SFW - Of lace and eyelet

Today, which, might I add, is a beautiful day! And ALSO the third day of Secondhand Fashion Week! Huzzah! :)

The outfit I'm wearing is absolutely 100% secondhand...pretty impressive, huh? :) I just love finding amazing things at goodwill or thrift stores, because my brain always starts whirling about what all the different looks I can make with it!

My main piece is a yellow, eyelet jumper. I love it because it is so lightweight! And, best of all, I found it at Goodwill! Mhmm! Underneath the jumper I am wearing a long-sleeve, lace-y blouse. But with the sleeves rolled up, of course. I found this at a Goodwill store too! My pants are some jeans I found at a thrift store called "Plato's Closet" which is probably the most amazing thrift store EVER CREATED! They specialize in used, fashionable clothing...which is JUST what I like! :)

In my hair, I've constructed a rosette out of lace. It was SO easy! I just cut a piece of lace, gathered it tightly at the top, and sewed it down! I love using it as an accessory!

And, you can see from the pictures, I decided to use my ukulele as a prop. And a lovely little thing it is too! I'm just in love with my uke! It's so lightweight and easy to carry around and just pop out of the bag to play. Fun, fun!

~Rebecca Jane

SFW - Of aprons and belts

Day two of a very exciting event: Secondhand Fashion Week! I think I must say how much I LOVE secondhand fashion, I really do! Not only do you look great, but you don't feel guilty about spending a bunch of moolah! 

Today I was searching through my closet for a cute little jumper/dress to wear today. I didn't have much luck... But then, I came across a cute apron that used to be my grandmother's..."I wonder...." Yes. I'm wearing an apron as a dress. I must say, I think it turned out really cute! 

Aside from the vintage apron (which was a BIG hand-me-down), I have also donned a white shirt and some blue jeans, underneath. Plus, my super cute red vintage belt, also a hand-me-down-through-the-generations! Also, my white flats from Wally-World... AND a little red bow I tied from some ribbon I found in the handy-dandy ribbon drawer! :) 

Today, was a good day. I hope yours was too! 

~Rebecca Jane

SFW - Of sailors and ballerinas

Day One of Amanda Beth's Secondhand Fashion Week! If you don't know of what I am speaking, you absolutely must go over and check it out (amandabethonline.blogspot.com)!

My title of this post is a little random, so let me explain. Other times I have worn this outfit I've been "labeled" one of two things: a sailor or ballerina. So I thought it would be a fitting title :)

This outfit is so fun! I usually don't like wearing sideways stripes (because of the whole "looking fat than you really are" thing), but I actually really like this top. However, it is very possibly my only sideways striped garment in my closet... The best thing about this blouse is that I got it as a hand-me-down! Aren't those the best?! I think the blue and white stripes are probably where the "sailor" comments come from.

My skirt is just a white flow-y skirt I found at a goodwill store (for a very nice price, might I add) and I wear it quite a bit, too! Because of it's flow-y-ness must be where the whole "ballerina" idea was formed.

You can't see my feet, but I just have on some white flats that I got a Wal-mart... And in my hair, just a simple ribbon from my ribbon drawer.


~Rebecca Jane

A picture of my vintage-y dress...

After my last post, some of you asked for a picture, so...here it is. Please remember this photo was taken in a dressing room, I apologize for the quality, my bare feet, and the strange smirk on my face! I will post better pictures taken at the actual cotillion, but this one will give you the general idea. :)

A new dress, a skit, and so on...

In a couple of weeks my homeschool group is having a Cotillion (sort of like prom, but not really) and I've been worried to death I wouldn't be able to find a suitable dress! I must say I'm very picky about what I wear!! So...Mom and I went dress shopping this afternoon, and I'm very happy to say we were successful!

Apparently the "prom dress" look has changed from the long, sequin-y, shiny look...to the vintage, cotton, sun dress look (which is just FINE with me!)...or so the lady at the store was saying... I'm not sure exactly how accurate she was, but I'm satisfied with the fact that I personally like that look.

SO...we found an amazingly vintage dress for me to wear! I'm so very happy! It's not too short (about mid-calf) and its not TOO casual (however more casual than some) AND there are pockets in the side seams! HUZZAH! That is probably my favorite part of the dress! In fact, when I become a famous clothing designer (that is IF I ever become a famous clothing designer), my designs of skirts and dresses will be noted for their side seam pockets... Just sayin'...

Anywho...the past few days, a few people from our drama class (and I) have been practicing a skit we're performing tomorrow. I don't know if you've heard of the "Lifehouse Everything" skit, but if you haven't, make sure you look it up on youtube! It's a really emotional "mime" that's done to that song. I'm really nervous about performing tomorrow, because I've never been involved in something so "real". If you have seen the skit, I'm the main girl... This skit has a chance to be very impacting, so prayer would be greatly appreciated!

Just thought I'd let you know what's going on in my life... :)

Have a great weekend!

The Upstairs Sewing Room

"The Upstairs Sewing Room"...sounds like it could be a title of a book or something, right? Well, actually it's just what it says... Yup, that's right, I'm in the planning stages of making the room upstairs (that has help boxes and junk ever since I was BORN) into my very own sewing room!!!

To describe the room...we live in a really old house and the room is actually a "maid's quarters" from like the 40's. So there are a lot of cute little nooks and doors in the strangest places. The ceiling is slanted and pretty short. AND there is a window seat. And of course alot of windows... it's just super cute!

We've always wanted to do something with it, but just never had! So I showed it to two of my friends Monday, and they just got so excited and offered to help me clean, paint, and decorate!!! I'm so lucky to have amazing artsy friends!


I'm going for the whole old fashion look...but since its going to be my crafty sewing room I want to make sure it looks crafty, you know what I mean? So I was thinking maybe having cute crafty, handmade decorations that are frugal (since I can't afford otherwise)... Any ideas?

As for the colors, I was actually thinking about using the pale blue and pale pink in my "blog button" as inspiration! :)

Anyways, I thought I'd let you know the exciting news! I'd love to hear any ideas from y'all! I'll be posting a sketch my friend did of the room, so you can envision it better. And I'll be posting pictures once we empty the room (its a bit too messy right now for you to really be able to tell what it looks like). I'm just SO excited!!!! :)

"Make" Giveaway

Check out this amazing giveaway on Ruffles and Stuff!!!! :)

http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2010/03/make-giveaway.html

Sweet Sixteen and Spring!

Today I turned 16! Huzzah! My birthday is the second day of Spring which is usually really exciting, but it decided to snow yesterday, so it has been bitter cold all day! TEXAS...! *sigh*




Anyway, I got to go to a friends house and we watched The Young Victoria and Wives and Daughters and then yesterday, I got to go see Brigadoon at a nearby-ish theatre. It was AMAZING! You gotta love anything that has to do with Scotland! :)








I'm planning on hopefully getting my license next month (because I waited too late to get my permit, and you have to have it for 6 months before you can get you license)! It feels really strange to be 16! I'm starting to feel really old! Haha...of course, I don't act it, so... :)


I have some sewing projects I'll be posting about soon! AND pictures from the reenactment! :) So, stay tuned!

Ruffles: A Belt

I've been seeing some pretty amazing ruffle-y projects going on lately, and I thought I'd do my share of ruffle-ing! So...*drumroll* here is my ruffle-d project: THE RUFFLE BELT!

I was really trying to think of something unique and different so that my project would stand out amidst the other hundreds of entires! I'm really happy with the way it turned out! :)

I just got some brown material and put  some twill (stiffener) in between the brown material and the lining. After which I cut me some strips of jersey (so it wouldn't fray) and went to ruffle-ing! 

What do you think?

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

Today is talk with an irish accent day...so as you're reading this blog post, imagine it all bein' said with in irish accent! Happy St. Patrick's day! Oh do wear green and avoid bringing the wrath of the leprechauns upon ya. T'would be a grave misfortune if ya did! Wearin' no green, only brings one thing...GLOOM and DOOM...GLOOM and DOOM!

Anywho...I'd like to be sharin' some what I wish I could be a wearin' this lovely day!

And here's my tribute to St. Patty's day on the uke:

These old blue jeans

Today my mom was doing some spring cleaning in my little sister, Michelle's, closet. She was about to get rid of quite a few things and I had to stop her and grab some. I had seen Disney's post on "Ruffles and Stuff" about how to make clothes last longer, even when she's grown out of them. So...I tried a few things.

My first project: Holey Blue Jeans

1) You must find some jeans where either the knees have been worn out, or there are holes. Almost all of my little sisters' jeans have holes, so that wasn't a problem! :)

2) Grab some random fabrics, lace, buttons, etc. And go crazy decorating. Sew patches, ruffles, and so on until you have covered the holes and created a cute look that could be mistaken for an already made look.

3) Admire those cute little jeans! :)

La Grandiose Tournée

Announcing...the grand tour of the new and improved website: "Sewing in the Past"!

Well, a lot has been going on and I'm so excited to finally give you a tour of the new website!

The first big change was the background which I found at Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates who has some amazing free blog backgrounds!

Also, with the help of my good friend Atlanta, I have a new blog header. If you will notice, I have changed the name of my blog from "A Young Lady's Blog" to "Sewing in the Past" since the url had already changed, I figured I'd be consistent. And I couldn't have done it without Atlanta!

On the right side bar you will see two new things:
1. Atlanta made a little blog banner for the blog! Huzzah! I think it is SO cute, and I'd love it if you would grab the html code and add it to your sidebar! :)

2. I am following a lot of really cool blogs that I would love to share with my followers! I feel so blessed to have so many followers, and I want to help other blogs as well. So in order to do both of those...I decided to have a weekly "featured" blog on my sidebar with a little write-up and their blog banner. So make sure you check out my "fave" blogs every week and even become a follower if you like what you see!

On the left side bar you can see my list of the winners from the "Little Women of 2010" event with links to their blogs... I'm so happy this event was a success and I already have an idea for an event during the summer (stay tuned for more info)! :)

Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed this tour, and I would LOVE your input on all the new additions! Also, be watching for even more changes on the blog!

An event...

I'm so sorry I've been away so long! There was a Civil War reenactment this weekend, and I've been preparing for it all week! :) I just got back this afternoon, and let me tell you, I had a wonderful time!

We got about 500 photos, so I still have to go through and find the best...but here's one to wet your appetite!

Also, there's a new blog design in the works! I'll be giving a grand tour very soon once I get done with all the little touch-ups! Until then...

Rebecca

The Winners of "Little Women of 2010 - A Literary Inspired Event"

Wow! I'm just so happy that there were so man entries to go through. The judges and I picked our top two and the rest of you picked your favorite from each category! Except for one which was tied (the judges decided the winner)! And it gives me great honor to announce the winners of the "Little Women of 2010 -A Literary Inspired Event"!

As well as being listed here, the five winners will be featured in the sidebar and all receive an "I was voted the best of..." banner for their blogs. :) Be sure to check out their wonderful posts. You can view the other finalists and a link to all the entries HERE.



Jo: Little Women
by Bess at Bess' Bag

“Never till I’m stiff and; old, and; have to use a crutch. Don’t try to make me grow up before my time…” That is Josephine March’s rebuttal to her older sister Meg’s nagging...


Click here to read more




Playing Pilgrims
by Jordan Elizabeth at Heavenly Princess

When we were young and used to play pilgrims, the journey was only as difficult as a trek from the cellar through the house up to the rooftop. The burdens were only as heavy as the bits of fabric filling them and Appolyon was just the neighbor’s dog...


Click here to read more



Little Women Photo Shoot
by The Three Spinsters at 3 Sisters of Grace

Here is a photo shoot we did for the Little Women event. Gathering hops for wreath making. Daydreaming... Practicing wild theatricals. "I'm Hugo. Ah-HA!" "Josephine March! You walked...


Click here to read more



The Costumes of Jo and Meg
by Jordan Elizabeth at Heavenly Princess

My little Meg’s version of this dress is very much like the original except that instead of being blue with dark red trim, it is dark red with blue trim!  I really enjoyed creating this and tried to reproduce it as closely...

Click here to read more




Sharing Christmas
by Nina at Wickfield

 I first read Little Women at age 10, and as I got older it became one of my favorite books. All the characters were loveable and the story, though a tad bit campy at times, was a very good and moral one...


Click here to read more

There's just a few more hours...

You only have until midnight tonight to vote on your favorite entries for the Little Women of 2010 event! There were some really great entries, and I was excited to see so many people come and vote! But make sure you've voted for your favorite finalists! Especially since there's one category that's all tied up!!



Also, just a head's up: after the voting ends tonight and winner are announced, etc. I will be doing a little spring cleaning on the blog. So if you see anything strange going on...don't worry...hopefully we'll have all the hiccups dealt with immediately! :) But I'm going to be changing the background, the header (the amazing Atlanta made an amazing header for me...THANKS!), the sidebars, and even the blog name will be changed from "A Young Lady's Blog" to "Sewing in the Past". Hopefully this won't cause any confusion!

Some exciting news! Disney at Ruffles and Stuff is hosting a contest (the blog button is on my right sidebar)!! It is all about Ruffles (which is exciting) and I have so many ideas, but so little time to create! Hopefully I will soon and post about them! She did a post about some of her favorites that have been entered so far, and my friend Atlanta's ENTRY was one of them. So congrats to her! :) Make sure you head over THERE and check out the contest!

Don't rain on my parade....

Rear Window is hosting a Blog Parade. Each person has to fill in a questionnaire and link back to THIS post. Go and check it out!

1. What's your favorite time of the day, and why?

I love evenings the best! It's always a nice time to relax and watch a movie, or sew, or eat cookies & drink milk (or all three)!! I don't usually stay up too extremely late...but I feel like I function better in the evenings than any other time of the day...thus, making it my favorite.

2. If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of?

"Chick-fil-a...I could eat there seven times a day...where the people laugh and children play...oh I'm in love, with Chick-fil-a..." But, ya, seriously, Chick-fil-a all the way!

3. If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be?

Darn! Wishing for more wishes has always been my answer for questions like this! Well...hmmm.... My greatest wish is to travel. If I could travel the world, at no cost for me...I would be the happiest girl alive.

4. What's one thing that you get teased about a lot?

Well, when I'm not in the company of fellow Texans, I get teased about saying "Y'all" way too much. But, usually it's my tone of voice, or the way I say something, that causes comment amongst my friends.

5. If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be?

The Chronicles of Narnia, for sure! I would want to be Lucy or Jill, and travel to Narnia from our world, and live there forever. I am deathly serious! I sometimes peer into wardrobes, while antique shopping, hoping to find Narnia. 

6. If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be?

I would love to be a figure skater. No joke! After watching the Olympics, I'm seriously wanting to go sign up for ice skating lessons. I've even designed my little dress/leotard thing I would wear! 

7. If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?

Ireland and Scotland! I can think of no other place I would rather be! I have honestly dreamed of going there for longer than I can say. And I really don't know why...it's almost like it is calling for me...

8. If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing?

I like the whole acoustic, folksy sound the best, so that's probably the genre I'd be interested in singing. Maybe do a few ukulele songs. Haha, I don't know...

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be?

The Apple Store! An iPad, iPhone, apps, software....I'd easily spend ten grand without even realizing it!

10. If you could live in any point in time, when would it be?

The 1800's! Maybe be born in the late 40's early 50's. I love the fashion and elegance of that time. 

11. If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be?

Pale yellow. Anytime I see a piece of clothing that's pale yellow, I automatically fall in love with it! 

12. If you were one of the seven dwarves, which one would you be?(Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, or Dopey)

Ummm...I don't know...sleepy or happy probably.

13. What's the last album you listened to?

I just got several songs from American Idol performances lately. Besides that...the musical Brigadoon.

14. What's something we'd be surprised to know about you?

After spilling my heart out in this questionnaire, I'm not sure there's much else to be said. But here are a few memorable facts that have occured that might possibly interest you:

I was once nearly robbed by a gypsy.

I've been stung by a bee...in my mouth.

A monkey threw a mango at me and hit my head.