SHOPPING, NOT DROPPING

Another shortcoming -- oh, so many -- that I must confess to: shopping for fabrics and notions for my bags. If I did more sewing than I did shopping, I'd be a lot better off. And so would the closet in my studio. It's full. I mean FULL. But I keep on shopping. I mean, if I don't, I might miss the perfect thing for my next project, right? Don't you feel that way, too? At least I shop THRIFT. I haunt the local thrift shops and garage sales to scoop up those wonderful finds.

So, in honor of shopaholics, thriftaholics, GSaholics everywhere, who live for the hunt and smile over the finds, this is for you.

Check out the double-knit fabrics from the Sixties. If it were a puppy, my mom would say, "It's so ugly, it's cute."  I mean FUGLY, freaking ugly. But, oh, so, wonderfully cool. Is that what you call "kitschy"? 





I also snagged a bag full of ribbons and trims. Most are so-so; nothing you'd wake up in the middle of the night screaming for, but the ones wrapped on the flat card are the ones I bought the bag for. Really nice trims that I can envision on one of my bags in the near future.

And check out the envelopes of embroidery transfers. These have to be from the Fifties-Sixties, too. They retailed for 19 cents, for crying out loud! And were made in the USA! I don't know if they'll actually transfer, but I can scan them and trace them if NEED BEE. (Note the cute reference to one of the envelopes of cute bee sayings.)



Last, but not least -- well, maybe least. Naw! It's pretty cool -- is a brocade valance with tassels. I can see this becoming some pretty amazing Just Enuf bags, and maybe some larger versions of Just Enuf bags. Perhaps they'll be More Than Enuf bags. (My cleverness at naming my bags is exceeded only by my silliness at naming my bags.)





Uh, oh. Almost forgot. Whew! (So, the valance is not last nor least.) Here's some vests I snagged for future VesTotes. You know, the soon-to-be famous YAYAMADE design that is to appear in the gallery section of the August edition of   GREENCRAFT magazine. (See "Whoa, Nellie" post below.) Not that I'd brag or anything by repeating that I'm going to be published!