Top Ten Tuesday

So I thought I would start doing a weekly feature where I put up what I think are the top ten items in my Etsy Shop and then people vote on which they think is the best.  Everyone that votes will get a code for 10% off a purchase in my Etsy shop :)  Alright, so here are the top ten...let me know which you think is the best and why.

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/75226895/pleated-navy-canvas-bag-with-vintage

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74806816/vintage-androck-blue-and-white-starburst

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73879964/upcycled-red-blue-plaid-pearl-snap?ref=v1_other_1

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74762485/upcycled-1950s-60s-retro-rooster-pillow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70171945/shabby-teapot-applique-tea-towel

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73767077/upcycled-cream-vintage-feed-sack-bag

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74759327/vintage-vera-neumann-tablecloth-oranges

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75507559/rare-vintage-world-war-ii-era-general

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74885094/upcycled-ipad-2-padded-sleeve-all

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/73818288/vintage-u-and-i-sugar-sack-pillow-with

Hipstamatic and Vintage Aprons...

So I'm completely obsessed with this iphone app I found called Hipstamatic.  I was really unhappy with the Etsy pics I was putting up and felt like everyone else's pics were way better.  I went looking for photo apps and found this.  It allows you to change films and lenses when taking pictures to get these really cool effects.  They equate it to taking pictures with an old toy camera.  I have been playing with it pretty much non-stop and really like some of the pictures.  Here are a few I have taken:

I think they all have a really cool retro feel.  You can check out all of the items in these pictures in my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/modbelleshop.

I am currently working on moving away from things made from all new fabrics to things that are all vintage/sustainable or at least a mix between new and old.  When I went to McKinney Third Monday Trade Days a few weeks ago, I bought alot of vintage linens including several aprons.  I turned one of the aprons into an ipad/ipad 2 sleeve.  Here is a pic: 

Everything in the piece is vintage, including the button that came out of a very old button jar.  I'm already working on another made from a different apron and I will share it with you soon.  Here is the link for the iPad/iPad 2 sleeve in my shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/74885094/all-vintage-materials-ipad-2-padded

New Old Pillows

So remember that tablecloth I mentioned in the post on Canton several weeks ago?  After many many soakings in oxi clean free, I finally made it into some really cute pillows.

There was enough fabric to make a front and a back for two long skinny pillows.  Here are some pics:

Also, as I hoped the very cute rooster in the center of the tablecloth got turned into a very cute pillow.  Here are a couple of pics of the front and back:

Here's a pic of the 3 together.  I think they're really cute.

All three are on sale in my etsy shop and you can check them out here
http://www.etsy.com/listing/74761562/set-of-2-vintage-novelty-1950s60s
http://www.etsy.com/listing/74762485/vintage-1950s60s-retro-rooster-pillow?ref=v1_other_1

I really enjoy taking vintage stuff and turning it into something new.  I love the idea of things getting new homes and at the same time reusing instead of buying new.  I have this image of this tablecloth on a cute little 1960s formica table with a jello mold sitting on it :)

More soon...

My new favorite bag...with a little Stephen King thrown in

I was looking for some inspiration yesterday while contemplating what to sew next so I decided to do a search for free bag patterns.  Up to this point I've just bought sewing books and while I have found some really cute bags, I felt like I'd made all of my favorites.  So while searching yesterday I cam across the 'For Pleat's Sake' tote pattern on Lisa Lam's bag blog http://u-handbag.typepad.com/.  It is really cute and different and I fell in love with it immediately.  You can check it out here:  'For Pleats Sake' Free Bag Pattern

I also own her book The Bag Making Bible and it is fabulous as well.  So I sat down and made this tote while listening to Stephen King's Hearts in Atlantis audiobook.  (strange sewing background audio I know :))  I have been a Stephen King addict for years and have been listening to nothing but his audiobooks while I sew.  So far I have listened to Lisey's Story, Bag of Bones, Everything's Eventual, Full Dark, No Stars, and Night Shift.  Only Bag of Bones was new to me, but I had read the others and audiobooks are so different than regular books:)  I hope to conquer The Dark Tower series and then maybe move on to another author.  Here is a pic of my bag:

Here is a pic of the inside.  I really like the cream lining with the brown outside.  The outside is a sturdy brown canvas and the inside is cream cotton fabric.  I added a vintage cream doily to the outside, which adds to the natural feel of the bag.

I also added this adorable little pocket to the inside made from vintage pillowcase fabric:

I made a few adjustments to the pattern.  I made the handles rather than using store bought ones, which changed how I sewed the top.  I folded the right sides of the top of the lining and the outer fabric together and sewed the handles in instead of sewing the two together completely and then turning it right side out.  I also changed the bottom to make it more tote like.  I plan to make another, but will shorten it so it is more like a purse than a tote.  I will be listing this bag in my etsy shop.  You can check out it and my other cute bags at this link: Etsy Shop

I have given myself a break this week as it is my first week of summer vacation from teaching at the community college.  However, next week I will start trying to balance sewing and dissertating.  This should be interesting :)

Feed Sacks...

I mentioned in my post on visiting Canton Trade Days that I had bought a couple of feed and sugar sacks.  I really like the idea of buying something vintage and giving it new life as something else.  So far I have made two things out of these, a tote bag and a pillow.

I used the larger feed sack to make the outside, trim, and straps of the tote.  I attached two vintage doilies to the front of the bag to add some interest.  I then used some vintage white cotton I had for the inner lining of the bag. 

Here is a pic of the bag: 

I think it turned out really well.  You can check it out in my etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/listing/73767077/the-opal-vintage-feed-sack-bag

The incredibly cute sugar sack I found is now a pillow.  I coordinated the graphic on the sugar sack from the U and I Sugar Company with an Amy Butler lotus fabric - wall flower in cherry.  I think it is adorable!  Here is a pic of the front of the pillow:  

 And here is the back: 

You can check out the pillow in my shop at:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/73818288/vintage-sugar-sack-pillow?ref=v1_other_1

My mother visited last weekend and she had found several different vintage pillowcases for me.  I used one of these to make a shopping/grocery tote.  Here is a pic of it:  

I named it the "Lucy" as it reminded me of the 50s :)  You can check it out at:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/73590862/the-lucy-vintage-tote

More crafting to come :)

Canton Trade Days...Proof that everything really is bigger in Texas.

As I have lived in Texas for 7 years now, I constantly hear about this trade days thing they have in Canton, Texas once a month.  Since I am also an avid procrastinator, I have talked about going for the past 7 years and always come up with a reason not to.  My mother and I finally decided to go this year and it was wonderful!  We spent an entire day wandering around and looking at jewelry, clothes, and vintage stuff so I was pretty much in heaven.  Keep in mind we spent an entire day and probably saw 1/10 of the stuff that is offered in Canton.  I thought I would share some of my finds with you:

I got this vintage tin magnetic board for $10!  It has 2 cute little birds in their nest with the words "there is only one joy, to love and be loved"

My favorite find was this cute vintage sugar sack from the U and I sugar company (how cute is that)!  I think it's going to make a very cute pillow.

I also scored a set of 8 Vera scarves.  The Vera company made linens and scarves from 1945 through the 1970s.  I plan to use these to make some bags using all vintage material

 At the same little vintage linens booth I got this huge tablecloth from the 60s.  It has kitchen scenes, a countryside scene, and a very cute rooster in the middle.  This will probably become some kitchen towels and maybe a bag.  It obviously needs to spend some time soaking in oxiclean :)

I am a sucker for cute organizers, so I was super excited to find this vintage wire locker basket for $14!  It's even from Shiner, Texas :)  I've already put it to good use holding my fabric.

I had been wanting to get some pretty doilies to put on the outside of bags, and I found these that I think will work nicely.

Finally, I found these great paper milk bottle caps that they used to put on top of milk bottles when they delivered them.  I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do with these yet, but they were too cute to pass up.  I am completely in love with the one with the milkman on it.

That's it for the day.  Next I'll share some of the things I've been working on with you.