessee.

Last week I pieced this quilt, a new design called One Direction. The fall colors coordinate with the dining room valances I made a few months ago. It may be a table topper, a wall hanging, to snuggle under, or all the above.  I will quilt it tomorrow so it will be ready for use on Thanksgiving Day.

I have several designs in mind for these lovely new fabrics that I got last week. It's funny, sometimes I immediately know what a fabric will be used for. Other times I buy fabric because I love it but don't have a clue what will be done with it. I salvage old clothing for scraps as well. I guess that's why I have hundreds of yards of material stored in my sewing room. I will use it eventually, even the smaller pieces. The dark brown print in the above quilt was the last bit left over from a blouse I made in the late 70's.

Hopefully when I'm a hundred years old, I will look back at my quilts and remember the fabric's origin: clothing it came from, where I bought the yardage, or that I went to breakfast with my husband wearing that shirt in 2013.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Favorite Clothing Transformed

My love affair with pretty fabric is well known. Like most women, I have clothing that stays in my closets long after it is out of style. Sure, sometimes I clear out older or outgrown pieces to give to my mama, or to Goodwill. But my favorites end up in a huge storage bin set aside for pieces that I just can't part with, even if they don't fit. I don't kid myself that I will ever be a size 6 again; I keep them because I plan to use the fabric one day.

Last week I opened up that bin, stirred my creative juices and ripped into a tropical batik challis dress that I made in 2004. It now has a new life as a sassy wrap shirt, coordinated with a lime green square dot print from my fabric inventory. I'm calling it Island Lime With A Twist.  I can't wait to wear it!

Yesterday I dipped into the box again to release a colorful gathered large print skirt circa 1990 or so. An hour later, a new vest for my mama was hanging on the cabinet door. I used a small scale print as lining to make it reversible. Dual Scarlet Petals will give her two new looks.

I love to remake a favorite piece of clothing. Like farm women on the prairie or depression era wives, I feel a sense of satisfaction when I create something new and useful out of discarded fabric. The scraps left over from these projects have gone into my quilting basket. Who knows where they'll turn up next?

“Really I don't dislike to cook, but what you cook is eaten so quickly.
When you sew, you have something that will last to show for your efforts.”
~Elizabeth Travis Johnson

Summer Sewing: Light, Cool, and Simple Shirts

Temperatures here have been in the mid to upper nineties, so I've done most of my errands and outdoor work in the early morning. After laundry and such, I had time to play in the sewing room during the heat of the day.

Armed with a tall glass of sweet tea, I pulled out the lightest fabrics from my stash to whip up some new summer shirts. They are comfortable, nicer than a t-shirt, and can be worn over a tank top for a crisp, cool look. 

The two shirts pictured are from one of my favorite patterns. New Look 6407 is a fitted shirt with several collar and sleeve options. For simplicity and ease of wear, I chose not to use the darts in front and back but the tapered side seams give a nice fit.

Four finished seams, sleeves, a collar, buttonholes, buttons and I was done in just over 2 hours each from cutting table to wearing. It's a good thing they don't have speed traps for sewing machines, or I'd be in big trouble!

Useful Notion: Don't be afraid to modify or adjust a pattern to suit your mood, your fabric, or your creative style. Add or delete pockets, change sleeves, use contrasting fabrics for collars or facings. That's part of the fun of making your own clothing. 

"There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right" 

....Martin Luther 

^^^^^^

Fashion Rerun: The Fun and Funky 70's

What's hip, cool, and a blast from the past? This spring and summer we're seeing a return of designs from forty years ago. Wow...can it be that long? It seems like yesterday. If I still had the little knit dresses, peasant tops, and floppy hats, they'd be classified as vintage! These are the clothes that I loved to sew and I have the patterns to prove it.

Looking through my older patterns, I found quite a few that are exactly the same as those in stores right now. The only problem is, mine are size 7 or 9 junior. Modifying those to fit my current size 12 will be a challenge for the more detailed designs. The simpler ones should convert easily. Or maybe I'll sell a few vintage patterns and buy new ones to add to my collection.

It will be fun to wear the 70's styles again, at least some of them. I don't believe I can manage micro-mini skirts this time around.

Useful Notion: What goes around, comes around...in fashion, style, home décor, or life.  Keep the best and discard the rest. 

Remember that always dressing in understated good taste is the same as playing dead.  -- Susan Catherine

Never wear anything that panics the cat.

           -- P.J. O'Rourke

Tossing Clutter and Seeing Shadows

Color sorted & accessible!

The first part of last week was icy cold and snowy. The weekend was beautiful, with bright blue skies and high temperatures nearly sixty. Tomorrow will bring rain and cold again. That's winter in Tennessee, all right, you just never know what to expect.

One of the dreary cold days, I tackled a task I've been putting off: sorting through my closets. I have many, many clothes.  Now that I'm retired, my wardrobe needs are significantly different. My style is much more casual and relaxed. I still love clothes and like to look nice every day, so I'm not lounging around in sloppy old sweats. But professional suits aren't something I'll wear very often, so out they went. 

I was ruthless. Sort of. OK, you know I couldn't get completely rid of ALL these beautiful, colorful items. You'll find some of them in bins on my closet shelves, ready to repurpose for later projects. I think my favorite old tweed skirt will make a really cute purse. 

Have you ever noticed what happens when you start organizing or cleaning in one spot? Is it just me, or do you begin to see much more that needs doing in every room? It's contagious. Now you can guess about the rest of my week...I just had to toss more clutter, dust mop floors, rearrange a shelf, move a lamp, catch up the ironing, file paperwork, and clean baseboards.

I was distracted from my indoor mission by warm weather and sunshine. As much as I love snow, I couldn't resist being outside with the sun on my face after such a long period of cold weather. I wanted to throw open the windows, but it was kind of chilly for that.

Because of all this cleaning and outdoor time, I didn't get any design, art or sewing done. And I just noticed that my craft room has become a bit cluttered. Wonder if the ground hog will see his shadow this week? I need to spend a few days in there organizing my supplies.

Useful Notion: When purging your closet, think about how you might repurpose an item before you toss it. If you love it, but it doesn't fit or has gone out of style, don't be afraid to cut it up or take it apart. The pieces could become something new and useful. If you're tired of it, send that one for donation. 

Remember that thrift stores are great sources for unique, crafty fabrics...look for long skirts and menswear. But don't take home more than you brought in!

“If you don't love it, use it, or wear it, it's clutter!” – Marla Cilley 

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