Rose Mille

Skirt Transformation

We got these rather plain, and too short if you ask me, skirts in. But i kept thinking, maybe if I sewed some trim on them they would be much cuter.

 I found some Ethnic Euro (my term) striped fabric in my stash and cut and sewed some on the hem, or lack of.

{What's with this manufacturing trend of just cutting off the edge and calling it a hem?}

MUCH cuter! 

And 3" longer.

I happened to have purchased a tray of vintage Millinery flowers at Junk Bonanza, and will pin these to the new "hem". I had just the right amount for the 5 sizes of skirts.

{Told you I would share some of my Junk Bonanza purchases!}

We have the skirts like this in XS, S, M, L & XL, but not for long!

xo

mi

A Bottle of Brown Rit Dye

It's amazing what one bottle of Dark Brown liquid Rit dye can color. A week or so ago, I boiled, in a big big pot on my stove, these hat hoods, in order to turn them a dark brown. They looked very dark in the pot but by the time they dried the color came out more of a milk chocolate than the desired dark chocolate.

{70% Cocoa}

The color is still pretty, and will work up into a lovely hat. This one is still on the block and has a hand shaped brim, ready for wire. Note the large rubber band holding it on to the block.

Not wanting to waste any of the dye bath, I decided to throw in some vintage linens and trims. While I do love these pieces of history, most of the time the color leaves much to be desired. The beigey, ivory color of a lot of laces does not do that much for me. So into the pot they go!

I did get more items with a nice darkish brown, but then after a few batches, the color lightened to a lovely plum or lavender. All this was from the same batch of Dark Brown Dye.

So I rummaged around my studio for more dingy old lace items to give them new life.

I even dyed the bright Aqua tunic I was wearing.  It turned into this lovely shade of grey/plum.

{Those light spots is the sun peaking through the clouds.}

Finally this vintage two-piece crinolyn, that my cousin Charlene gave me for my birthday went into the pot as well. So much better!

I spent a good part of my Sunday ironing this lot, and then shooting the pics on the back yard lawn.

I used to not like to work with liquids. But this was so much fun, I think I will try for a dark black next time. Maybe the residual color will be a blue?

xo

mi

 

Finding Yarna

Was I 5 or 6 when I made Yarna? I cannot remember. But I do remember seeing other little girls with dolls made out of yarn, and I do remember thinking "I could make that". Even at a very early age, I had the idea that I could make it, instead of bugging my parents for the money to buy it.

Apparently my color options were limited, obviously that was not my concern here. I was more interested in the technique, which, as you can see, I improved upon as I went.

From what I remember, Yarna even had furniture made from cut up shoe boxes and scotch tape, which did not hold up as well as she did over the years. Hmmm....evident in how well we survive natural disasters better that houses and furniture sometimes, because we are more flexible? But of course under normal circumstances, usually houses and furniture out-last us.

Last year, when my sister's visited me they wanted to know if I still had Yarna, which began a year long search. But alas....she is found and captured in film no less.

{okay electrons}

 

xo

 

mi

 

Happy Happy Day!

{September 5}

My day started out with taking a chance on the scale and winning! By making some easy changes the pounds are slowly falling off.

Then a surprise brunch guest bearing gifts stopped by, it was great to visit with Megan, especially now that she spends her days else ware........

:-(( 

After we dined on the amazing omelet that Bob made for us, I got to do my favorite thing. . .

{create in my studio}

But only for an hour before I dashed downtown to Rose Mille, bringing in my latest creations.

 



Only to return home for BBQ Salmon, and chocolate cake.

{yum}

This morning, (not my birthday) started out a little different. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But in my case "sometimes you lose, sometimes you ...

{GAIN}

It was worth it Mom - great chocolate cake and ice cream!

xo

mi

 

Magnet Boards

  

My handy husband Bob and I have been making these vintage frame magnet boards for years and selling them in Rose Mille.

{Okay mostly Bob}

Every one  of them is unique, and made one at a time from start to finish. We often make custom ones for clients.

We start with a crusty old frame. Clean it up if it is dirty, then true the back getting it ready for the board.

{The crustier the better}

Next Bob precisely measures and cuts a piece of plywood and a piece of sheet metal, to fit each selected frame. The two pieces are then laminated together to bond permanently.

In the meantime I am choosing the covering for the surface that best enhances the particular frame. Sometimes it's vintage wallpaper,  an ancient piece of brocade or even some silk taffeta left over from a drapery project.

The material has to be thin enough to allow a magnet to be attracted to the metal through it. Once the fabric or paper has been choosen, I cut it slightly larger than the surface and using spray adhesive, apply it directly to the sheet metal covered board.

Bob then fits the assembly into the frame using framing tools.

{I have no idea what the technical terms are}

The back is then covered with random paper, sometimes old wallpaper, sometimes new brown paper. A couple of saw tooth hangers and felt pads complete the back.

 

Then I get to apply the finishing touches, an inner frame of embossed paper "Dresden" border, 3 vintage earring magnets and a few vintage postcards.

Now if only I could keep this little desk corner looking this way.

{hey...that magnet board should help!}

 

xo

mi

 

 

Straw Pendant Light

It's late Sunday Evening and alas I did not finish the quilt wall. But I did finish the left side which allows me to share the hanging light that I made for it.

This is a larger version of the { Millinery Lampshade Project,}  one that I made a while back. This one is finished with two rows of vintage horsehair millinery braid in a lovely shade of Robin's Egg Blue, and a crushed velvet ribbon and bow. {I crushed it to look like it's been there for a while, even though the ribbon is vintage.}

On the right side of the room is this one's sister; same foundation but less fussy and a bit more modern, but with vintage millinery trim none-the-less. {Typical sisters.}

Check back later when the right side wall quilt is done, along with the picture of the sister pendant light.

Oh, I almost forgot, this and the smaller version lamp shade will be my next workshop!!!

xo

mi

 

 

Wallpaper Quilt Wall

Today I am going to finish up wallpapering my studio wall. For months and months I have been trying to decide which wallpaper I should use for the window wall. I had gone through my extensive vintage stash, but there just was not enough of one pattern to cover the entire wall. I ordered samples from "Farrow and Ball" {wow $329 per roll!}, and even ordered a couple more rolls of vintage paper. But I just couldn't decide!

Then it hit me while reading some of the quilting books we carry in the shop. Why not make a patchwork wallpaper quilt with all of my favorites? 

I had to decide the shape and size of each piece, and if I wanted a pattern of some kind. The interaction between light and dark patterns etc. Gosh what you quilters go through, I have a renewed appreciation for even the simplest of quilts.  {Someday I will make a real one.}

To finish it off I glued shell buttons at the intersections.

A different wall, just to share.

The wallpapering is not done yet, but I wanted to share what I have started. The pictures are only showing one area, and today, yes today, I will finish the wall!  {I also made a couple of straw lamp shades chandeliers to hang over the sewing machine and drawer cabinet, you will see in the finished pics.}

xo

mi

 

Make This Hat

Details to come.

Leave comment if interested to know more.

xo

mi

Vintage Jewelry Becomes new Again

Lately I have been busy making these necklaces from vintage pieces and parts. One of the most enjoyable aspects of creating for me is to take something old, dirty, tired or out of date and make it good again. To breath new life into it.

By rearrangeing the parts, adding a few new pieces, or even parts from another piece, something new is created.

Looking back at most of what I make, this is the connecting thread. Whether it's a box  of buttons,  misshapen chandelier crystals, dirty old linens or lamp shades thrown in a dumpster, or that old wool sweater, pair of jeans, or crusty gold frame, maybe just maybe there's gold in it.

It takes looking at something from a fresh perspective, with a different eye, to see the possibilities.

 
Maybe we shouldn't cast something away just because, in it's present form it is not desirable. Everything and everyone for that matter deserves a second chance.

xo

mi

 

 

Millinery Lampshade Project

In my vast collection of millinery supplies I have these straw hat bodies (hoods) that I found in France on one of my recent trips. The colors are fabulous and the texture is like a hand woven linen. The best part of these braided straw hoods is that they are the perfect shape to create my next project. 

The idea to use these hoods to cover lampshades has been rolling around in my head for years. Of course I've been collecting sturdy old lamp shade frames for a while now just for this purpose.  Maybe I will try to scrunch up a straw hood and make the shade all crusty and frayed, or knowing me, I will strive for simple perfection in technique.

 

I found a frame that will fit nicely with the hood, and pulled it right over and pinned it in place.

The next step, just like when blocking a hat, is to get the hood wet by spraying plain tap water with a spray bottle, then pull it as tight as I can get it.

The pins are leaving bumps in the wet straw so I need to take them out and run a basting stitch around the bottom and top to keep it taught.

Now for some surgery, I'm thinking I should remove the top to let the heat of the light bulb out. Even though the new energy efficient bulbs are much cooler than the old ones, better safe than sorry.

Now to tuck under the cut edges before stitching down with matching thread, then remove the basting stitches. The same basic idea is done on the bottom edge as well.

Now for a little decoration. I purposely did not trim the top and bottom since that would be way to predictable. Instead I thought I would sew a narrow velvet ribbon in just the right place, which reminds me of an empire waist dress. The delicate vintage glass beaded flowers and leaves complete with rust and loose strings, give me a touch of the crumpled look I was originally thinking of, but went instead with simple and clean.

Just when I thought I was done, a velvet butterfly that has been flying around my studio for years, landed on the flowers, perfection!

This lamp base may be just right, I'm not sure. It does tell a story though.

Still, I may find an old white alabaster or crystal base. But for now this Blue Jay (?) gets to enjoy it's new shade.

xo

mi