Lacy Inspiration

In case you didn't know, I simply love vintage and antique lace.  It's so delicate, so feminine, so beautiful, and so inspiring!  I found this lace at an antique mall for next to nothing.  I couldn't pass it up not only for the price but because I have nothing like it.  I have lots of project ideas but I'm a little bit afraid of using it.  What if I ruin it and then it's gone!?  I have to get past this fear because my muse is whispering in my ear.  If I ignore her, she might leave again!

This beautiful lace came from one of my favorite Etsy shops, Strange Notions.  Kathy, the shop owner, also included some vintage hankies, buttons, and a book of sweet embroidery transfers.  Talk about happy mail!

I'm really hoping to start on a project this week.  It's time. :)

Wordless Wednesday

Bits of lace and trim in a glass jar

Happy Wednesday!

xo Annette xo

It Was Wonderful and It Was Awful

It has been close to a year and a half since the last time I went to my favorite antique mall.  My favorite bloggers have been thrifting and junking and flea marketing and antiquing while I oohed and aahed and drooled over their fabulous finds.  I was thrilled when they scored magnificent treasures, but I longed to go and score my own booty too.

While visiting my daughter a couple of weeks ago, my knee was feeling pretty good, so we decided to hit the antique mall.  It was wonderful and awful at the same time!  Wonderful to be among the beautiful old things again and awful because I just couldn't walk and stand very long.  With a lot of stopping and sitting and resting,  I made it through about two thirds of the first floor.  It was wonderful because I could do that much and awful because I couldn't do it all.

I did score my own treasure in just two thirds of one floor though!  Those little pink bows all around the teacup and saucer just endeared themselves to me.  I couldn't leave it on the shelf.  Maybe I'll give it to Shylee when she is older.  And then there was the lace.  A big bag full of beautiful cotton, crocheted, and assorted laces and trims.  Even three adorable garden glove appliques.  Wouldn't they be perfect on a gardening apron?  The last find was a bag of vintage embroidery transfers.  I was so very excited to find these because they are the first ones I've found.  If my knee had cooperated, I would have done a happy dance right there in the booth.

It was wonderful to be in the antique mall and find wonderful treasures again.  It was awful because I know there was more to find, lol.   However, it was very good for the soul!

What have you experienced lately that was wonderful?  Or awful?

Happy Friday!

xo Annette xo

Be Yourself...A New Sachet

I've been in the sewing room again and created this new sachet.  I used what I had and chose simple muslin for the front and back .  A gauzy type fabric chosen for the embroidery with pieces of lace, old and new, vintage buttons, a sheer piece of aqua fabric, lots of beads and a bird charm make up this pretty and feminine lavender sachet.

This is my favorite part.  I love how the beads seem to spill out from the buttons and the bird looks as if it is soaring towards a cloud.

The darker vintage lace gives contrast and the vintage buttons seem right at home there.

This corner has a combination of hand and machine stitches and is accented with seed beads.  The sachet is filled with French lavender and smells divine!

So what have you been working on?

Today I'm joining in Show and Tell Friday over at My Romantic Home

Blogtoberfest ~ Day Eight ~ Black White and Red

This is my newest lavender sachet.  It's a little quite a bit different from the other sachets but I think I like it.  I used part of a vintage hankie, a vintage button, beads, lace, tulle, decorative red machine stitching and red hand embroidery.  The back is a black and white print.  It's still growing on me.  What do you think, honestly?

I hope you have a fabulous Friday!!!



Mish Mash Monday

I hope you are having a fun, long holiday weekend!  We spent Saturday antiqueing and I found some fabulous lace, yards and yards of it, and I can't wait to use it!  This photo shows only half of what I found!

On Sunday, we went for a drive.  In the very early years of our marriage we did this almost every weekend.  We would set out with no particular destination in mind except to turn on to a road we had never been on before!   That's what we did and found this beautiful chapel that was built in 1883.  It sits on the grounds of the Veteran's Home, and if we didn't have the dog with us, we would have done some exploring  There were other old buildings and a beautiful display of  American flags!

A Sunday drive would't be complete without ice cream!  Yum....

I had never been in an Etsy treasury until yesterday, and I was in THREE!!!  Please show these Etsians some love by leaving a comment on their treasury and visiting their awesome shops!

Citrus Summer! by The Vintage Gang

Pretty n' Pink by Whysper Fairy

You Made It by Eves Little Earthlings

Thank you all so much for including my sachet and placemats in your treasuries!!

I hope you enjoy this last day of the holiday weekend.  I'll be sewing today and hopefully have something to show you by the end of the week!!

Annette