Tie One On ~ Apron from clothes

The theme this month for Tie One On was to make an apron from clothing. I had a few ideas but really wanted to do something with lingerie since Valentine's Day is coming up. Most of the aprons I have made for TOO are holiday themed or inspired, come to think of it.


Below is the nightgown I cut up to make the lacey front panel of the apron. I cut the top part in 2 pieces then layered them over a piece of fabric cut away from the gown. I am planning to use the left over bottom for a skirt, more on that later. I put this gown on before I cut it up and ugh! That rufflely neck line was not doing anything for me. I think it will be much happier as an apron.
I then attached the frilly panel to the garter belt. I forgot to take a picture of the garter belt beforehand but I didn't do anything to alter it. This garter belt has an elastic top that doesn't attach with hooks are anything. It's just a pull up type. I decided to use the back of the garter belt as the front because I thought the satin panel was pretty cool looking.

I am really happy with the apron but not so with the photos. I didn't realize until they were done that the lighting was awful and the apron was only fully visible in just a few shots, among other issues. Oh well...

More lovely mail!

First I got a package from my mom, then the next day I got a package from Elizabeth ! She was sending me this pattern out of the kindness of her heart and then I happened upon her etsy and bought that gorgeous pouch seen in the middle photo. Next on my 'can't live without it' list is one of those cute owl pin cushions she makes!
This little pouch is crazy cute. Let me count the ways I love it. First, it's made from vintage kitchen fabric. Secondly, it has roosters on it. I love vintage kitchen stuff and collect vintage roosters. Third, the color combination is beautiful. Four, Elizabeth put so put detail in to it. The liner is red gingham and attached to the zipper pull are fork and spoon charms along with some cute red rick rac trim. It is just soo darling. I don't even know what I am going to use it for just yet, I just couldn't live with out it! ha ha!
Okay, so she had already spoiled me enough, but then she had to go out do herself with giving me these beautiful pieces of vintage fabric! I don't have a lot of vintage fabric, I can't find much around my town. So when I opened this part of the package my jaw literally dropped! The fabric in the top right corner is the exact same fabric from my wrist cuff. I don't mean it looks like it, IT IS from the same fabric! Elizabeth had traded some of it with Katey . Isn't that crazy!
She also sent me some adorable buttons and a handmade card (seen in the top photo) along with some candy that I ate while unwrapping all my goodies. I feel like it's my birthday ! Elizabeth, thanks soo much!
I just got a knock at the door and it was my UPS man with another package !! It's actually for Pumpkinbutt, I'll see if I can post about it today.

happy package

My mom sent me a 'happy package' loaded with goodies, and for no particular reason. First off, a bunch of cool MikWright stuff. Post-it notes, memo pad, magnet , notebook, and a calendar.
Then, the screen play for one of my all time favorite movies "It's a Wonderful Life" . I watch this movie year round. My brother-in-law is a big fan too and every Christmas (just about) we play the trivia game. So now, I have a study guide, heh heh heh. Ever wonder what the name of the other heavenly body is, other than Joseph? Well...It's Franklin.

Then, she got all crafty on me and made each of the Dixie Dolls (the crafty girl gang I belong to) their own cigar box purse! These are her first attempts at cigar box purses and they look fabulous!

The handle is red, black and white dice beads strung on wire. The inside is lined with black felt and she even made a little strap from black and white polka dot ribbon that will hold on to the lid when it's open. This can be seen, kinda, on the purse to the left. On one side is an image of martinis with the words 'martini lounge' (shown) and the other side (not shown) has an illo of a girl in a pink martini glass. The front and back of the purses have the Dixie Doll logo.

The Dixie Dolls are going to be styling these at the next show we go to! Thanks mom!

Agrh! There's roaches on the baby!

I made this, well embellished it, for a gift for a friend. And, yes, those are roaches...just pretend they are bunnies! My friend will love it, it's totally her style. She likes to put plastic roaches on her kid's birthday cakes and other surprizing places around the house.

front

back I made the little roaches from brown felt and brown embroidery floss. It was very hard to embroider on this fabric. Like I said, just pretend they are bunnies! Awww...so cute!

Sunbeam Mix Master

This is my mixer. It's old but it's works great and matches my kitchen. I've had it a number of years and to ensure it lasts a few more, I don't ask it to do real hard work like making big batches of icing, but I do use it for mixing cakes, whipping potatoes and other such tasks. I got it at a 'thrift' store for $25(high, yes, but I was in love). It came with the original booklet (below), 2 milk glass mixing bowls and the juicer attachment. Inside the booklet is the original sales receipt. It was bought on July 10, 1951 for 38.80. So I guess I got a deal!

As you can see the booklet has seen better days...Looks like an electric burner got a hold of it at one point. My best gal pal, heather, picked up the owner's manual seen below for me at the flea market a few weekends ago. I can't find a copyright date but I feel confidant in saying it's from the 1940's. I love the cover.
Look at all the things this mixer can do! Aren't these attachments crazy looking?

Slices

Crushes

Shells

and polishes! Ha ha!

It also has attachments (sold separately of coarse) for mixing drinks, grinding coffee, opening cans, sharpening knives, puree and ricing, chopping, slicing, shredding, grating, peeling, juicing, straining and it can turn an ice cream maker! That's alot of attachments! So where are you going to put them?

Where else, of course?

Scrap Crafty~ man's tie choker/scarf

Last Friday I went to a thrift and picked up a tie for a male victim's pending birthday. I was playing around with it and came up with this idea of wearing it myself! All I did was wrap it around my neck and tie it in the back, then hid the tail behind the back of my shirt. So simple, but I think it looks really chic!
I now have gotten a number of ideas for men's ties. now i'll have to get my own!

The 99 cent challenge

Jen, at The Felt Mouse, has got a fun challenge she is putting out there to all..Make a gourmet meal with 'fancy' table settings from things available at 'Everything's a Dollar' type stores! Go check out the details! It sounds like it will be fun! She is even offering a prize!

Coolest V-tine cards EVER!

Look at these awesome Valentine's Day card's I got today!!! I bought all 5 designs. I cringe to say that they cost 3.34 each..Ouch! But they each come with a TEMPORARY TATTOO of the cover design! The inside quotes, on the most part, aren't so special, just the classic 'Be mine' and 'Happy Valentine's Day'. The most clever one is in the 'Lucky in Love' card shown above. It says: "Odds are in your favor tonight". The "U & I" one (below, right) says "U & I belong together" inside. I am very pleased that the tattoo with that one doesn't have the 'U & I' on the broken heart like the front. The one that says "MOM"....I am sooo excited about! I bought it pretty much for the tattoo and plan on wearing it on mother's day! yay! These cards are made by American Greetings "Just For You" and I got them at shhh....... (walmart). I have to admit I am a card junkie. I buy birthday and other occasion cards just because they have cool fronts. I do this even when I don't have a pending card need. And then when I do have a need, I make a color copy of the card and embellish it some... I just can't part with the original. I have a problem..Anyway, look at this new birthday card I picked up today..It makes me laugh, so I will probably give it to myself this year... The inside says " Another year gone to Hal, Happy Birthday". Heh heh!

Croquettes anyone?

I didn't know what a croquette was but I was intrigued by the name along with the image of them on the back of an old cook booklet I had ( Cooking with Condensed Soups...Again!)
However, it included no recipe at all, only a suggestion of using condensed soups to pour over croquettes. They gave me the impression that everyone should already know the 'what and how' of croquettes. Well I needed to know, as to not embarrass myself in front of the other housewife types. I pulled a few other cook books out and discovered that these croquettes for one are deep fried.... Ahgrr! I am very much into cooking/baking but deep frying anything is where I put my foot down. It's messy, unhealthy and above all SMELLY! I don't mind if someone else wants to do the frying, as long as I am not around to where my clothes get that smell in them. (I do love french fries so I let Wendy's do that for me!) And no, I have never worked in fast food or a restaurant of any kind, so that's not where this strong opinion comes from. Anyway, so I was going to nix making them until I saw a recipe on the same page for 'cheese pineapple fritters'. Cheese PINEAPPLE fritters?! I love pineapple...I have always liked the word 'fritter' (it's just goofy sounding) and they also have to be deep fried..Okay, Fine! You got me, I'll try it out. I figured I would just make a whole artery clogging deep fried dinner..Hell, let's deep fry the salad too!

RICE CROQUETTES

2 cups cooked rice, 2 well beaten egg yolks, 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 3 tbsp grated cheese, 1/2 cup cream of mushroom or chicken soup, 2 slightly beaten egg whites, 1 cup dry bread crumbs.

Combine rice , egg yolks, seasonings, cheese, and soup. Spread thin on a plate;Chill thoroughly. Shape in croquettes (by this they mean cone shaped I guessed); dip into egg whites, then bread crumbs. Fry in deep hot fat (375 degrees) until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with leftover heated cream soup drizzled over tops.

CHEESE PINEAPPLE FRITTERS

1 cup sifted flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup drained canned crushed pineapple, 1 egg separated

Sift flour and baking powder together. Combine mashed cottage cheese, pineapple and slightly beaten egg yolk and mix well. Stir into dry ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten. Fold in stiffly beaten egg white and drop by teaspoons into hot deep fat (360 degrees). Fry until brown. I decide on my own to sprinkle with powdered sugar.

This is the cookbooklet (cir. 1954) I got the fritter recipe out of. It had a croquette one too but it called for too many things I didn't have. I got the above croquette recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (cir. 1951)

The croquettes were actually pretty good. Even pumkinbutt liked them. The fritters were only okay. Which was disappointing.

So now my poor kitchen reeks of grease ....Better bake a cake to freshen it up!

I heart hearts!

Right about now, we are all thinking of neat crafty things to do and make for our sweetie and friends. This is probably old news to most but Acme heart maker is this really cool site where you can make your own digital 'conversation hearts'. I literally made about 300 of these last year...Very addictive. As part of gifts for friends and fam, I made ones with certain sayings just for them, printed and cut them out, then put them in an envelope that looked like the front of the candy heart boxes, complete with a clear heart shaped window to see them through. For a friend of mine that was single, I made some with her phone number on them to pass out if she wanted! He he. Here are a few of my favorite ones:
for the Lolita sweethearts

the truth can hurt..Even more so on v-tine's day


other kissy variations I did on this were: Lip lock, suck face, swap spit







Sometimes love is not one sided





an 'Oh brother, where art though' reference






well, all right!






my personal fav








this one pairs up well with the one above




Have Fun!

Radio Cake

I entered a cake decorating contest that was also a fundraiser for my local public radio station as a part of their 25th anniversary yesterday. The cakes were judged and then auctioned with the proceeds going to the station. I entered the category for 'Representation of Public Radio~Past, Present, or Future'. I decided to make a cake that looked like a vintage bakelite radio.



These are a couple of the radios that I based the design on.
I am not all that happy with how it turned out. I envisioned it looking just like a radio. I wanted people to come in and wonder why a radio was sitting on the cake table....The problem was the chocolate glaze I put on it. It just didn't turn out as smooth as I had hoped. I guess using fondant would have been the way to go..But I am not into fondant, it is just too expensive. And did you notice that letters had slid down in the top photo(that one was taken at the contest)...jeesh!
Anyway, I did win in my category (mind you, only 4 other cakes entered the contest) and my cake did get the highest bid of $66. The folks that bought it were really nice and excited about the cake. They own an antique store in a neighboring city.
Cake info: It was a four layer dark chocolate cake with a rich chocolate glaze. Everything on the cake had to be edible (which I am not really into...I like cute plastic toy encrusted baked goods). The area with the call letters is a rectangle of vanilla flavored clear hard candy. I got the recipe for it off the internet, dyed it an amber color and made a mold out of wax paper. The dials are mini reese's peanut butter cups. The other decorative features are made from sugar wafers, coconut cookies, and some fancy 'entertaining cookies'.

Scrap Crafty~ little shrine

It seems it's required of us artsey craftsey types to do certain projects, like record bowls, marble magnets and altoid tin shrines. I've had this little shrine waiting to be finished for about a year now..Really sad. Well, I motivated myself to finish it up today so I would have something fun to post about, and I guess it's also Scrap Crafty as well. I did my little shrine about unusual vintage foods..Imagine that..ha ha , no real surprise there! I made it to look like a refrigerator with little magnets on the front.
Then the inside has shelves and little plates of food. I want to be that lady in the shrine..I want to look like her, I want her figure, I want that dress and apron! (sigh!)

I got all of the images from old cookbooks and booklets and sized and color copied them at office depot. I put a magnet on the back so I can put it on the real fridge for display.
I do have a fairly large project I am working on this week, if it doesn't flop, I will post about it this weekend.

Making my day!

I got a comment in my last post that just made my day(edited to the happy part):

BonnieBeerBitc said...
....................................... By the way, the 7-up Emerald Isle Fluff was a smash hit at the X-mas party. I made it in a bunt pan (all I had) and it came out looking like a wreath, soo cute!Especially w/ the garnishes, 2 cherry tomatoes and a red bottle cap. (all out of cherries!- blast)

She made one of my desserts! And I love her idea of putting it in a bunt pan for a wreath look!

If anyone else ever makes something I've put up here please let me know...Send pictures! I'd love hearing about it!