Bell Bottoms, Blossoms and Another Book

We went up to the old house today, and I cut whole bunch of Lilac blossoms. I have them in a big purple bowl. Mmmmmm. Lovely.

I feel extra committed to recycling my clothes this week, and the Library is egging me on.
I got another fantastic book this week:
99 Ways to Cut, Sew & Deck Out Your Denim 99 Ways To Cut, Sew, and Deck Out Your Denim- by Faith Blakeney, Justina Blakeney and Ellen Schultz.

It was a fun compendium of ideas for things to do with Jeans! There were projects for every style and skill level, from dog collars to blazers, pillows to gauchos. Every project has an indication of how difficult it is, and a lot of them are very easy.
And an amazing thing happened. I used project #76 jennifer: super tight jeans. But never fear! My hips are still in proportion with my feet. I had some old bell bottoms that fit great at the top, but were too loose in the legs. I used their plans for making skinny jeans and just took in the part between the knees and the crotch. Ta daa! New, well-fitting jeans, no shopping needed. I said Fit, People! And if you're not into bell-bottoms, you can actually make skinny jeans and they're really easy.

Next I may try making a bolero or blazer. After I finish the bags I was making last week. And they have a couple other books as well, about t-shirts and scarves! I may need to go do some ILL. And renew. I am in recycled jeans heaven!

Start at the Beginning

Almost every day someone says to me, "Nice blouse!" To which I nearly always reply, "Thanks, Goodwill!"
This is not to wish them a good day. It is the name of the place I got it. When I say this, they always say, "Really?!?" The tone of the "really" varies form impressed to incredulous to a subtle, secret, "I wish I could find nice stuff there."
Regardless, I end up wishing I could share the secrets of sustainable shopping with almost everyone I meet. There is something so satisfying about the hunt for really fabulous, unique, and quality clothes at a fraction of the price. Such a thrill when you find something so right. Vintage, retro, and brand-new-with-the-tags-on, all are there, if I'm willing to look.
My obsession with thrifting started as an expression of my need not to wear anything that someone else was wearing, but it became so much more. Starting with my organic garden and moving right down the line, I developed a desire to have a better, cleaner, "greener" life. Everyone wants to go green these days, but few really succeed in using less. What better way to have a smaller impact and be utterly fabulous at the same time than buying and wearing used? And my closet didn't have to shrink at all!
So, here it is for the world to share: the Rules, the Triumphs, the Fabulousness of Recycling with Style.