100 Posts (and a giveaway)!!!

Just last week I celebrated one year of blogging fun!  Today I'm posting my 100th post!  Due to some technical difficulties relating to my camera memory card not wishing to speak to my computer today, that 100th post will not be what I had planned to talk about.

First, the fun part.  In addition to sewing, I dabble in a bunch of other crafts, including jewelry making.  I especially like to use upcycled materials in my creations. To celebrate 100 posts, I'm giving away a pair of handmade (by me) earrings, just like the ones I made for the wedding.  They are reclaimed faux pearls with reclaimed faceted glass beads, on sterling silver ear wires.  Just the thing for a dressy occasion.

To enter, leave me a comment telling me what sorts of posts you'd like to see more of on this blog.  This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere.  Please also be sure that your e mail address is there someplace so I can contact you for the shipping particulars. 

Now the not so fun part.  Lately it seems that I'm not getting many comments on the blog.  Is it because of the preoccupation with the wedding preparations?  Sorry for that.  It'll all be over after August.  Is it because I'm too shy to post too many pictures of myself in my creations?  Is it because I'm an old lady and I'm out of touch with what real people wear?  Please let me know so that I can serve you better, cause I'm really getting a little down about it.  I sincerely want your opinions.  Thanks!

The deadline to enter the giveaway is midnight EDT on July 21st.  Good luck, and thanks again for your suggestions!

Wedding Jewelry: The Earrings

I completed the earrings for the wedding jewelry ensemble.  The drops echo one of the elements on the third strand of the necklace, which you can see in the photo.

Now, on to beginning the dress.  Years ago, I deconstructed my mother's wedding gown to make a tutu for my daughter.  I carefully saved the pieces of the gown that I was not using.  So, here is the ivory satin from my mom's gown.

Quite wrinked, but I'm afraid a wash was in order.  Stay tuned for some of the details of the construction, though the final reveal of the dress will not be until after the wedding.

Wedding Jewelry: The Necklace

So, I've had these old costume pearls laying around for years.  I always figured I'd do something more contemporary with them.  Depending on how this finished necklace looks with the neckline of my wedding dress (which is still in the planning phases) I will plan to wear it... I'm still planning to make "matching" earrings and footwear to go with this.

The design incorporates glass bugle beads and moonstone beads along with the reclaimed faceted glass and costume pearls.  All materials were on hand, so no new financial outlay was involved. What are your thoughts?

Hi!

Welcome to the Seams Sustainable blog. This is an off-shoot of my home-based business, which is clothing design and munufacture, using as many recycled and upcycled materials and embellishments as possible. I also do custom sewing (costumes for dance and historical re-enactment, formal wear, wedding attire, etc.) and I give sewing lessons, including lessons in clothing repair - an essential sustainability skill. The blog will give me a forum to share some of these things with you, and will probably frequently digress into other topics that interest me (and I hope some of them will interest you, too!). Just a few of these interests are sustainable living, frugality, gardening, cooking, Pagan spirituality, jewelry making, paper crafts, quilting and creativity. I sound like a granola crunching Grandma Moses (well, ok, I do like granola!), but I'm actually just learning about a lot of these things, so if I "say" something that doesn't sound quite right, please join in the conversation and help me out here!