Zipping things up for the AtoZ Challenge

Bookmark found in a 1949

Singer Sewing Book

Zipping to the end - one of the few times, other than pheasant hunting season or when she photobombs fishing shots, that I post pictures of my dog, Zipper. She is a German wirehaired pointer with an energy level true to her name. Loves to ride with the Mr. on the tractor or in the UTV. 

I hope my audience enjoyed my posts as much as I enjoyed creating them. The two big events for me are the AtoZ challenge and my Countdown to Christmas posts.
Here are blogs I discovered during this challenge in alpha order:
Abbie's Adventure Diaries - "the mad journey of a limited edition kind of woman."
Around My Kitchen Table - best advice, "Never eat more than you can lift."  Miss Piggy
Crazydolllady - explores the minutiae of detail on dolls.

Fifty Philosophy -  "Linda's musings on life and love in the 50s."
Littlecunningplan - Utilized her Lucille Ball Fear-O-Meter regarding her sailing posts.
Pulp, Paper and Pigment - Linda focuses on handmade paper, handmade books and just about everything fiber.
The Cynical Sailor - "purveyors of eccentric travel adventures on water and land."
Spoken Like a True Nut - "The absent-minded brainchild of a woman who, when she's not pawning off her excess weirdness on WordPress, also takes pretty photographs, sings, and works in an office with a fax machine that is quite possibly possessed by a demon." 
Sunshine avenue 7 - well drawn images I assume made by the author with a great quote on her home page, "My hair was at least tidy, which was all my ambition." Jane Austen
Tasha's Thinkings - runs a small publishing company, former developer/database designer. Focused on fictional phantoms.
Vintage Daze - "Navigating the collectible craze."


I follow numerous others, including many of the hosts of this challenge. Thank you again for joining me on this journey!

Yarnbombing and Yo Yo Dolls

commons.wikimedia.org

Yarnbombing is a subject I like to revisit each challenge. Link to yarnbombed trees in Mendocino County and yarnbombed-panther-at-scc. Fabric art of a different sort, rebellious in nature.

YoYo dolls galore on this link to the goldcountrygirls. 

Yet another yoyo appeared on shopgoodwill.com

Another AtoZer CollectIn Texas Gal highlighted some yo yo quilts yyolandas-yoyos-and-yall

Yo, yo - any yoyo dolls or yarnbombers in your neck of the woods?

In pursuit of the elusive X

Admittedly, the toughest letter (next to "Z") of the AtoZ Challenge to fit into a post.
X, the alphabet letter block most sought after for collectors of Americana.

Xena, my Maine Coon, finally showed up after weeks of absence. My other cat is beating the h**l out of her, being xtra aggressive/territorial. Do you have kitty cat troubles and how did you solve a situation like this? I want to keep both cats, if possible.


And a little ditty about ex's . . .

Weird, Wacky and a WIP table

Thrift Shop Ceramic Elephant

The "W" letter prompt allows me the freedom to highlight things Weird and Wacky.  I free-passed it under my "Y" prompt of last year's challenge you-get-one-free-pass-to-weird-and-wacky.

What is it? A lamp, a fabric lantern?
Found this duo through The Feral Irishman For-win-taxidermy

Shopgoodwill.com, one of my go-to sites could be counted on for

The Weird

And Wacky

Not too late to bid on this shadowbox interpretation by artist Ellen Zahorec, auction ends 4/28/16 at 5:30 pm PT
www.shopgoodwill.com

Collectible Americana under "W" would be a Wurlitzer jukebox.

WIP (work in progress) table. I have separated the Christmas fabric into two types, one stack is burgundy toned, the other stack the more traditional red/green colors. Goal is to make 6 lap sized holiday themed quilts by year's end.

Show me some linkup love if you have a post even remotely weird, wacky or WIPy in nature!

Being Von Zalez

It is Very Von Zalez of me to include vintage fashion. By now, you have figured out my style and methods, whether you like me or not, and what the heck do I have in store for these difficult letters of V, W, X, Y and Z? 
Technical difficulties with an image of me modeling the ensemble.

Vintage Teddi floral blouse (repaired with some condition and missing button issues) and
$8 for this thrift shop studio one sweetie scored at Salvation Army
Pattern of the Day 1969 McCall's 2068, pantsuit with an orange and floral color combination.

Thrift shop dolly also picking up the color scheme!

Uncle Sams and U find fun things when you shop thrift

Uncle Sams as Americana collectible. I love this being an election year, unstructured entertainment to say the least!

U find great things at the thrift shops! I fell in love with this boy and girl salt and pepper shakers. They hold a place of honor in my collectible room. Behind them is a voluminous handmade skirt, while I was wondering how I would find a match to such unusual fabric ...

when I happened upon this Harris Wallace shirt, springtime bird framed ceramic tile, and lavender fabric at the hospice thrift. I needed to supplement the backing to my Daughter Quilt.

Undoubtedly, I will model that outfit in an upcoming month.

Unless you are shy, please say you stopped by!

Turbans, Teddy Bears and a Time Traveler

Turbans - always fashionable!

1945 The Complete Book of Sewing

Pattern of the Day from 1971 Simplicity 9365, another version of the Turban.

Collectible Americana - Teddy Bears, probably none of these thrift shop inmates.

One of the advantages of attending college is learning useless bits of information. In my computer information science class, this supposed Time Traveler video was referenced in my textbook.



Song of the Sea

This AVON decanter was a thrift shop score for ten cents, one of the blue tagged items on President's Day.  

Both the Mr. and I have heard the siren's song of the sea. For those new to my blog, we spend most of the summer ocean sport fishing on California's north coast.

We have been 100 miles out to sea, by the shipping lanes, in pursuit of tuna. We have seen all manner of marine life, including whales.

The Mr. and I are enjoying our ability to do this type of activity because there will come a time in the not too distant future that we will not be able to launch a 25-foot boat into the water and muscle it around in the ocean.

On the days we cannot make it out on the ocean when the seas are too rough, I like to go to Glass Beach. It is a perfect excuse to sit in the sun, hear the sound of the ocean and sift through decades-old sea glass.

A blogger I met through the AtoZ challenge Stephen Z Metal has a technique for making-sea-glass.

Cheers to the song of the sea and those who heed its call.

Ruffles and Refashioning

Ruffles, what are they good for?

Some look fantabulus!

vintagevixon.blogspot.com

Some trail behind ...

St. Laurent Fall/Winter 2016

1949 Singer Sewing Book

Some ruffles go a little country with Pattern of the Day from 1974 Simplicity 6218 and undated Authentic Patterns Square Dance.

Some get refashioned!
Before

This green ruffled blouse was thrifted for $1.50. At first, I thought I bit off more than I could chew, how do I refashion this thing? Gaudy level off the charts. Out came the trusty seam ripper and I remove the wrinkly long-sleeved arms from the garment and the loose ribbon detail. *Rip* 

I figured you if you are going to Go Green, you've got to go all the way! I got the hat for next nothing, along with the liz claiborne knit shirt, Halogen skirt and BCBG heels.

One blogger I was delighted to find and follow is Refashionista.net with her "chop," "whirr" and "snips" descriptions refashioning her outfits. Her goofy "before" images always crack me up! Then she is all glamorous in her "after" refashions.
Updated post to linkup with Notdeadyetstyle for Visible Monday.

Ruffly refashion - hit or miss?

Quiltorama

Poultry Quilt, Puyallup Fair 2012

Welcome to the Quiltorama, ah, you didn't think I would sneak by the letter "Q" without focusing on quilts did ya?

In the 1950s and 1960s, sewing was all the rage, girls took home economics classes and, at the very least, learned to sew an apron.

1949 Singer Sewing Book

In the late 1970s, the fabric industry was starting to suffer, less and less people were making their own clothes. Purchasing clothing retail became cheaper than making your own outfits. Quilting saved the fabric industry - it just started to gain ground around the time sewing your own clothes was falling out of fashion.

On the subject of quilts, there is a new American art form of displaying painted quilt blocks on barns. In California, there is the Rio Linda/Elverta quilt trail project inspired by Donna Sue Groves. On the project's website rlequilttrail.co, there is a quilt-trail-bike-and-drive-tour-map.

Elverta Feed Store barn quilt

You wouldn't think quilting could be humorous but The B***hy Stitcher has this post worth a read The-greatest-quilt-related-advertising campaign ever. Language warning for sensitive souls. 

"Patchwork manages to take scraps of fabric, like fragmented pieces of time, and turn them into a beautiful whole. This makes quilters feel that all of the scattered pieces of their lives can add up to something worthwhile and appealing as well."  The Quilters Catalog. 

A few months back, I linked up with one of the quilt bloggers with my post mans-shirt-repurposed and my page views tripled! I was surprised by the popularity of that post. 


Another AtoZ challenge blogger Vintage Daze chose quilts for this "Q" letter day prompt also, quilts-depression-era.

Progress on the Daughter Quilt from the first layout to the finished quilt top. Accent borders and sashings were added along with small pieces to even it out. Ready for the quilt sandwich to be assembled.

Quilt On!