Last night in Marshall's I found a Talbot's sweater (cotton/viscose/rabbit) originally priced at $110.00
...for $16.99! Needs a couple of new buttons.
As Stacy on "What Not To Wear" would say - Shut up!
My mother sewed almost all my clothes and many of my sister's. I never picked it up, but do have fond memories of being with her in fabric stores looking at patterns, buttons, and notions. She was very tactile, almost every bolt of cloth was fondled.
My ex-husband, out of necessity, was an excellent tailor. He was a cyclist with muscled quads, but a narrow waist (so very close to my waist size at the time), so all his pants, bought to fit his thighs, had to be altered to fit his waist.
He made extra money while he was in the service sewing on people's hash marks and other insignia. He also designed and embroidered large patches, kind of like murals for fabric, on people's jeans and jean jackets (it was the 1970's). He was/is quite talented artistically.
We didn't have the funds to buy one of those baby carriers/slings, so he made one out of canvas after studying and measuring the ones in the store. It worked great. From the same bolt of canvas, he made The Boy a small changing pad/bed that rolled up like a yoga mat, with tie closures, easy to carry as we traveled.
However, his most ingenious item for The Boy were these kimono type shirts made from his own pattern.
These shirts were screaming easy to get limp yet squirmy babies in and out of. They tied on the side - no minuscule buttons to mess with and no astonishingly small neck holes to get Baby's pumpkin sized head through. (What IS up with that?! Like coming through the birth canal again - every time you get dressed.)
You laid the open shirt out on the bed, laid the baby in the shirt, one arm in, other arm in, crossed shirt over the chest, tied it, and POOF! dressed baby.
Yes, I could have just matched the two buttons that needed replacing, but my inner crow took over...Oooooo...sparkly...
Took me about an hour to sew on the buttons. Utilized some small motor skills I forgot I had. Quite a feat for someone who got kicked out of Home Economics!
The sweater ended up costing $27.36 total. What a deal!
Now if it would just cool off enough for me to wear it.
Great find! I want one just like it--same as I wanted the sweeper thing. It's dangerous to come to this blog. Makes me crave new merchandise.
ReplyDeleteOh no Andrea! I'm really not a shopper - really. It is very rare for me to make this kind of find.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, if I had been by myself, the steam mop would not have been purchased.
You can borrow it any time! :)
Wait. You sew, too? You are putting me to shame. I still make my husband fix my buttons. Then again, I let him marry me. Even trade, I say.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the button switch. Makes the sweater even more attractive. I also love me some Marshall's. As a matter of fact, I bought a pair of sequined platform heels today. It is distinctly possible I shall never, ever wear them, but man, I enjoy looking at them.
I'm still totally shocked
ReplyDelete1.)that I had thread & needle
2.)knew where they were
3.)remembered how to use them
Sequined platforms! The crow spirit is strong in you Grasshopper.