Modeling the State Fair Dress and Missing Work Social Events

Thought this would be a cool fall image - me wearing the black strawberry print dress, with newly purchased thrift shop black leather gloves ($2.99) and black heels. 

I try not to think of all of the fun fall activities I enjoyed prior to this forced lifestyle change. I was also involved in the social committee, planning the fall potlucks, and Christmas parties. Work social activities were my only in-person social outlet. 

For a time, State workers were allowed paid time off to receive COVID vaccinations, to recover from those vaccinations, and to care for a family member stricken with the illness. Those protections ended in September. Now, it is anyone's guess what, if any, protections will continue. 

Reseller update: I continue to list Christmas CDs. I did quite well last year selling those items, people purchased them well into January. I picked up some Barbie clothes so I will lot those up to make a few bucks. I sell a lot of little stuff - but all those littles add up!

The sewing pattern priced the highest on the board is this 1969 Vogue Couturier Design by Fabiani of Italy. If I even pretended to be a seamstress, I would attempt this pattern. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184604543516

I will begin composing my Countdown to Christmas posts. That activity really continues all year long with image gathering. Countdown to Halloween and a week-long visit to my mom planned at the end of this month. 

Checking Off All of the Boxes

My quest for June was to find a piece of original art as a birthday present to myself. This $4.99 thrifted still life acrylic on canvas fit the bill. I love obtaining Other People's Artwork (OPA).

At my same hospice thrift location I found a real Burberry bag. I couldn't believe my eyes, priced at $9.99, that came home with me too along with 2 bags from a mystery quilter. 

Mystery bags of fabric were priced at $3.99 each. The best of Mystery Bag #1 were these cross-stitched days of the week and a few other usable pieces. 

The best of Mystery Bag #2 were these appliqued quilt blocks.

Sadly, there was only one of these retro Dresden partially completed blocks. 

While worth the money spent, 80% of the bags were unusable. Either ugly fabric (I give it away), or pathetic patchwork. It is a well kept secret among quilters that sometimes other's creations are downright ugly. Here is evidence of that in orphan blocks in odd colorways. 

I took the opportunity to clean out all of my marginal quilt blocks I had collected over the years. Unable to fit them into past projects, it was time they were released back into the wild. 

I know part of my good fortune lies in persistence. I visit my local hospice thrift at least 3 days a week. 

Reseller's update: The Vogue sewing patterns are all listed and I am shooting for back to 1,000 active (50 listings to go). Those babies will help pay for the extra expense of air conditioning during these blasting hot summers. 

Very Important Items for the Victorious Reseller

The following are Very Important Items, at least for the ones I list on eBay. 

Scotch tape. I spend a lot of time taping up dust jackets for books and repairing sewing pattern packets. 

Glue. Mainly used to repair the spines on books. Certainly not a sanctioned book rehabilitator, but it works. 

Goo Gone. Removes sticky, gummy, gooey problems (not a paid promotion). Sometimes labels will not become unstuck and there is yuck all over otherwise good CD cases. 

Vogue sewing patterns are my best selling and I delight when I find them in the thrift shop wild. Here is a recent listing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184757302213

I will be out of town next month so I put my eBay store on Vacation Mode. We will see how that plays out. 

Sharing a recipe from The Escoffier Cook Book (pub. 1954).

Vichysoisse

Finely mince the white part of four medium-sized leeks. Put this into a pot with one oz. of butter, and stew gently for a quarter of an hour. Then add three medium-sized quartered potatoes, cut into slices the thickness of a quarter. Moisten with one pint of white consomme; add the necessary quantity of salt, and set to cook gently. When about to serve, finish the soup with one pint of boiled milk and one and one-half oz. of butter; pour into soup-tureen, and add twelve slices of French dinner rolls, cut as thinly as possible. Add cream and chill. 

Fashion assignment of the week

My ongoing love for my fashion analysis class continues.  The assignment this week is to find a picture of abstract art, then select a pattern and describe the material you would use.

I chose this Mid Century Modern piece by Jan Skacelik.  The pattern I would use is this 1954 Vogue vintage.

Fabric I would use would be a cotton/polyester blend.  

On to thrift shop jewelry - if you are buying your costume jewelry at retailers, you are missing out on the varied selection offered secondhand.  This hospice set was a bargain at $7.50.

Thanksgiving preparations are in full swing - blessings to you and those cherished ones in your life.