7/31/09
The Retrieval Project
Joe and Jenny Swanson are launching a project to earn money to make a cross-country trip to retrieve the belongings they had to leave behind. The short story is they moved from SF, CA to Minnesota over a year ago to take a promising job and six months later had to move their whole family back home again with what they could bring in their two cars. They've not been able to make it back to retrieve those things that make your house a home and are still trying to catch up on the hit that two major moves in one year can take at your finances.
They've gotten a little creative with fixing this problem and have launched the Retrieval Project.
Here's how it's going to work.
Here's the full story.
Here's what you can do.
Their story feels so familiar so it didn't take much to decide to share it with ya'll. We are keenly aware of how these kinds of things can play out and have learned that love, support, and encouragement along the way can make all the difference in the outcome.
Originally found here. Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo,
Rachel
7/30/09
Fat Quarter Winner!
Ooooh, we got back SO much later than originally planned from our day trip to Arkansas. We were having too much fun at the Springs and then HAD to take a detour (the long way) through Branson to get some Dunkin' Donuts coffee and compare it to Starbucks. Our little man slept the whole way and I managed to finish about 5 granny squares! Unfortunately my camera died so you'll have to use your imagination when I tell you my son and husband both got into the cold springs fully dressed at 7 p.m. just before we were about to hit the road and that we were truly entertained by the pseudo-Vegas like drive down the strip in Branson, MO at 10:30 p.m. I've never seen so many 65+ out that late.
BUT...I promised a winner to the fat quarter give away tonight and I've got about 30 seconds left of Thursday!
Quick!
***************
"Hey Rachel...the new blog is beautiful! My most recent etsy purchase was a floral clip to wear in my hair for my recent wedding! It was from motleyhandmade. It looked perfect for my big day!
As far as projects I intend on working on this summer. The first is your very first journal class you offered. I bought it recently and really want to start that. I also want to start a mermaid quilt for my new mother in law!
Thanks for the daily inspiration!
XOXO
AMBER"
************
Send me your mailing address, Amber, and I'll get your prize out to you ASAP!
Thanks again for all of the sweet blog love from earlier this week. I'm so happy with the changes!
Be back soon!
xoxo,
Rachel
7/29/09
Sharing Some Vintage Sheet Love
I've been collecting vintage sheets from local thrift stores, flea markets, and estate sales for about three years and have built up quite a stash. I love having a variety of pieces to choose from when I start in on a project but they are starting to take over my studio space! I've gone through and chosen some of my favorites and cut them into fat quarters (22" x 18") and bundled them together in coordinating colors for convenience. They are currently being sold in my RVA etsy shop while supplies last.




Fat quarters are the perfect size for patchwork quilts, bunting for your studio space, soft blocks for babies, bibs, art journal embellishments, book covers, craft aprons, anything pieced, etc. Being vintage, these sheets have a fabulously soft texture and light weight. If you've been itching to try out a quilt, a few of these bundles will take the work out of waiting and collecting fabrics that coordinate. Paired with the quilt tutorial, they'd make a great gift for a friend.
They always remind me of vacations at my Meemaw's house when my cousins, brother and I would place our mattresses side to side in the living room and have wrestling matches and jumping contests. Happy memories!!!
Speaking of family, we've spent the last two afternoons catching up with one of Brett's cousins and her family and tomorrow we're off to Arkansas to visit his grandparents for the day. There will be much time spent outside at the chicken coop as there are new chicks hatched! Surely we'll have some pictures to share.
xoxo,
Rachel
Labels:
etsy,
fabric craft,
inspiration,
vintage
7/28/09
RVA Update
The smocks I've been dreaming about and getting all mushy over are finally ready for purchase! I have had to stop myself from making one out of every one of my favorite fabrics since Ruby is going to need SOME space in her closet for newborn clothes this November.
As stated before, I used a vintage smock as my pattern and went from there. Making smaller and larger sizes is on my to-do list but isn't something I'm 100% comfortable with free handing so I'm trying to figure out how to change things up via tutorials online. A few of you have asked if I would sell the pattern or do a tutorial and I'd love to answer 'SURE' but it's something I'm going to have to do a little more research on before I send it out. Mostly I'm just not that comfortable with patterns, whether it's using them or making them, and wouldn't want to sell you something that didn't work.
This smock reminds me of Danielle Thompson. I'm not sure if it's the fabric pattern or the overall color scheme but I think she would probably agree that the retro-modern mix is not too far from a lot of the colors and patterns that she has on her blog. Danielle, what do you think?
This fabric almost didn't make it home with me. Something about the color mix was so unusual to me that I wasn't sure how I felt about using it with the rest of my vintage sheets. It has since grown on me and is one of my favorites. It reminds me of early Fall. It is lined with a dark chocolate cotton and has vintage lace across the bust.
These pretty, plaid, party bows are made of a thick vintage cotton that I found from a stash at my great aunt's house. She gave me permission to take it home and cut it up so after cutting out a few smock patterns (I told you) I decided it needed to become hair bows. Perfect for the end of summer and early fall. They are small enough for little girls and trendy enough for those of us who have long been out of Stride Rites.
One of my goals for the RVA shop is to fill up a whole section of kids' product so they can get excited about shopping when they come into the store. So many times I've seen little kids come in and enjoy the 'playhouse' feel of the shop and watched as little girls have oohed and ahhed over the kitschy rings or fun necklaces but until now, we've not really had a lot specifically for little dreamers.
One of the first items on the list was dress up moustaches for play time. They are made of two layers of felt and have an elastic band sized to fit most children. It's about time they had some fun with this adult trend!
One of the first items on the list was dress up moustaches for play time. They are made of two layers of felt and have an elastic band sized to fit most children. It's about time they had some fun with this adult trend!
Sebastian calls them 'Bad Guy' moustaches but I told him Good Guys wear them, too. He was kind enough to pose for me after I told him there were suckers involved. At one point he was totally playing it up and seemed to know how to hit all of his poses but after the third stache, he was ready to get back to his trains.
This one will go in his modeling portfolio.
~Rachel
p.s. Thanks for all of the blog love!
7/27/09
Smile and Wave is the new Bling!
Welcome to my new blog! I have been ready for a more well-designed look for awhile and decided I was also ready for a new name. After weeks of planning and scheming it is finally ready to share and I couldn't be happier about what my co-conspirator and I have come up with. Bling on My Sewing Machine's archives are still here, as well as the intent to publish regular inspiration from the many sources in which it is provided online. A few new things include featuring collected Etsy finds, sharing more DIY projects and crafts from readers, and offering ads in the side bar.
In order to celebrate, I'm giving away a set of three vintage sheet fat quarters from my studio stash! Simply leave a comment in this post sharing your new favorite Etsy shop or recent Etsy purchase as well as a project you've been meaning to start all summer. (The cut off for entries is Thursday at 10:00 a.m. and the winner will be shared that evening.) Thanks for your patience as we've been changing things out over here. Here are a few things that caught my attention over the weekend!

These pretty tones against a neutral background are unexpected and fresh for a little one. Found on Pickles via Holly.
Unfortunately these darling mobiles from Emilie Friday are out of stock.
Everything about this collage from Christine of Gun Hip, Swollen Lip.

One of many beautifully staged images from Dottie Angel.

If you're interested in being an August blog sponsor be sure to e-mail Leigh-Ann at FreckledNest@gmail.com for more information. We have two ad sizes available and are offering 20% off to the first five sponsors so be sure to get your spot in line!
Don't forget to re-subscribe to this address in order to get notification of new posts. The old address should redirect you in the meantime. Thanks for joining me at my new blog home!
xoxo, Rachel
Labels:
etsy,
fabric craft,
inspiration
7/24/09
The Runway




Urban Prairie Girl
A few of my favorites from the Pony Rides collection now available at PonyParty.etsy.com. And if you purchase anything from this collection, you MUST send us a picture of your little one wearing their frock. It'd make a blog post for sure.
~Rachel
~Rachel
7/23/09
Happy Mail!
She's having a huge moving sale in her Etsy store so check out the goods before July 27th.
Since we're on the subject of vintage, childrens' clothing, I'm happy to announce that the first collection of Pony Rides will be available for purchase on Friday, July 24th in my PonyParty Etsy shop. These collections will be launched only a few times a year as opposed to when I find them to make it more manageable, but they will stay in the shop until they sell. If you've got a little one in your life, be sure to check out the pretties on Friday!
7/22/09
Pony Rides Coming Soon
One of the things I've noticed these last four years is that whenever a new chapter in life opens up, a new business venture seems to follow. When I first started scrapbooking, I opened a kit club and then when we moved to a new house, I started selling vintage housewares. It only seems fitting that I am suddenly acutely aware of every little vintage, gingham dress and pair of saddle shoes that I run across on my thrifting expeditions.
I've been slowly gathering a collection of vintage, childrens' clothing and shoes to offer alongside vintage housewares in PonyParty. I'm calling it 'Pony Rides'. It will be available very soon so keep your ear to the ground!
7/21/09
7/20/09
Pack It In
This weekend was full of activities and out of towners! Friday evening Brett and I went to see Harry Potter for a much needed date night. The theaters were STILL packed three days after the opening and we barely managed to get two seats together in the front section. I would've played the pregnancy card if I'd had to in order to sit next to my husband on date night! We loved it.
Saturday was for garage sales with my Katy friend, lunch with Angela and her friend from KC, meeting Suki at the RVA shop, home to see my boys, coffee with Jamie, Talisha, Ashley and her entourage, home for a moment, dinner, Lens Crafters, and back home to get the little man ready for bed.
Tired was an understatement. I actually went to bed in the 10:00 o'clock hour, something I haven't done since high school! It was energy well spent, though, and Brett now has his first pair of hot prescription glasses. (Pictures to come.)
Sunday included being late for church, coffee at the Mudhouse, a trip to the park, an afternoon of cleaning and blog makeover to do lists, watching Sebastian swim like a frog, and a Redbox DVD that Brett found much more interesting than I did. It may be because I was too focused on making my second granny square! I've almost decided on the color scheme for this blanket but only because I can't find a specific shade of yellow yarn. The one above is a little brighter of a green and close to the yellow family without being mossy or slimy. It seems that Holly and I were doing this at the same time last night.

The fruit of our garage sale/thrift store toils on Saturday. There are a few choice items that aren't ready to be seen yet because they are part of my plan to make myself even more crazy with another place to focus my energy. None of these lovelies are intended for my house, though. You can peruse the selection yourself at PonyParty.etsy.com.
The sidewalks in our neighborhood are currently being demolished so I'm turning up my new favorite album by Thao and getting back to work on my online to do list while S is napping.
Labels:
etsy,
fabric craft,
family,
friends,
vintage,
yarn crafts
7/19/09
Question Time
A blog makeover has been underway for almost a month now and is coming swiftly to the end but I need your help. I have some questions for my FAQ page but want to make sure I'm not just covering old ones. If you've got a burning question that you think others might be interested in or benefit from hearing an answer to, I'd love to hear it. Feel free to leave it in the comments section of this post and I'll work on the answers to them this week.
I've had some very helpful talent working on the things that cause me to go cross-eyed as far as blog design. As my brother likes to say, "All will be revealed in due time."
~Rachel
p.s. It's been three days of glorious weather in Springfield, MO. We're going swimming!
7/16/09
Cloudy Mornings and Sunshiny Afternoons
A few beautiful things I found on flickr today.


(Not found on flickr but equally exciting.)
A quilt kit tutorial for purchase for anyone who has 'make a quilt' on their to-do list this year. Simple instructions, lots of pictures and a supply list made available to customers via a private blog to make your first quilting experience a pleasant one. Information also available in a .pdf file via private blog for easy access when you're offline. You'll learn the skills you need to allow you to make anything from a sweet baby quilt for a friend or a roomy couch quilt for yourself.Thanks for looking! Back with more real life stories as real life progresses.
~Rachel
Labels:
baby,
fabric craft,
inspiration,
paper craft
7/15/09
24 weeks
7/14/09
For the Droolers and Day Dreamers
New reversible Celia bib available here.
Easton Quilt Kit: SOLD OUT
Hugh Quilt Kit: SOLD OUT
Quilt kits for the beginning seamstress now stocked at RVA. Limited quantities available! EDITED: Thanks SO much for the fantastic response to the quilt kits! They sold so quickly today. I'll be checking my stashes again soon to see if I can make more available for those interested. (Happy Girl!)
p.s. So excited to be welcoming Holly as an RVA girl!!!
Labels:
fabric craft,
friends,
rva,
vintage
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