~FOLLOW YOUR SOUL...~

Today I'm killing myself diligently working in my studio trying to organize my work space.  I must say that it has gotten completely out of control.

Seriously.

Way too much STUFF and now that I no longer have a large retail booth I have no need for all the extra paraphernalia!  I've loaded up four huge bins worth of JUNQUE and off to the donation center I will go this afternoon!  And I have a lot more reorganizing to go before I'm finished!  I'm already excited about the final outcome!

It feels good to purge. And weed out...

To give away.

To share.

To toss.

I feel like I can breathe again...(well, almost!)...

I somewhat liken working within my studio walls to the life of an avid gardener.  Just like tending the earth's soil and making sure it's nutrients are rich and balanced by the Planter, so goes my life as a sewer of fine things.  If I'm not careful, weeds of workplace disorganization flourish (from a lack of "pruning"?) and I end up with an abundance of dormant supplies (barren seeds?) complicated by the mind-boggling awareness I've wasted a lot of hard-earned ca$h.  It's impossible for me to create anything in a space that is overgrown and full of weeds.  I end up standing around and asking myself "where do I begin?"...

The Silhouette Cutter I purchased nearly three years ago is a great example of what I'm talking about.

WEEDS!

 I swore I just had to have it...  I've used it ONCE and it's gathered a lot of dust  since dragging it home!  That EXPENSIVE piece of equipment was NOT necessary for me to design the things I'm passionate about creating.  That fancy gizmo may be fabulous for someone else, just not for me.  At least not now anyway.  Honestly,   I'd rather have my $275 back!!!!

Choices!

Sometimes I make really silly ones!

I have at least another full day of work ahead of me before I finish "tilling the piles of fabric" in hopes they will one day bloom into a garden of lovely keepsakes.

I've asked God to help me tend to the field before me and pay attention to the fleurs budding within my own hothouse instead of staring at the plantings in another's...  

I'm following my soul.  It knows the way.

"It was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit."  Ezekiel 17:8 NLT

Love to you...

Rebecca

~A VINTAGE LACE TOTE BAG~

I still LOVE LOVE LOVE working with vintage laces and trims.  Never enough time to actually create all that's inside my head, but I did manage to finally make another Tote Bag a couple of days ago.

This is the kind of work that really makes my heart SING!  There is just something about the hand placement of vintage laces that make me feel happy inside.  The only downside is that they take several hours (7-8) to complete.  

This one SOLD in just a couple of hours so it's already on it's way to a new home...

  Accented with vintage buttons, the body and lining of the Tote was made of linen.  Love linen!  Yum!!!!

You can't see much of the linen floral used for the inside, but it is a really sweet fabric!

Love the Tattered Lace Pin attached to the outside, too.  Found the vintage earring(s) used for the center on a recent trip to Chicago...

Here's a side view with an up-close shot of some of the vintage laces and trims used to create the Tote!

The pattern for this Boho style bag was from ROSS.  Yep!  ROSS!!!!  A few years ago I found this neat (but cheap) bag at one of their stores in Cali and I bought it knowing when I returned home I'd be cutting it up and using it for a pattern.

Have you ever done that?  Things made in China (without design ownership) are free-game for me!

I'm taking the day off today to spend with my Miss K.  She is almost 13...can't you believe that?  She's pretty shy these days...but maybe I can convince her to let me take a couple pics of her so you can see how big she is...you won't believe it.  The little girl you all once knew has grown into a lovely young lady.

More soon.

Love to you...

~VINTAGE CLOTHING and LACE FINDS~

 

~ROUND TABLECLOTH with DEEP CROCHET LACE~

I spent most of my day today on the Estate/Tag Sale hunt and I get so excited when I score BIG with vintage linens.  I never really know just WHAT I will find when fluttering about town...

~TONS of CROCHETED DOILIES~

All in all I think my Mr. AGPMan (and our son!) visited six different sales...

two were phenomenal

two were great

one was good

and

one will go down in history

as being the worst managed sale I've ever attended...

~LOVE THIS RUNNER~

Lots of pics to share today!

A few I'll move over to Pinterest and Facebook!

~LOVELY EDGING~

You know...I said once that if I ended up with more followers on Pinterest than I did on my Blog then it might be time to quit writing and just share pretty photos!

~LOTS OF THIS LACE~

Hmmm...getting awfully close here....

~TRIM MADE with RIC RAC~

This sweet edging included the note you see below.  Basically it says it was crocheted while a momma rocked her baby/cradle with her foot!  How sweet is that?

 

 ~LOVE THIS NOTE~

 ~GORGEOUS~

 ~VINTAGE BODICE~

Totally swoon-worthy!

 ~UP-CLOSE COLLAR~

~HANDMADE BUTTONHOLES~

 ~WHITE on WHITE EMBROIDERY~

Perfect accents for Christmas Stockings!

 ~VINTAGE CHILD'S APRON~

 ~VINTAGE BABY DRESS~

~VINTAGE BABY SLIP~

 ~A LONE VINTAGE BROOCH~

 ~FANTASTIC HUGE TABLECLOTH~

 ~AMAZING STITCHING~

 ~BEAUTIFUL~

 ~BREATHTAKING~

 ~MY FAVORITE FIND~

~MORE THAN LOVELY~

The vintage tablecloth is my FAVORITE FIND!  I love all the other lace pieces and the vintage clothes, but the tablecloth is amazing.  It has some storage issues, but no stains from use.  I honestly don't believe it ever graced a table.  Somehow I think that is very sad...

Anyway...the cloth is ENORMOUS!  Maybe that's why it was never used...too large for a family table.  

Hope you love all my treasures!

I have Christmas Stocking running through my brain.

Before I go...just a note to thank those of you who have written regarding my last post.  Your thoughts and concern for my husband mean more than I can say.  When it comes time for me to close my bloggie for good your kindnesses to me will be what I miss the most.

Love to you...

~MAKING A TOTE BAG MADE OF VINTAGE LACES~

 I shared with you all few weeks ago that in early March I opened up at new Booth at Serendipity Market here in Edmond, Oklahoma!  Well...after just a few weeks of loving my wee little Space a larger Booth came open on the first aisle of the store.

 It's by a large window and so I jumped at the chance to take it.  It's not double my existing Booth, but maybe about one and a half times the size I'm currently in...

 I'm excited about having more room...but not about moving!  So...over the next week or so you probably won't be seeing hide nor hair of me...I'm going to be very busy!  I promise to show pictures...

 

 This morning I put the final touches on a Tattered Lace Tote Bag and it was so much fun to make.  Years ago I sold a lot of Shabby Cottage Totes on eBay...

But~ as styles and decor changed I just got away from making them and found myself moving onto things that weren't so labor intensive!  Totes take a lot of time to make...especially those layered with vintage laces.  They can get expensive to make, too!

 The picture above is of the reverse side of the Tote!

I snapped this one after layering the laces, but before assembling it!

I love the vintage linen used for the front side!  Sooo lovely!  Forgot to snap a picture of the inside...it's pale pink with soft white dots!  Did I say PINK????  I think I did! :)

 While scavenging around earlier in the week I found this fabulous vintage brass and glass lamp!  It is absolutely amazing...love those precious little cherubs at the base!

I'm going to work on transforming it over the weekend...  The lamp is actually in wonderful shape...just very dirty and a bit grimy!  I can't wait to see how it comes out...promise to share with you soon!

Hope your weekend is lovely!  My Mr. AGPMan and the Boys are sodding our backyard tomorrow!

(I'm sooo glad I don't know how to do that!)

:) :) :)

Love to you...

~MY VINTAGE LACE HAUL~

 

 Golly-Gee...can't believe I've gone almost an entire week without posting anything here on Blogger!!!!  Wowzers...what is happening to me?!!!

 

 Could it BE that my wee little BLOGGIE has taken second third fourth fifth sixth place in my life???  Yes...I think it has!  

(Things change I suppose!)

I've been busy with my new booth at Serendipity Market (what FUN I say!) and working behind the scenes on new product for my A Gathering Place website.  Don't give up on me...I promise I'm not abandoning it.

Thank you so much to those of you who have written about my hands!  They are doing great by the way...I'm thinking I'm about 80% healed.  Almost 90 days since double hand surgery and I'm excited to share that some of the residual numbness in my middle finger/right hand is slowly (FINALLY) going away.

 

I'm MORE than grateful.  Thank you, God!

Now...I must share my HUGE find of the day.  Despite the crummy weather here in Oklahoma (we need rain so I'm trying to be NICE) my Mr. AGPMan and I were up at the wink-of-the-sun in order to get in line/to get a number/in order to be the first ones in the door at a local estate sale!  

 Pure dedication to the cause, I say! 

The curtains (a couple photos up) were actually four panels (84" long) and were priced at $8.00 for all...  They included about 10 yards of extra lace, too!

Anyway...I signed up online to follow a particular Estate Sale Company and so I had a few preview pictures of some of what was being offered.

  I spied a bunch of vintage lace and linens and I know from experience you MUST get to a sale early if you even have a prayer of snagging the best finds!

Well..snag I did!

Almost everything!

I left only crumbs heavily stained/new lace things for those who overslept.

 You snooze...

 You loooooze!  (Sorry!)

 Or in this case...you get the circa 1980 polyester green tablecloth made in China.

(At least it was new and still in the package!)

I'm sharing LOTS of pictures for you so you can swoon with me. 

Simply magnificent trims, runner, curtain, dollies, napkins, collars, etc. were found at this ONE SALE!

 

 It's hard to pick a favorite...but I must say this gorgeous French Net Lace Runner (a matching pair) was an over-the-top score.  I nearly fell over from being drunk with joy on this wonderful deal!

 I'm blissfully happy right now!  Forgive me for being snarkeee!  Sometimes I just can't help myself!

 Tucked in the mix was this 1940's bridal garter...love the ombre ribbon and rose!

 

 Lots of gently used linen napkins (great for sachets come Mother's Day) were priced $1.00 per dozen.  WHAT?

 

 The piece above is an absolutely mahhhh-vah-lous example of drawn-work.  This will surely be a pocket on a pillow!

Tons of dollies were priced $4 for the lot.  I snagged a few bags like this one!

Because I use vintage lace and trim in my work I'm always on the hunt to discover and track down more.  Even though handwork has made a huge comeback over the past few years the beautiful old stuff made long ago by loving, hard-working hands is dwindling away.  Once it's gone it's gone.  I can't even imagine the hours that went into fashioning each lovely old piece.  I know in my heart when these women pass on and their estates are liquidated it will be challenging to discover more.  Today I'm so grateful I'm able to truly benefit from all their talented work.

Hope your Saturday was as incredible as mine. 

Love to you...