new inspiration



I bought this lot of vintage pins a few weeks ago at a flea market. I think they may have been grouped by political persuasion, but I"m not sure. My favorites are the Audubon Society pin and the "comrades" one. It ended up being the inspiration for my next project.I've been collecting vintage illustrations, in particular those from old reference books. After a little trial and error, I'm really excited with the end results:
brooches

barrettes


I really love them so, so much. I hope that there are some other people out there who will love them too. I keep passing by them and looking at them. I can't seem to help myself. I hope to add this batch to my shop as soon as possible.

It hasn't been easy working on things in this heat. I did make a delicious strawberry tart from this recipe.It was the perfect weather to enjoy this dessert, but not so much the perfect to make it. But, it came out alright and we managed to have seconds.

Those Eliott Girls



One of the things I've been doing this summer is catching up all over again with the BBC series The House of Eliott. I'll admit that I already have quite the soft spot for BBC programming, but House of Eliott may very well be my favorite of all time. It was conceived by the same people who did Upstairs,Downstairs, and won many awards.

It is set in the twenties and follows two sisters forced to make their way in the world following the death of their overbearing and isolating father. Having lived a sheltered life, they have little practical experience, but they can sew clothes. Soon they are smack in the middle of the world of haute couture. The clothes are really amazing. The plot lines really are interesting. Beyond the difficulties of running a fashion house and the usual British society dramas, they touch on Labor issues and communism always bringing in the historical events of the time.

I discovered the series in high school when A&E began running it. I already had a thing for the twenties and clothes, so it was no wonder. The hair! The shoes! The dresses! That said, even my blue collar dad is a huge fan of the series. For the longest time, only season one was out, and that was on VHS. (Most libraries will have it). But recently the entire series was issued on DVD. So, move it to the top of your queue!

I'm off to get some work done on a new project. I'm really excited about it and hope to have some things to show you all soon.

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments and encouragement!