Some Luck For You

A wee bit of luck for you for the whole year through.  I have for sale in my Etsy shop genuine pressed four leaf clovers mounted on vintage sheet music and vintage french Lesson book pages.  There are several styles to select from.  Feel free to pop over and check them out. My son is the four leaf clover hunter.  He is fantastic at finding them.  We have several patches right in our yard. 

I am linking to:

Marketplace Monday at Common Ground

New Items in the Etsy Shop

My spring cleaning has included cleaning out the bloggy prop room.  It was in need of a thorough cleaning so I have listed some things in my Etsy shop and will list many more.

If anything sparks your interest, just hop over to the Etsy shop and check it out.

Sherry

I will link to:

Marketplace Monday at Common Ground

Summer Styles

source: Julia Turley via Sherry on Pinterest 

I have much anticipation for summer now that spring has whisked in so early.  Summer styles are so fun and the living is easy.   I have really been noticing a lot of uses for head scarves on the internet, isn't this a cute look for the beach.

source: http://jenesequa.com

A head scarf can be great for boating, riding in a convertible, or yard work.  What ever the occasion Jackie O always looked chic in her head scarves.  

 

 I was needing to use up some fabric I had so, I sewed up a variety of "shabby chic" style bandanas this weekend and they will be in my Etsy shop for sale.  Much of this fabric is Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic fabric, 100% cotton.  The bandanas are 21 inches square.  Check them out for summer hair.

 

Sherry

 

I will link this to:

Monday Marketplace at Common Ground

"Shabby Chic" Cloth Napkins

Has anyone visited a retail store today?  I just got back from Walmart and it was completely transformed for Christmas!  Yes, even White Christmas on the intercom.  Well I am also trying to fill the Etsy shop with Christmas gift ideas.  It is interesting to have a shop and create a product line, all entirely of my own creation.  I have been trying out different fabrics from companies I admire and this fabric was a treat!  All of these "Shabby Chic" style cloth napkins were made out of Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic fabric from her current collection.

This is 100% cotton and a treat to work with.  It is heavier in weight and gorgeous patterns and colors.   This pattern was very "Cabbage ans Roses" don't you think?

Here the napkins are washed.  I noticed a little trouble with getting the edges exactly straight on this pattern.  Then I pulled the fabric and realized it had to have a little Lyrca in the lengthwise grain of the fabric.  This gives it the heavier weight and this gorgeous shabby un-ironed finish that Rachel is famous for in her shabby mismatched table settings. 

Nothing about them are exact.  They are hand made and perfectly imperfect.  Which is exactly what Shabby Chic is all about.  They remind me of some little vintage napkins I have.  They never are an exact perfect fold but when you work with them they fold up nicely and are charming all the same.

The patterns are truly beautiful.

So, I will be working to fill up the shop for Christmas the whole first half of November and blogging a lot about that.  Then I will dedicate some time to Thanksgiving and we will dive right into Christmas!  The stores are making me want to decorate already! 

Sherry

I will link this up to:
White Wednesday  at Faded Charm
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Passionately Artistic  weekly party

Thank You!

A big thank you to those of you who come by and read my blog!   I haven't been keeping up with all of the comments throughout the week and I still want to thank you for making them.  I have been concentrating on loading up the Etsy shop with some of the above items for fall and then I will be getting more in it for Christmas.

One more reason I have been busier, see that crib in my living room?  I have been baby sitting a sweetie and that is a a busy job throughout the week.  So bear with me if I haven't stopped by.  I will continue to visit as much as I possibly can.:)

Thanks for visiting me!

Sherry

New in the shop...

 

This is just a sampling of some new things going in my Etsy shop for fall.  I am planning on getting more in it.  Some of the winter items were marked down half price, might give you some ideas for Christmas.

To visit the Etsy Shop just click here.

Thanks to all of the sweet people who have purchased from The Charm of Home Etsy shop!

I hope to put much more in it, oldest son going to college! :0

Thanks!

Sherry

Altered Couture for Home Decor

Have you ever heard of Altered Couture?  It isn't just a magazine (pictured above) made by the Stampington Company.  It is a movement in fashion that has taken hold (revived) in the last several years.  By this, hobbyist and artist create one-of-a-kind individual pieces with the recycling of past fashion materials.  A few examples that are a treat to look at are Armour Sans Anguish and  Supayana.

Image: Supayana

 Image: Armour Sans Anguish

Neat huh.  Imagine recycling clothes to look this good.  What if it was done for home decor?  I have seen a lot of things repurposed, upcycled, or altered, whatever you want to call it.  In home decor you really need a lot of yardage.  It isn't as easy to take clothes and recycle for the home.

You know my tea cozy.  It was altered from a Woolrich wool vest.

One commenter said it looked like a sweater for my teapot.  She was really close.  Here is the original vest.   

What do you think about upcycling?  

Do teapots look good in sweaters?

How about this table runner?

The shabby chic fabric for this table runner came from a Liz Claiborne dress.

Here it is after I used the bottom for the table runner.  These are the only two pieces I have ever upcycled.  I really found it fun to do.  I liked challenging myself to look at something and find another use for it.  Have you ever altered any clothes? 
The tea cozy in for sale in my Etsy Shop.

I will link to these ladies go and visit them.

Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog

Toot Your Horn Tuesday at A Silly Little Sparrow
Second Chance Tuesday at Bella Rosa Antiques
Boring to Better Party at Savvy Southern Style

Whatever Goes Wednesday  at Someday Crafts

Show and Tell Wednesday at Blue Cricket Design 
Whassup Wednesday at Elements Interiors

Working with Burlap

I recently made two burlap table runners and was excited to work with this fabric and see what I could do.  I thought if anyone wants to make a table runner I would blog a little about how unusual burlap is and maybe it will help you.  Right away I noticed this fabric stinks.  It smells like oil.  I had read on another blog that it was easy to wash so I gave that a try.   I cut out my runners and serged the edge with my overlock sewing machine.  I put the runners in the wash on delicate.  The lesson learned was to wash the whole yardage of burlap before you cut out your desired size of fabric.  They raveled about 1 1/2 inches into the fabric, even with the finished edge.

I finished and evened up the raw edges again and attached a ruffle of a nice shabby chic fabric to them.  They turned out really nice and will be durable as a finished runner, but I have read they are dry clean only.  (*See note about cleaning at end of post.) I had the sizes measured out and I didn't really notice any sizable shrinkage, maybe  because I washed in cold and drip dried.

You also need to closely inspect the burlap when choosing the piece for your project.  The blue runner I show here had a flaw in the weave.  This is the top of the runner.

When you turn it over there were pulls on the back side.  I kept this blue runner for my personal use so, I didn't mind the pull since it was not noticeable from the front.

I was pleased with the finished table runner.  I also learned a lot about working with burlap, it can be a tricky fabric to work with.

I made another table runner with a pink shabby chic fabric ruffle and it is for sale in my Etsy Shop. (It was washed and pressed.)

*One more note about cleaning- with dry clean only table runners I have had success by just spot treating it with Shout.  I just sprayed the spot with Shout and put the runner in open air to dry and when I went back to check it, the spot was gone.  (This was a cherry pie stain at Thanksgiving.)  (Blueberries come out with Hydrogen Peroxide, soaked overnight)

I will link this to:

Handmade Monday at Olga's Home and Garden Blog

Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Make It For Monday  at Cottage Instincts

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Making the World Cuter at making the World Cuter 

Market Monday at Etsy Cottage Style

Made By You  at Skip to my Lou 
Tute {Yourself} Tuesday at Little Eme
Fabric Fun Thursday at Cheap Chic Home

Check out all of the great things going on at these blogs.