20% OFF SALE TO MY READERS

20% OFF SALE TO MY READERS

USE COUPON CODE 4BLOG DURING CHECKOUT

The sale will end Monday night midnight.  An extra couple of days for you to shop!  NOTE - I still have the buy 3 get free shipping but this site isn't as easy to switch from price to free so after I receive your order I will refund any shipping back to you.

My Etsy store accepts Paypal and credit cards as payment.

I'm pretty excited that one of my patterns has been featured on Etsy by REDCURLZS - It is Vogue 366 Stunning Two-Piece Dress with Waistline Pleats + LABEL / circa 1941 / SZ12 Factory Folds or go directly to my Etsy store for complete details:  OutoftheAshesSewing

Here's a new one I listed today that really rocks me - I am a sucker for big pockets:  Simplicity 3691 Endearing One-Piece Dress with BIG POCKETS / ca. 1951.  It's a "plain" shirtwaist dress but the big slanted pockets make it shine.  It's also a plus size which is unusual.




Not alot new listed today - mostly they are from my other store but they haven't been put in yet.  There is another huge bin still to list.  Keep checking.

Probably my favorite piece of art is from Maxfield Parrish.  Probably because for years on our anniversary we would travel to San Francisco and go to The Palace Hotel, Pied Piper Room and sit in the bar, drink overpriced cocktails and gaze at this magnificent work of art.  No picture can do it justice - the rich colors leap out and it looks like the characters will come marching out of the picture.  If you are ever in San Francisco this is a must see.

I was sad to read earlier this year that Malcolm Young, brother of Angus Young of the group AC/DC was ill and was retiring from the band.  The band and family are being super quiet about his illness, lots of speculation from a stroke to alzheimers.  The band will be releasing a new album in December without Malcolm.  In his stead will be Malcolm and Angus' nephew Stevie Young.  I am heartbroken and he will be so missed.

One of the most beautiful videos - I can't stop watching it:  David Phelps - The Name Lives On

McCall's 3756 Career Making Ladies' Two-Piece Suit Dress 1956

McCall's 3756 Career Making Ladies' Two-Piece Suit Dress 1956 one of two very special styles featured today.  This might be a "two-piece" dress but it's a wiggle dress in my eye.  Now because it's "two-piece" it can also be a "pencil skirt" by itself.  Decisions decisions.

Next is one that is scarce, and the envelope pretty pathetic, and the pieces are cut, a bit worn but entirely useable.  Just too dang pretty to not list at a deal price!  Another "wiggle" dress - and I must admit I do love that "sheath" look from the late 50's to early 60's.

Simplicity 2564 Sensational Sheath Dress / ca. 1958, with pretty ribbon affect at bodice and waist-hip area.  Nicely seamed waistline to accentuate your figure.  Sunsational sleeveless beauty.






Two days ago I prepped some tomatoes, thick slices of Romas, and put  them in the dehydrator for 24 hours.  I wanted to make my own "sun dried tomatoes" without actually putting them in the sun.  They are now in a big jar and in a week or so I will see if they are any good - grin.  Wish me luck.  Here's the recipe or instructions if you are curious.  SUN DRIED TOMATOES

Here's a recipe that is absolutely tried and true and made several times since I found it.  Made it again last night and OMG it is delicious.  Of course you have to love brussel sprouts!  It's a bit of work but very worth it.  Brussels Sprouts in Garlic Butter Recipe

Halloween is racing toward us - I'm not terribly crafty but I saw this on Pinterest and thought it would be very cute and colorful to make by using a punkin and crayons:  Crayon Drip Pumpkin DIY

I got a good laugh out of this article about what is the most Googled product for your state.  Mine being Arizona it was Jose Cuervo - bwahaahaa!

While Googling vintage horse pictures I found this ... such a lovely old picture that has been pastel colored.  It is stated to be an antique circus horse picture.  Thad lady has awesome posture!

Butterick 9008 Simply Irresistible Summer Dress & Jacket / ca. 1959 / SZ12 UNCUT

I could skip the jacket and just wear that dress - mmmmm mmmm.  Maybe even make the pockets a bit bigger - ?

If you have a young lady this is an adorable "Sub-Teen" Pattern - Advance 8905 Sub-Teen "Three Silhouettes" Dress / ca. 1959 / SZ14S UNCUT

Wish this was an adult size - that slimline with pleated bottom is TDF.

Looking forward to starting some veggies going and found this on a website.  Interesting stuff to "grow" easily starting in the house.  Food that Magically Regrows Itself










Do you have an old dresser or night stand?  Check out this cute project for your patio:

Pretty nifty and looks really easy to make.   Would also fit nicely into a kitchen area too.

I bake alot and use tons of vanilla extract.  Did you know you can make your own?  Well ... I didn't either LOL.  But in my internet wanderings I found out how easy it is.  All vanilla is made from alcohol (the drinking kind) and either "vanilla bean extractives" which is the cheapy way or by using real, fresh, vanilla beans.  The most common method is to use one cup of vodka and 6 vanilla beans sliced to open them so that their flavor is easily distributed.  I used a mason jar with lid.  After slicing cut the beans in half and put them in the vodka.  Put the lid on and shake well.  NOW for the bad part.  This must sit for 6 weeks and be shaken a few times a week (or if you are me and can't stand being inactive I shake it every day).  I happen to keep fresh vanilla beans on hand but they are easily ordered online - I buy at the Spice Sage but sometimes if the prices are too high depending on the season, I will buy them on Ebay.

If you love fresh spices I can't recommend enough The Spice Sage.  They have some killer cayenne and paprika peppers.  My favorite is the Smoked Paprika - O M G.

Well off to the kitchen - oh wait - one more posting of a pretty picture just to ooh and ahh.

This is a rather unknown breed of horse - the MARWAHI.  They come in all colors just like most horses but they have rather goofy and distinctive ears - grin.  I learn something new every day.

Happy Monday morning!  Hope all of you had a great weekend.  We are finally getting cooler temps but the humidity is still horrible.  Oh soon, soon, soon, please cooler and less humidity.  My yard looks like the house has been abandoned - leaves and debris everywhere, weeds all over.  Just too darn hot to step outside and exert myself.

A couple of patterns of note put in today:

Advance 2710 Red Hot Wrap Dress with Full Skirt / ca. 1963

It is a size 16 with a bust of 36" - it is cut but complete and in good condition.  Envelope pretty trashed.







The next is for a little girl and it is just the cutest!

McCall 6631 Girl's "Little Red Riding Hood" Cape 1946

It is a girl's size 6, breast size 24.  It has been cut but it is complete and good condition.  Envelope of course has the usual wear from age.  I just love the little pointy hood!

A brand new Goodwill just opened a few miles away - I am so excited!  What a geek.  I spent hours browsing the other day and found a few treasures.  The most fun was a big bag of cosmetic sample items from designers - the high dollar stuff - most from Yves Saint Laurent.  Having a blast trying all the different complexion creams, eye creams, night creams etc.  All for a whopping $1.99!

I have a hard time finding body lotion that doesn't dry out quickly and still leave my skin feeling dry.  If I want to spend a ton of bucks I'm sure I can find a good one but it's not in my budget.  Last year a 99Cent store opened near by and when I was in there the other day I grabbed a tube of DERMASIL lotion.  O - M - G!  For 99 cents this is the best lotion I have ever used.  Not greasy and I can apply and all day my skin feels good and not dry.  It comes  in "Advanced Treatment" and "regular" and I've used both and they are both good.  Check it out!

Last year we adopted two adult cats from the local shelter.  One was an 11 month old boy who was a stray (he had to have been lost because he was so friendly and not feral), and one was a turn in who was 5 1/2.  The 5 1/2 year old is a Russian Blue as sweet as can be (Her owner got married and her husband hated the cat and made her get rid of her - I would have gotten rid of the husband grrrr).  She is also declawed.  I noticed that she was having difficulty in the litter box and after some research discovered that the litter was hurting her paws.  I have since switched to the log shaped pellets that can be made of paper or wood products.  No problems now and frankly I love the lack of odor - these pellets absorb so much better than regular litter.  It's worth the little extra price to have a non-stinky litter box.

Later!

Hello pattern lovers!  Here are a few patterns that caught my eye this week:

Mail Order 4799 Spiffy Cape, Blouse & Pants 1970's / SZ14 UNCUT and though the top and pants are nice but blah I do really like the little caplet.  Fall is here and this little number is perfect for a cool day or evening.

Advance 2943 Rockabilly Chic Housecoat / ca. 1962 / SZ18 UNCUT and though stated as a housecoat a nifty wrap day dress or button button dress combined with that full skirt it's a perfect afternoon goin' out dress.  The envelope is pretty UGH but pattern perfect.




Though my favorite horses are the quarter horses or even Fresians because they are bulkier nothing beats an Arab for sheet elegance.  Check out this outstanding picture - it is taken by a famous horse photographer Raphael Macek:

Even if you don't life in the SoCal area this amazing organization is  doing  such good work rescuing homeless dogs and also saving senior dogs that have been taken to the animal shelter in the end days because they cannot afford vet bills or do not want to pay for the vet bills.  Having a special love for senior dogs I wish I lived in SoCal so I could be a foster mom to many of these senior dogs who just want to be loved in their last days.  Please check out their organization LEAVE NO PAWS BEHIND or their Facebook page LEAVE NO PAWS BEHIND FACEBOOK:

Keeping with my Zombie Apocalypse fascination lately (yeah yeah I've read all the classics and must read books now I read to enjoy) I am so enjoying Eric Shelman's Dead Hunger books.  Seat gripping!  Get under the covers and read them with a flashlight.

In tribute to that amazing comic Robin Williams and if you want to have a good laugh after viewing zombie pictures - grin - here is his best routine IMO talking about playing golf with a Scotsman:


I have recently discovered that tree houses are the "in" thing and this is one of my favorites which incorporates tree house with lots of garden!

Well off to the grocery store!

Have a wonderful weekend!

OutoftheAshesSewing at Etsy

Taking a bit of a shift in my blog.  Mostly letting you know what new and interesting patterns I have listed, letting you know about special sales just for you readers, and now including fun stuff that I have enjoyed whether it's a special recipe I've loved or want to make, to pictures I love to look at (I am a horse fanatic so beware), books I've read, authors I recommend, movies, gardening tips, outdoor stuff and projects I want to do, houses that I think are interesting, you name it.  With more time on my hands after closing my website and opening a smaller store on Etsy I am enjoying my time off by reading alot (my tablet is stuffed with ebooks and now with the new KINDLEUNLIMITED for $9.99 a month OMG), and puttering around the house, cooking, etc.  I post alot on Facebook the fun things I find but I do keep my Facebook private for close friends and family.  I often wish I could share more of these interesting things to even more people.  Then a little bulb went on over my head - MY BLOG!

To start here are a few new items listed in my Etsy store this week:

McCall's 7896 All American Jacket, Skirt & Blouse 1965

A refined outfit for a dignified lady.  

 

 

 

 

Here's a stand out Advance pattern:  Advance 2958 Magical Dress with Two Skirts / ca. 1962

Offset button bodice with option of double breasted affect and slim or full skirt.  Wowza.

 

For you fans of the rare New York patterns here is a lovely one.  New York Pattern 1061 All American Waist Tucked Dress / ca. 1940's 

With all the reading I am doing for some reason I glommed on to Zombie / end of the world apocolypse books.  Okay I've read the classics (yawn), never been a romance book fan, mostly suspense, action or even political books, but when I got my Kindle and scanned their store a title jumped out at me.  Adrian's Undead Diary Book One Dark Recollections.  The author is Chris Philbrook.  Hmm I thought.  With my Unlimited account I popped it onto my ereader.  Two pages in and I was hooked.  Uniquely written, super funny, lots of action, nothing like I expected and it was fun!  In nothing flat I have read the whole series of 7 and there is one last one coming soon.  Very talented and gifted writer.  Highly recommend if you enjoy this type of book which I have found out I do!

 

Do you love horses?  A horse lover friend sent this to me and it is magnificent.  I put it on Pinterest and here is the link:  Magnificent Horse Video

One of my boards on Pinterest is about fashion icons.  While searching for retro pictures of different fashion eras I kept running into famous people wearing outfits I wanted to post but thought these icons needs their own board.  Grace Kelly - ahhhh.

 

When I see the so-called movie stars of today I get nauseated.  So few have the class of the stars of the 50's and earlier. To see my collection of fashion icon pictures go to my pinterest site:  

OUT OF THE ASHES SEWING Pinterest Site

OH!  If you have a Pinterest site I would love to view it - please drop me a note here or drop by my site.

Made this yummy recipe the other night and it was so filling it could be used as an entree.  It's called TUSCAN BAKED ZUCCHINI

Staying with the food and beverage area I have to pass on the plate to buy the most awesome coffee or tea EVER!  Alta Organic Coffee & Tea is the bomb.  I am sipping on a delicious cup of their El Salvador coffee bean (ground in my grinder).

Oh had a great find recently at a local thrift store of a very vintage "sewing needle kit" but what makes it extra neat is that it features kittens on it.  Not for sale - I can't let it go!

Well enough babbling for today.  More tomorrow.  Now that I have some time I can enjoy doing this blog that's no longer "work" but play!

God Bless!