Amy Barickman

I’m so excited to introduce you to SoHo Bandana, our new fabric line from Red Rooster Fabrics, which we are debuting at Quilt Market next month.

Years ago I fell in love with the detail and colors of vintage bandanas. I started collecting them with a  fabric line in the back of my mind, but as often happens it took a few years and one big hit of inspiration before the design became a reality.

I came across this amazing apron my friend Deb Dusenberry had for sale on her site curioussofa.com, and I knew that it was time to start designing SoHo Bandana.

I pulled out my vintage bandana collection, as well as some amazing tooled leather pieces I had acquired and got to work. I wanted to create fabric that had a classic vintage print, but in updated, contemporary colors. This collection represents a new way of designing for Indygo Junction. For the first time I have designed a fabric line and created patterns specifically to coordinate with it. I’m excited to have the different design aspects of our business in harmony.

 Recently, I’ve been excited to see bandana print trending this season! I found two gorgeous dresses at Anthropologie featuring the print, and I am in love with the contemporary use of bandana print in the home from Martha Stewart. I’ve also seen it featured in shoes, menswear, buttons and even on cookies!

The March chapter of Vintage Notions is all about celebrating Spring. I still see snow on the ground as I look out my window, but I know the warmer weather is almost here. I can’t wait! As I reread the pages of this chapter, I realized how much I love the messages and wisdom in the pages of Mary’s essays in her book, Thimblefuls of Friendliness. Some of my favorite quotes in the whole book are in this chapter…

“Cheerfulness is much more to be desired than riches. Those who possess it have something riches cannot buy — a great possession because it creates goodwill and makes for real happiness.”

-Mary Brooks Picken

Roses Every Day

Roses also make an appearance in March’s chapter in the excerpt, “Roses Every Day”. Vintage rose postcards were some of my original Vintage Workshop images and are particularly dear to my heart. I thought I would share one of my favorite rose images with you and also a gallery of some fun rose photos that I’ve collected on my vintake-seeking adventures!

 

 

 

“Let’s give the roses every day. A petal of cheer now is worth
a dozen roses after awhile.”

 

Aprons

  My favorite apron is in this chapter as well. The slip-over apron is cut on the bias and seems to fit everyone perfectly! It was featured in Stitch magazine awhile back, as you can see in the picture to the left — I love this vibrant color combination!

 

Now it’s your turn to share your favorite apron style and why you like it. If you need to refresh your memory or find a new apron to create, check out Indygo Junction’s aprons. We have 25 different designs, plus several new styles that were just released! Click here to check them out.

Until next month, here’s one last gem from Mary to think about during your day:

  “Interest yourself in the heart next to you, and your own troubles will melt away like icicles in the sunshine.”

A look out the widow of the Sacred Sewing Room…

…this begins the story of my trip to Detroit with the non-profit, Enchanted Makeovers. Founder and visionary, Terry Grahl, created Enchanted Makeovers to provide beauty in the face of blight for women and children living in shelters throughout the country. Through partnerships with existing shelters, Terry and her team transform simple spaces into cheerful and inspirational homes. The Sacred Sewing Room project is Terry’s latest endeavor, providing women in these shelters with resources and training to develop their sewing skills. This particular project took place in Detroit’s Rescue Mission Genesis House (a convent that was converted to a women’s shelter 20 years ago), and was completed in one very full day by an enthusiastic team of volunteers!

As a board member of Enchanted Makeovers, I took a particular interest in helping Terry and her team put the Sacred Sewing Room project into action. I called on some of the great companies that I work with on Indygo Junction patterns to donate fabrics, notions, and tools so we could convert an empty room into a fully-stocked sewing studio and classroom for residents at Genesis House.

A Sanctuary for Sharing…

Though it was a long day of hard work, I was so moved by the experience of using my own two hands and working with Terry’s wonderful team of volunteers  to create this special space, eating lunch together with the women of Genesis House, and seeing the delight and tears in the eyes of Donna, Amanda, Barbara, and Lenora—just a few of the ladies who would be living in the newly transformed shelter. At the end of the day as we walked the women through their new rooms, I felt like Ty Pennington might as well have been there yelling, “MOVE THAT BUS!”

The Big Reveal…

I plan to continue supporting the cause of The Sacred Sewing Room project and Enchanted Makeovers, and will share any information on upcoming events. Right now, you can learn more about Terry and her mission by picking up the current issue of Quilt It Magazine. I encourage you to share Terry’s vision with your friends and community, and consider becoming a part of this wonderful mission by starting or joining an Enchanted Makeovers chapter in your own area. Volunteers, mentors, and teachers will all be needed.

Here are the wonderful contributors who donated supplies to Genesis House’s Sacred Sewing Room:

•Clover Needlecraft                                                            •Red Rooster Fabrics

•Dritz                                                                                      •Bosal

•Coats & Clark                                                                      •Baby Lock

•Westminster Lifestyle Fabrics                                        •Michael Miller Fabrics

•Nancy Zieman                                                                     •Indygo Junction

Just a darling Valentine’s Day image for you!

“We must measure our lives in terms of what gives us joy. When we do that, we build up happiness in our lives out of what we do. Then, with the advance of our years we can say, as did Julia Ward Howe, when asked it if wasn’t harder to grow old. ‘No, the deeper I drink the cup, the sweeter it grows. The sugar is all at the bottom.’”

This quote is one of those gems I found in the Women’s Institute material that inspired me to publish Vintage Notions. I think of savoring the sweetness of life, like the simple couple Mary Brooks Picken describes in the story, “Every Woman’s House…Her Castle” who, “know no conveniences, yet they have peace within for they know industry, kindness, and love, and these have provided treasured wealth.” I love that story because of its truth and importance.

When it comes to savoring sweetness of the simple things, pie comes to mind. It seems like the perfect combination of goodness and simplicity—in food form! That’s why I wanted to include “The Secrets of a Perfect Pie” in this chapter. Pie also makes me think of my sweet friend Michele Muska. Michele is a talented textile artist (she designed two Indygo Junction patterns!), but she’s also talented in the culinary arts! Michele recently had one of her pie recipes featured in (and on the cover of) Jo Packham’s book, Pieography: Where Pie Meets Biography. This wonderful book tells sweet stories of life to match each pie recipe — a concept that I just love!

Thinking about my own life in these terms, I realized that some of the women who I care most about are also linked, in my mind, to some specific sweet treats! For example, I’ll always think of my Grandma Martin when I have carrot cake because of the countless times I enjoyed her own homemade recipe growing up. Cherry pie makes me think of my mother’s talent for creating delicious fruit pies and all the time we spent cherry picking in Michigan. My dear friend Jenny always seems to have a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven to share… I wonder how many of you have favorite sweet treats and sweet friends and family who create them?

Even though I gravitated toward the message of love around friends and family in this chapter, it’s impossible to deny that February is also the month for celebrating Valentine’s Day! I’m still pulling my valentines together, so I thought I’d share some of my images from The Vintage Workshop to help you out too. I hope you get to spend some sweet time with your loved ones this month!

Click on the image to download a PDF of vintage valentines!

With one day to spare, I have kept my resolution and re-read the January chapter of Vintage Notions!

The theme that resonated most with me was that do-overs are allowed, and that our happiness is not contingent on getting things right the first time. I believe it is the process that is important. With January resolutions we have a chance to create fresh starts for ourselves.

“The determination to try again is without doubt the greatest factor for success in the lives of all whose achievements are noteworthy.”

Another lesson I’ve learned this month is that we can focus on big goals, but we can also focus our energy to find happiness in everyday efforts.

“For surely, when we are happy, we are successful, at least in that little domain where we are queen. No matter what our environment, no matter what our circumstances – a singing tea kettle, a cozy fire…”

I certainly find myself getting so distracted in the “big stuff” that I can miss those small moments of happiness. Next month, I plan to purposefully focus on more of these small things, and report back!

This is one of my favorite soup recipes, from Noah’s –a famed Italian restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa. I served this over the holidays and friends were stunned to hear that Campbell’s cans were the secret to my soup success!

This chapter also discusses do-overs as they relate to remodeling clothes. Be sure to check out the man’s shirt apron project in this chapter – it’s one of my favorites! Our modern day recycling revolution is also evidence of the notion that what is old is new again. This is one of my passions when it comes to my work with Indygo Junction. Ever since we produced Jacket from Jeans back in the 1990’s, I have loved the idea of creating clothes with cast-offs! We recently launched a brand initiative to focus on recycling (see the logo!). Check out all our recycling options here.

That’s all for now. I can’t wait to read try some of your soup recipes & see your recycling ideas in the comments section! Please encourage your friends to join us for this monthly book club. Send them a link, share on Facebook, or start a group of friends in your community  ‑ Let’s find joy in the journey!

Here we are again at the start of a new year & it’s time for resolutions!

Life gets so hectic during the holidays & it’s easy to forget about the meaningful things you have right in front of you. One thing I thought about during the holidays was the journey I’ve been through with my book, Vintage Notions. The timeless wisdom compiled within its pages continues to draw me in. I think that when you connect with a text, it will have something new to say to you each time you read it.

With this in mind, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to re-read Vintage Notions month-by-month and embrace those lessons of previous generations more fully in my everyday life.

Of course, everyone needs a little help achieving their resolutions…

I am disciplining myself to follow through with this resolution by launching the Vintage Notions Online Book Club via my blog.  Each month I will share Vintage Notions inspiration & content on my blog and we can reflect on it together!

Join me by opening your own copy of Vintage Notions and begin reading January’s section. I will post our first “monthly discussion” at the end of January and encourage you to post replies to me & each other on my blog. If you don’t have yet own your own copy, you can buy one here (plus, here’s a 30% discount code – VN2013 – just enter that code during checkout!)

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you my favorite poem from the January chapter of the book… a good resolution in itself!

If you enjoy the content & discussions, consider grabbing some friends and hosting your own book club of your own! We have free downloadable PDF guide for Vintage Notions that feature discussion topics, suggest crafts and activities, and provide you with the option of monthly or one-time get together. Click here to download the Book Club Discussion Guide.

I hope you will read along with me & devote some time to learning from the women who have come before us. I think it’s a great way for us to grow & create together.

As I am preparing for Christmas with last minute crafting and shopping, I came across a series called the Needle-Minded New Yorker written by Mary Brooks Picken in Home Arts Needlecraft. I thought I would share some of this Christmas gift sewing advice with you.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!