Sewing for Love: Mending a Pillow and Cheap, Chopped Chicken Feathers

Weird title? The Sewing for Love part or the Cheap, Chopped Chicken Feathers? So I will explain. Most of us who so do so in part for love, the love of creating, the love of others (watching someone's face light up when they appreciate something you made for them).....stuff like that. Sewing is a hobby for me. I sew OK but not great. I understand the process but I just don't have the talent like others I know. I do it for love.....which leads me to the pillow.
My loving hubby (really, he is a good one...even cooks) has a pillow that he just loves. He shares it with our dog, Annie. I guess one could say it is really Annie's pillow and she graciously shares it with him. Good relationship. Well, this pillow is old. I don't even know where we got it from, who bought it, or anything. It just appeared and it stays on my couch. I have the honor of changing the pillow case every so often, that's it. It's not mine. I'd just as soon send it to the dump, but then I would have to sneak it past 2 instead of one.
I thought I would finally have my way when I noticed a zillion or so feathers in the living room one day. On further investigation I found the pillow had a large tear in it...the fabric is that frail and worn. I told my husband who promptly got a needle and thread and, without further ado, sewed the rather large hole.
I was shamed. Totally shamed. I could have, and should have, sewn it when I found the hole but didn't. He would have done it for me. Total shame so today I mended the pillow properly. I made a new pillow the same size as the old one with two layers of fabric to keep the feathers in. It's plump and pretty now. I showed it to the hubby and his face shone with delight. "I love that pillow" he said.

So what does that have to do with cheap, chopped chicken feathers? When I opened the pillow to use the feathers I noticed they didn't quite look like any goose feathers I am familiar with. It made me think of the Dick Van Dyke Show episode where Laura bought supposedly goose down pillows and he found out they were full of chicken feathers. He sued. In the courtroom he told the judge the pillows were full of "Cheap, chopped, chicken feathers." He won. Seems the judge was allergic to chicken feathers.
Cheap, chopped, chicken feathers kept running through my head while my machine was singing.

Eileen Patterson

Oriental Influence and Mandarin Collar

I don't know how young I was but I remember my mom, the fashionista, talking about "mandarin collars" and Suzie Wong dresses. I saw the Suzie Wong movie years later and thought about how Hollywood influenced fashion, sort of like the influence The Great Gatsby is having today. Here is a pattern from the late 1950's with "slim-lined Oriental influence....and Mandarin collar."
The envelope is gone with time. The previous owner salvaged parts of the envelope and pasted them on a Manila envelope. Good thing since the front picture and envelope back are in good condition.

A very rare estate sale find.

Turning Heads...Strut Your Stuff

I'm sort of a mousy kind of person. I don't like to draw a lot of attention to myself, just sort of happy being an observer (long time self confidence problem). I love watching people who create an entrance, who are confident enough to pull off anything....or almost anything, with a dramatic flair. So....I went to a conference a while back and sometime through, in walks a woman wearing a dark red cape. She sort of stopped the show without saying a word and without the apologies I would have been making. So envious....not evil envious just wish I had the confidence to do that envious. She later told me it was the cape that did it. When she puts it on she becomes a bit taller, holds her head higher, and looks wonderful....and she did.
Sort of like when I was a clown...I could have fun and act silly with the makeup and the hair...I was another me. Well, sort of like that.

Butterick 3361 in Extra Large

Simplicity 3940 This pattern includes a caplet for Mom, a coat for the young miss, and a matching coat for the fur baby. Talk about turning heads!

Simplicity 9029 Ok, not a cape but dramatic just the same, especially with the detachable fur collar. Imagine going to a Christmas party or the ballet wrapped in this!

I Am Not a Hoarder

Really, I'm not but I think I have some serious tendencies. I think my real problem is I have more money than sense and, with that money, I a) buy things I think I can make or b) buy things I think I can sell. It's only later when I arrive at home with the boxes (yes, that is plural...boxes) I realize I have a problem. Well, a few problems, not enough time to make everything I think I can or should, not enough time to take pictures and list my vintage finds to sell, and most importantly, where do I store all these treasures. My guest room is over run, my treadmill is covered (I swore this would never happen), and there are boxes in the hall way. At least I don't have a trail through the house (I do have one in my sewing room and office, though) but it is still a problem to one who prizes organization. So what to do?
Well, I had to have shoulder surgery (holy cow, talk about ouch!) and thought I would use the time off to re-take my house. Good thought but there's a lot and I am not ready to have someone come in and throw out everything like they do on TV. I'm a little slower...and it's less traumatic. After all, I'm post op. My motto is "How do you eat an elephant?" No, not with salt and pepper....One bite at a time or in my case, one box at a time. I am almost through box one. Here's some of the goodies:

These ribbons are from an estate sale. There's more already posted in the GoofingOff shop. In the MetalWoodsnWater shop are things for beach decor and in MissEileen you can find vintage bottles. There are also vintage crewel and needlepoint kits available.  I'm just getting started.
Remember, I'm not a hoarder....really.