Basket Liners

I made some basket liners for my friend Kathy last weekend.  She had this rolling market cart that folds flat and she had a large circular rolling basket that she wanted to use for laundry.  Unfortunately I forgot to take final photos so I only have a few of work in progress.

Here you can see the print on the fabric and the awesome green color on the wheel and spokes.  Kathy and I found a queen or king size Ralph Lauren sheet at Goodwill and that's what I used for one side on these liners.  The other side in unbleached muslin.

The liners are super easy to make.  You just measure all four sides of your basket and then add in an inch or so for a seam allowance.  You lay it out like a huge rectangle.  Then with right sides together you sew it like your making a pillow case and leaving an opening to turn it right sides out.  You do the same for the bottom piece and then you attach the sides to the bottom.  You can see above how I try to make the seam run down the center back.

I use sets of ties at the top to hold the liner secure to the top bar of the basket.  On this one I top stitched the ties to the sides of the fabric.  You can either have them pinned in and sewn in the seam or you can top stitch them on after you've turned it right side out.  Either way its cute and it works!

This is the large circular basket that Kathy will use for laundry.  She had originally just wanted it all muslin but I forgot and made one side with the RL sheet.  Here is where you won't see a photo of it complete but you get the idea.  You can see the bottom piece here.  Once I had the super long rectangle of fabric for the side complete I simply pinned it to the bottom circle and sewed it all together.  On this one I did pin in the sets of ties to the seam, sandwiched between the right sides, so when it was turned right side out, the ties were dangling from the top, every 6 inches or so, all the way around.  Easy pie!

Here is a view of the circular basket from the top.  What's nice is that these liners are reversible.  You can have either side showing, inside or outside.  They are also completely washable, durable and preshrunk so you can get a lot of use out of them.

I have several more market baskets I will be making liners for and selling at M&M.  I made a liner for one last spring and it sold the day I brought it in.  A lot of us use the market baskets at antique shows and flea markets to carry all our loot in and help keep our hands free for browsing.  They would also be handy at a park, the zoo, the beach, and at concerts or festivals.

I will let y'all know when I have some for sale.  I am not listing them in my Etsy shop since the pacakaging and shipping is not something I can take on at this time. I really do have at least 10 more market baskets in the basement so do let me know if you want one.  I will take custom orders.  Thanks!

xox

Jennette 

Winter Wonderland

As the snow started to fall at our house I couldn't resist getting out a few holiday ornaments to enjoy for the next few weeks.  I said I would resist since a surfing, snorkeling, birding, and yoga-filled 2 week holiday vacation is coming up.  I had told myself that I would not be putting out these decorations, that it wasn't needed and it would be nonsense to bother.  But I just can't help myself.  I love the winter holidays and I probably have enough decorations and holiday paraphernalia for two houses so I figure one litte holiday "alter" can't hurt!

Framed trees arranged on velvet made of vintage costume jewelry picked up at the thrift store many years ago for $2 each.

As you can see, I have quite the collection of holiday woodland folk!  When my Grandpa McAlpin died I inherited all his Christmas decorations.  I unearthed a large box full of the pinecone elfs.  Each one had a double and there were at least 10 sets.  Over the years I have gifted the duplicates to other family members and have continued to collect them for my family.  They hold books, lanterns, instruments, gifts and trees.  Right now I have about 40 different ones!

I have also been collecting vintage deer figures, little snowmen and other woodland creatures as well.  Most of these items are vintage "made in Japan" decorations.  To keep the creatures contained this year I used two matching tiered silver tray thingys, set on top of an antique pie safe, and displayed the deer and friends around them.  The plastic elfy gnome couple above watches over it all.

I love this photo.  It appears to be a Scandinavian Christmas pageant complete with snow, crowns, costume gowns and Father Christmas.  The back says "xmas 1916."

Leafless tree full of tiny vintage glass bulbs sitting on an antique plant stand between the dresser and the pie safe.  And the penguin is vintage chalkware.  The green tree a beeswax candle.

On the left is a photo of my dad around 1950.  On the right is a photo of Chad around 1979.

The grouping of pictures above contain images of the display on top of an antique dresser next to the pie safe and plant stand.  The two soft white Santa's are reproductions, not vintage, but all the feather angels and buildings are vintage made in Japan.

On Saturday I took the boys to Yulefest at The Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard to check out the festivities and celebrate our Danish heritage.  I am a Nielsen, after all.

Jasper with Santa at Yulefest.  I couldn't get August to be in the photo. Uggghhh....teenagers.

The Snow Queen, her sleigh and Reindeer.

We hung our Danish flag garlands in the window, attaching them to our net collection.  Jasper wanted the Danish flag we bought for his room.  Some day we will travel to Aarhus, where our ancestors are from to visit and discover our roots.  We can't wait!

Is it trying to snow where you live?  Does it make you want to decorate for the holidays?  We usually have a big Winter Solstice celebration.  It will be strange to not have a tree and be in the tropics for Winter Solstice.  But I think I'll survive it.  Surfing on Solstice, Christmas and my Birthday will suffice!

xoxo

Jennette



Antique Show Loot

So I totally scored on this vintage, in perfect shape, Granted -ish sweater at the Swap Meet part of the sale on Saturday.  I had just read about Granted on the lovely Bliss and had told myself,

 "You like those!  You should keep your eyes peeled for one you like and that fits since they cost over $360.00, brand new!!  Yes, they look like your old blue one that has a big horn sheep on the back and says 'Alaska' but it never fit just right, a little too small, I guess.  So watch out for one that fits and that you like the design of, girl.  You know you can manifest this if you follow your heart and not your head!" 

Yep.  That's what I was saying to myself when I saw the Bliss post.  It is not, however,  what I was saying when I was done at the antique show and arguing with myself, in my own head, about whether I should go over to the flea market part or just leave since I wasn't feeling 100%.  Chad had encouraged me to take the time to myself so I finally argued myself into going over to the flea market and now I am so glad I did!  I followed my heart, the always wanting to see one more thing and find one more treasure heart.  And I did not follow my head, the you always gotta push it, squeeze in one more thing, never satisfied, head of mine.  Oh, that darn head of mine. 

The guy who had this was asking $35, I offered $25, we settled on $30.  I got it for $30!!!  Total score in my book!  It looks so similar to this one but I think mine is cooler with the trees and all!  Yay me!  But now Chad wants one so unless my manifestation mojo keeps a spark, I'll be forkin' over big bucks for his when he can finally decide which one he wants.  It is hard to choose so that's one more reason to accept what comes along your path and make it your own (although I would have picked the horses or the whale!).

So, I'll just start with all the stuff I scored at the flea market first.  I collect antler handled cutlery so when I saw this knife for $7 I scooped it up in a hurry.

This old Fisher Price Circus caravan will be remade into some fabulous upcycled project when I can get around to it. 

Cost: $10

Vintage photo and frame.  Bought for the frame.  Vintage frames are getting harder to come by.

Cost: $5

Gotta grab up the old tin types when you can find them.  And the weirder, stranger, and more unusual the better.  I use these in different collage and multi-media projects.  These are from the actual Antique Show, not the flea market.

Cost: $2 each

This little guy, reminding me of Jasper,

riding his polar bear with a basket on his back,

full of vintage wool felt flowers!

Will fit perfectly in here.

Another old rag doll boy.  Again, for in here!

Lately I have a hankerin' for all things "tiger eye."  These have already been turned into 'regular' earrings, for my pierced ears with sterling silver hardware(which is all my ear lobes can handle).

Velvet patchwork doll blanket.  Er...yeah....I still have the everything doll related fetish going.  When will it end?!

2 paint-by-number cat/kitten paintings for resale.  Any takers?!

A roll of vintage green ticking from the east coast.

This old flour bag from a Coville estate will be deconstructed, reconstructed and upcycled into an awesome cotton and leather bag!  TOTALLY gearing up for my Etsy shop to be stalked after vacation.  Just you watch!  And hold me to it, please!!!

Old black painted wooden hand held mirror.  It's a mirror thang.

Up next I will attempt to show you the AMAZING vintage clothes I got at the show from my friend Jane.  She has a lot of family on the east coast and she brings back van loads of stuff a few times a year after she attends auctions back there.  She had some sweet vintage clothing for me, at incredible prices, and I couldn't pass them up!

This sweet little red shift just needed a good wash and a little mending.

Pocket and trim detail.

Collar, trim, button and fabric detail.  Love.

A gorgeous cotton and lace Edwardian-type jackety-type thing that I will wear over t-shirts.  Love.

Cotton and linen wrap around dress.  Love.

And last but not least I must end with sharing photos of the superduper old quilt I got.  The colors!  Oh, the colors.  These photos do not do the colors justice.  The khaki color is truly green and the blue and red are so vibrant.  Stop by and see it sometime!  I have hung it over/above our bed since we have no headboard.  It's from The Carolina's and is old homespun wool that is falling apart in several places which is so endearing to me!  The backing is a pinstripe that I just love, almost enough to hang it the other way!  Check it:

So.  Does anyone know what this pattern is called?  I still need to research that.  And.  Can you even begin to imagine doing all that stitching by hand??!!!  OMG!  Makes my mind spin!

I gotta get a photo of it over my bed to show you.  I will wait for a nice day to get good light for the photo.  It's funny since I don't usually like things that are so geometric-like but it was really the colors in this quilt that stole my heart.  I walked around the antique show several times, going back to visit it, to see if it was still there, to discover if it was meant to be mine.  And it was.  It's mine.  And I love it!

Off to gulp down the banana, blueberry, peanut butter shake Chad just made me.  Yum!

xoxoxo

Jennette