Pincushions! Old, New -Anything Goes!

With the recent resurgence in all things handmade, comes the re-popularity of all things handmakers need, like pincushions.  Now, my personal history with pincushions extends as far as the red, sand filled tomato in my mother's sewing kit.  I used to love to pull out all the pins and rearrange them in designs and patterns for her to discover the next time she went to use her sewing box!
Little did I know that pincushions have and do come in just about any shape or theme imaginable!

Oh. My. Goodness.  I fell instantly in love with this little example.  Not only is it vintage, but it's been refurbished with vintage fabric -double love!
Available at A Touch Of Vintage, just south of me in Toronto for a mere $15.  Don't be surprised if I've snatched this one up before you get a chance at it...

I "oooo'ed" at this one as soon as I saw it -how handy indeed!  A pocket for 12 spools of thread, and such a lovely retro fabric.  Love it!  Available from La Bonne Femme for $11.

Along the theme of the tomato pincushion of my memory is this slightly fancier velvet apple.  Very cute; I have quite the thing for apples, but that would make a great post theme for another time.  This one is $30, and available from Neat Curios -neat indeed!

Now on to some modern day, handmade finds.

Toooooo cute, and dare I say, a perfectly practical example of a pincushion?  A sweet take on the functional wrist worn pincushions of dressmakers, created by Bright Side Out, for a very affordable $6!  I see stocking stuffers for all your sewing friends next Christmas!

Hmmmm, wonder why this one caught my eye??  I'll give you a hint -I love my morning cuppa java!  Dottryal's shop is ALL pincushions --you have to check it out, dozens of clever designs; obviously a rabid pincushion fan!  This one is available for $19.

Mid Century Modern -Clean, Functional, Stylin'!

Such a great era for home furnishings and home decor, and very easy to find right now.  Check out your parent's basement or local garage sales come spring!  
For example, this unique little map desk; clean lines, unique finishes and metal & wood mix hardware -gorgeous!  Available from Hindsvik for $495 -I dare you to find another one just like it!

Now, how about this walnut and brass vintage lamp from Lise Vintage Lighting ?  The Mix of natural wood and metal are very typical of this style, so is that fabulous tiered lamp shade.  This is listed at $210.

At $39, this table centrepiece is an affordable addition to any mid-century mod home.  Here again, the mix of metal & natural dark wood.  Lovely!  At Avant Garage.

I'd be amiss to leave out dishes and serving platters; probably the most common Mid-Century Modern item found in the 60's household.  Fabulous, I want a whole set! 

Left, are dessert plates, set of 6 for $30 from halfCaf.   Divided serving dish and gravy boat in melmac available from Amazon Art for only $9!

The Chandelier Trend

Wow, is this spectacular or what?  A totally fabulous take on the classic chandelier that has been oh so popular in home decor for the past few years.  Don't think this trend hasn't caught my eye -I have a pair of chandelier wall decals just waiting for the perfect wall.  This mirrored beauty is available for a mere $1080 from Accent - Copenhagen.

At right, is a wall decal similar to the ones I have.  These are such a simple, yet economical way to make a bold statement without the financial or long-term committment!  At just $34.99 from A Sticky Place , you could change your decor with the season! 

Oh my, I just couldn't get away from showing something that was vintage, could I?  This is a beautiful example in white, absolutely dripping with crystal prisms.  $495 from Chandelier Magic

Not ready to make a bold statement or financial committement?  You can still get the look -it's all in the details.  This funky chandelier lighswitch plate from Funky Chicken Design is a mere $5 investment!  Or this more subtle trend following printed pillow for $18 by Freshline ?

50's Dresses -Can't Get Enough

There's something just so flattering about the shape of dresses from the 1950's.  The gathered skirts that seem to fall at the perfect junction just below the knee to be flattering to the leg, the fitted waist (of course, body wear is a must underneath!) and the often shoulder widening design of the shoulders & sleeves.  All of these features accent what sets us apart from men -our hour-glass figures.

The above example in crisp summer cotton is available from allen company inc .

Then, there's the "Wiggle Dress" -ooo la laaa!  This one is an evening style in bronze organza with moss green embroidery overlay -gorgeous!  Available from Curatorial Vintage .

Vonlenska Vintage is offering this amazingly turquoise vintage 50's dress -is that colour too much or what?!  There's something just so geek-chic about this presentation, I can so imagine a great pair of cats eyes glasses with this.

And finally, the classic 50's strapless party dress.  This one is just a vision!   This confection is available from one of my favourite sellers, Timeless Vixen Vintage in Beverly Hills California -don't know how they get their hands on so many amazing evening dresses from the 1870's to the 1970's -many are museum quality items in my humble opinion- I would die to see their showroom one day!

Eye Love Texture

I love everything in this shop -such an eye for detail and imaginative textures. 

This pair of ceramic wall tiles are entitled "Succulent" -succulent indeed, I just wanna sqeeze them!  See all of their amazing textural art at, Element Clay Studio

Isn't this just so sweet?  A spherical pillow made from recycled t-shirts -cute and eco-concious!

Check out Talking Squid for all kinds of textural goodies for the home and yourself, all made from recycled t-shirts!

Another pillow I just wanna run my fingers through, this one is from The Home Centric.  I have no idea how they create this amazing effect with ribbon, but at $28.45 USD, I know it would totally be worth the wait for shipping from India. 

Now, for something to keep you warm.  The texture of this simple neckwarmer simply makes this piece, and is beautifully enhanced by the gradations in tone.  "Dreams Become True" mohair cowl by Reflections By DS

I'm Swooning Here!

This dress!  This gorgeous find of a dress!  I almost missed out on this one, but when I saw that baby blue chiffon peeking out at me, I had to dive in for a closer look.  Could you find a more dreamy example of a floor length ballgown than this?

I've never had a full circle dress before & this one is just so floaty & light.   I'm dating this to the late fifties, early sixties, but the design is really classic and could easily be mistaken for contemporary.   Check it out quickly, I don't expect this beauty to last too long:  Eye Love That.  It's hanging on my office door for the time being so I can watch the skirt sweep every time I walk past it. 

I Love Spectators!

No, no, not that kind... shoes, I'm talking shoes again.   I did a little Etsy search & am featuring the most drool-worthy finds:  

These are a classic spectator colour combination in such a classic style!  They're size 5.5 and on sale right now for only $16.80 at:  Thrush on Etsy

Design Archives says it all; "..OMG these are fab".  These *are* fab -1940's spectator pumps; they've obviously seen some wear, but I can totally see past that -too bad for me, they're a size 8.  Listed at $89.

Also fabulous are these practical heeled black & white beauties -these would look great peeking out from a slick pair of mens-styling pants.  They're $40, size 6 and available from Little Lady Vintage.    **Stop the presses!   Just saw this bag, newly listed -how perfect would they be together?  $30 from Nod to Mod Vintage.  I know, I know, your bag doesn't have to match your shoes, but how could one resist when they are so obviously meant for one another?

The great thing about spectators is that you can find them in just about any colour combination.  Check these out -yellow!  Had to show two views of these amazing shoes to feature the great heel detail.  Available from Vintage Repeats, they're a size 8.5, at $35.