Best Mom's Closet Find Ever

When I was in high school my mother decided she needed to clean out her closet, and she asked if I wanted to see if there was anything of hers I wanted. Based on what I saw my mom wearing day to day, I wasn't sure I'd find anything worthy of my delicate teenaged sensibilities, but agreed to help.

Little did I know that my mom had kept nearly everything from before she and my dad had even met.  Back then it was cheaper to make clothes than buy them, and she had made nearly her entire wardrobe herself. Being a bit of a sentimentalist, she had kept most of it long after it no longer fit. So I got to take my pick of wonderfully handmade, deliciously retro 1960's and 70's vintage clothing.  I was ecstatic. Until I realized almost none of it fit.

See, I take after my grandmother shape wise, and am long legged, small chested and wide hipped.  My mom is almost the complete opposite. 

There was one pair of bright cherry red bell bottoms that I could just barely squeeze my hips into. I let out the hem as much as I could, and wore them for a few years. Then my hips filled out some more and that was that. I still have them in my closet, though I have no idea why. Like mother like daughter I guess.

The only other thing I kept from that closet cleanout was a halter top made from the absolute best fabric I have ever seen. I have kept it and hoarded it, building up my knowledge of fabric and sewing until the day I felt confident enough to try to alter it.

It's been almost 20 years since that closet cleaning. When I recently told my mom that I had dug out the halter top and was finally ready to try altering it,  she dug around in her craft room a bit and found the remnants of the original fabric.  I have never been so grateful for her hoarding tendencies. Armed with my own sewing experiences by now, and a backup stash of fabric, I got to work.

So here it is, pinned and ready for the final sewing.  I don't have a before picture, mostly because I forgot to take one.  Just imagine it sized for a much bustier figure and hanging loose on my flat chested dress form :)

Knitting Tricks: Knitting two Pieces Together

I am an avid and primarily self taught knitter. I learned most of the techniques I know by trial and error as I worked a pattern that was probably too advanced for me at the time. Collecting these tricks and techniques into one place is hopefully as helpful to others as it is to me.

Knitting two pieces together is very similar to the three needle bind off method, except you don't bind off.  It is a way of joining two knit pieces together, and then continuing to knit one piece from there.  

I first encountered it as a way to add layered ruffles to gauntlets, and I use it frequently in my own designs to make seamless hems and other features.  It is incredibly useful for joining parts of garments without binding off or seaming. It does only work if the two pieces have the same number of stitches, however.

Insert the right hand needle into one stitch from each left hand needle, as if to knit.  Just like you would if you were working two stitches from the same needle, knit the two stitches together and pull them off the left hand needles.

Continue working stitches this way; knitting one from each left hand needle together.  Once the row is finished, your two pieces of knitting will be joined, and you will have live stitches on your right hand needle ready to continue. 

Always Read the Fine Print

I shop at thrift stores a lot.  Really, a lot.  Clothes, books, decor items, cookware, raw materials for my shop; most of the goods I buy come from second hand shops.  This is partly because I am cheap and refuse to pay full price for new when perfectly serviceable things are available used.  Mostly, however, I shop at thrift stores because they can offer some hidden gems found nowhere else.

Sometimes these gems are beautiful and unique vintage clothing, or really high quality kitchenware for a bargain, and sometimes the value of a find is because it is a wonderful piece of written hilarity:

I found this tucked inside a box full of old recipes, half of which included jello or marshmallows. I didn't even bother looking any further through the recipes and just bought the box, giggle-snorting to myself at the phrase 'long time napkin losers'

Apologies for the bad pictures but lighting in thrift stores is not always the best. These too had me giggling helplessly in the store: "...give your entire thought to preparing him for domestication..." and "When she appears to wilt, take her out to dinner..." are my particular favorites.

Vintage Craft Book Feature: Teach Yourself to Knit the Easy Columbia Minerva Way (1968)

Another of my many needlework hobbies is the collection of vintage craft books. Found in dusty corners of second hand shops, in pride of place in used book stores, these old tomes often contain beautiful nuggets of crafting wisdom, and a heaping helping of vintage charm. Reviving the techniques, tips and retro projects is just one more way for us to bring back the wonders of the handmade.

Teach Yourself to Knit the Easy Columbia Minerva Way - 1968

Another of my bargain finds, these old yarn manufacturer's pattern books are often filled with hidden goodies.  As a beginner's book, most of the patterns in this one are pretty basic and easy to make. That said, I do really like the little bits of color and ribbing on the cover projects.

As would be expected of such and instructional book, the first few pages are wonderful illustrations of various knit stitches and and cast on methods. All of it very handy and easy to  access for the beginning knitter.  I am not a beginner, and so I almost passed this one up, even at the low price, until I started flipping through it.

Peppered throughout the instructions are these adorably snarky babies that had me giggling aloud in the store. If nothing else I will page through this booklet whenever I need a good laugh in the middle of a tough project.

Also, this halter style man's vest is probably the coolest design in the whole book.