Shop Local

It is no secret that Alberta's economy is struggling. It is also no secret that we have some amazingly talented entrepreneurs. I have read in numerous places that during a recession it is a great time to dig deep and start a new business and follow a new path. It seems like that is what a lot of people are doing right now.

My husband and I were talking about how if everyone started to buy items local, from small business, or at the very least Made in Alberta or Made in Canada what kind of a difference would it make to our economy. Now I fully admit that sometimes I am pretty cheap, and will buy a t-shirt from Walmart or SuperStore. But every time I look at the tag that says Made in Cambodia I cringe a little inside. We have all heard about the unethical work conditions overseas, and if we won't work for $2.00 an hour here in Canada, why are we buying $5.00 t-shirts?

So in the long run is that $5.00 tshirt really a bargain? What if we bought Made in Canada t-shirts? From a Canadian retailer, or from a small home business. Not only do we know that it was ethically made, we also know that we may be keeping our neighbour employed. We know that we are keeping money in our local community. We are helping a local family pay for their groceries or put their kid in dance class. We in a very small way can help eliminate corporate greed.....

The scenario of a $5.00 t-shirt may seem really small....but if everyone started to look at the labels of where they buy products from I think it would really make a difference. I know in my own life, I am looking at things a whole new way. Up front....it may cost a bit more to buy local. But in the long run supporting products made here saves us all.

My goal from now on is to buy as much as I can of locally made/grown products. Alberta made, Canadian made. I also want to move away from purchasing cheap, disposable products. Quality items can be reused, repurposed and resold.

I hope this is something everyone will begin to consider!

Come and check out my Facebook page!

Anne of Green Gables

Who else fell in love with Green Gables as a kid..... ok, maybe no one under 30! But I remember my mom read the series to me back in the 70's when I was around 8 or 9 years old. I came across this post today from Country Living Magazine that got me thinking that I need to dig out my old books and reread them just for fun.

 

Being a child of the 70's, with plaid bell bottom pants and the Bay City Rollers, the simplistic world of Green Gables with horses, buggies and one room school houses seemed like an imaginary world. But who couldn't fall in love with Anne with E and all of her antics.....and what exactly was cordial?

That could have been when I fell in love with that point in history. Later on it became the Walton's and Little House on the Prairie. But the Green Gables series of books was so well written and descriptive that I just fell in love with houses, the fields, the décor, the clothing.... I could picture it all so well in my 8 year old head and it seemed like a time and a place that I wanted to be. Forty years later and some things have not changed!

 

I can not say I ever loved the clothing of the 70's and I certainly thought outfits like Anne had would have been so much more fun to wear! Even though poor Anne had to wear sensible dresses that Marilla made for her and longed to have fancy dresses like her friend Dianna.

 A re-creation of Avonlea..... oh be still my palpitating heart. Look at those houses. I would love to have any of them.

 

 

I have always said 'it would be cool to go to Green Gables'. But this morning and looking at these pictures  has made decide to add a trip to Prince Edward Island and Green Gables to my bucket list. Does anyone want to join me?

 

 

~Michele~

No One Tells You This......

I came across this last week and it just rings so true for me.

 Even after all of these years as a sewer and a crafter I still get so frustrated with myself when things are not perfect or when I am trying a new pattern or new technique. I can see it in my head, how I want it to look, but then I look at it and it is no where near my vision.

But I don't quit, because something always calls me back to try again. Try something else, try it a different way, but it calls me to keep trying. Because even though I may be frustrated by what I am doing, I always have this vision in my head and a desire in my soul to make beautiful things.

Then eventually, as if by magic, I manage to make something that I love, that I am happy with, that I am proud of. But it's not magic...it's days, weeks, months of trying and trying again.

If your heart calls you to do something.....then do it. But I warn you now, it probably will not be anything like you think it is going to be. It probably won't be very good.  It will be crooked, and it will be wonky, and it may even be downright ugly..... you will get there through practice, and doing it again tomorrow, and maybe the next day too. It gets better and it gets easier....and one day, as if by magic, you are doing work that just comes easy for you.

~Michele~




 

The Last Day of January....

As the title says, today is the last day of January. Always a good time to see how the goals are going and if I am getting off track.

My vision for Pink Lilli Vintage is getting much clearer and the future looks so exciting. The plan is to search out vintage items.... linens, quilts and some dishes. For linens and quilts,  they may need to be repaired or revamped. Although with any luck I will scope out deals that just need to be cleaned up.

 There are trade shows coming up that I am going to be preparing for, which means that I am stretching out of my comfort zone. So I am busy looking at ideas for exciting booth ideas. Pinterest is such a great source of ideas.

This is amazing from vintageshowoff.blogspot.com.... I will certainly need to find a few more cool pieces and need a big booth space....all in due time.

Something smaller...more like this, may be in order for my first few go rounds.

 

 

As for the rest of my goal list....things are going well, although maybe a bit slower than I would like to see. BUT that is on me and no one else. So I am recommitting to try harder for the month of February. Work harder, do better. As long as I keep going and don't give up, then that is considered moving forward.

 

I hope you are all reaching your goals as well... if you lost motivation, tomorrow is a new day.

 

Until next time......

 

Michele

It Is Time To Change Things Up!

You may have noticed that the title of this little place on the internet is no longer called the Renegade Seamstress. Yup, that's right I am changing things up a bit. I am still sewing! But I no longer want to be defined as "just" a seamstress.

I have had a long term love affair with anything old, anything vintage and anything that is still usable. I love vintage linens, and vintage dishes. I have boxes of things that I have collected over the years. I also love estate sales, yard sales and thrift stores.

So I am combining all my passions into one place! And by calling it a business, it gives me the perfect excuse to shop, hoard, fix, and sell. I call this a big win!

I find lots of vintage linens, that are just to pretty to not buy, they may not be really usable in their current condition but they are perfectly fine to take apart and make them into something else that will be loved in a new home.

Some items are still in decent condition, but may just need to be repaired, such as a vintage quilt or a table cloth.

Lastly some things just need to be cleaned up and find a new home where they can be loved for what they are.

This isn't just about linens! I also love to source out vintage dishes, pyrex bowls, tea cups and other interesting things. There is just no way that I can keep everything I find. BUT I can purchase it, use it, love it for a while and then turn it over to a new owner. 

 Of course I will also still be sewing items that fit with what I love to do....Vintage inspired little girl's  clothing and décor. With less actual sewing as a business I am able to really have the time to love my personal sewing as well.

My own decorating style doesn't always allow me to use a lot of the items I love.... I do have cats, so pretty linens and table cloths are out of the question. And my personal clothing style isn't a vintage look, even though I love it. So this allows me to have the best of both worlds.

I am super excited about this and I hope if you are a lover of vintage you will follow along on this adventure.

A Week Into New Years Already!

Here it is, already January 8,  2016!

I always love New Years. I love how it feels like a fresh start, much the way I used to feel about September, with a whole stack of clean notebooks. A whole blank year is ahead of me and I can make it whatever I want it to be.  I love looking back over the goals I made at the beginning of last year and seeing how did. As usual, I had some hits, really big hits, and a few misses.

I like to look back and evaluate myself...am I a better person than I was this time last year? The biggest thing is 'did I try'? As long as I am trying then I am happy with my progress.

I have spent the first week of 2016 not so much making resolutions, but making a list of goals. I am not sure why this is always so hard. When asked to write down 10 crazy wild goals, I usually like to put a lot of thought in...in fact I probably overthink them! I rarely come up with anything to wild or to crazy. (Sometimes I make more of a 'Dream" list. Things I dream about one day.)  My goal list gets written and rewritten as I try and determine where the goal is coming from. Is it something I think I should do....or is it something I really, really want to do.

I won't list all of goals for the year...because I am pretty sure some of them will still get changed. But a few of my 2016 goals in no particular order are as follows:

1. Spend time reading something other than Facebook.... I am reading 2 books a month, one for knowledge and one for pleasure.

2. Up my photography game....I am taking online classes and spending more time taking proper photos of my projects and for my blog. I also intend on organizing, printing and sharing more of photography.

3. Be in the best physical shape I have ever been in. ..... I have my Hashimoto's Thyroiditis under complete control through an exceptional diet. I exercise daily to be a strong, sexy gramma with killer tank top arms. I intend to be at least 2 sizes smaller.

4. Spend more time on my sewing business with some rebranding! I want to turn it into the place to come for vintage inspired children's dresses and reused and upcycled items from clothing to home décor. Keep watching this blog for the updated changes that are going to happen around here!!

5. Landscaping! Last year we moved in the summer, and had to take care of a lot of the yucky boring stuff. Now that most of that is complete, I plan to spend a lot of time this spring and summer making compost, building and planting gardens and raised beds and giving this house some yard appeal.

6. Spend time learning....... take online and live classes to increase my skill and knowledge whether it is sewing, nutrition, gardening or whatever else sparks my interests.

7 Work through 1 wedding gown a month for Alberta Angel Dresses.

I have a few more things on my list, more personal things, but the above list is pretty much the main things that I will accomplish this year. It is going to be great, I am excited and I know I can do this.