Sunday, December 15, 2013

Giveaway Day Winners December 2013

What a week! 

Thank you to all who entered my giveaways, and hello to all the new and long time readers.  I enjoyed reading your comments. 

So now what you've all been waiting for.  The winners of the two giveaways, selected via randon.org are.... 

For the vintage sheet bundle comment number 9.

AlidaP you've won the vintage sheet fat quarter bundle. 


The winner of the diamond/harlequin headband. Comment number 16.

 
Breanna S. you won the headband.


Congrats to you both, and thank you to all who entered. 
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Monday, December 9, 2013

Giveaway Day December 9 2013 Part 2

Alright here is part 2 of my giveaway, see part 1 here.

I'll say the run down once again.

Sew, Mama Sew's giveaway day is here again.  A week where bloggers and shops can gather to one location and have a giveaway hop.

Sew, Mama, Sew! has broken down on how you can go to giveaways that appeal to you.  If you're interested in handmade/finished product giveaways, or supplies.  Just hop on over to Sew, Mama, Sew! to see the list of all the bloggers and shops who are participating.

So, what will I be giving away?  This fun stylish headband. I love the this diamond/harlequin fabric!


These headbands can be worn narrow or wide, and stretch in the back.

I'm also giving away some vintage sheet fat quarters in another post for Sew, Mama, Sew's giveaway day.  Click here to enter. 

You have up to three entries for your chance to win this headband.

1.) All you need to do to enter is leave a comment.  Any comment is fine.  How often do you use headbands, daily, during workouts or yard work?  Are you feeling the crunch time already for Christmas?  What's on your to-do list?

2.) For a second entry let me know if you follow my blog (recent or old).

3.) Follow me on Facebook.

This giveaway is open within the United States until Friday, December 13th 5:00 p.m. PST.  The winner will be chosen at random that following Saturday, December 14.

If your email address is not set up in your profile please leave it with your comment.

Oh, and just in case you can't wait to see if you won, and want to select your own headband for yourself and as Christmas gifts,  I have some currently listed in my Etsy shop.  Use coupon code SewMama to get 15% off anything in my shop.  


Happy Giveaway Day hopping.
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Giveaway Day December 9 2013 Part 1

It's time!  It's time!  Sew, Mama Sew's giveaway day is here again.  A week where bloggers and shops can gather to one location and have a giveaway hop.

Sew, Mama, Sew! has broken down on how you can go to giveaways that appeal to you.  If you're interested in handmade/finished product giveaways, or supplies.  Just hop on over to Sew, Mama, Sew! to see the list of all the bloggers and shops who are participating.

So, what will I be giving away?  A bundle of 9 vintage sheet fat quarters.  Perfect for your last minute holiday projects.



There's so much you can make with these, including stocking stuffers or actual stockings.


I'm also giving away a handmade item in another post for Sew, Mama, Sew's giveaway day.  Click here to enter. 

You have up to three entries for your chance to win.

1.) All you need to do to enter is leave a comment.  Any comment is fine.  Do you love vintage sheets?  Are you feeling the crunch time already for Christmas?  What's on your to-do list?

2.) For a second entry let me know if you follow my blog (recent or old).

3.) Follow me on Facebook.

This giveaway is within the United States until Friday, December 13th 5:00 p.m. PST.  The winner will be chosen at random that following Saturday, December 14.

If your email address is not set up in your profile please leave it with your comment.

Oh, and just in case you can't wait to see if you won, and want to start sewing with vintage sheet awesomeness,  I have some vintage sheet scrap bundles currently listed in my Etsy shop.  Use coupon code SewMama to get 15% off anything in my shop.  

Happy Giveaway Day hopping.
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Monday, November 11, 2013

Thrift Share Monday - November 11, 2013

Yup, I'm back!  Two Thrift Shares in a row.  :-)

I'm happy that I've managed to get out to some garage/estate sales.  Even though I don't list as much as I should to sell, it still makes me happy to get out and buy awesome things.  I did managed though to get a few new things listed in my Etsy shop this week.  Some vintage sheet scrap bundles and some vintage goods

I have a goal to have at least 100 items listed in my Etsy shop by the end of this week.  That shouldn't be to hard since I'm at 80 right now.  Since I've opened my shop, in 2011, I always have intentions to get a good chuck of items listed for potential Christmas sales, but then I procrastinate and fail. Let's see what happens this year.

So here are my few finds from this weekends outing

Some funky owls.


A tiny vintage suitcase


A sweet cat


This vintage Zig-Zag Zoom game, with all it's pieces.



These snack plates were scored at estate sales the last few months, and are now listed in my Etsy shop.




Snack plates are one of my weaknesses (just in case you haven't heard me say that before).

 
  That's it for this week.  How was your week?  Did you get out and find anything awesome?  If so include your link with your comment.

I'm linking up with
A Living Space
Sir Thrift A Lot
We Call it Junkin
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Monday, November 4, 2013

Thrift Share Monday - November 4

It's been long.  Way to long.  I've missed you Thrift Share Monday. Oh how I have wanted to share my finds over the last several months (as sparse as they may have been), but never seem to get to taking pictures and writing a post (guess when you work 6 days a week more sleep happens then anything else).  However, this weekends find led me down memory lane, to almost the beginning of my thrift sharing.

Hello sexy.  We meet again.  Your loveliness was once in my possession.



We've also crossed paths several times since then.  Once at a Goodwill auction where I was out bid.


Then more recently at an estate sale where you were way out of my price range, and gone by half price day.  Even at half price you were more than what I would want to spend. Until now.  I was lucky mom found you, on the third day of a ginormous sale, at 1/2 price.  All she had to tell me was "green and black" and I knew it was you....and it wasn't just you...it was a slew of you on the grandest scale of 81 pieces.



OMG!!!  Seriously!!!  Can you believe this set?  I don't know what else to say about it.  It's awesome!!!  Not only is it awesome....it was at a steal of a price, lunch for me and my two kids at McDonalds cost more then what this set cost.  Yeah....seriously!

It was meant to be, because the first time I had a few of these gorgeous cups and saucers two of the cups broke, and I was left with two extra saucers.  Well what do you know....this set is missing two saucers.  See?  Meant to be.  <3

At this sale I also scored these perfectly pink little cups.



How about these teak goblets?  Two of these are for sure teak (on the left) since they are marked....I'm not sure about the shorter two.




Mom got this crazy looking vintage ice crusher. It really looks dangerous.


I'm a bit dark(sometimes), and maybe it's because Halloween just passed, but when I see this I imagine it in the basement of a chop shop with an array of body organs in it ready to be pulverized.  Gross!  Those spikes mean business. Let's see what it does to some ice, limes and tequila.

So, over the last several months I've done very little thrifting, but on the rare outing I have scored a few pieces here and there.  I'm going to do my best to share these items with you in future Thrift Share Mondays, including today.

Like this super gorgeous, vintage, Italian punch bowl set.


It's currently listed on Etsy, and I know I'll regret selling it....if it ever does sell.  It's just so beautiful, but I can't keep everything.  And in all honesty my theory is I buy stuff I really like or love...so in the event these things don't sell (if I ever get around to listing them) then I will be stuck with stuff I like.  So it's kinda of a win win situation.  I win if I can sell them at a profit or I keep them for the awesome price I bought them for.  Right?

And the last share today is this large set of Franciscan Maytime pieces.  Mom again.  She spotted these and somewhat twisted my arm.  The flowers and colors were just to hard to pass up.  These dishes are individually listed on Etsy for those who are missing pieces to complete their set. 


Thank you for stopping by after my long hiatus. I'm really going to try to get some more Thrift Share posts up this year.  So stay tuned.  :-)


I'm linking up with
A Living Space
Sir Thrift A Lot
We Call it Junkin
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Monday, July 29, 2013

Thrift Share Monday - July 29

A lovely reader (Quilting Fiesta) is giving away one of my headbands on her blog this week. 
Enter here.

I've had some pretty good vintage luck the last two weekends at some estate sales.   Where I've managed to get some of my favorite type of vintage goods.

I'm obsessed, possibly, with snack sets.  I think they are the cutest things ever.  Which is really weird since I'm not a big coffee or tea drinker.  It just that I love how they have that little circular ridged area to place the petite little cup on the plate.  One weekend I got 16 pair of these clear snack sets,



and this weekend I got 8 pair (new in box) of these Crystal snack plate sets.


You can see some of the other snack sets I've found in the past here, here, and here.  Some of these have been sold, however, that hasn't stopped me from having this strange envision of having a cute little vintage-y coffee/tea shop where you can sit relax sipping some tea with a desert on one of my many different snack set dishes. 

Anyways, onward to another one of my favorites, that I have a thing for - carts, or little rolling tables.  I think I have 8 in the garage right now. Let's say 9 adding this folding, rolling cart.



This is the third folding cart I've found.  There is this black one I haven't wanted to part with (yet) and then this brown one that I sold last year (at a pretty good profit).

I'm really digging this small, narrow drawer industrial cabinet.



Well, I think I'm acquiring a thing now for TV lamps too.  Adding to my hoard collection is this Mallard Duck lamp.



The other TV lamps I have are Siamese cats and a panther.

Hmmmm, it looks like I have a thing for wine racks too.  I don't drink wine.  Well....I do if I put some 7-Up in it.



This is the 4th one I currently have (in the garage), and two others have been sold.  Maybe these are signs hidden at estate sales that I should take up heavier coffee, tea and wine drinking.

Well, this wasn't my complete haul. There is about a dozen other small items I purchased like scarves, vintage sheets, a goose neck lamp (to add to the other 4 also in my garage), vintage gloves, and a stool. 

Don't get sad that I have so much stuff hoarded in my garage.  Some of these items along with a huge chunk of my other vintage finds will see the light of day soon.  I'll be sorting through stuff over the next few weeks in preparation of the 2nd Annual Austin Craft Riot Summer Show.  So if your in the area and love handmade goods and vintage you don't want to miss this event.  




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Monday, July 15, 2013

Thrift Share Monday - July 15

(I'm having a giveaway on another post, head on over after this post)  


Yup! I'm writing a Thrift Share Post after almost 3 months of no Thrift Shares.  My last attempt at a Thrift Share post was in May.  I lost most of my pictures transferring them from my camera to my computer...and that was it.  I had the whole post written, with only 1/4 of the pictures for it.  I had intentions of re-taking photos, but that didn't happen.  For me taking pictures of my finds is a good chunk of getting around to a post.  Lugging everything to be ready, out of the car, into the house, out to the backyard, or living room.  Sometimes things only make it out of my car and onto the porch, then a week or so later it vanishes.... into the garage (mom puts it away). 

Well, anyways this post will be a collage of various thrifting finds since May.  My ventures have been to a minimum due to working Fridays and Saturdays (yeah, I know I've said this a few times before), but I've had a few awesome finds here and there.  You may have even seem some of my favorite finds since I've listed them in my Etsy shop, but I'll be sharing them with you here just in case you've missed them.

This weekend I scored a few good items including a vintage suitcase and train case. I think the train case is mad because it is so dirty.  The outside should clean up nice, but I'll have to figure out what to do about the inside. 


The suitcase is also a bit rough, but I have a makeover for it in mind, and let me tell you getting this suitcase was a bit frustrating.  Online this estate sale pretty much had nothing that really interested me, but I stopped by because it was on my way to work (and I ended up going by all three days). The first day I saw this suitcase in the garage by the $1 table, so yeah of course I grabbed it for $1, then to be told at the register it was $5.  That's ok, I don't want it. And left it there.  Kinda regretting that decision I went back on Saturday, and found it was still there (strange), but now marked $10.  UGH!  I take it to the register, to ask about it, and the young girl remembered me from the day before and gave it to me for $5.  Sunday I went back to see if this  birdcage was still there...


and it was. I have a project in mind for the birdcage as well.  Pulling out all the junk inside and putting in some different kind of birds.

Backing up about a month we head to a hoarders sale.  Yes!  Third day of the sale and we still find some awesome stuff.  What we missed the prior two days of the sale who knows, but it's all half off now.  However, I did miss the second part of this sale a few weeks later, where the whole back yard was opened up, but I don't want to think about it.  Let me just show you what I missed.


This hoarders back yard was FULL, just in case you missed the picture above :-) .  We didn't have access to 90% of the yard, but there was someone, momentarily, grabbing stuff we saw from afar ....like a donut shop.  Mom scored this enamel Dansk bowl, and pan.  Yeah, these were out in all that mess.  Oh, and it had just rained that morning.  Can you imagine the mess?  This sale made me giddy.  :-) 

Listed in my Etsy shop.

My favorite find from this sale was this metal chair frame.  I'll more likely attempt to sell it, but if no luck then maybe I can make an awesome cushion for it for myself.


After that sale we went straight to another estate sale, even though we didn't have any more room in the car; unless I kicked my kids out of the car we strategically rearranged all the stuff we just bought. Luckily for the kids there were only small finds at this sale.

A whole bunch of random stuff packed into my car.
This sale, also on it's third day, had a few awesome finds left too.  Like these gorgeous, risqué, framed pinup prints.  When I first saw them I did love them, but couldn't decide on one and didn't want to drop the cash for all of them, so I passed them by. Then my mom saw them and loved them as well, but she couldn't decided on just one either, but didn't want to pass them up.  So we went half in together and bought them all. 

Listed in my Etsy shop
I really do love these.  They are sexy, and tasteful.  They would be a gorgeous accent to a bathroom or man-cave.   There were originally part of an Esquire calendar. My favorites are the orange one and the towel in hair.

Another happy find for me at this sale was this little England Pyrex casserole.  My first stop at most sales is the kitchen,  I have a dish thing I guess.  I was very surprised when I saw this Pyrex marked England.  I hadn't seen one of these in person, let alone even remembered if I'd seen a foreign Pyrex online.


It makes me smile.

These tall drip glass lovelies were found right on my street.  On my way home, after work, on a Saturday I spot a garage sale and turn around to stop by, and these were waiting for me.  How they were not snagged up earlier that morning is beyond me.  They really brightened up my Saturday. 

Listed on Etsy.
Here are some of my finds from that May post, that never got completed.  Some of my most gorgeous finds.

A jadite, converted, oil lamp.  Gorgeous!!!


And this wonderful, Krom, Siamese cat lamp.


De ja vu?  Well, yeah, I have one of these already that I bought last year, but I haven't wanted to part with it since it was so awesome.  However, now I have two so I may be letting one go soon.  This one isn't wired, so more likely this will be the one I keep.  I can put a little flame-less candle inside it for the same glowing eyes effect, as seen here with my first find. 

Ok, I can go on and on and on, since I do have a ton more I can share, but maybe I can get another Thrift Share post ready for next week.  :-)

Until then check out the giveaway I'm having this week to win an stylish fabric headband.  Three headbands are up for grabs. 

Have a great week!

I'm linking up with Sir Thrift A Lot
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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Giveaway!

It's time for a..... giveaway! 

Why?  Because it's been so long since I've had one, and also because since I've picked up my sewing machines from being serviced I've been sewing with no issue.  So, I'm happy.  My finicky "Brother" has been sewing gorgeously. 

As of now I've been sewing mostly headbands for next months Austin Craft Riot Summer Show, and my
"Brother" has been doing the work, since I have the rolled hemmed foot for this machine.  I've gathered tons of fabric the last 7 months so I'll have a large variety of headbands to choose from, and three of you can have one for FREE.


Yup, I'm giving away three headbands, and if you win you'll get to choose the one you want.   To see some the fabrics available, see above, and go to my Mystery Headband listing on Etsy.  The last two photos show some of the fabrics I'm currently working with.  You can also choose from the headbands I already have listed here.


Don't want to wait to see if luck brings you a free headband?  Well, then how about 20% off a headband?  Use coupon code GIVEAWAY to get 20% off any headband listing.  You can still choose the headband you want by using the Mystery Headband listing, just indicate which fabric you want in the comments.

You have up to 5 entries for a chance to win a stylish fabric headband, one headband per winner. To enter I'm trying out Rafflecopter for this giveaway.  Let me know if you have any problems with it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open within the United States from Monday July 15 to Saturday July 20 11:59pm CST.  The winners will be announced on Sunday July 21.

And if you are in the Austin, TX area mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Austin Craft Riot Summer show where you can find me with my vintage finds and handmade items made from new and upcycled fabrics.

Oh!!!  One more thing.  Are you interested in another giveaway?  If so head on over to one of my Austin Craft Riot buddies, Fartsy Arts, to win a pair of awesome cat-eye glasses earrings.  She designed them herself and then got super crafty with a laser cutter.  They are awesome!!!



(7/18/13 added link up)

I'm linking up with Someday Crafts Giveaway Thursday Directory


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Sunday, July 7, 2013

Meet my machines

Hi!

I'm excited.  Really!  After fighting with my "Brother" last year...and some the year before I decided I needed an overhaul.  It's been a debate many times if I should just have my "Brother" examined, and fixed, but every time I thought this it then led me to thinking about getting a new one.  "Might as well buy a new Brother since this one was only $130, and servicing it would be $75".  Makes sense....right? It made perfect sense to me...every time I thought it. 

The long debate of not wanting to spend money on a new machine or to service my current one would begin, then choose to do neither, therefore I continued to fight with my "Brother". Every time thinking it was something I did that led to the continual issues. What am I doing wrong?  I have a new needle,  I switched out the bobbin, I cleaned out any visible lint. Sigh.  Then like any fight it led to ignoring.... I didn't want to spend time with it, because it was just to frustrating.

Then along came cutie Atlas, and a hunky strong Singer.  Both very swoon worthy, but they needed some TLC.  They were both picked out during my thrifting adventures and I had no idea when either of them last had any attention....let alone serviced.  So their age made me leery of wanting to use them, worried a belt would pop in my face, therefore both were put aside unloved.

Now I had three machines I couldn't really use.  Water....water....everywhere....and not a drop to drink.  Well, sewing machines everywhere and not one to actually sew with.  Oh, and let's not even think about my Great-Grandma's machine, Morse, that had been lost and forgotten about, buried deep in the garage.  This machine was last used about 5 years ago (pretty much the only time I used it since inherited).  I  remembered it working really well, but the belt was super worn and I didn't want to break this machine.  It was also so big with it's table, and heavy.  It wasn't practical to lug around.  So this is when I bought my "Brother"

This is also sooooo sad to admit, I don't remember Morse being cute...at all.  In all honesty I really didn't get in to "vintage" until early 2011.  So I remembered Morse being old, plain, and the table was really dated, not a cute table....at all.  So when I decided I couldn't stand having sewing machines around that weren't usable and debating about buying a new one I pulled out all three machine from my garage, including my Great -Grandmas to have them all serviced, and I was shocked at what I saw when I lifted Morse's lid.  Morse was a super awesome vintage blue and tan cutie-pa-tootie sewing machine.  It wasn't "old and plain"...it was gorgeous!  Eh-hem....still aside from its table.  Maybe I should paint the table?

How sad, and strange how your perspective of things can change over a period of time.  This is how I remembered Morse looking.
 

And this is how I see Morse now.


Now, here is the whole family including my finicky "Brother".  My "Brother" is eh, on the cute scale.  Do any of you think your "Brother" is cute? 

                       1947 Singer



                  1959 Atlas


I did decide to get my "Brother" tweaked, in hopes it would be a minimal fix, it had deep interior tension issues, and it wouldn't be a big expense since I was getting the other three overhauled.    Plus I figured I can tow him around when I needed a lightweight machine to move around, plus my daughter could use it.

 So, here is what was done on all of these machines.  My "Brother" had tension issues, so the tension was adjusted.  Morse and Atlas needed new belts.  My Singer got some rewiring done, the cords were old,  better safe than sorry.  Plus all three vintage machines were officially fully services, oiled cleaned, tweaked. 

See?  Morse's table is not on the cute at all scale.


Now what?  Sewing of course.  I've made a whole bunch of headbands so far for a big craft/vintage show I'm preparing for in August, Austin's Craft Riot Summer Show, and I've bought way to much fabric lately.  I need to start making some sales, so I can pay down what I just charged on my card to get these machines serviced.  Yikes!  In reality though the cost to service these four machines was probably the cost of one really good  home machine, but it's four working machines and not just one.Yay!

I have no excuses now not to sew, aside from being sleepy, and maybe space to place all these machines in my room where I can actually use them. 

Anyways, let Sleeping or Sewing recommence. 






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