Lemon Yellow and Ocean Blue

It's always a great feeling to finish up a
garment and get it on the dress form.

This cheerful, vintage cotton floral is from the 60s
as well as the woven ocean blue accent fabric.

Fun and sporty, this one of a kind skirt makes me think
of baseball games and sunny weather.

You just couldn't be in a bad mood with this skirt on!

To play up the casual, I frayed the edges of the trim and

finished off the skirt with vintage half ball buttons.

How would I wear this skirt if I have my choice?  See below:
(Click on picture to enlarge)

skirt - coming soon to RubyLemons on Etsy

sandals - Threadsence

tee - Lilly Pulitzer

necklace - RoseandRaven on Etsy

earrings - Threadsence

flower ring - Kate Spade

vintage cardigan - capricorne on Etsy

shoulder bag - Anthropologie

Saying Goodbye to the Girls

They've been in the family for a long time.  They've brought us many warm memories.  We're going to miss them, but it's time to let go.  They have to find their own way in the world.  At least they'll have each other.

Yikes, I'm gonna start getting sentimental for real if I don't knock it off.  The "girls" are these two chiffon dresses made up as pattern models at my first place of employment, Mary Lester Fabrics at Capitol Court - yes, Capitol Court.  I don't know which Mary Lester employee made them, but they ended up at our house and have been floating around ever since the 70s. Except, even in the 70s they already seemed out of style - and let me tell you, I was stylin' in the 70s.  Not really.

Actually, they look more 60s to me, but either way they're full fledged vintage and I'm putting them up for sale in my Etsy shop... as a set.  I have to... they're best friends.

Scarfin' it Up

No, that is not the theme of my Christmas vacation... or wait... maybe it was.  But, that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm referring to something I've been working on lately -- T-shirt scarves.  I've decided to sell them in my Etsy shop.  Everybody's wearing scarves these days - quite the fashion accessory.

At the same time, it seems in recent years every time your kid turns around in school or out, they have to ante up for a t-shirt.  From sports to clubs to contests to camps or conferences - it seems the event is always commemorated by a t-shirt.  These shirts really become childhood souvenirs in a way.  Several years ago, I saw a quilt made from old t-shirts.  It was a keepsake that I thought was pretty clever.  Not to mention, it was a good recycling project.  Since I saw that quilt, I've been saving my kid's t-shirts when they don't want them anymore.  I keep a scissors in the laundry area and I just cut off the logo or design.  The pile of t-shirt scraps has been growing.  The quilt would have been cool, but a lot of work.  Instead, I decided to make a scarf for my daughter for Christmas.  I pieced together her old shirts that were bright and more on the cartoony side.  The scarf turned out cute and best of all... she actually liked it.

This is the scarf, but this isn't Chelsea.  By the time I thought about getting a picture, she was already heading back to college.  Thank goodness for good friends and good friend's kids who are good sports.  Here's my friend Brenda's son, Trent.  He's pretty stylin' in the t-shirt scarf!

Claire's lookin' pretty sweet, too.

And here's big sister Jordie sporting a different scarf

I made for my daughter-in-law.

I swear, she should go professional.

So, I was thinking that maybe I would offer to custom make these for anyone who'd send me their t-shirts.  It's an idea.

Today I made one more out of maroon and grey t-shirts from my older kids' high school years.  Go Falls!

I like it the best so far.

I can wear it to school district events.

Here's Keaton stylin' the Menomonee Falls High School Scarf.  He's another good sport.  What other projects could we make from old t-shirts?

The Shrugero in 3D

Remember my first post?  The one about the "shrugero?"  If you don't, click here.  I really wanted to show the shrug on the bride, but never got a pic at the reception.  I haven't really advertised the fact that I started a blog, but finally told her mother-in-law the other day.  Good idea, because now our beautiful bride, Rachel, was kind enough to furnish some great shots of her wedding dress complete with the bolero shrug - shrugero.

This picture really shows how the sleeve design of the shrug repeats the lower ruffles of the gown.  Good call on the sleeves, Rachel!  Hope you are enjoying newlywed life.

In a Barbie World

In 1993 and 1994 I participated in Bayshore Mall's Jean Jacket Auction which benefited the Milwaukee Aids Project - back when Bayshore was still a mall and not a "Town Center."  Anyway, they distributed 40 or so jean jackets, donated by the Gap, to area "designers, artists, celebrities and craftspeople" to creatively "modify."  There were some amazing entries painted on and embellished in unusual ways by art galleries, design students, local news anchors like Marty Burns Wolfe (whatever happened to her?) and Nancy Chandler, Bo Black from Summerfest and even Laurencia Bembenek.  Run Bambi Run.

The first year I embellished my jacket with a cherry theme using vintage cherry buttons, cherry appliques, and a 1950s cherry tablecloth.

The second year was 1994 and that year I remember a lot of buzz that Barbie was turning 35, so I decided to employ a Barbie theme.  Specifically, I wanted to show how Barbie's style had changed over the decades.  On the front yokes I embroidered, "The evolution of Barbie - from June Cleaver to Peg Bundy."  It was the 90s, remember...

I searched for outfits that represented the 50s (Barbie debuted in 1959), 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s and applique them on the front right, around the back, and ending on the front left.  Imagine my shock one day when I tuned into the morning news and there was Gus Gnorski from channel six doing a story on the Jean Jacket Auction and he was holding up MY jacket and explaining the Barbie details.

The first outfit was the June Cleaver shirtwaist dress complete with pearl necklace and cat eye glasses.  Various Barbie accessories such as boots, purses, curlers, and of course, high heeled shoes were attached to dangle within the vintage chenille bedspread fringe.  Opposite June was a 90s outfit - synthetic, skin tight, spaghetti strapped, purple mini dress with ankle boots and elbow length black gloves.

Let's not forget the three decades on the back.  First up was the pink 60s Jackie Kennedy jacket dress with clutch - oh how I looked for a pillbox hat!  The 70s was represented by a pair of bell-bottomed overalls and the 80s with lime green leggings, silver metallic shirt and jeweled belt.

The auction was a hit and I was honored to do my part to contribute... but what about Barbie?  She turned 50 this year.  I don't feel like I'm hearing so much about her anymore.  What's she wearing these days?

Vintage Generations

I used to make clothes out of vintage fabrics back in the 90s.  Area stores would sell them on commission.  I still have a room full of vintage textiles... and buttons... and trims... and lace... and ribbon... Anyway, I was smart enough to take a picture of everything I created. Good thing, because just now when I was looking through the pictures, I hardly remembered making some of these.

The buyer for the store never let this little cropped shirt (back side pictured here) even get on the rack.  It was made from an old abandoned embroidery project dating back to somewhere around 1920. The collar was leather with beaded trim.  I wouldn't usually cut things up unless they were damaged - at least I sure wouldn't now.

This was a cute little school girl style dress made from some vintage yardage - just a lightweight cotton.  I like the contrasting belt and neck ruffle from the rose fabric.

I had forgotten all about this one.  The fabric was kind of like a shantung - a little shiny with horizontal slubs.  I think it started out as a bedspread.  Love that 60s look.

Hard to tell, but this was a high waisted slip of a dress with criss-cross straps in the back made out of an old rayon that was as strong as the day it was loomed - probably in the 40s judging from the very narrow width of the fabric.

The name of my business was "Vintage Generations."  I used to sew every afternoon while my baby slept (Yep, Chelsea-the same one that just left for college).  Sometimes my mom would come over and we'd gab and sew and gab some more.

This long vest was made out of several doilies stitched together with crocheted flowers with vintage buttons in the centers on the lapel.  I think it could still go today... don't you think?

Oh yes, and I wouldn't have been worth my vintage salt if I didn't make a bunch of stuff out of old barkcloth draperies.  By the way, they're not called drapes.  Indeed, I can still hear my English accented interior Design 101 teacher, Mrs. Riggs, my freshman year:  "Never say drapes.  Drape is a verb.  The things you hang on your windows are drapeRIES!"

The "Shrugero"

It's not really a shrug and not really a bolero, so let's call it a shrugero. For the last few days I made a shrugero for a friend who needed to get a little more coverage than her wedding dress offered. The top layer is organza and the underlayer and lining are taffeta. She really wanted ruffles on the sleeves -- let's call them sleevelets since they don't even extend to the entire armhole. Hey, I think I'm inventing a whole new sewing vocabulary!

By the way, I call them "rumba ruffles." Figuring out how to add these and crop the regular sleeves to these little caps was an adventure in inventiveness. Anyway, these little cuties doubled the time it took to make the whole shrugero... but they were worth it. The bride loved them. They also echoed the organza ruffles at the hem of the wedding dress. The big day is next Saturday and Rachel will look beautiful in her shrugero with the rumba ruffles on the sleevelets.