Have I mentioned I love thrift stores?

It's almost a sickness. Except I love it. And today, it loved me. Our super Dartmouth Value Village seems to have acquired a fabric section. It's small. It requires some diligence. However, I do not fear the bin; I will root to find a bargain. And I did.

The material was $4. The sewing basket (which is in perfect condition and is just so damn cool!!) was $2.99. The little plates were $1.99 each and the perfect addition to my dirty little kitsch collection. The patterns have an intended use.

Oh, it was a good day at the second hand store.

Also: I think I'm turning into my grandmother. Just an observation.

Little something for the old sweet tooth...

I won't go into detail about what I messed up, or the fact that this bag is HUGE. Like, it's made for a giant person. Or maybe just for the beach. Personally, I think it would be ideal for a gym bag. Then again, I think it's a good idea to take a bucket of chicken on the treadmill, so maybe I'm not the best one to judge these things....

Also: I'VE GOT WOOD!!

Should you ever need someone to drive your forklift...

I'm your man. Er. You know what I mean. I am now qualified to do so (drive a forklift, not be a man). Peppy little things. I'd trade the car in for one if they weren't so drafty (again, not referring to a man...).

Things have been made. Things are still being made....

better pictures when it's finished.

And more to update when there is actually something to say...

Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains

"Excuse me, did I hear there were brains in here?"

"Om nom nom nom."

A little more Mr. Romero than Ms. Lipsie. I think he's adorable :D

A reality show I may enjoy?

I'm just tuning into Kirstie Alley's Big Life. This could turn into something I will be quickly ashamed of. But we'll see.

So Saturday, I went to Farmer's Market in Dartmouth. Despite running on no sleep, and being up at 5.30 on a Saturday (durr) it was FUN. The people were really nice. It was fairly busy, but not crazy. I sold a bag, and a coffee cozee, and I have to say, it was really exciting and gratifying. I got a lot of really good feedback on my work, which was awesome! I love people telling me I do great work, and my things are just gorgeous (no lie!! That was from CTV's weather lady). And you know me, people telling me I'm great is just about my favorite thing in the world.

Here's the table. Lovely view, I know. If you look on the right hand side, you'll see my card holder, which is just a kid magnet (most of them were under control though. He was only molested once).

(I really should have ironed that table cloth. Ma would be unimpressed). Turns out my sister is a natural salesperson, which means she has to come with me all the time now. That enamel tin was full of gumdrops. Marcia suggested maybe people didn't want to eat them because they weren't individually wrapped. She's probably right, and next time I'll bring werther's or something that people won't be afraid of ohmygodgermsgermsifIeatthatI'llgettheplaggggueee. There was an old guy who ran by twice, all ninja like, and nabbed some. God love him. He kept me from just eating them all myself.


My messy messy sewing room. (The plant isn't dying, it just likes to be dramatic).I seem to be in the middle of many projects. In good news, I won't be cutting anything new out for a while. (Even thought that makes me a little sad, because I have some pretty fabulous ideas, but that's okay. I'll get this done first and then doughnuts!!).

This will soon be something very very awesome with the addition of some 6" zippers. Pattern courtesy of Lia's Space (http://www.liaspace.com/2010/02/tutorial-ms-lipsie-pocket-girl.html) with a little of my own tweaking. Wait and see; all I'm saying is I'm excited :D.

And since I keep saying I need to start making my own clothes, I picked this up last week. I will get to it before the summer, cause it will be an oh so awesome skirt. It made me realize that this is the first pattern I've purchased since gr.9 home ec. Weird, yes? Next up: pants. And then: sock monkey Hallowe'en costume. Oh yes, it will be mine.

To market, to market...

The rest of the week will (WILL, DAMN IT!) consist of me sewing like a crazy person. I'm trying to secure a table at the Alderney Gate Market this weekend. So tonight I took this

which is $7 worth of wonder from the dollarama, and made it into this:

I'm happy with it. And I found the perfect business card holder. But you'll have to wait to see him... :D

Roll up the Rim is clearly a fraud

Seriously, I can't even win a cookie? It's fine; I'll just make my own cookies.

I have been doing things, I swear. Even though I did have a very lazy weekend, and finally, finally watched Zombieland. Saints preserve us. It was even better than I'd hoped. All that and Bill Murray! Yowza. And in other very exciting Zombie related news: between May 5-8, Capital Health Players are putting on They Came From Eekum Seekum at Alderney Gate.

(http://www.alderneylanding.com/theatre/theatreevents.html). Oh. My. Dear. Lord.

There will be pictures soon, I promise. I'm hoping to be off to a farmer's market in the very near times.

And a tip: I picked one of these up at the dollar store.

Best thing ever for picking up dropped pins/needles/thimbles. Even scissors. Really, anything that's easily dropped that likes to hide in the dark recesses under the desk.

Curtains. Mostly.

There will be no pictures, they're a bit slap-dash just to keep the temperature down from 40 plus degrees. Dear God, standing there ironing them, I thought my pants were about to burst into flames. It's a great room, and once the tree outside blooms, it will be significantly cooler, but in the winter, it's impossible to work in there with the window open. Although I have thought about getting a lawn chair, putting on a bathing suit and basking in it.

(Have you ever looked closely at glasshead pins in sunlight? It's things like this that keep me from accomplishing as much as I aim for in the morning).

More interestingly: I am a thrift store junkie. Yesterday I nabbed The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 25th Anniversary Edition, for $9.99. A little expensive for Value Village, but it is in perfect condition and I couldn't find the movie anywhere for less than $30.00. And honestly, I miss it!! I miss doing the time warp! Dammit, Janet!



But I also found these.

The illustrations are so well done. Awesome. Incredible. The books themselves are in perfect shape. Courtesy of my sister, these came home with me for $0.99. For both. That's exciting to me. (And that's a scarecrow on the front of Goodnight Stories, not a klansman like my dear sister suggested). Some favorite images:






From Goodnight Stories. That jaunty young man on his bicycle seems so happy to be driving through the water. And I quite impressed with McTavish's moustache, even if his wife doesn't like it.

The title page of Time for a Rhyme. The detail!



This one is just for you, Lori. I wouldn't trust him though. Looks like he'll take your money and sell you a bag of polyfill.



These three are so odd, and so morbid. I think they need to blown up and framed. A moment of silence for Cock Robin, please.







I loves it!

Your very own yoga bag, madam

A little gift for my BFF (I know, I know, I ruined the surprise). The real surprise is that it went together fairly easily, and better than expected (since it was pretty much made up as I went). I had it half cut out before I bothered to check the weeb for tutorials and patterns; I didn't find anything I really liked, but I did add a pocket (that's the blue part) after seeing another picture. It's lined with black nylon, to add some structure. And handmade bias tape (not actually

cut on the bias so I guess I should call it homemade straight-grain tape) is my new best friend. It just makes everything look so.... finished. And I like that.

Well, that's interesting.

I was reading an interview with Helena Bonham Carter today. I knew she had children with Tim Burton, but aside from knowing that they live in separate, but connected, houses I know nothing else about them. I'm a big fan of hers; I think she was the perfect Marla Singer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3N07BilFUk&feature=PlayList&p=82E9C5B8E40A7ACD&index=0 ). I'll watch anything by Tim Burton, although I won't watch Sweeney Todd again. I think he's some kind of genius; a friend of mine said he didn't really like him, that all of his work looked the same. That might be true, but none of his work looks like anyone else. Anyway... the article I was reading had the names of their children. Billy Ray. And Nell. Huh. Interesting.

The best $5.99 I've ever spent

I have been looking for a chalkboard for years. Not the MDF-bought-at-walmart chalkboard, but a real, old-school one. And today, I found it. For $5.99. Rock on. It lives in my sewing room now, and I think we'll be very happy for a very long time.

I finished a little something I had started today too. Look! I have wood!!

I'm not creepy. I swear.

If I'm following your blog, why, hello. How are you? It just means I found you as I ambled along the internet and I enjoy what you had to say, or what you've made, or most of the time, both.
Can we be friends?

I will not be defeated!!

I have this jacket in my possession. It belongs to the boyfriend's stepfather. It had (has?) a busted zipper. I've been neglecting it because I put the zipper in once already. I thought I had it all basted, I thought it was good to go. Then I sewed it and one side grew, or one side shrank, and when I was done, the top outran the zipper by almost two inches on one side. So I put it down. And I considered putting in velcro. Or buttons. Who doesn't like buttons?? But here I am, back at it. Hopefully with better results this time.

I had a small lapse today; while waiting for the boyfriend, I went to Atlantic Fabrics. I'm not sure why I didn't realize it before, but for the most part, the material is far cheaper than Fabricville, and the selection is far better. I've been keeping an eye out for material with text on it, and how could I possibly pass up this other one?? Chocolates!! Dear God. Now the challenge is making something with it before I eat it...
Also, picked up a card for the Atlantic Sewing Guild (http://asg.chebucto.org/) which I'm feeling a little excited about.