Are you tired of dress forms yet? I was! Tired and finished. Until Friday afternoon...just after finishing my duct tape clone.
We were just driving off into the weekend singing silly songs in the car, when I saw her standing at the corner of the street welcoming people to an enormous garage sale. My heart skipped a beat, my husband looks over and asks: " Do you want her...." and I'm saying offended and fast "Of course not, I just made one my size..." We drive another 486 yards and I scream: "STOP! We need to go back".
She was $45, fully adjustable and kind of vintage, but not fancy. $40 was my highest offer and my intention was to start at $35.
But here's the thing: I cannot barter. Neither at a North African bazaar, nor at a garage sale. Every time I try, my voice gets squeaky and funny like the one Minny Mouse has in the old cartoons. On top of that I blush terribly. But sometimes, when it's really, really important to me, I try. Like on Friday:
"$35" I say nervously, trying hard to make my voice sound normal.
"Sure."
That came a little too fast. Which, of course, made me feel stupid and wonder if I should have said $20. A feeling I know well. But, she felt worth $35 (or maybe even $40). So, Marlene is my latest acquisition, fully adjustable in inches and cm and I love her and will not talk about dress forms again any time soon. Promise!
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Then it rained all day Sunday. My daughter played dress up with Marlene and a touch of fall was in the air. The leaves are beginning to turn color here in the Northeast and the air has a crisp feeling in the evenings. Time to sit down and start thinking of things to make for cooler seasons. One of those things for me are coin or change purses.
Take a look:
Usually I use vintage suit wool and then embroider or applique. It's a perfect little project when I'm in between. Not too big and it doesn't require a lot of planning or preparation.
What projects do you do, when you don't want to start a big undertaking or just need a little something interesting to do with your hands to keep them from delving deep into a bag of potato chips?
I guess they're big projects, but I only work on them in spurts when I have an extra moment and need something to do with my hands, like you describe; I usually have 2-4 to choose from at any given time - right now, it's a quilt top to applique (first time doing that), I have a sleeved-wrap type thing that I'm knitting, plus I love to cross stitch and always have some kit in some stage of completion.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I do to keep my hands from delving into a bag of potato chips is refuse to let them into my house!! :) On the rare occassion that they find their way in, I usually eat the entire bag without thinking as those little crispy buggers out me in a trance of some sort!
ReplyDeleteI am just starting to delve back into handsewing (thanks to your blog), so that will probably become my "passing time" hobby.
Das war aber mal eine gute Kaufidee! Das Tape-Abbild meines Körpers habe ich nie so ausstopfen können, dass es meiner Figur glich. Inzwischen arbeite ich auch mit einer Second-Hand-Schneiderpuppe. Und das mit dem Handeln geht mir auch ganz genauso - gewiefte Verkäufer riechen es, wenn ich nur bluffe. Leider habe ich deshalb gar keine Lust mehr auf Flohmärkte etc. - ich denke immer, ich werde sowieso übervorteilt.
ReplyDeleteSchön auch, wie die Rispen zum Stoff passen.
ohh what a good luck, it was a nice decision to turn around and buy it, i found mine like this, i remember i was so happy!!!!
ReplyDeleteto keep my hands busy i do all that little labors that i put away to do later, like sew buttons, socks etc
now i'm trying to handsewing because i was looking for some way to embellishment for my sewing and i found your blog!!!!now i want an entire handsewed closet some day:-D
Such a deal you found! Marlene looks to be in good condition and $35 is a great price!! You have not worn out the dress-form-subject welcome at all. I love to see your adventures and was glad to know that the Bargaining Affliction affects you too.
ReplyDeleteThat purse is very sweet...my in between projects tend to be knitting dishcloths. They take about 90 minutes and when I have a set of three or so, I have a nice little hostess gift ready to go for the next occasion.
Yesterday, I smelled fall for the first time this summer here in the Pacific Northwest...
What a great find! I bought my dress form on craigslist for $40, and I still think it was an incredible deal.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I do love that coin purse. Your color choices are perfect. One of these days I'll get around to making one of my own. Gotta finish my quilted duvet cover first!
I love the coin purse. You make everything look so simple, but still amazingly beautiful. I really need to learn how to embroider. You're inspiring! :)
ReplyDeletetop three reasons i am jealous of you...
ReplyDelete3...queen marlene
2...precious change purse...have never tried one!
top reason i am jealous today...a FALL feeling! we are definately still in summer mode here....HOT! ugh.
a few extra minutes=patching farmer shirts & pants!
cute purse!!
ReplyDeleteLovely, lovely, lovely. What a great husband. And the coin purse is so cute.
ReplyDeleteMy son was in Vacation Bible School at our church last week and I couldn't resist putting some embroidered touches on his tie-dye t-shirt from the last day. Gotta get this stuff in before he starts making his own fashion decisions!
I'm new to your blog (thanks for the flip-flop to awesome customizable shoe tutorial!) and am in LOVE!
ReplyDeleteMy go-to short-time project is making granny and babette squares. I keep a few skeins of complementary yarn in my basket and when I am watching TV, I crochet. When I get enough, I connect into a scarf or runner or lap blanket.