Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Some fabulous fun

Some good finds
Here are a few things I found while digging through my items!

























I also found these....
























The rest will have to wait.There were more important things to do. Such as being outside with Jon, my love, who wondered why I would be trying to get rid of anything and suggested I keep it all he wouldn't mind. Gotta love that man, who thinks that my having twelve jackets, almost identical, is alright.

So in celebration, we jumped for joy for the new chilled out weather which allows for jacket, sweaters and boots. Hurray! Its the season of joyful dressing.































Jon was happy it was not 100 degrees and could morph back into his non sweaty, beanie wearing self.

As for my Jumping, I jumped for jackets, which I have twenty or so.

And for leather gloves that I have collected to go with my scarves ,which I adore!

My Jumping looks kinda like flying or levitation. and for Nugget, our chicken whom, we love . Chickens don't have arms, and that's makes them funny to watch. Can you even imagine how you'd do anything. Smash you nose into some things and pick them up see how it works for you.

*winter















































































Monday, September 28, 2009

Sew thrifty Preview

Sew New




Some new creations to share with you made by WinterShaw *that's me!









Sew much more

Sew much stuff



Yes, we claim we are busy, slow and lazy but in all honesty I have plenty of time and expertise it seems to unload all this fabulous Vintage into the world of etsy. However, each time it comes to the point where I have to let it go, I don't want to. I truly need, want, and must keep it all for myself. Even items not in my size I feel attached to. How one becomes so engrossed by an object I'm not quite sure. I am definitely engrossed and overflowing with random clothing. Today, in preparation for my shop I went through pile upon pile, bag after bag, and hanger upon hanger of items. I tried to set a side things I knew I wanted to keep from those that I knew someone else would love. After a while the "keep" and "someone else" pile merged together into one pile of "things I want to keep, I don't care how much stuff I have" . The result: a room of items I told myself I was going to keep. Some people collect teacups, I collect clothing.


The phone rang just in time to save me from myself. It's Jessamy . We compared our compulsions and planned an intervention, and photo shoot. In hopes of immediate dispersal of these fantastic clothing items. Now just so you know we have planned many times to vent our vintage back into the world, failing every time to separate our selves from these beauties, but this time we have a plan. Okay so "plan" was probably the wrong word choice, how about "preliminary plan" or "brainstorm". That's more my style anyway do all the prep work then procrastinate, but I'm making progress, and that's a start. After talking with my friend Jessamy about our compulsive shopping and hording of vintage, we declared we will really truly separate ourselves from all these fabulous thing we have been collecting.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

A little back ground two



Sew you know us a little better


As for Vena, Vena Nelson was born in 1927, which in itself is amazing to me. To be around during that time and fashion must have been awesome. She grew up in Missouri with many sisters and brothers. Farming was her trade along with the store her father owned. She tells stories of her time there, people buying groceries on credit and never paying, sneaking into the store for cigarettes and candy and the six heads of cattle she saved up to buy before she got married. She only had a single change of clothing back then. She delivered mail on horse back, they had no cars. Can you even imagine dusty pathways instead of roads. She lived off peanut butter and crackers, which she will not eat now at all. I don't blame her though, if you don't have to why should you. Eventually, she was married to a family friend and moved out to Yuba City,California where she has lived for about 62 years. She has worked hard to get where she is now, a retired union cannery worker.
Once a month she meets with her fellow cannery women workers and they compare stories and have lunch. Its quite a scene when these little old ladies get together. They are funny, loud , and don't take crap from no one. And why should they, they have earned the right to do and be what they feel. It's been a real thrill hanging around with her. I enjoy see all her friends, I always ask what lotion they use and it amazes me how good they get around at eighty-five to ninety years old. Most of them are still driving and living on there own. She's been living alone since diabetes took her husband of sixty odd years about five years past. Vena was driving up until she broke her wrist in January of 2009. I guess eating cup o' noodles and dollar hamburgers from Burger King will make you pass out eventually, which is what happened. As she fell she broke her wrist. That's when Jon, her grandson, my fiance, and I came into the picture. We have our own apartment in Grass Valley about thirty-five miles from her house, which we keep for sentimental reasons I suppose, but most of our time since has been spent here with Vena. We didn't come alone though, we brought our furry children Stogi and Sadie, our dogs, Roach the cat, two finches and the latest addition Nugget our chicken.Talk about a house full.
Together we have worked it out so Vena doesn't have to be alone or go to a old person warehouse, or nursing home, which she adamantly opposes. Me too! It's difficult at times and I miss my freedoms but I feel it's worth the trouble for a little old lady. Besides we have a lot in common and tons of fun. Thrift stores, yard sales, the swap meet, sewing and senior discounts are daily life around here. And we enjoy it, I hope you will too!
Sew now you know who we are and what makes us tick. All these experiences are what make us who we are and cause these bursts of creativity and cause us to collect all the fabulous items you will soon see. I never would have imagined that my counterpart would be an eighty-two year old lady, but life moves us in mysterious ways. I never before really had the patience to write, sew or draw on a regular basis until now. I thank Vena and my current situation for that gift. Stay tuned for our creative collection of items we hand make together, our thrifted finds and daily happenings of our lives.
*winter

A little back ground

Sew you know us a little better.


As for myself, I am Winter Shaw, born in Grass Valley, Ca in 1982. That makes me currently 27 years old. I lived there with my family until I was about eight years old. I remember the day we moved I was very sad, so sad in fact I believed that I myself had made it rain. It rained the entire drive of about twelve hours. I had my ever faithful companion Georgie, a stuffed monkey I have had since birth, wrapped in my arms the entire ride. I do not recall the car in which we drove or who sat next to me. I remember rain. When we reached our new town, Huntington Beach, it was awash in rain, flooded streets and foggy beach. For those that live in Huntington you know that when they built it they never thought it would rain, so the streets are always unprepared for the massive liquid that wants to run its course and find an escape. We arrived at our house a two story condo in the Surf Side Villas, which I assumed was a high class mansion in comparison to our trailer-house conversion we had in Little Town of Washington. Things here were much different. Little Town, comprised of 128 people, a one room school house that held k-8 grade, and old mining trade post, a rustic hotel, and a general store, was amazing to me! The river was our playground. Nature surrounded every bit of life. Supremely tall trees, crystal hunts, and Alpha diggings clay were fond memories I still hold dear to my heart. My mother had transformed the old trading post in to a restaurant while my father built a saw mill. I and my sisters climbed rocks and ran amuck, playing on the merry-go-round or walking to Nancy's store where she had two wiener dogs that I loved dearly. Those people were my family too. They watched us grow from bumps in my mothers belly to smart young ladies

full of gusto. After we moved though, everything was big, new and not as easily accessed. The road next to the house was no longer dirt but a four lanes of Beach Boulevard. Which is humongous for a small child and for me still. It's like a freeway. Matter of fact its larger then the freeway that my current apartment in Grass Valley is next to now! We were big city girls now, with little town hearts. I attended Kettler, then Dwyer, then Huntington High. It is strange to think that my father, Aunt and Uncle all went to Dwyer and Huntington too! I really like that I got to continue that tradition. Even surrounded by all the bigness, we were still little town people.

My grandmother, Jessie Mae, is one of my favorite people and she taught me a lot. Our favorite activity was shopping and going to the library. Gramma is amazing to me, always dressed in fabulous shades of violet and purple with golden beauties wrapped around each finger. My affection for her is endless. As the youngest child in a family of five often I lacked discipline and Gramma knew that. I always got away with everything, but even when she knew I was ornery, she wouldn't say anything she would just look at me and that was enough. I am most like her in many ways, from my massive closet collection, fancy jewelry,to my attitude. We spent many a days together shopping at my favorite place and hers, Savers the greatest thrift store there ever was in Huntington. My favorite purchase, an eight and half foot long orange couch that was slightly fuzzy. I chose to have it rather than a bed and Gramma gave me the money to get it. She knew it was an amazing find and deal at only twenty dollars! I had that couch forever and when I moved I stored it for years in her garage. My Auntie wrapped it in plastic and I would come and visit and check in on it, along with my 200 stuffed animals I also couldn't part with totally and had them store for me. Isn't family great, I can't believe they held on to all those little things for me. Now however, a creature of some sort took up residence inside my couch and played with my toys in such away that the are no longer attractive to humans but what was one to expect after ten years of disuse. Before they removed my items they did ask me if I wanted to try and save them, even though they were umm, not in mint condition any longer. I parted ways with my collection, retaining only the memories of our times together.

Speaking of good times. My Auntie Rosie is also my favorite, we share a birthday and she always made that special . Do you remember when Disneyland and Denny's would give you free stuff on your birthday. I do. My auntie every January fifth would pick me up from school or whatnot and take me to Denny's for our free birthday breakfast. Then we were off the Disneyland. This was when all you had to do was show with birthday proof in hand and you were in for free. We always had fun. After the Disney adventure, we slumber partied. Those were the best birthdays ever.

Life now is much different then when I was small, not only are things not as mysterious they are not as shiny. My family has since gone its separate ways. My elder brothers I haven't seen in years. One in Israel the other just retired from the military. I will always remember their antics though. Michael never let you quit monopoly, you must finish the game or we will not play, he also made us pay taxes when we built out lego city. he had sooo many legos all neatly organized in clear plastic tubs divided into body tops, 1x1s, 2x 6s, and so one. I was not allowed to play unless supervised and I couldn't handle that. He always knew when I had touched them, even if I hadn't taken it out of the room. He was just too smart. Before he left for what was the last time we lived together he gave me some items I still cherish and hold to remember him, a golden colored metal card holder, a gram of silver in coin form, and a puzzle box that I hide thing my sister Sunshine made me in. I was always impressed by him and his eraser-less pencils. He told me he didn't make mistakes so he didn't need an eraser. I gave him my Sanrio pencils, which were wood non eraser pencil, because I definitely needed erasers. By the way, I still have my big black bear Michael brought me from Russia. He now only has on eye but he is still well loved.

Shawn, the joker, I don't know why but I always fell for it. " Hey I got something in my back pocket for you come get it!" then he'd fart loud and smelly. Other than this , I recall his wedding in which I was a flower girl I was seven-ish. I had a lot of fun. He was also very strong, and would pick me up. I liked that. After the wedding was the last time I ever saw him in person . With war and marriage and distance it was hard to keep in touch , plus I was young I couldn't even keep in touch with myself. Maybe someday we will get together again.

My sisters, oh the sisters. we were closer in age and closer in life. Ours little games and fights, side taking, ganging up on one another then flip flopping to the other side went on and on. I love my sisters and miss our time together. We had a lot of fun.

Our mother was exceptionally fun and excellent at entertaining us. I would have never known we were broke as a child. I felt we had everything. Yes we had our problem a small town filled with drugs and alcohol, but she made the best of it. We always had food that was delicious. My mother could make anything taste great even government cheese and powdered milk. I don't know anyone that cooks as well as she with as little as we had. My mother made us clothing and toys. Our favorite outing besides the river, Cornetts, a little 5 and dime just in town. She always made us birthday cakes and we had great parties. She made dolls from liquid, poured it into molds, painted them, and dressed them like princesses. It was amazing. My mother is also the reason I hate scary movies and love Halloween. As a small child I was terrified from all the horror movies we watched, so much so that I do not watch anything rated over pg-13. Halloween is always a treat. Mom's costumes were amazing. She was the headless horsemen complete with horse, bloody stump neck and pumpkin head. She hung it in the closet before Halloween and told my sister Summer to please get her something out of it. It scared her for life. It still makes me laugh, mainly because it wasn't me. The most memorable costume however, was the penis. Yes, you read correctly, penis. A 8foot tall paper-mache penis with a hole in the tip that she squirted mayo out of. Mind you, I was about six or maybe even five at this time. But it's still a vivid memory, that I cherish of the most creative woman I have ever met.

My father was strong and quite and back in the day he always wore a plaid flannel, jeans, and one of those plastic trucker hats. He seemed to always smell of wood and dirt. He is ingenious and can build you anything. I recall him having to repair my dollhouse coat rack. I was amazed, i sensed his disappointment in his own repair since he had to wrap string around it then glue it. He gave it to me and said sorry. I think he thought I would be disappointed because it was not perfect and you could see the string and glue, but I was amazed at the fact that it worked. He was crafty too, we played clay one night when we were waiting for my mother to get back from work. He sculpted a coyote face out of purple clay. I tried to save it forever, but playdough doesn't last forever. As with all kids I had a pet caterpillar I found in the yard and one day it stopped moving. Totally distraught I ran to my father and said it was dead. He found me a beautiful coffin for my creature. A heart shaped candy box, it was perfect for something I loved so much. He helped me dig a hole in our personal pet cemetery next to our fruit trees and had a ceremony with me. Now that I 'm older I wonder if that caterpillar was dead or just in a cocoon. I think sometimes of my little friend buried in a heart shaped box, emerging into darkness from its natural transformation stage and it reminds me of the past, trapped somewhere and untouchable by the present. Poor thing! I often want to go back to our old house and dig up our past and set it free.

This was my family, our present is much different from the past, yet much the same. But will get to that later for now it seems I have gotten way off track and need to stop and get coffee. To many memories for one day and way more information than a"little back ground." Besides I totally forgot about Vena. I'll tell you her story next time.

*winter


Friday, September 18, 2009

Sew Thrifty Collection

Here we go!
SewThriftyCollection is here. Thanks for stopping by.
My name is Winter, and I am the creator of fabulous things!!
Sew Thrifty Collection, created by me out of everyday items I collect from yard sales and thrift stores. I add some creativity, thread, and love to bring you the cutest creatures I can imagine. Often times, I collaborate with My friend Vena, who is 82 years old. She is excellent at stitching the things I draw. I just love her style a little hap-hazard and free. Kinda like me! You can find some of our creations on this facebook page.
Or checkout my photography on
or stop by our shop
(opening soon)
SewThriftyCollection.etsy.com
Look for us, we'd love to hear from you!
Well, for now I just want to let you know that we are here, and getting started. Look forward to radical vintage finds, handmade goodies and funny happenings. I hope to share with you all things I find awesome, and I'm sure you'll like 'em too!
* winter