I have to admit here first of all that I have never been a fan of hitting the thrift stores and garage sales for clothing items and jewelry to use in craft projects. I know it is a personal kind of hang up of mine, but it just seems so very wrong to buy a pair of trashed up jeans to cut up and make potholders. Don't start in on me, I am also one of those people that thinks there is something very wrong with finding joy in jumping out of a perfectly good airplane and calling it skydiving. Back to the recycled clothing angle.
On one of my crazy quilt groups there as been some lively discussion about the thrift store finds of some wedding dresses and cutting them up to use for crazy quilt blocks. This is not a new concept, that is however how many quilts were made in pioneer days. It was essential to keep the family warm, the only available fabric was from worn out or out grown clothing or flour and feed sacks. My own mom tells me of her father letting her pick out the chicken feed sacks so she could have the bags. I didn't really believe this until Mom gave me some old dresden plate blocks that my aunt had made, all original 30's fabric along with scraps of grampa's shirts, they are pieced on old Pillsbury Flour sacks.
Once again I drift. After reading some of the postings, and remembering how I once bought some old prom dresses for my oldest daughter (now 25) to play dress up in for a very small amount of money (we had nothing to spare back then) I decided to hit the local Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores. I was all excited at the prospect of finding a cheap old worn out wedding dress to harvest the lace and beading off of for my "Crazy Quilt" replica that I am planning, even though I have been planning it for...oh my...twenty years or so. GOOD GRIEF! I found only one dress between the two stores, not much embellishment on it either, and they wanted $65.00 for it. I was in shock to say the least. So, my plans ended quickly. I just refuse to pay that much money for something I am going to tear up. YES, I KNOW, I am in reality just down right cheap. My purse chirps when I open it...unless I am buying chocolate and soda that is. At any rate, I did discover some rather interesting jewelry, which DD 11, promptly lost out of the bag somewhere. My trip was not in vain though, I found a very interesting item to feed my "join in the with the crowd" project.
This is a peasant style blouse. The picture is obviously not the best of quality, but the shirt is brown guaze type fabric with aqua blue and orange beading in the motifs. The heart shapes have turqouise stones in the center. 
This is a closer look at the beaded areas. The photo really doesn't do it justice. Only wish I had found this shirt in Gigantic Size to fit me. Already have a few ideas of what I am going to do with this, just kind of holding off doing anything until I know exactly what I am going to do so I don't waste any of it. This shirt was only $3.50 and there is more than that in the turqouise alone.I borrowed hubby's camera to try and get a shot of the double image of the moon as it went through the lunar eclipse, am going to see if I can get a little better shot of this top in the morning before he figures out I have it.
I did come across some pretty good bargains though. Some great blouses for myself, a couple of pairs of dress slacks (one still had the tags on it) and the absolutely cutest Calvin Klein brand denim jacket for DD 11 for less than $10 and with this new winter storm that hit overnight (well storm for central California) it is very needed. I have not given up on the idea of finding some beaded and lace items to turn in to CQ blocks. Plan on going downtown to some off beat little thrift shops that are known for being less pricey. I had no idea that the Salvation Army Store would be so proud of their donated items.
Now, hubby cleaned out the hot tub and it is warming up, there are cold Amber Bock's in the fridge, it is about mid 40's outside and clouds roaming about with buckets of rain in them, so I am going to get a bottle, get my hubby, and enjoy some warm soothing water and what ever else may come up while I am in there.
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