Are there June bugs in your mint juleps

A nonsensical post title as food for the search bots.

I have fallen in love with this piece of fabric. The picture doesn't do it the justice it deserves - there is a richness and depth I don't usually see in material. It is a good 2-3 yards of material and I am tempted to use it as a quilt top, rather than a backing.

Closeup of fabric remnant

On the subject of material, color in particular, a new post went up from thebitchystitcher (language warning for sensitive souls) about "puke green."


The June 1-30 challenge prompts have been posted at kathleenbduncan.com.

In addition, the thesitsgirls are hosting this event.

Prompts will be posted beginning Monday, June 15th through Friday, June 19 and a chance to win a $25 gift card for those who linkup.
Half off craft items at hospice thrift included a slew of 1970s patterns, floral fabric and a bag of scrapbooking stickers. I added in a couple of KD Lang and Liza Minelli CDs and an upright towel holder for the trailer ($12).

While I love to highlight other bloggers, I don't seek anything in return but I sure get a thrill when someone mentions me. That was the case recently with bokunokimono.blogspot.com on a post that highlighted thrifting fabric.

I've got quite a few ideas for upcoming posts and photo shoots to stage for an online magazine. Stay tuned for fun in the sun!



Jean vest re-do and a June Challenge

Since hanging with the celebs at Coachella was not in the cards for me this year, I am modeling the latest in faux festival fashion.

The Coachella Music Festival is held each year in April in Indio, California.
One trick to getting around the work dress code spaghetti strap ban is to wear a jean vest. Last month, the SPCA thrift store held a weeklong $1 clothing sale where I found an 80s style jean vest and purple knit top.

The material on the vest under the arms was too bulky so I whipped out my trusty seam ripper and *rip* and took out that extra material. Then I decided the quasi-peplum add-on had to go *rip* and ended up with a vest ready to fray.

I went above budget at $10 buying the ice cream cone joujou dress. I call it that because the colors and ruffly layers seem sooo ice creamy. The beige crocheted bodice qualify for a linkup with Anne of spygirl-amb.blogspot.com for her 52 pick-me-up fashion prompt.

What is a Tami fashion post without a Pattern of the Day? It just has to happen. The closest thing to my ruffly festival fashion is this child's dress pattern 1970 McCall's 2691.

1945 The Complete Book of Sewing

This week's thrift shop finds were the start of my vintage souvenir plate wall beginning with my home town. Perfect at 75 cents!

Link to displaying collections-vintage-souvenir-plates
Fabric remnants ($4) and a necklace I will use as a lanyard for work($3).

I so enjoyed last month's April AtoZ Challenge, I have found one of those participants is hosting a June challenge.
https://kathleenbduncan.com/ will provide prompts and Saturday is photo challenge day. Summer is a perfect time for me to participate in one of these and sometimes the prompts produce surprising and fun-filled results.  M'kay, who is in with me on this one? 

Persistence Pays Off

When I began as a State worker over two years ago, I believed it would be easy to promote what with all of my experience and background. I applied to take a certain exam with a certain department and was rejected.

I was devastated. One of the major routes I was interested in was closed off to me. I watched as others promoted into the very position I had hoped to attain.

Part of the process of promoting in the public sector is getting on the list. If you are not on the list, you cannot apply for the job.

Last year, I promoted to another position with another agency with disastrous results. It really wasn't the job that I wanted but felt I had no other options. I did learn one thing about myself, that I did not want to work in administration, that the legal field was my first love. I needed to accept my leopard spots and stick with what I knew - law.

Now, I have made it on the eligibility list I have wanted all along. The next part is landing that job!



VOGOFF Magazine and Catty Noir

VOGOFF Magazine 2016 edition (my favorite online Zoolander-esque magazine) will be seeking submissions soon. Melanie of bagandaberet hosts this irreverent look at the fashion industry, non-conformicators, and those suffering from asymmetrization. (I know, the last two not official words, let's just go with it).

Monster High Catty Noir

Offered through shopgoodwill.com

Catty Noir embodies the messy, impossibly pink look I struggle to attain.

I appeared in the 2013 and 2014 editions of VOGOFF found here. Faux Festival Fashion photo shoots will begin in earnest - hoping for the front cover this year!

May Day and Thrifting Away

Weekend hospice thrift shopping produced two pairs of shorts, a Cassel Groovin man's hat ($10), the batting and "H" wine glass ($1), the bag of remnant fabric material marked $20, sold to me for $17 (after a bit of negotiation with the SPCA thrift shop clerk).

Always on the hunt for batting and fabric remnants to make affordable gifts for friends and family.

Center section of the Daughter Quilt

Quilting update: 
I have assembled the Daughter Quilt. My method this time was to use temporary spray adhesive for all of the layers AND curved safety pins to keep the sandwich together while quilting it. I have chosen a white thread and cotton batting.
Putting the sandwich together is the most un-fun part of the process for me. I lay the sections on the ground and smooth it out while I am on my hands and knees. I do this outside since I don't want to inhale the spray glue.
I am always apprehensive making the first few stitches on the quilt sandwich. So much time has been invested at that point. 

Concluding with a link to The Kindness Quilt Project:
http://vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.com/2016/04/sharing-kindness-charitable-opportunity.html
Details as follows:
1. you may donate a quilt block no larger that a 6 inch square.
2. you may knit, crochet, quilt,sew your square using any yarn or fabric of your choice.
3. your square may be embellished in any manner that you wish embroidery, beaded accents, quilted embellishments, embroidery work, or painted with washable paints.
4. you may make your square and embellish it in any manner you wish.
5. your quilt square donations may also be totally not embellished, may be left plain without anything on them.
6. you may donate as many squares as you wish to this project.
7. for those of you who do not wish to make a quilt square, you may donate items of any sort that can be used to embellish the squares that are left plain.
8. you may donate buttons, floral embellishments, crochet flowers, granny squares, hearts,you may donate any item that can be added to the squares to further embellish the quilt.
 9. These donated items may be purchased or handmade-made this is totally your choice.
10. Your generously donated squares will be sewn onto a backing fabric by Vicki from 2BagsFull and she will use your donated items to embellish the squares as needed.
11. this project will run for a full year until April 1, 2017. You will have ample time to make generous donations to this amazing project. Open to anyone and everyone wherever you live, if your heart is generous, you are invited to share your talents or to share a bit of embellishment.

The donations may be mailed to:
The Kindness Quilt Project 
150 Pine Ridge Drive 
Grayson, KY 41143 

 Updates will be shared regularly her on her blog, including and any embellishments that are also donated. With your donation, she will list the names of everyone who donates to this project. Photos of the quilt in progress will also be shared from time to time.

Those of you who have Instagram accounts may follow her there for updates as well. All photos of donated items will be shared regularly on her IG page using the hashtag #KindnessQuilt