adayinthelife

Another great skirt project thats fast and easy....

2013-03-24T15:14:00.003-05:00

Very Cute Sweater Skirt

In No time!

Let me start by saying I love fast and easy projects that produce a pleasing result. So that said I have seen these sweater skirts on and off around town and thought yep I can make that. Then when there was a liquidation event at the local thrift store aka quarter Thursday I saw this red sweater. Yes, I did buy this sweater for a quarter. Um score!

I started by cutting the bottom of the sweater off at the arm pits. I showed in the pic two cutting methods so you can use your preference.

I then grabbed my trusty single fold bias tape. I used red to match.

Sew along the fold at the top of the tape along the outside of your skirt.

It should look like this.

Then fold it over to the inside of your skirt and sew all the way around. Be sure to pin it at the with of your elastic. Don't forget to leave a gap when sewing so you can put your elastic in the casing you just made.

After you have done that and sewn your gap down try it on and check out your easily made trendy sweater skirt. See how easy that was and so cute too. I paired mine with tights. Pardon the miss matched top but that was not supposed to be seen. My five year old did the best she could with taking the pic for me. :)

Have a fabulous week everyone.

Allison

Show and Tell

2013-02-15T09:28:00.001-06:00

I have found some awesome things I want to share.

We all know the economy is tough and there are lots of us who are constantly searching for more for less.

I find things here and there but not every day. So I wanted to share with you some items and how I came across them.

The first are two bolts of fabric value at close to if not more than $100 a piece retail. They are 100 percent cotton and cotton is always useful to a sewer. I found them at a moving sale by driving around one Friday morning. The woman was a quilter and was selling all if her inventory for extremely cheap. I got the two bolts for drum role please 3 dollars a bolt at 20 yards each. My advice is to drive around some older neighborhoods where some older sewers may be leaving and want to unload their stash. I have found many great fabrics doing this.

Next I found some wool at one of my frequent haunts. They sell their fabric no matter what it is for a $1 a yard. If you can find a resale or something like that where you can breeze in to check it out frequently without the need to dig then start checking it out. Wool is a great find at a dollar and all I did was walk in and grab it. It also helps to know what your looking for. Keep you small list in your head or on a not pad. This will keep you from buying fabric you don't need and keep a stash you know you will use.

Last is something I picked up for fun. It is a cotton. My daughter likes watching the old Care Bears shows and when I saw this hand made curtain set I snatched it up. It has enough fabric to use for several things for her. So think outside the box. If you aren't seeing what you want in raw fabric then think about using fabric from something else. The curtains did cost six dollars but there is more than enough vintage fabric there that I didn't pay top dollar for. Vintage fabric costs more on line or from other private sellers.

So if you can learn to think outside of the box and make the unbeaten path a beaten one then you to can have great finds you will want to show off.

Have a great weekend.

Allison

Hey Everyone!

2013-01-17T22:12:00.001-06:00

Hey Everyone in the Blogosphere!

I know that I have not written in a while and yes it has been on my list of things to do. Seems that after school starts somethings have taken a back seat. There are so many things that I would love to share but I don't think that you would like to read all of it. This is why I won't. I know you would love just to hear about the creative stuff.

So recently I have gone to the quilt show here in the big city and have met a lovely designer Cheryl Kuczck. She calls her designs Paradiso Designs. I love her work. The Boho Frock is one of the patterns I bought from her and I cannot wait to have some time to get started.

The next thing that I really like and have actually gotten a chance to do is the Jelly Roll Race quilt top. So neat and very easy. I followed this tutorial. It came out great. I wish I could show some pics right now but am unable to charge my camera.

I have also been pet sitting alot more. That seems to take up a large chunk of time but I don't mind. At this moment I am hoping to go back to school as soon as my children attend full time school. My son right now is not yet there but her loves the two days he gets when he goes.

And one last think I wanted to put out there. here lately I have seen more visitors to the site. I love seeing the traffic and would also love any comments left for me to read.

Have a great weekend

And now pics from the quilt show....

I free motioned quilted my name. He He. I've wanted to do that for a long time.

Singer Feather Weight that was custom painted red. So pretty.

Prize winning quilt at the show.

I liked this quilt.

And this one.

Another prize winning quilt.

This quilt was one that I would like to have. It reminded me of my little boy and I.

Random pic for posterity. I figured I should take this picture because I don't know when I will be able to come back. It was so fun.

A pic of the treadle....

2012-10-21T09:53:00.001-05:00

Isn't she pretty. I just started tinkering today.

Absent from the blogosphere.

2012-10-19T19:00:00.002-05:00

Absent from the blogosphere.

As of the moment I am working on some home projects and watching some furry babies. Not to worry though I have not dropped out completely.

Other than the projects and animal watching I have recently found an early 1900 treadle sewing machine. She has the sphinx pattern in gold with other embellishments. She will most likely get an Egyptian name. No I don't get to keep her but thats ok cause I have my eye on another treadle that is a different model. The one I found needs some cleaning and oiling, love and care then she will be on her way to my moms. My parents have been looking for one because they would like to have a piece of history that time forgot. I hope to soon get some pics up for you so that you can see her. I know I am in for it and am not sure of how much work it will take but it will be fun.

Hope you guys have a great weekend.

Happy Sewing,

Allison

Thank you readers.......

2012-09-09T17:33:00.000-05:00

Alright everyone. We had one entry lynaeve. For the next giveaway I hope to see more.

So lynaeve please send a message with your email and we can plan out your custom made bunting using the fabric choices in the giveaway post. You will also receive the vintage fabric scrap bags above.

Thank you to all the readers who stopped by during the giveaway. There will be another in the future.

Allison

Giveaway Time!!!!!!!!! Ended.....

2012-09-04T08:13:00.005-05:00

ENDED

(Saturday, September the 8th)

Its Giveaway Time!

Alright everyone you can now enter to win the fabulous prizes up for grabs.

Two bags of vintage fabric scraps!

The winners choice of either a Christmas bunting or one made from vintage sheet fabric. The vintage sheet fabric can be coordinated with a pretty solid which is not pictured but I have plenty of solids.

Raffelcopter is not working for me right now so what I would like you to do is.......

Follow this site = 1 entry

Heart my store in etsy= 1 entry

Leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite vintage item to use in a project is = 1 entry

For each of these please leave a comment letting me know what you did.

Tell your friends and have a great week,

Allison

P.S. I will announce a winner randomly drawn the day after the giveaway ends.

More word on the upcoming giveaway.......

2012-08-31T14:20:00.001-05:00

As promised I am posting pics of more fabric choices for the winner of the giveaway. The winner will receive 2 bags of vintage fabric scraps (great for those pieced projects) and one custom bunting with their choice of either Christmas fabric or vintage sheet fabric.

Which brings me to my next announcement. Ally's Lost and Found is moving to Etsy. Link Ally's Lost and Found on Etsy

So to modify the choices for the vintage sheet bunting if the winner chooses vintage sheets instead of Christmas for their bunting, I will be posting pics from my stash aswell as the stores stock.

Now let me announce the dates of the giveaway. I will open the giveaway starting....wait for it....Tuesday the 4th of September and end Friday the 7th. The winner will be chosen using rafflecopter.

Wow what a lot to say. So here are the pics.

Have a great weekend!

Allison

Update......

2012-08-30T06:58:00.002-05:00

So far so good for the giveaway. I have gathered some items to add to the bunting that should peek some interest. I will be getting up the pictures of the fabric from my stash and the extras as soon as I can. Then I will announce the giveaway date.

Have a great Thursday!

Allison

P.S. Fellow Blogger Naughty Shorts is having a giveaway this weekend. Go check her out.

Getting ready for giveaway time..................

2012-08-23T08:07:00.001-05:00

I am super excited about the giveaway coming up on my blog. Here is what I cam up with.

Christmas Bunting

One lucky reader will win a lovely custom made bunting out of their choice of vintage sheet fabric in my store or their own Christmas bunting. I will be putting up pics of that fabric a little later along with some vintage sheet fabric from my stash to add to the choices from the store. Click on this link to check out the vintage sheet fabric in my store Link. So keep updated by visiting often because I will announce more later. There could be more in the prize pack. Hint hint.

Have a great week,

Allison

New item listed in the store today.............

2012-08-15T17:29:00.000-05:00

Here we are getting ready for back to school. I have enrolled my daughter today and finished this awesome bunting. It would be great for that teacher you would like to give a gift to to start the year off right.

Back to School Bunting

For more info on this item click the link above and don't forget to keep checking in for updates on the upcoming giveaway.

Allison

Fantastic second hand find......

2012-08-13T14:12:00.000-05:00

When I saw this dress on a hanger I passed it up a couple of times but decided to try it on. I was desperate to find a dress to wear to my brothers wedding because I had been procrastinating for too long. I only had two days left. Glad I picked it up.

I am so happy to have found this because it was a steel at $10. Originally this dress retails close to $100 if not more. After a trip to the dry cleaners it was perfect. So I guess the moral of the story is to try second hand first especially when your on a budget.

My sisters and I.

An odd shot but shows the entire outfit.

My brother and I. Congratulations to him and his new wife.

I wanted to share my great find and show that second had purchases can be just as awesome as finding a great dress first hand in a department store.

Have a great week and keep checking in for details on a giveaway.

Allison

Giveaways........

2012-08-01T12:32:00.002-05:00

Thank you so much for your participation in the link party of The Vintage Sheet Blog and thanks so much to VSB. Congratulations to Charlotte the winner of the link party giveaway. I hope that through this giveaway I can see more visits form you who participated as well as new people. Hopefully I will also see more followers.

So this month I have a wedding to attend and wanted to do another giveaway after I come back. This one will be on my blog and it will be a different prize but just as awesome as the one on VSB. Oh and being a follower counts as an entry.

Now I want to know what you would like to see.

Or...

Or......

Or take a look through the Store and give me some ideas of what you would like to see. Have a great week and don't be afraid to leave a comment with some feed back.

Thank you,

Allison

Vintage Sheet Blog Link Party!

2012-07-27T09:27:00.001-05:00

Link Party!

I am having a sale to celebrate Ally's Lost and Found being featured on the vintage sheet blog.

Don't miss this. The VSB blog link party is a chance for me to host a giveaway and for me to see what you have been up too in your sewing room.

Ally's Lost and Found

The Prize

Fat Quarters!

Vintage Doilies!

A Vintage Pattern!

Vintage Notions!

Hope to see you there. Don't forget to follow adayinthelife for up coming sales in the store, ideas and inspiration and lots more. I have posted links for the store and giveaway at the top of this post.

Have a great day,

Allison

What I've been up to...

2012-07-24T09:35:00.001-05:00

Who knew arm holes in a sleeves knit shirt would have me so frustrated. I am still plugging along though. I also picked up this Abercrombie skirt for 3 dollars. Its too short for me to wear in public so I am thinking I will add some length with vintage sheet fabric.
My brothers wedding is coming up soon so I need an outfit for the rehearsal dinner.
I also added a pic of 2 vintage sheet pretties.

Have a great day.

Allison

Just a few more days till my give away...

2012-07-18T10:50:00.001-05:00

I am busy busy cutting vintage sheets for my give away and sale in the store.
Have a great week.

Allison

Update For Got Bows......

2012-07-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

I wanted to give an update for Got Bows. My sister has recently gotten a new job and started on her RN so that means she will not be able to make bows for my store. However I am sure she will answer any inquiries on her bows. Just send me a message and I will relay them.

Thank you,

Allison

You will be missed Misty.......

2012-07-12T15:53:00.000-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to remember a friend who passed away last week. She was an extremely brave person with all the love in the world to give. She will be missed greatly.

Misty

Be inspired to live each day as if it where your last, be kind, be brave. Life is too short so live it.

Allison

Vacation, Thread Haul and More.............

2012-07-08T17:22:00.001-05:00

Since my last post I have been up to a few things so let me tell you. Right after I posted last we took a vacation to Beavers Bend State Park in Oklahoma with family , I went shopping while there in Oklahoma, Joanns had a huge sale which I attended and bought some fabulous colors of thread, and I have become addicted to blueberry pancakes.

The train in the park.

Our out door shower with heater for the water. However it stopped working just before we arrived. Still its a working shower while camping. I am not complaining.

Snow Cone truck that came by several times a day.

My dad said he would give the kids 20 dollars if they could catch a craw fish in the river. They where unsuccessful but still had fun.

The biggest walking stick I had ever seen. The kids where playing in this kennel then discovered they where not alone. Screaming and scrambling to get out the walking stick was more afraid then they where.

We all had fun camping with family and hope to come back next year.

A nice elderly couple ran an antique store on the side of the road and I had to stop in.

Too bad I am running out of storage at home. I really wanted to buy and list the milk glass in the back.

They also had and indoor area where I found some vintage sheet goodness.

Not only do I love vintage sheets, I love working with beautiful thread. As you can tell I love Gutterman and it was 50% off.

Hard at work cutting fat quarters for the store. It is back on line now and I am getting ready for the upcoming giveaway on the 27th.

Yummmmm. I have become addicted to blueberry pancakes.

The kids love them and I love them, but my husband not too much so we make them when he won't be home for dinner. :)

Hope you had a great weekend and have a great week.

Please be sure to follow adayinthelife for updates and info for the store.

Allison

Store Update......

2012-06-21T23:45:00.000-05:00

My store "Ally's Lost and found" will be closed for a few days. However this is a good thing and after it comes back on line I plan on putting more items in it. I am also hoping put more time into it and more hand made items. Please keep checking in for more up dates.

Oh and I have a giveaway planned through the "Vintage Sheet Blog" in late July to celebrate.

Have a wonderful week and happy sewing,

Allison

Vintage Sewing Machines.........

2012-06-20T18:16:00.001-05:00

This is a post to pass along some things I have learned about vintage machines.

Hope this helps.

Let me just say I love them. They are awesome and come in all kinds of colors and designs. The inside can be as interesting as the outside and they will last a long time if properly cared for.

My first one was the Fiatelli that I have pictured on my blog. It is a straight stitch machine that is pretty to boot. I have a Singer 401, a Morse Fotomatic and a Modern Home zig zag. They all have something awesome about them that I like. The only one I have that was not made in Japan is my 401. It is a dependable machine made with all metal through out. No plastic anywhere. I have been able to find parts and accessories for this machine with no problem. It is a drop in bobbin with a place to put in external cams if desired. The Morse is a very cool machine that has proven to be a dependable workhorse with one exception. I can only use it for straight stitch. It is a zig zag however it only came with a straight stitch plate. This is something I thought would be easy to find. Its not. Very hard to find and almost impossible. However I am determined and if I have to buy another machine for parts I will. It is a Japanese machine that usually mean its a generic machine and has clones every where but so far the plate is the snag. My Fiatelli is a generic Japanese machine that is very pretty with its scroll work, turquoise paint and black scroll work. This machine was made somewhere in the early 60's (from what I know) and it is patterned after the singer design when singer lost its patent. I have had great luck finding accessories for this machine. Last but not least is another generic Japanese machine with a twist. Its plate says Modern Home on the front. I found it at a yard sale for about 15 bucks. It runs fantastically and came with cams to make different patterns. It can do a straight stitch as well as a zig zag. When I brought her home I played with the stitch length and width but I will say this I have never seen a machine that sewed straight only on one side of the foot. I don't know how odd this is to you guys but its odd to me. I have checked the markings on the needle plate and they do match with the needle position on the left as correct measurements.

For those of you wanting to buy a vintage machine. If you want to collect, be very leery. If someone wants to sell a Japanese machine to you then do your home work. First if you can look it up. If not then I say if you can get a Japanese machine for 15 bucks or less and it works (that means you have tested it out, the needle shank goes up and down, the power turns on, the hand wheel is easy to move and there is a bobbin case) take a chance and buy it. If you don't care that it works then its up to you. They come in all kinds of colors, models and useful stitches. External cams are cool. This gives you more possibilities.

For those of you who have a Japanese machine and intend on selling it. Don't automatically think that since its old you will get a pretty penny for it. You may get what you want and then you may only get a fraction. It depends on supply and demand and most of the time there are more Japanese generics than there are people who want them. My advice is to look it up. See how much it sold on ebay or see if you can even find the machine in the first place. Modern Home is not one that I have found a lot of info on.

Then there are the American made machines. They can go for anywhere between nothing and 2 or 4 (restored) hundred. But this is one extreme to another. So do your research. Go on ebay and look at selling prices and if it actually sold for it. Or you can google up some information on your particular machine and come to a conclusion from there. If you are buying I would definitely read all you could before purchasing for more than the regular bargain basement prices. I say this because you don't want to buy it for $100 and it be really worth about 25 because of plastic gears and such. Most of the earlier machines don't have plastic gears but I had a 70's singer that did. Thank goodness I sold it because it would have gone out sooner than later. Then again it was made in Japan. Like a said do your research. Singer in my opinion went down hill after it transferred its manufacturing over seas. After a certain point sewing machines where more of a toss it than keep it after so many years. The vintage machines prior to the 70's should all be metal but you should look before you buy. They are very simple to open because you had to oil them and no one wanted to work on it for hours before they actually got to sew.

The two screws on either side of the top panel here are the ones you unscrew to open the top.
I actually was looking at a Pfaff till I opened the top. All the internal cams where plastic. They upon my research are not really replaceable. They are not made any more and would have to be harvested from a parted machine. Used plastic cams uh well I wouldn't bother.

Frustraiting to me because straight stitch is all I can do with this machine until I can find the zig zag plate.
I have called so many places, so many. Ugggg Lesson learned but I won't give up.

Examples of identification. Most times you will see the country of origin on the outside of the machine. If it has an external motor than that might be an indication. It can also be around the plug area of the machine.

Prime example. This is a plate that was added to the machine for a seller. Sellers would buy a type of generic Japanese machine and have there brand put on it.

An example of how you might find external cams. You may find some external cams with your vintage treasure. Don't be afraid to look at them and put them in the machine. Sometimes they will come in an envelope like this and some will come in a box or you may only find a few.

Either way vintage machines are very cool and if you use one you know they run like champs.

Have a great week, happy sewing and please let me know how you do or if you have one I would love to see it,

Allison

If I find some helpful info I will be sure to pass it along.

One more tidbit would be that there are tons of people out there that would love to impart there knowledge. If you have a person who does house calls, is retired and works on machines part time or has made this their hobby don't be afraid to ask them any questions. In my experience I have met some interesting people and been given some awesome knowledge.

Don't Miss Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012-06-09T07:41:00.000-05:00

Don't miss out on the sale happening right now at Ally's Lost and Found.

You will get 15% off an item when you put in coupon code Birthday1 at check out.

Ally's Lost and FoundAll's Lost and Found

Click here to get to the store.

Don't forget to become a follower of adayinthelife for more announcements.

Have a great Weekend,

Allison

Sale in the store this weekend 6-8 through 6-11................

2012-06-06T13:11:00.003-05:00

Ally's Lost and Found
For my birthday and to promote the store before my grand opening, I am having a sale.

Just put in coupon code Birthday1 at check out and receive 15% off the item purchased.

This is store wide so shop till ya drop!

Strawberry Canister

Hand Made Vintage Linen

Vintage Glass

Vintage Cook Book

Have a great Wednesday!
Be sure to become a follower of adayinthelife for more announcements and up coming giveaways.

Allison

Ally's Lost and Found

Crazy zig zag fabric and vintage sheets................

2012-06-05T15:17:00.000-05:00

Today I decided to hit the shop again. Haven't been in a while because I have been busy with my pet sitting. So today was the day. The store needs more fabric and I found it.

I am thinking this is from the 60's or 70's with its vibrant colors that zig zag across. It is made of durable, wash and wear polyester. Now I know what your thinking but I am telling you polyester is very durable when it comes to kids or using it for a project that you know will get alot of wear. This piece does stretch in one direction and is very light weight.

A medium weight polyester with a little stretch in one direction. This is a very nice print that is sure to please.

A nice wild flower print, light weight polyester.

This is most definitely a vintage print. Its like garden patchwork.

This is a nice cotton blend with a little sheen to it.

And last but not least a vintage NEW IN PACKAGE sheet set. It has butterflies with a scroll design and pastel strips. It includes pillow cases, flat sheet and fitted sheet.

All items listed here will be available in the store very soon. At this moment they are being washed and dried.

Have an awesome week,

Allison

Hands Free Pouch.....

2012-05-30T11:10:00.000-05:00

So this idea was born from needing something and not being able to find it. I needed something to carry what I needed, it had to be small and it had to leave my arms free.

Velcro to secure the flap.

Zipper on top and a zippered pocket.

Tada. A pouch that I can fasten on my waist and around my leg. And surprisingly its not uncomfortable. I admit its not the best project I have ever done but it will serve its purpose. If anyone is interested in seeing it in the shop please let me know. I am sure it will look better since this is my first one. :)

Have a great Wednesday,

Allison