Shoespiration: Made in USA

Think you can't buy cute shoes that are Made in the USA? Not true! Sure, it's different and you have to search them out, but there are still companies in the US (and our friends to the north) that make beautiful, high-quality shoes.

First up: Munro American, est. 1972

Staci

Pace

Sky

Journey

I love this next company, they have the funkiest, cutest boots!

Vintage Shoe Company, est. 1883

Molly Jump Boot

Bastrop

Jennifer Tanker

Talullah

Sbicca of California, est. 1920  Mostly summery fun shoes, but some boots and clogs too!

Elton

Liana

Reynolds

Spencer

 Lucchese Boot Company, est. 1883 and Tony Lama, est. 1911 For the cowgirl in all of us.

Lucchese N8665

Lucchese N8995

Tony Lama Vaquero Collection

Other companies manufacturing women's shoes in the US include Onex, Okabashi, Vivanz, and others.  The one area that I see lacking in women's shoes is dressy heels and pumps.  There are still many designers manufacturing in Italy too, such as Fratelli Rosetti, who has styles on Zappos that I love.

And I'm in love with these La Canadienne boots, made in Montreal: 

Blanche

Galaxy

I believe Remix Vintage shoes are made in Spain, although their website is very hard to navigate.  I'm just not 100% sure about every style...

Gloria

Greta

Kate

Picasso

Rita

Do you have any favorite American-made or quality import shoe stories to share? I'm always on the lookout for an alternative to outsourced manufacturing.  Are these choices more expensive?  Yes.  I think it's worth it though!

Goals for '12

Happy New Year!

I've enjoyed reading everyone's 2011 recap and new goals and resolutions for '12 so far.  I went back and revisited my "goals for '11" post from one year ago to see how I fared (I usually fare pretty awfully, ha!)  This verdict?  Not too shabby!

I had 10 goals last year.  How'd I do in 2011?  Well...

I totally failed on #1 (pay off my credit card; but I made progress!), #7 (sew one vintage pattern per month; dismal failure) and #9 (fill my closet with handmades; ditto).   I would say I did reasonably well on #2 (bake more bread & treats) for the first half of the year and then fizzled out on the 2nd half of the year.  I can do better.

I was a slam dunk success story on the rest:
#3: Plant a bigger garden:

Sadly the 110+ degree temps for several weeks killed most of my garden earlier than I would have liked.

#4 (become more self-sustaining), #5 (buy local and Made in USA), #6 (thrift more) were rousing successes too.  I'm much more thoughtful when I purchase new and I always look at the country of origin label if it's a "store bought" item, even cosmetics or cleaning products.  I've purchased almost totally handmade and vintage/thrifted items this year for our home, and I've tried my hand at making stuff too, like laundry detergent.

(I use recipe #3 from this page: 10 Homemade Laundry Soap Recipes, except I use these proportions and I use 1-2 capfuls of Gain liquid detergent per bottle for scent (I like recipe #4 when I do the powdered version):
1/2 bar Fels Naptha
1 c washing soda
1/2 c Borax)


#8 (buy quality fabrics) was also achieved, although to be honest, I didn't buy  many new fabrics.  I don't really need any!  I did invest in some quality linens and shirting cottons though, and a couple of pieces of vintage rayon and cotton.

#10 was my favorite success though, spend quality time with my kids.  This included a fabulous trip to Yellowstone National Park:

But we also just hung out and did every day things together too.

Looking forward, what would I like to change for the new year... Hmmm.  I like all of my goals from last year!  I think I'll  keep and amend those.  They're more "life" goals really anyway.

1.  Pay off the credit card (still super do-able and always a worthwhile goal.  If my youngest will stay off the dirtbike and/or wear a helmet).

2.  Plan meals & cook more!  I'm terrible at this during the school year, but I started planning meals about mid-way through September and it has made a world of difference.  Plus...leftovers for lunch saves time too!   Of course bake more bread and homemade treats is included here again too.

3.  Plant a bigger garden.  (Keeping this one!) I enjoyed trying new varieties of veggies last year.  I'm going to try strawberry pots this year.

4.  Spend with good conscience.  Grow my own food, shop at the farmer's market, shed excess "stuff", buy handmade and thrifted, shop Made in USA or quality imports.  We're all responsible for fair labor practices! It's only through our spending habits that we can initiate change.

6.  Sew every week!  I'd like to sew an average of two garments per month.  There are some lovely Ottobre and Burda magazine patterns I'd like to try, not to mention my vintage stash.  I need a goal too; two garments per month are completely within the realm of possibility.  I'd like to turn things around on the garment sewing front here.

I'm sad to say I have fallen into the trap of "waiting til I lose weight"for some things, including sewing.  Well, I'm tired of waiting.  I LIKE to sew.  Who CARES if my wobbly bits show more than I'd like in that skirt or this dress.  Who CARES if it's probably not an "appropriate" choice for my size/figure.  I LIKE to sew and I LIKE wearing cute fabrics and items that I design and make.  I'm going to sew more.

7.  Learn a new skill: Photography:  I really love taking photos.  So far, it's just been a casual hobby, but I'm ready to get more serious and really LEARN all the things I'm just guessing at right now.

8. Enjoy my job.  I need to get better at time-managing my day so that work is work and home is home, and both will be more enjoyable!  I like my job place and what I'm teaching; that's all that matters as far as work goes.  I'm going to focus on that and that alone while I'm there.  I'm going to ignore everything else and come home at 3:45!

9.  Redecorate my house to reflect my style.  This is a biggie!  I've been living in a limbo of hand-me down furnishings and non-style, really not paying much attention to this part of my life for long enough.  I love vintage and farmhouse chic; I've been working on this one for about a month now.  I want my little house to be all ME! After all, I spend a great deal of time here. :)

10.  Live happy, every day.  Life is special and fleeting and I want to fill it up with all the things that  make me happy: my kids, writing more, sewing more, taking more photos, sharing here on the blog more.   Living in the moment, that's my goal.

Thank you to all of you who visit here.  Here's to a bright, shiny New Year to all of us!

A Simpler, Quieter Life

December is flying by and once again I haven't had time to settle down and enjoy the time leading up to the holidays.

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I have Pinterest boards for both Christmas and handmade Gifts, but I haven't had time to even peruse them.

Next year seems so far away, and yet I found myself just this past weekend thinking about planning better next year.  

SERIOUSLY?

Shortly after that I realized my life could stand to be a lot simpler.

 

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I started by unsubscribing from every company in my email inbox.  Two hundred plus emails a day is 195 too many.

 

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Then I got really radical and deleted my Facebook account.   

I originally created my FB account when I was doing business on ebay sewing toddler girl's clothing.  Then I kept it because I discovered my tiny babies were suddenly teenagers and I wanted to keep up with them (and their friends). 

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Then all my coworkers and friends (old, new and barely met yet) had a Facebook.  So I should have one!  Except...  it kinda creeps me out.  It's always creeped me out.  It's terribly invasive.  It's time-consuming.  It's a new and improved way for people to be rude and unkind to one another.  It's a neverending mish-mash of TMI.

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I really loathe it.  So I deleted it.

And I feel so much better. 

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If you're my friend or family member, chances are you have my phone number and/or address.  Call me.  Or write a letter.  Or, you know, email me one of those really important emails I actually want to read.

And if you're my child, well, I already know what you're doing and what your friends are doing because I talk to you every day.  Every. Day.  And I like that much better than Facebook.

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I plan on continuing to find ways to simplify and pare down my life.  What do we really need?  What makes me truly happy?  What do I cherish the most?

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Happiness lives inside us all. 

Set it free.

goals for '11

It's a fresh, shiny new year and a perfect time to think about Life Goals. I think about these alot. Must be OLD AGE. ;)

Things I will be concentrating on in 2011...

1. Pay off my credit card. That's probably too personal to share with the world, huh? But it's my goal for this year! Pay that silly thing off. It's doable; I can do it!

2. Bake more bread. And cookies/treats. I love homemade bread AND by making it I know exactly what's going into it. Ditto cookies and things. (Plus, I have a bread machine, which makes homemade bread so much easier to manage!)

3. Plant a bigger garden. Last year I started my little patch with tomatoes and lettuce and squash. I'd like to add a few things this year. Green beans? Corn?

4. Become more self-sustaining. (#2 and #3 are a big part of this.) If you've been reading very long, you know I'm struggling a bit with the throwaway mentality that has taken over our world. Ultimately, I want to be debt-free, grow my own food or purchase from local farms, and shed excess "stuff".

5. Spend with good conscience. For me, this means I want to invest in high quality, lasting products. It is also important to me to purchase Made in the USA, to support the workers here at home. If it's not made in the US, I'm going to purchase quality imported items (like my sweet, sweet car!) My neighbors to the north, (Oh Canada!) and in Europe and Australia have wonderful, quality items waiting for me to use and love. Oh jeez, I'm sure there are wonderful, amazing products indigenous to EVERY country, so I don't mean to leave one out. Basically I'm trying to eliminate mass-production from my life, and support fair labor practices.

6. Thrift more. In keeping with #5, there are so many wonderful, usable, beautiful, vintage products that are more suited to my taste and lifestyle, than what is currently being manufactured (in poor countries with even poorer labor practices!)

7. Sew one vintage pattern per month. You didn't think I was going to leave out sewing did you??

8. Buy quality fabrics. Natural fibers are my favorite; I'd like to purchase and use more wool. Wool has always frightened me, but I'm going to bite the bullet and learn some essential care techniques (dry cleaning isn't my friend). I would like to thrift for fabrics too. SO MANY quality fabrics to be had in the thrift stores! I'm excited to repurpose garments this year!

9. Fill my closet and chest of drawers with beautiful, handmade clothes. Ultimately, I would like my entire wardrobe to be handmade. I'm going to be my very own couturier. I would like to master: pants (I'm super close on this one!), button front tops in a variety of styles; pencil skirts; lingerie - slips especially.

10. Spend quality time with my kids. I do this now, but as they get older, it's easier for them to hole up in their rooms. Family movie night and family game nights have always been favorites of ours; I need to be more conscious and include these in our week.

Bonus goal...Bust the stash! I almost forgot this one. I seriously need to clear out some stash, especially quilting cottons. I might be making more quilty-type things. Which is good. I love patchwork!

Now, for those sewing goals, here are new contenders for the vintage sewalong 2011:

I don't know the number on this one but it should be here in a day or two. I LOVE the dress with matching coat!


And I had such marvelous luck with my last 40s pant (from pj's) pattern, I've just bought this one and can't wait to try it. (This will probably be my first entry in the Sewalong. BONUS...I think they qualify for my Hepburn/Hepburn sewalong too! They are very Katherine):


And in the blouse category, these are darling. I love the variations:


I'll probably be making both of those as my first entry, as an "outfit".

In parting, I'd like to share a photo of my beloved Jessie, an Appaloosa my dad bought me when I was 17. She passed away yesterday afternoon. I'm only comforted by the fact that she had a long, happy, hay-filled life and her passing was easy and quick. God go with you over the rainbow bridge, Jessie.

resolute

I made 5 resolutions last year, mostly dealing with my life & being happy in my existence. And I did a fair job with keeping them. The first two were dicey (less time on the net? What was I thinking?) but the rest I actually tried to embrace, and they're so natural now that I had forgotten they were a resolution. Now they're just what I do.

This year I have fewer things I'm feeling resolute about, but I do have a couple of sewing related ideas:
1. Set aside time each week for sewing! I admire some of my peeps out there for the way they schedule sewing time into their daily routine.
2. Sew at least 1 BWOF & Ottobre pattern from each issue. I get HOW many new BWOF & Ottobre patterns each time in my subscription? Surely I can handle one from each issue.
3. Each new pattern I buy will cost one stash pattern sewn up. I've got WAY too many patterns, and what's the point of collecting if I never sew any of them? I'm not buying any new ones unless I've sewn an equal number of patterns from stash. I may have to add a little marker system over on the sidebars to keep track of this one!
4. Develop a TNT basic wardrobe of patterns. This is a big one, but how much fun would it be to sew when you get the hankering, if you had the BASICS all ready to go? Here's my own list of basic TNT's I want to develop:
a. Trouser
b. A-line skirt (I'm pretty close on this one)
c. Scoop neck tee (ditto, my Ottobre is awfully close)
d. Sheath dress
e. Classic white shirt
f. Jacket (I'm not sure if I need an excessively tailored jacket, but a go-to princess seam jacket would be great!)

That's it for my New Years resolutions. If I just get #1 & 4 accomplished, I'll be ecstatic!

Yesterday I sewed up Butterick 5247 in a really pretty, sort of heavy, black ribbed knit. I was making the short sleeve tunic version, rather than the dress.


Unfortunately it's a bust (having nothing to do with my bust, teehee). No, this pretty fabric was a $!#$ to sew. And it has NO drape, even though it's a knit, and you absolutely can't tell that by feeling it. It has something to do with the ribs, I think. Here's the wavy sleeve seam:


And here's the armored cowl collar:


Moving on. I cut out this very aged stash pattern, Loes Hinse Cowl top. This sucker has 37 reviews on Patternreview!


I'm making the LS cowl version. I really like a loose cowl, & if I can layer something under it, even better! I choise this very drapey, chocolatey brown sweater knit. It's not as "pill prone" as it appears in the photo. I actually have no idea why it photographed that way. Hmmm. It's soft & yummy in any case. Maybe it just needs a shave.


I'm really impatiently waiting for my January BWOF to arrive in the mailbox (TODAY please). I want to make this skirt out of my black & white glencheck plaid that is just like Dawn's. Of course it only goes to a 42 in the mag, so there be alterations ahead.


And this tee with ruffly sleeves is pretty cute too. I like the pieced sleeve alot. Although it might be the color that's calling to me, I LOVE this apple-y green. ALSO only up to 42. Grr.


And in preparation for the Stash Contest over at PR, I cut out a couple of patterns in my stash I've been meaning to tackle for a while now. This popular Vogue Today's Fit tee (8151)


New Look 6729, the LS wrap top:


NL 6815, a safari-esque ensemble. I need to jump on that safari thing before its "out":


I've made this one before, but I pulled it out to try it layered over something else. I was only "meh" about my first version, but I'm thinking this black windowpane georgette I've got might just be the ticket for another go at this, Simplicity 3893:


How much do you love anthropologie? Do you love it as much as me? I could browse that site for days and still not get tired. I've been using Paint.Net and combining pieces & accessories, to make an Idea Book. My best buddy Shannon got me a journal for my birthday (among other fabulous things!) and I've been using it to keep a sort of Sewing Journal.

I thought I'd share my little composite pictures, because I'm going to attempt to find patterns for most of them. I absolutely love the jacket in this one, and there was a 2008 BWOF pattern exactly like this! Score!
And this kimono jacket is awesome. The fabric makes this jacket, but it's not a print. It is actually embroidered! Maybe I'll get all creative and hand embroider a piece for this jacket. I absolutely love it. (I prolly won't be caught dead in skinny jeans either, even though I think they really do look fabulous with this ensemble.)


I should probably get off of here, or I'm going to fail resolution #1 before the year even gets started!