FRUGAL SEWING TIPS IN THE TRADITION OF PROVERBS 31

I was pretty excited about today's accomplishment! I got the piecing done on a patchwork chair cushion I had had in the works for years--yes, years! I started making a patchwork cushion cover to replace a very, very old one that still adorns my great grandma's chair. She was born around the 1873. The wicker rocker sits in my sewing room and I'm sure my grandma replaced the cushion sometime in the 1960's or 70's. But it's time for a new one....so that finally got done. Now I just have to finish assembling it.

Then I started a much needed repair on this black jacket. It's a lightweight blouse I found at a Goodwill a few years ago. I literally weaR this jacket over almost everything I own. It's my all purpose-matches everything-hides midriff fat jacket! I don't know what I'd do without this versatile wardrobe accessory. I wear it with jeans, crop pants, and fancy dresses. It is the completing touch for my WW1 style outfits I concoct. I couple it with black skirts, tapestry skirts, and use it over camisoles to be more modest. Because of the constant wear, it was getting kind of "ratty," and very seedy-looking. I had a special event to attend tonight at the church I grew up in--one of their special services for their 150th celebration. I needed to couple this jacket with a dress Clint bought me a few years ago that is now so tight it can't be used alone and still look good. (Oops! Get on a diet!) I slung this jacket over the dress--a black sequin-embroidered flapper style with handkerchief hem and then put a velvet print skirt of mostly black underneath the dress. What a beautiful combination! The muted colors of the skirt showed out from under the uneven hem of the dress.

These pictures are of a few of the construction details I used to "fix" the jacket and bring it up to new quality again. I meshed two strips of narrow lace together (because I didn't have the right width) and replaced all the lace that looks grey in the picture. It was faded from being washed so much. Then I replaced the wide lace at the hemline with a new strip of wide lace. When done, I carefully cut away the old lace underneath with very pointed, tiny sharp scissors. This saved me from tearing out hems and seams to fit the lace in.

When I arrived at the event this evening, an older lady told me my outfit reminded her of some antique necklaces she had at home and if I'd come over, maybe I'd like to have them! This was a very wonderful compliment for me--since I'm the queen of antique and vintage looking jewelry!!!!! Which brings up another subject....today Rhiannon and I think we found amongst my grandma's antique buttons a button from my great, great grandpa's Civil War Uniform. She spotted this miltary button and then checked online. It appears to be the original button. We wrote the manufacturer for imformation to confirm this. Will picture the button in question sometime in the future if it turns out to be authentic! Blessings, LORI