My Konmari Journey Part #16: Fabric and Notions

Ah, the dreaded sewing stash. Full of unrealized potential, fabrics to precious to use, impulse purchases and all of the tiny scraps we're hoarding. I have been actively working to stash bust over the last few years and my stash has remained at a mostly manageable size but we're still going to Konmari it.

This may scare a lot of seamstresses but I have some good reasons to purge my stash. Having moved to a wildly different climate than where most of this fabric was purchased, I have very different wardrobe needs. How much wool can a Florida girl wear after all?

I've also come to realize that I really don't like having two different pieces made out of the same fabric. Projects made from the leftovers never seem to get worn. So I'm going to let go of some of those leftover bits even if they are large enough to use.

And the scrap pile..... At this point in my life, I have no interest in quilting so really, why am I keeping all of these tiny scraps of stuff??? I'll keep some swatches in my swatch book and let go of the rest.

Ok, let's do it!

What's Ahead

I have to admit that lately I feel like this blog has wandered a bit from its original purpose and I want to get it headed back that way! There are several reasons for this. Firstly, I always have a harder time wanting to get dressed up and taking blog photos when I'm growing out my hair. And since I can't even pin curl my hair right now due to the Florida humidity, it's been even worse.

I also seriously underestimated the amount of effort and time documenting my Konmari journey would take in terms of actual time and blog time. I actually finished the purging process on January 1 but the video editing and posting process has been dragging on and on. But I hope to have it finished in the next month or so and it will definitely be a must less frequent topic on this blog. Personally, the whole process has been great but it's just pulling too much focus on the blog.

My new found creative outlet of Bible Journaling has also been keeping me busy. I really enjoy sharing my pages on Instagram but I'm still evaluating what I want to share on the blog and on my Facebook page and how frequent these posts will be. Please let me know what you think about the bible journaling posts.

So what's ahead?

I've really been missing sewing! Now that my wardrobe is good and purged, I feel like I can start sewing again. And just in time because I'm going to have some new sewing outlets!

First off, I'm going to be starting a new job in a few weeks and it's going to be in a much more corporate setting than I'm used to. I've been told that my devision is definitely on the casual end of the dress code compared to the rest of the company but I would like to have a few more formal vintage style pieces in my wardrobe.

 To that end, I've been day dreaming of 1920s dresses lately. I really want to get back to my cute 1920s bob. I feel like it's very me and very Florida friendly. Plus it looks cute with 20s looks, modern looks and even other vintage looks. So I'll be planning some more 20s dresses. Made up in a nice fabric, I think they'll be nice enough for work but oh so comfy. (And easy to make as well!)

Also, I'm considering joining the local chapter of the Adrian Empire which is a medieval recreation group similar to the SCA but with some different features and focuses. I went to a local event last weekend and had a lot of fun. The group was very friendly and chill which is perfect for me because the AE is definitely not going to be my only hobby. But I will have an excuse to do some more costuming!

So what can you expect to see here? More 20s. More sewing. More costuming. More outfits.

Do leave a comment and let me know if there's anything old you'd like to see come back on the blog or if you have a request for something new!

Disney Day

It was Will's birthday last week so we decided to do another Disney day! Originally, we had planned on visiting Animal Kingdom since that was the only park we haven't been to since moving to Florida but on the way there, we decided to go to Epcot instead. Alas, I was already attired for Animal Kingdom so my outfit isn't as cute as I'd like. (Because, you know, what you're wearing is the most important part of a Disney trip.... ;) )



Anyways, I decided to just bring the video camera again so here's a little vlog of our day! Enjoy!

Bible Journaling : February

This week I'm keeping it simple and just showing you some of my recent journalings and letting you know what kinds of products I used to make them. Enjoy!

Genesis 50:15 & Romans 8:28 - "As for you, you meant evil against me but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today" "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose."- acrylic paint in blue, green and white, stamps, stickers, micron pen, white gel pen

2 Chronicles 15:15 - "And all Judah rejoiced over the oath for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought Him with their whole desire and He was found by them and the Lord gave them rest all around"- scrapbooking paper, stickers, washi, stamps

Galatians 1:10 - "For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of God" - scrapbooking paper, stamps, stickers

Revelation 4:8 - " And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say 'Holy, holy holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!' " Faber-Castell gelatos, stickers, stamps

If there are any products you'd like to know more about or see a tutorial for, let me know in the comments!

My Konmari Journey Part #15: Hobbies-Scrapbooking

It's finally time to go through all of my hobby supplies! I knew this was going to be a hard one for me so I'm glad that Mari put it near the end. I've decided to break down this category a bit since I have a lot of hobbies (and a lot of supplies for each....)

1. Scrapbooking
2. Fabric and Notions
3. Sewing Patterns
4. Sewing Tools
5. Knitting and Embroidery

I actually filmed this before getting most of my Bible Journaling supplies which is why you won't see them in this video. 

Just an Ordinary Day

It's been a bit chilly here lately (though certainly not anywhere near what many of you are feeling!) and I decided to pull out my favorite cool weather vintage outfit.

My Ruthie blouse is a favorite all year round. It's so comfy and breaths well during the summer. In the winter, it's perfect for layering under sweaters.

I paired it with a gray corduroy skirt that was a winter favorite from Ohio. I love corduroy for winter! It's so easy to care for and has a bit of extra warmth factor.

To winterize this outfit for colder locations, I'd add some thick tights or knee high socks and boots. Throw on your favorite cardigan and a fabulous winter jacket and you're ready to go! It's definitely possible to look cute and wear vintage in the winter. It just takes a bit more layering!

I decided to try something different with my hair since I'm stuck in the awkward grow out phase right now. I dug out one of my 1940s hair scarves and pinned up all of my hair except for my bangs. Curled under is about all my bangs can do for now so that's what I went with.

Since my bangs made my hair asymmetrical, I decided to tie the knot above my part rather than in the center as I usually wear it. It looked so cute that way! You can find a tutorial for a similar style here.

I know most of the other bloggers you follow will be posting Valentine's Day outfits today but the hubby and I are doing our Valentine's Day this evening. I did wear this cute vintage heart and key brooch as a nod to the holiday.

What I did on actual Valentine's Day is not super glamorous. Going grocery shopping, cleaning house and blogging. But such is life! Even bloggers are nonglamorous sometimes!

But if you've ever wondered what I wear for everyday life, this is it! One of the reasons that I love 1940s fashions is that they are oh, so practical for actually living life. Some other decades are much more suited to sit there and look pretty.

How was your Valentine's Day? Glamorous or quiet?

Whatever is...

Part of my type A-ness is that I like things to match-particularly colors! So I love it when companies come out with color coordinated products. It makes me happy!

I also love having faith based products to use in my bible journaling. Somethings don't really matter like I don't care if my colored pencils have "I love Jesus" stamped on the side or "Crayola" but there are some things that are nice to have.

So I was super excited to get ahold of some of the Whatever is lovely scrapbook paper collection from Illustrated Faith and Bella Blvd. So pretty!!!

Not all of them are blatantly Christian but they do color coordinate and match really well with the products from the original Genesis collection of stickers and such from this same power duo.

There was a cute little piece that was just perfect for Philippians 4:8 so I used it as a tip in. A tip in is some sort of paper that is taped in (I used washi) to your bible. Most of the time they can flip open so you can see what is underneath.

It gives you a bit more journaling space (I snuck in verse 9 on the back) and still allows you to read the text underneath. This was my first one and I ended up really liking it. The cut out was just a bit too wide to fit in the margin but I really like where it ended up.

And I got to do a summary of verses 4-7 in the margin using a bit of acrylic, stickers, stamps and micron pens. A lot of times, I do like to copy the verse word for word in the margin but I had so much to squeeze in I decided to make a bit of a summary instead. Since I used a tip in, I can always go back to the original text at any time.

Do you like color coordinated products in your crafting or wardrobe? Or do you prefer mixing and matching your own color palettes?