What do you do with the leftover bones of the wool coat after you've picked the meat off the carcass? I've found a use for the sleeve linings: satin blossoms.
I pulled apart a wool coat to make my Thanksgiving wreath, and realized the sleeves linings were a beautiful, substantial russet satin. If I cut it out of the coat in one piece . . . and folded it once lengthwise . . . and sort of tucked the ends under and started spiraling it around . . . and then stitched everything together, added a pin back, and then adorned the front with beads . . . why, I would have a beautiful satin camellia!
Whole thing took about five minutes. I put one on a coat I'm selling in my shop, kept the other one to wear.
Now I'm wondering about menswear shirts in stripes, plaids, prints. Just cutting off the sleeve and using it. When the thrift store has clothes priced at a dollar a bag. The world is so full of things to make!
A dollar a bag - Anna! I was at the local thrift store yesterday, and was thrilled to find a cashmere turtleneck for myself (washed it! - it is fine) for $4.99- kind of the color of your coat.
ReplyDeleteAlso got a lovely tall pink vase, a lambswool sweater which I felted, and narrow belt, plain wreath which I plan to decorate - but no bags of anything for a dollar!!
Did you say that flower contains the entire lining of a coat?
Not the whole lining, just the sleeve lining, which is already the right shape and size.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I love the color contrast between the coat and the flower!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Love the color of the coat and the color of the flower.
ReplyDeleteThe thrift stores here in So Cal don't have great deals like clothes for $1 a bag! But I love to hear about all the amazing things you think of doing with your treasures :)
ReplyDeleteCan we see your wreath, please? I want a wreath for our front door for Christmas and would prefer to make rather than buy it. I once took apart a much loved red wool coat that the moths got and made a Captain Hook Halloween costume. V. satisfying!
ReplyDeleteA teacher at school's daughter makes those to go in her trendy shop in that town where my daughter lives. A trayful showed up in the teacher's lounge this week for sale! I thought of you immediately.
ReplyDeleteCarol
Clever and lovely all at once.
ReplyDeleteI visited me local used bookstore yesterday. They've come to know me as the one looking for Grace Livingston Hill. They had found a HUGE collection somewhere so instead of having 1 maybe 2 a few months apart, they have about 50 now. I thought of you and was VERY happy for me!
From someone who has no creative ability, I am in awe of what you think of to do. I can do crafts, but I must copy what someone else has done. What a beautiful idea!
ReplyDeleteOh how lovely! Satin flowers are the best. They add a touch of elegance, vintage appeal, and an artsy flair. They're so versatile too! And that scrumptious orange is irresistible!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. This is unrelated, but do you have any favorite Grace Livingston Hill books, or good starters to recommend? I've never read any of her books, but always want to when I read quotes from her on your blog. There are so many it's hard to know where to begin.
ReplyDeleteIn reply to Sarah (if you don't mind Anna). The upper left hand corner has a search feature (at the very top of the page) type in Grace Livingston Hill and all her posts that reference GLH will come up, I used it last night in order to double check my purchases!
ReplyDeleteI love it when thrifted items serendipitously give us just the right 'thing' for another project. I had that happen with a sham-turned-curtains for a puppet theatre last year (Christmas for a 2 year old) and this year with the hem of a wool skirt becoming the headband of a beret. Satisfaction!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the color of your satin flower!
So pretty! Love the color!
ReplyDelete