Resolutions...Changes...and Announcements

Every new year I make resolutions and most of the time I've abandoned them by the end of February. Not this year. This year I have only one resolution to keep, and it is a continuing commitment to simplicity and creating a more simplified lifestyle in terms of my time, my possessions, and my relationships.  It's not a new philosophy for me, as over the past few years I have been deeply influenced by the writings of Janet Luhrs and Elaine St. James, among others (I highly recommend their books.) Of course, the economic meltdown impacted us and just about everyone we know, especially here in California, which has helped to change the perspective of many. If there is a silver lining to the recession, it is that it is now easier than ever to ignore the siren call of rampant consumerism and become even more selective about what we buy and where we do our buying.

I have to admit that I love to shop, but I'm also trying to live more sustainably, so I enjoy going to thrift stores and estate sales to purchase everyday things that we need in addition to hunting for collectibles.  My husband joins me on some of these excursions, and together we've stashed away quite a number of books and collectibles. We were seriously talking about renting a storage unit early last year to house some of our collections, which is a screaming red flag that says, "You have too much stuff!"  Founding  Serendipity Vintage on Etsy was part of our plan to reduce the size of some of our collections, but not eliminate them completely.  And Serendipity Handmade allows me to share my collections with you instead of  leaving them in a curio cabinet or closet to be forgotten.

That said, I am happy to announce some upcoming changes to the Etsy shop.  Over the last few months that Serendipity Vintage has existed I've learned that I really enjoy bringing sewists and collectors in touch with patterns that they might not be able to find anywhere else (I think this speaks to the librarian in me).  I definitely want to devote more time to finding vintage sewing and craft patterns for all of you.  I also have a lot of patterns and other fun finds in my current collection that I think should go to another good home.  I love Etsy, but their fees are rather high considering the number of patterns, paper ephemera, and other items that I have to destash.  Therefore, I've decided to keep a small selection of patterns and other vintage goodies in the Etsy shop and post the majority of sewing and craft patterns in a new web shop at www.serendipityvintage.com.  I've got a few sewing patterns available there now, and more will come.  Be patient with me, as I haven't quit my day job and I don't want to stretch myself too thin!

I've also been doing a lot of thinking about the blog, and I've got a lot of things planned for this year!  I won't let all of the kitties out of the bag right now, but I will tell you about a new feature that will start this month called Tomorrow's Vintage Collectibles.  Having collected vintage and contemporary collectibles for so long I'd like to share with you some of the things I believe are very collectible and have the potential to be highly sought after in the future.  But of course you should also collect what you like, regardless of its potential value.  You'll also notice some changes to the blog design...it's a work in progress too!

What are your Resolutions this year?  Are they craft-related, or personal?   And please let me know if you have other ideas or features that you'd like to see on this blog!

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2010! 

May you have great health, wealth, and happiness this year! 

Enjoy the January 1947 Universal Newsreel below as you take a look at two American new year traditions (in places where winter weather is traditionally fabulous!).  Skip ahead to 3 minutes 23 seconds for a charming look at the now-defunct Orange Bowl Parade that was traditionally held on New Year's Eve in Miami.  Then skip ahead to 7 minutes 20 seconds to enjoy some clips from the 1947 Tournament of Roses parade.  The dreamy theme for that year was "Holiday of Flowers."


Incidentally, 1947 marks the year in which the Tournament of Roses parade was first broadcast on local television...by KTLA.  I grew up listening to Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards host the parade, and KTLA is the station on which I watch the parade every year.

I have some exciting things planned for the blog this year...I will tell you about them in my next post!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

 
Merry Christmas dear readers!  I hope that every one of your Christmas wishes comes true, whether they are large or small.  I'll meet you back here on New Years' Day in 2010!  Until then, let your hearts be light... and have a peaceful, magical, and joyful holiday season.

Christmas Eve Edition of Vintage Thingies Thursday: Spritz Cookies

For this special Christmas Eve edition of Vintage Thingies Thursday, I bring you this fabulous 1950s era Mirro Cooky and Pastry Press.  This set belongs to a friend, and she brought it to my house Sunday evening so I could help her do some massive Spritz cookie baking to give as gifts for her coworkers.  The forming disks are so cute.  Among the fifteen disks, my three favorites are the Christmas tree, the dog, and the camel.

I wish I had some actual cookie shots of my own for you, but unfortunately, we *ahem* overcooked the original batch and had to start all over.  By the time we were all done it was two in the morning, and I just wasn't coherent enough to take pictures at that time.

One of my Christmas Eve traditions is to make cookies (for Santa of course!).  I am a big, big fan of butter cookies, so most of my Christmas baking centers around one or two of the myriad variations of butter cookie recipes in the world.   If you have (or can borrow) a cookie press, here is a vintage recipe for Spritz cookies that you may enjoy.  The most important ingredient in a butter cookie is the butter! Make sure you like the taste of the butter that you use before you use it for baking, as taste varies considerably from brand to brand. So as always, use a high quality and preferably organic butter for the best results.  It never hurts to use organic eggs, sugar, and flour too. 

Basic Spritz Cookies

1 cup unsalted organic butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

multicolored sprinkles or colored sugar, for decorating

Cream butter, gradually add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.  Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add egg yolk, vanilla, and dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix to a smooth dough. If the dough seems too sticky to use in the cookie press chill it first. Force through the cookie press onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  A cold cookie sheet will help keep the cookie on the sheet  when you lift the press.  Sprinkle with colored sugar, taking care not to get the sugar on the pan as it will burn (or use parchment to cover the cookie sheet). Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes until firm, but not browned on top.   This recipe makes about four dozen cookies.

I like this version because they are not overly sweet, and are good with tea or coffee.  If you'd like a sweeter cookie you should be able to to increase the sugar to 2/3 cup without a problem.  These cookies are darling with multicolored sprinkles or colored sugar, and if you use the disk in the very last picture above, you can set a tasty Hershey's kiss in the middle.  The cookies pictured above are from the Forever Swedish website, as Spritsar are a traditional Swedish Christmas cookie.  You may want to try the recipe on that website, as it is sure to be authentic.  I'm sure that Santa will like them!

Second Mirro box image courtesy of Poetic Home.

Winners: 'Tis the Season Giveaway

'Tis the final giveaway of the season and the year here at Serendipity Handmade.  Thank you to all who left comments.  I wish that I had the means to send everyone a little something at this time of year!  Well, with no further ado, today's winners are....

The lucky winner of the Snowbabies figurine is Danielle, at The Happy Wife!

Second prize will go all the way to Italy, to Betsabe at L'angolo di Betsabe, and third prize is for Jo Wyrosdick!  Congratulations! Please email me with your mailing address so I can ship your goodies to you right away!

And  if you need a last minute gift for the sewist in your life, look no further.  I offer gift certificates for Serendipity Vintage in any denomination in the Etsy shop.  I can email a certificate to your friend or loved one in time for Christmas!

Fabric, Fabric, and More Fabric....

...but very little sewing. I am completely behind in my holiday gift-making. Only 6 days until Christmas!

I've never been very stressed out about holiday gifts before, because I'm generally done with my Christmas shopping by this time.  But this year is different.  When I took the Handmade Pledge months ago I really meant for the majority of the gifts I give this year, and also in the future, to be handmade by me or by another crafter.  So as you know I've been busily crocheting, and I'm almost done with those projects.  I've haven't yet had some free time to start sewing, although I do have the patterns picked out and my fabric washed, ironed, and ready-to-go.  I wish I could tell you about some works-in-progress, but a few of the intended recipients read my blog and FaceBook posts, so I have to keep these things a secret until after Christmas! 

I can share some of the fabulous holiday fabric that I purchased over the Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend.  I took a couple of pictures before these hit the washing machine. Here are my favorites:

 Michael Miller's Joyful Damask

Retro Ornaments by Sheri Berry

I've got a bit of a story to tell you about my purchases.  Although I do shop at the big-box craft stores I am always on the lookout for small, independent local businesses to support.  I try to do the same when I order online.  So I spent a lot of time reading recommendations about shops where other sewists like to purchase their fabric.  In the end, I bought fabric from a couple of Etsy shops, some former Etsyians, and one independent big-box type of store online.  Service was pretty good from most places, but there were a couple of stinkers.  I'm not going to name names, but I kid you not, one fabric store sent several yards of the fabric I ordered wadded up in a big ball.  My items were literally thrown into a box and shipped!  Can you believe it?

I did find one store that stood head and shoulders above the rest, and that was Runner Girl Fabric, owned by Jennifer Willoughby.   Her prices are very affordable and she shipped my fabric fast.  If that was not impressive enough, her packaging made me ecstatic!  Jen takes the same time and care that I do in packaging my sewing patterns when packing her fabric in order to be certain that it will arrive in perfect condition:

Just so you know, Jen did not pay me to tell you this, nor is Runner Girl Fabric an official sponsor of this blog.  When my packaged arrived I emailed her straight away to tell her how impressed I was with her service, and in doing so, we agreed to offer Serendipity Handmade readers and Serendipity Vintage customers a standard 10% discount on all fabric purchases at Runner Girl Fabric!  (And Runner Girl Fabric customers get the same standard discount at Serendipity Vintage too!).  Just use the discount code VINTAGE when you place your order.  I've placed a button that links to Jen's shop in the sidebar, because I am a new loyal customer!


In other unrelated news, the vintage Christmas tree window decoration tutorial is in One Pretty Thing's Christmas Roundup!  How exciting! 

I'd love to hear about your holiday crafting and handmade gift-giving, if you have the time to tell me!  What are you making this year?  By all means, leave a comment!

Vintage Christmas Tree Window Decorations Tutorial

I spent yesterday evening making a version of these lovely vintage window decorations out of Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas 1967.  It dawned on me as I was making them that I must have subconsciously chosen "trees" as a decorating theme for this year (remember the Advent Calendar?). These look really beautiful hanging in a window, and they are very easy to make.

I've included the original instructions for the materials below, but today I'm going to show you how to make slightly updated and smaller versions of the decorations. I apologize in advance for some of the photographs.  Acetate is highly reflective, like a mirror, so I had to shoot the designs at an angle and use the flash at times to minimize my reflection in some of the shots.  I used transparencies (acetate) so I could save my design from year-to-year; however, the original instructions state that you can also glue the decoration directly to the window.  But why expend all this effort only to dismantle it and, heaven forbid, have to wash the window later?

You can scale the size of these decorations up or down as you wish, and make substitutions for many of the materials.  I could not find Venetian (Venice) lace flowers at my local fabric stores so check online (I've included a link to one supplier below).  Check a framing supply store for the acetate, or purchase sheets or rolls online.  This project is a great way to use up scraps of of lace and trim that you may already have in your stash. 


Materials for the Lace Tree
Original Instructions

1 1/4 yds. white ruffled lace, cut into separate 2", 4", 6", 8, 10", and 12" lengths
2 yds. white Venetian lace flowers
20 x 24 inch sheet of 10mm to 115mm gauge acetate 
Scotch tape

My version
1 yd. white ruffled lace, cut to 1", 3 1/2", 4", 6", and 8" lengths
1 pkg. small white fabric flowers (look in the bridal section of your local big box craft store)
Trimmed piece of  a large transparency ( mine is about 9" x 11" and less than 2mm gauge thickness)
Self-adhesive clear and iridescent gems, various sizes  OR  Self-adhesive foam or paper snowflakes
Craft glue (a low heat hot glue gun may be ok, a high heat glue gun may melt the acetate)
Sharp pair of scissors

First, cut your piece of acetate to size.  Next, cut your lace pieces to the desired size.  Trim the ends of the lace pieces on the diagonal, like this:

Next, lay out your lace pieces in the shape of a tree: 

 
Check to make certain that you like the length and look of the lace pieces. The lace is graduated:  smallest at the top, largest at the bottom. As long as you like the way the pieces the look, the actual measurement of the pieces does not matter (this is a forgiving project).  I trimmed some of the pieces a bit more at this stage.   Position the lace on the piece of acetate to check that they actually fit.  Adjust the length of the lace pieces as needed.

I slipped a piece of black cardstock underneath my acetate to make the next steps in the tutorial easier to photograph.  Apply a thin layer of glue to the back of the band at the top of each piece of lace.  I applied glue to all of my lace pieces prior to positioning them on the acetate.  Press down gently on the lace to make certain that it is flat and glued evenly on to the acetate. 

Don't worry about a few blobs of glue here and there at the top of the lace.  You will cover these with the Venetian lace flowers (cut apart) or fabric flowers.  Glue them across the top of the bands of lace.  If using fabric flowers, be certain to press the petals down into the glue to make certain that they adhere to the lace.  Cut a small rectangular scrap of lace to make the tree trunk:

Next, add stars or snowflakes in the "sky" with the Venetian lace flowers, clear/irridescent gems, or foam snowflakes.  I liked the look of the gems:

 Hang the lace tree on your window with tiny pieces of Scotch tape and enjoy your handiwork!

Materials for the Braid Trim Trees  (not pictured)


Original Instructions
2 1/4 yds. green loop fringe
2/3 metallic gold braid for the large tree
1/2 yd. metallic gold braid for the medium tree
1/3 yd. metallic gold braid for the small tree
9 blue jewels, 9 aqua jewels, 6 lavender jewels
20 x 24 inch sheet of 10mm to 115mm gauge acetate


My version
3/4 yd. green loop fringe; cut three 3 inch pieces, three 4 1/2 inch pieces, and 2 one inch pieces
1/3 yd. gold braid trim in two different styles; cut three 2 inch pieces and three 3 inch pieces
Self-adhesive gems in clear, iridescent, and red
Self-adhesive foam or paper snowflakes
Standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch transparency (less than 2mm gauge thickness)
Craft glue
Sharp pair of scissors

Basically, you will follow the same procedure as above. Glue the loop fringe to form a triangle, and glue the gold braid inside of the trees.  Add gems in colors and designs that please you to the inside and the top of each tree.  I liked the look of the foam snowflakes with the braid:

When you've finished, if you have stray bits of glue or fingerprints on your acetate, simply wipe them off gently with a damp paper towel or microfiber cloth, as a cotton rag or dishtowel may leave behind bits of fuzz.   My transparency is an old one and you can see the scratch in the picture above.  When I hung it on the window it wasn't as noticeable as it is in the photo.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask!  Email me, or leave a comment.  Happy crafting!

'Tis the Season Giveaway!

'Tis the season to be jolly! I'm happy to announce the last giveaway for this year -- and this decade! There will be *three* winners this time....

First, a very good friend of mine has donated a unique craft-themed collectible just for you:

This charming Snowbabies figurine is called "Knitting is Pure Joy," and was issued in 2005. The figurine is in mint condition, though its outer box has seen just a smidge of wear and tear to the lid. This would make a great holiday gift for a friend who knits. Or keep it for yourself! Unfortunately, due to the shipping weight, the winner will have to reside in the United States.

Don't despair international friends, as I'll ship these next two gifts anywhere in the world:

Both petite books celebrate the joys of the Christmas season. Sharing the Season contains poems, holiday trivia, and recipes. Holiday Desserts is dedicated entirely to scrumptious dessert recipes. As 'tis also the season to gain 10 pounds I'm sure you'll understand why I'm giving the recipe book away! Each book winner will also receive a pair of Dainty Earrings, handmade by me. (Yes, I photographed the same pair twice. I've been busy and I still have to make the second pair!).

All you need to do to enter this giveaway is leave a comment for this post. One comment per person/household please! If you live outside of the U.S., please indicate that you are an international reader in your comment.  This giveaway ends on Sunday, December 20th, at 12 noon PST.  The winners will be announced the same day.


Good luck to all!

Pattern for Smartness

I ran across this little gem recently and just have to share it with you! This hokey yet fabulous little film, Pattern for Smartness, is basically a 1940s Simplicity Pattern Company advertisement for some of the wonderful patterns of the time. I search You Tube and the Internet Archive now and again to find old Coronet and other instructional films of the 40s and 50s about beauty, home economics, etiquette, and fashion for teens. A lot of these short films were shown in public schools as part of the curriculum, and they fascinate me from a social history, gender roles, and fashion perspective.

This was probably an instructional film shown in home economic classes, as it is aimed at the teenaged sewist and is quite a bit longer (about 18 1/2 minutes) than the usual advertisement or news reel shown in movie theaters at the time. (I guess product placement in schools may not be such a new idea!).  The acting and dialogue are awful, so ignore Johnny's whining about how Betty is "always thinking about clothes," and wait just four minutes for the interesting look at how Simplicity patterns were designed.  Next is a sewing lesson using Simplicity patterns, and finally there is a cute fashion show near the end. Lesson learned: with the right pattern, we all can have Betty's "know how" look!

Kreativ Blogger and One Lovely Blog Awards

Today Serendipity Handmade is three months old.  So to commemorate this little milestone I'm delighted to share with you that this blog has received two more awards.  I'm really excited about the fact that Serendipity Handmade was recognized a total of three times before it was three months old!  And I'm really glad that you all are enjoying the blog so much.

I want to extend a big thank you to Ginger, The Seamstress of Avalon, who passed along the Kreativ Blogger award in October. If you've never read her blog you really must stop by and take a look at her work, as it is exquisite!

This award came with requirements, as always:

• Copy the Kreativ Blogger picture and post it on your page
• Thank the person who gave it to you and link back to their blog
• Write seven things about you that we don't know
• Choose seven other bloggers that you would like to give the award to
• Link to the bloggers that you choose
• Let the winners know that they have the lovely award.

So here are Seven Things That You Don't Know About Me:

1. I’ve been a collector of odds and ends since childhood.  Some of my first obsessions were Lisa Frank stickers, marbles, Hello Kitty, and tiny glass animal figurines.  (Did you know that Hello Kitty has been around for 35 years?!)

2. The very first thing that I ever tried to (hand) sew was a little yellow sundress for my Barbie doll.  I tried to use this Simplicity pattern.  I don't know what happened to the original pattern, but I was able to find another one.  It's a keeper.

3. I was a Girl Scout. I miss my badges, so I bought a little of this.

4. I have a deep love of historic costume, and although I am not a historical re-enactor, for many years I have wanted to make myself the Hayward evening dress in black silk net and ivory satin that is found in Patterns of Fashion 2.

5. I enjoy watching many different types of musical productions: silly classic musicals, plays, opera, and cute Bollywood films.

6. I once volunteered to work on a float for the Tournament of Roses Parade. Two nights prior to the parade I stuck yellow rose petals onto a humongous lady's dress with rubber cement, in the cold, for hours, until my fingers were nearly stuck together permanently.  Never again.

7. In my other life, I collect and preserve things professionally, as I am a librarian.  I actually enjoy doing research, organizing, and helping people find things!  Yep, I'm a geek. Here's a little librarian humor for you.

And here are seven other crafty and "Kreativ" blogs that you may enjoy:

• Mairuru
• Checkout Girl
• Woowork.com
• Ume Origami
• Emilee Knits
  
• Marie-Adeline Tricote Knits
  
• Welcome to My World! 

I also would like to warmly thank Favorite Vintage Finds, who passed along the One Lovely Blog Award.  I'm so glad that this award didn't come with too many rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who's given it to you, along with the link to his or her blog.

2. Pass the award to several other blogs that you have recently discovered.

I am going to pass this award along to Elsa Mora, whose papercuttings and personal style I adore, and to The Paper Collector, whose paper doll collections I envy!

And thanks again to all of you, dear readers, both "old" and new!