scrap books

i am a magazine junkie, an endangered species at this point in time. it leaves me with piles of print throughout the house, so i have resorted to pulling out the pages and images i like, and toss the rest. these all go into shoeboxes, and when I have the time, they are added to my growing scrapbook collection. here are a few pages.

denim craft

when you have growing kids, jeans are a wardrobe staple. after they've served their second term as cut-offs in the summer, i turn them into these scented lavender cubes. here's how: make a cardboard template of about 5" x 5". cut out 6 squares for each cube, include details such as pockets and grommets if you can. attach the squares with a dense zig zag machine stitch (use a heavy denim needle on your machine), with the stitching facing out. first you make a cross pattern, then you stitch the sides together to form a cube. finally you attach the "lid" of the cube. when stitching the last seam, leave half of it undone. make a 

funnel out of paper and fill the cube with dried lavender. the rest of the seam will need to be stitched closed by hand, as it is hard to use the machine once the cube is filled. these cubes looks great when grouped together on a coffee table. they are very sturdy so can easily be tossed around in any wardrobe, sock drawer, coat closet, you name it, to keep things smelling fresh. in order to revive the scent, just squeeze the cube every once in a while. lavender also has a calming, soothing effect, so they make great bed companions for rowdy, energetic kids who have trouble settling down at bedtime....

weird medical paraphernalia

this is why i love flea markets: you come across the strangest stuff. medical pamphlets and posters from days gone by are fascinating, sometimes gross, and often hilarious. a good example is this distinguished gentleman, instructing where to place the tourniquet "if bitten by a mad dog or poisonous reptile". the second image is a detail shot of an absolutely gorgeous framed print entitled "original reproduction of normal and abnormal fund" by william a. fisher, m.d.
basically, it is an illustration of various eye-diseases (very appropriate for me, as i have lousy eyesight). aside from its bizarre subject matter, the print is graphically amazing, to me a real work of art.

disco

i picked up this sequined disco-era batwing top a few weeks ago at the flea. sadly, it does not fit me well, but for $5 it is a bargain as I can recycle the beads and matte gold sequins. i just wanted to take some pictures before I start taking it apart.

turquoise and bottle caps

here is my latest creation, a rather heavy necklace made from some very chunky turquoise beads bought at the elephant's trunk flea, mixed with bottle caps. easy to make, just punch a hole in the middle of each cap with a hammer and nail. necklace should not be worn on bare skin though, it can get a bit scratchy....

embroidery floss

i purchased a large quantity of vintage embroidery floss at brimfield a few weeks ago, and it made me want to find out a bit more about the companies - often centuries old - that still manufacture them. i was most familiar with dmc which got its start more than 250 years ago in france - 1746 to be exact - when a 23-year old artist started a joint venture with 2 equally young entrepreneurs. they were the first to manufacture hand painted indian prints in europe. the nephew of one of the founders discovered the invention of the chemist john mercer - "mercerizing" - the process of passing the cotton thread to caustic soda to give it strength, longevity and silky appearance. dmc remains an international organization manufacturing consumer threads, industrial threads and textile related products.

in 1755 james and patrick clark began a loom equipment and silk thread business in paisley, scotland which eventually grew into the company j & p coats, now also a weaving business with a cotton mill that produced its own thread. the firm expanded internationally, particularly to the usa, where the coats brand eventually dominated the american thread market.

in 1898, the american thread company was incorporated in new jersey, a combination of 13 new england firms. business went very well in the early years of the 20th century. the beautiful building occupied by the new york wool exchange at 230 west broadway was purchased and became the new york headquarters. today it houses condominiums.

retro craft - labels

these gems of ingenuity were taken from the book "a book full of ideas" (no kidding) by noelle lavaivre, first published in great britain by angus & robertson, in 1972. i love the use of the classic yet humble lick-and-stick labels. i remember these fondly from elementary school. the necklace looks quite contemporary, i will certainly give this a try. the second craft - an OCD collage - has great graphic appeal but falls squarely into the "too much time on my hands" category.

a treasure

one thing i always look for at flea markets are vintage how-to books: knitting, crochet, sewing, crafts... you name it. i've come across some real treasures (pantyhose crafts anyone?) and i've decided to dedicate some posts to these, all with proper credit of course. i wanted to start with "embroidery - a fresh approach" by alison lilley. first published in 1964 by mills & boon limited in london, this is not at all your typical how-to book. in fact, i have found it remarkably unusual in how the book does not offer a series of well-outlined projects to follow from start to finish, but rather contains a wealth of wonderfully inspirational sketches and ideas. as per the author: "it has always been my opinion that books illustrated with actual embroideries, whilst making their point very clearly, lay themselves open to direct copying and indirect imitation of style. i hope that drawn illustrations will lead people to adapt what they see to their own individual needs and apply their imagination to translate from paper and ink to fabric and thread." well said, this book is an absolute treasure.

yellow birds

it's weird how collections just tend to happen. i love birds (especially parrots and parakeets) and yellow is my favorite color. last year, i picked up a yellow ceramic parakeet at a flea market. now i have half a dozen.

lapis lazuli

i have a real weakness for semi-precious gems such as malachite, tiger's eye, peridote, topaz and lapis lazuli. this dates back to my days as the youngest member of the MKA (mineralogische kring van antwerpen, or mineralogical society of antwerp). so of course i could not resist this lapis bib necklace at brimfield.

weird cat art

i am a sucker for anything weird and cat-related, such as this 1978 print by carol travers-lummus, entitled "meum et tuum", presumable the cats' names?

he loves me... he loves me not?

the yard sale find of the day for $2: a brass clover-shaped pendant with a spinning wheel, offering 4 romantic options: it's a date, he loves me, the answer is no, he loves me not...

rwaaaaar....

for a while now, i have inexplicably drawn to all sorts of animal prints. i even bought a pair of leopard trousers recently... and i could not pass up on these cute sneaker slip-ons from the old navy factory outlet. dalmatian? ocelot? giraffe? at $10, they will be my summer staple.

clementine

what do you get when you plant a clementine pit? a clementine tree! or at least, a little sapling... my kids firmly believe we will be harvesting our own clementines next year.

just because...

for pure inspiration, i wanted to share these pictures of an antique japanese textile swatch book. it is tiny and delicate, but filled with such an abundance of inspiration. enjoy!

easter craft

louise and i made this bowl over easter weekend, based on several tutorials we found on pinterest. it is so easy to do: coat the inside of an oven-safe bowl in cooking spray, put one layer of "melty beads" inside (stack them up the sides) and put in a 350 degree oven. check regularly (our bowl took about 20 minutes). contrary to what you may think, the melted plastic does not even smell that bad. next, we want to try a black-and-white version of this.

score!

i found this treasure at yesterday's flea market: a beautiful silk shirt dress, made from a foulard by bianchini-ferier, a legendary lyon-based textile house. i paid $20 for the dress... i am so excited that i took pictures before it was even sent to the dry cleaners. what appeals most to me is that the foulard pattern is not the usual preppy horsebit-stuff, but composed of butterflies, birds and feathers..... just gorgeous.

ribbit

can't wait for spring. can't wait to see the big fat frog in the pond of the prospect park zoo. meanwhile, here's a handmade one...

lace & doilies

a great and easy thing to make with my ever-growing stash of lace, ribbons and doilies. these bracelets in various widths are all sewn on heavy linen ground, with a button and ribbon-loop closure. dylan is modelling....

teacups

based on a craft project by martha stewart living: teacup candles. the cups were all found at flea markets and charity thrift shops. the microwavable candle wax is soy based, which makes for a very clean smoke-free burn. i bought the wicks and wick holders - which are hot-glued to the bottom of the cup - in a diy store in belgium.

tis the season...

last year, i made a bunch of holiday stockings that were sold in a few local boutiques. the one i liked the most never sold, and i'm very happy about that. it was made from an unfinished piece of petit-point embroidery - le paysan d'apres le nain - and I left in the printed border as well as the color sampler.

more bangles

after the ones i made with leather, i wanted to try some with fabric, which turned out to be lot easier... in this case, the bangles are wrapped with selvedge clippings. it just takes a little hot glue to keep everything in place. again, the closure was wrapped and covered up with waxed jute twine.

bibs

a great way to use up whatever bits & pieces you have lying around: these "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" bib necklaces. i love collecting vintage sewing notions & buttons, and this is a great way to use them. the base is a double layer of fabric, sewn together with the seams exposed. a ribbon makes the closure.