Inspiring Inventions: The Singer Sewing Machine

The Singer Sewing Machine is mistakenly thought of as the first sewing machine for domestic use. However, Elias Howe (inventor & machinist), not Issac Singer, is the father of the sewing machine. On Sept. 10, 1846 Elias Howe's patent for the first sewing machine was granted. Howe's sewing machine had a "needle with the eye at the point, a shuttle operating beneath the cloth to form the lock stitch, and an automatic feed." At first, the general public, and tailors especially, were skeptical of his machine. It was rudimentary and not without its flaws.

It was Singer whose tweaks and adjustments that improved the machine who was able to sway the American public.

While it may not have been the first sewing machine invented, it was the first standardized technology to be mass marketed. Singer Sewing Machines were sold door-to-door and were promoted by Issac Singer, their manufacturer, as a way to free women from laborious and time-consuming hand sewing.

It was also widely successful. In the United States alone in 1896 between 600,000-700,000 sewing machines were sold. International consumption of American sewing machines generated $67,000,000 dollars from 1865-1895!

Machine-History.com says it best: "In the whole field of invention it would be difficult to find a device which has...brought gold to the rich, good wage to the worker, and best of all, sadly needed rest to weary fingers and aching eyes in many a cottage and garret."

On a personal note, Singer Sewing Machines are dearly cherished in my family. I inherited mine from my Great Aunt Mary. I think of her every time I use it. Each of us (me, my siblings and cousins) grew up learning to sew on our mom's and grammy's laps. Those memories are close to my heart, just as the many beautiful sewn items made by them are.

Happy National Pie Day!

Happy Nat'l Pie Day! I love pies, both eating them & baking them. To relax my eyes from taking apart tiny things I bake & cook.

I also bake to have fun. For our wedding, I wanted to gather all of the ladies I love in my kitchen and bake pies for the next day with them. A little crazy, I'll admit but it was such a blast. I will have the memory of dancing around, laughing, and baking pies for a lifetime.

I'd love to share some of my favorite recipes with you.

Download my fun pie recipe cards below!

Junkin Tips & Tricks: 3

As always, Happy Junkin'so you can get to Steampunkin'!

Notable Women: Elizabeth Magie

Much like our notable woman of last week, Elizabeth Magie has been written out of history and her accomplishment & legacy nearly erased from public knowledge. Elizabeth, or Lizzie as she was more often called, was an American game designer now best known for creating a beloved game, Monopoly--or as she called it "The Landlord's Game." Magie patented her game in 1904.

Early in her life, Lizzie was inspired and invigorated by the economic philosophy of Henry George. George's philosophy was one with equality at its core. Georgists, like Lizzie, believed that "economic value derived from land, including natural resources and natural opportunities, [and] should belong to all residents of a community, but that people themselves own the value that they create themselves." A very progressive philosophy.

Lizzie's influences, Georgism, and her father--a newspaper publisher and abolitionist--lead her to be a forward thinking, strong woman.

Typically in these posts, I'd delve into the history myself--but one of my sources is so excellent that I think it warrants a read. If you'd like to know more about Elizabeth Magie and the invention of Monopoly, read Mary Pilon's article, "Monopoly's Inventor: The Progressive Who Didn't Pass Go," on the New York Times' website. I hope you enjoy learning all about this incredible woman as much as I did!

Another great resource can be found at: http://www.henrygeorge.org/dodson_on_monopoly.htm.

Inspiring Inventions: Fingerprinting

Our inspiring invention this week is fingerprinting. It seems so ordinary to us now, we're fingerprinted at birth in the hospital. It's a process that has solved crimes, improved the quality of life in our cities albeit indirectly, and even proven people innocent. But that wasn't always the case. The "birth" of fingerprinting as a forensic, scientific process took many years and the milestones crossed spanned several nations. When I began condensing this history done to its core milestones, I was struck by how inter-generational and international this process was and is. Here's a timeline that details how we got to this important method:

• 1665 (Italy) Dr. Marcello Malphigi discovers the existence of patterns of ridges on the fingertips.
• 1684 (England) Dr. Nehemiah Grew publishes the 1st paper describing Dr. Malphigi's earlier discovery, though Dr. Grew discovers that the ridge patterns also extend to the palms.
• 1788 (Germany) Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer determines fingerprints are unique to each individual.
• 1858 (India) Sir William James Herschel begins fingerprinting as a means of identification to prevent fraud on contracts, deeds, pension collection, and even at prisoners' sentencing.
• 1863 (France) Paul-Jean Coulier discovers that iodine fumes reveal fingerprints on paper.
• 1880 (Scotland) Dr. Henry Faulds publishes the 1st paper detailing a method of recording fingerprints in ink as a process of later identification. (Dr. Faulds is also the first person to lift fingerprints off of an object!)
• 1886 (Scotland) Dr. Faulds suggests the method of fingerprinting to the London Metropolitan Police, who dismiss it. This dismissal leads Dr. Faulds to seek advice from Charles Darwin. Too ill to work on developing a perfected method of fingerprinting, Darwin recommends the project to his cousin, Francis Galton.

Galton takes up the project and publishes a detailed forensic scientific study called Finger Prints.

• 1892 (Argentina) Juan Vuetich, after reading Galton's Finger Prints, sets up the 1st fingerprinting bureau in the world!
• 1901 (Scotland & England) Both Scotland Yard & The Metropolitan Police in London add a fingerprinting bureau.
• 1902 (United States) In New York, there was the first case of identification, arrest & conviction of a murder based on fingerprint evidence.

Sources & For More Information:

• Cyril John Polson, "Finger Prints & Finger Printing: An Historical Study," Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, vol. 41, Issue 5, Article 16.
• For more on the controversy of the history of fingerprinting, for Galton vs. Faulds , for Herschel vs. Haque & Bose, and for Imperialism and fingerprinting.

Jewelry Spotlight: My Wedding Jewelry

I had so many ideas and designs sketched for my wedding jewelry, but as with my best pieces the end result came when I put on my favorite music and sat at my studio table and played with the individual pieces until it felt right.

The other bracelet was one of my many something borroweds. My best friend since childhood, Tiffany, lent me her rhinestone bracelet which was her something new that I gave her for her wedding.

Here she is putting the bracelet on my wrist. It is wonderful to have friends who truly love the jewelry I make or give them. It's such an immensely humbling and fulfilling moment when you realize that it's also a cherished piece. I almost cried when Tiffany pulled the bracelet out of her bag.

My best friend Kelechi also lent me a precious piece of jewelry, her grandmother's sapphire ring. I know how important and dear the ring is to her and it meant the world to me that she let me borrow it for the evening. It made me feel like Cinderella.

I made a bouquet locket for myself with my grandfather, Popu's, picture in it out of an old silver bookmark and a lovely odd shaped silver locket. Around the base of my bouquet I tied another dear gift, a periwinkle blue rhinestone necklace that my mother-in-law, Lory, gave me for our wedding. It was her mother's, and it meant so much to me that she entrusted an heirloom to me. It sparkled beautifully and a little piece of Grandma Mary walked with me down the aisle.

Th earrings I made for myself were silver gears, mismatched, with antique pearls, rhinestone spacer beads, and vintage teardrop crystals. They are simple, dainty, and elegant.

Here is a side view of my necklace. I made it with re-purposed silver chain, a silver cuckoo clock gear, a faceted Austrian crystal (rectangular shaped), and a rhinestone metal flower bead. All these little pieces and more are what I had squirreled away for myself one day.

Thanks for letting me share a little more of our wedding with you, especially the jewelry. I love weddings, and have been fortunate enough to create some bridal pieces and wedding party collections for several couples. I am always honored.

Junkin Tips & Tricks: 2

As always, Happy Junkin'so you can get to Steampunkin'!

Notable Women: Adah Matilda Robinson (1882-1962)

So often in history, the accomplishments of women are downplayed, deemed as secondary (namely, categorized as a support role and nothing more), or completely erased. One such erasure from the history books is Adah Matilda Robinson, who designed the Boston Avenue Methodist Church here in Tulsa, a claim that famous architect Bruce Goff, who collaborated with Robinson, made.

To back-track a bit, let me tell you more about Adah. She was a "painter, printmaker, and teacher" who moved with her family to Oklahoma City from Richmond, Indiana in 1905 (just 2 years before Oklahoma declared statehood).

She moved to Tulsa in 1916 and went on to found the Art Department at the University of Tulsa in 1928. She also established an art fraternity on campus, Alpha Rho Tau and also founded the Tulsa Art Association.

Adah is also known for influencing and teaching 2 exemplary American architects, Bruce Goff and Joseph Korberling both of whom would go on to have illustrious careers.

Adah would collaborate with both Goff and Korberling on the construction and design of her home (which you can still visit at 1119 S. Owasso Ave. in Tulsa). Her home, like the Boston Ave. Methodist Church, is a wonderful example of Art Deco Architecture.

Historic Tulsa describes her home & studio as a "hollow tile and stucco Art Deco house [with] leaded glass windows, terrazzo floors, and contemporary spaces decades before its time." It has a two-story living room with an open balcony, sunken conversation pit complete with fireplace, and a small kitchen (added into the design with help from Korberling).

Today her house is for the most part true to its design, apart from the addition of a car-port and sunroom which were both added by the new owner in the 80s.

In 1926, after the construction of her house, Adah submitted a radically new design for a church to the committee overseeing the building of the Boston Ave. Methodist Church. The committee was at first apprehensive about Adah's design, but after hearing her explain the concept behind it they moved forward with her design.

Adah's design was so cutting edge that professional architects declined to bid on the work. It was then that Adah recommended her former student and friend, Bruce Goff. Goff signed onto the project in 1926. His contract stated: Adah Robinson "is in charge of all things artistic, both inside and outside the building and for carrying out the wishes of the church," for which she was paid $5,000.

Goff, for his part, created the technical drawings and blueprints for the church. The architecture firm he worked for, Rush, Endacott, and Rush, oversaw the building operations. Later, Goff and his firm would claim that Goff was the primary designer of the church. They insisted that his name be installed on the cornerstone of the church.

The Boston Ave. Methodist Church, however, sided with Adah Robinson. No cornerstone was ever installed. The church and its officials still to this day say that Adah Robinson designed their church.

In 1945, University of Tulsa's President, Birch Pontius, told Adah that he didn't believe that she designed the church (despite having a "chest of her designs" confirming that she had)! She resigned from TU (a black mark on my alma mater if you ask me!) and went on to teach art at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Many remember Adah as a teacher and artist. She inspired many. May she also be remembered as she rightfully should, as the primary designer of the greatest example of ecclesiastical Art Deco Architecture in America.

Sources & Additional Reading on Adah:

• Jo Beth Harris's biography, Here's to You, Adah Robinson
• For a brief history of Adah
• For more on Adah's Art Deco Home
• For more on Adah, read Tulsa World's article "Designing Woman"
• Or if you feel you'd like to investigate further, visit McFarlin Library's Special Collections to see a copy of a committee contract. Here's the call no. information so you can plan your visit.

Inspiring Inventions: The Winchester Rifle

The Winchester Rifle was invented by Oliver Winchester in 1866. Oliver pioneered a "spring-closed loading port on the right-hand side of the frame" which resulted in a rifle that could reliably fire several shots without having to reload. It was commonly known as the "repeating rifle" as well as historically known as "the gun that won the West."

While the rifle's invention itself is interesting, far more fascinating is the story of Sarah Winchester. Sarah married William Winchester, the son of Oliver who followed in his father's footsteps and manufactured the rifle.

Sarah & William had a daughter, Annie, who died of a mysterious illness in infancy. William also died prematurely of tuberculosis. Distraught by her loss and riddled with grief, Sarah sought guidance from a Spiritualist in Boston.

The Spiritualist told Sarah that she and her family were being haunted by the spirits of the dead who had been killed by the rifle. The spiritualist told Sarah that the deaths of her beloved Annie & William were because of malicious spirits seeking revenge...and that she was next!

The Spiritualist proposed a solution-to build a grand house as tribute to the dead and to never cease construction on it or the spirits would get her.

Sarah took the Spiritualist's advice to heart. She bought a house and land in Santa Clara Valley, California and began the 38 year construction of her home. When she died in 1922, her mansion had grown to "160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens."

It is quite a sight to see-with staircases leading nowhere and windows built into the floor.

You can visit her mansion today, which I highly recommend. I had the opportunity to tour it and it is a marvelous wonder. One of my favorite details is the green/sustainable ways the house's guttering system reuses and recycles water. The gutter will water the myriad of plants under windows and around the exterior of the mansion.

There is also an abundance of Tiffany & Co. stained glass windows-each one more breathtaking than the last.

What struck me most about the Winchester Mansion was what they found inside the safe after Sarah's death. And if you want to know what it was, you'll just have to take the tour yourself!

Source:

The Winchester Mystery House website (where you can learn more & plan your visit)

DIY Steampunk Chalkboard

Chalkboards are trendy, but they're also a really great way to share inspirational quotes, keep your grocery list & To-Do's, or write down reminders & chores.And for events, they are especially nice for sharing the schedule.

Here's a steampunked chalkboard that I made for our wedding & home. Here's what you'll need.

Materials & Tools:

• Chalkboard (or you can get a cool frame, and paint it with chalkboard paint)
• Small wooden circle pieces (approx. 1/4" thick)
• 10-25 Wooden gears (various sizes) or more if you wish
• Tacky Glue (or wood glue)
• Gold Metallic Spray Paint
• Cardboard (to protect your surface when spray painting)
• Clips or clothespins

Steps:

1. Spray paint your wooden circle pieces & gears. Lay the cardboard down before painting to protect your lawn, driveway, or garage floor. Make sure to spray paint in a well ventilated area. Let dry completely.
2. Glue the wooden circles to the gears. Press firmly and then secure a clip/clothespin over it until the glue dries completely.
3. Once the glue is dry, remove the clips and begin placing your gears around the edge of your frame. You can go all the way around or partially around. It's up to you!
4. Once you're happy with placement begin gluing the gears onto the frame. Press firmly for approx. 5-10 seconds. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
5. Let dry completely 8-12 hours.
6. Hang on your wall or place onto an easel with pride!

Hope you enjoyed this simple, fun DIY! Happy Crafting!

Junkin Tips & Tricks: 1

A new series I'll be posting every Friday is Junkin' Tips & Tricks for finding treasures at flea markets, garage sales, antique malls, thrift shops, estate sales, online, & antique stores.

As always, Happy Junkin'so you can get to Steampunkin'!

Notable Women: Marianne North

Marianne North (1830-1890) was a British woman, world traveler, and painter. Today we know her as a painter, but her first passion and talent was music which she was forced to give up.

Daughter of Frederick North, an MP, Marianne was able to travel the world because of his political connections. He provided her with "letters of introduction to ambassadors, viceroys, rajahs, governors, and ministers all over the world."

A brief timeline of Marianne's incredible life:

• 1865-67 Marianne traveled with her family to Syria and along the Nile.
• 1867 Marianne's father dies and Marianne is made independently wealthy. With her financial freedom, she is able (unlike most Victorian women) to lead the life she chooses. Marianne chose to continue traveling and to keep painting which she only discovered in 1867 at age 40.
• Marianne's 1st journey alone. She traveled to the United States, Canada, and Jamaica.

  

• 1872 Eight month stay in Brazil where Marianne "completed more than 100 paintings." She was an unconventional painter, choosing to "depict landscapes and natural habitats rather than individual plants."
• 1875 She traveled to California, Japan, Borneo, and Ceylon.

  

• 1876-77 Marianne travels back to England via Sarawak, Java, and Sri Lanka.
• 1878 Marianne made her way through parts of India.

  

• 1879 Marianne exhibited her paintings in London. She decides to permanently show her work at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew if a gallery will be built to display her work. Sir Joseph Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, agrees to her proposal and a gallery begins construction.
• 1880 Marianne travels to Australia and New Zealand on Charles Darwin's suggestion.

Upon receipt of her painting "Australian Sheep" which North gave Darwin as thanks for his suggestion, Darwin wrote the following in a letter to North: "I am often able to call up with considerable vividness scenes in various countries which I have seen, and it is no small pleasure; but my mind in this respect must be a mere barren waste compared with your[s]."

• 1882 The Marianne North Gallery at Kew opens to the public.

(You can still visit her gallery today. The gallery was restored in 2008 and displays all of North's paintings: a total of 833 paintings which depict more than 900 species of plants. If you can't afford the plane ticket, visit her online gallery.)

• 1883 Marianne traveled to South Africa.
• 1884-85 She traveled to Seychelles and Chile.

North was an exceptional woman and artist. Her paintings, which are more scientific and exact than impressionistic, tell us so much about plant life in the countries she visited.

Still to this day, her body of work is one of Britain's finest botanical art collections. Thanks to Marianne's uncommon style of painting we have a "snapshot of the world's natural habitat more than 100 years ago." Today many of the species of plants she captured have vanished from the world due to de-forestation and industrialization.

Marianne is a superb example to women everywhere--to never give up, to live unconventionally, and that 40 is just the beginning!

Sources:

• The Kew Gallery Online. kew.org
• Darwin, C.R. to North, Marianne. 2 Aug 1881. darwinproject.ac.uk

Inspiring Inventions: The Bicycle

The bicycle was invented in 1817 by Karl Drais. Originally the bicycle had many other names: velocipede, dandy horse, running machine, and Draisienne. It wasn't called a bicycle until 1869!

It was invented because of crop failure and widespread starvation which resulted in the slaughtering of horses. Another mode of transportation was needed. Drais' version of the bicycle, while it had 2 wheels, was still not what we'd think of a bicycle today. Drais' bicycle was propelled by the feet. (There were no pedals.)

It wasn't until 1863 that pedals were added to the front wheel allowing for the world's first fixed-gear, one-speed bicycle (or as it became commonly known, a boneshaker).

Historical Side Note: In 1894, Betty Bloomer's bloomers became popular which was one of many fashions that changed women's lives. The bicycle craze fueled revolutions in women's fashions even more. The days of restrictive corsets and bustles were numbered. Instead, fashions allowing for more movement were favored.

The invention of the bicycle changed lives, particularly those of women. The bicycle allowed women more independence, mobility, and freedom.

Sources:

• David Mozer's "Chronology of the Growth of Bicycling & the Development of Bicycle Technology" on ibike.org
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History's "Women on the Move" on americanhistory.si.edu

For an excellent blog on Women, Fashion & Bicycles: Read Cycling History's Blog Post.

Our Little Steampunk, Vintage Totally Sentimental Wedding

I have been very neglectful of you all this year, which I've resolved not to do in 2016. I'm actually very excited about the blog posts to come. But here is what I've been up to--making, collecting, and thrifting things for Rhys and I's wedding day. It was beautiful and meaningful, and there's so much I want to say about it but for now--I'll just leave you with some pictures. Much more to come later on the wedding.

Steampunk Tiaras

The first steampunk tiara I made was in collaboration with my mom for Marry Me Indie and my second (and favorite) fashion show I put together. (Modeled by the fabulous, Alicia Astaire)

I've purchased a few tiaras since then with the hopes of making more steampunk bridal pieces with a bit of flair, daintiness, and fun. I've finally finished a number of them (the right materials came along to compliment them) and wanted to share them with all of you!

This rhinestone tiara is marvelously bent, and I finally found the prefect accent to its wonderful, simple shapes--springs! The dulled luster of the spring pairs the subdued sparkle of the rhinestones.

Simple and elegant--I love mixing rhinestone, silver, and the brassy gold of gears!

Tiny Tiaras! I found 3 in Guthrie a few weeks back and I was so excited to sit down at my studio table and steampunk them.

I am now on the hunt for more tiaras to steampunk. I had so much fun transforming each of these! What have you all been making?

Wooden Wedding Spoon Set

Rhys & I received our very first wedding present, and it was handmade with a lot of thought, love, and imagination! The very best kind of gift! I wanted to share it with all of you because it's a truly wonderful steampunk creation...a set of wooden spoons with steampunk images wood-burned onto the backs to make them not only decorative, but personal.

The first spoon is an ornate monogram, "M" for Martin. Even though I'll be keeping my last name, I do consider myself a Martin. I love all of the beautiful work surrounding this letter.

This next spoon has two clock hands wood-burned on it. I love clock hands--they are one of my favorite materials to work with.

This next design is three gears and a heart shaped key hole--and it's stunning the amount of detail.

This spoon is perhaps my favorite; it's a compass. Rhys proposed to me with a compass, and compasses now bring such memories of joy, promise, and love.

The next three designs are simply stunning: a skeleton key with elegant scroll-work, a dirigible airship flying away, and a pocketwatch with tiny gears turning.

It's no secret that I love cooking & baking, or that I am passionate about steampunk. I can't wait to get cookin' and am grateful already for the thoughtfulness & talents of friends.

Queen of Treasures from the Past

This weekend Rhys and I ventured down to Guthrie, Oklahoma for the Queen of the Prairie Festival--the first year they've put on the folk music festival. It was truly wonderful. Guthrie is known as "the Queen of the Prairie," but I'd contest that it could also be called "the Queen of Treasures from the Past" for its wealth of antique and junk shops. On this trip, I visited a new shop called Recollections Antiques. It's now one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Guthrie. Like any great antique shop it was stuffed-to-the-gills with unique treasures from days past.

Recollections is the perfect place for those of you looking for antique cookware and kitchen tools. They also have an entire section of vintage cookbooks.

Among their many items, Recollections has an impressive array of ladies gloves and Victorian ephemera. Here are a few of my faves:

Victorian Sensation Fiction--I was very tempted to dive right in & read them! Pictured here are Edward Salisbury Field's A Six Cylinder Courtship and George Barr McCutheon's Beverly of Graustark.

Elaborate toiletry, like this Collars & Cuffs box.

And this painted velvet-lined ladies glove box.

Gilt gold dressing table sets.

Recollections is also a must-stop for anyone searching for fine china sets or delicate tea cups & saucers. I marveled at the many hand painted beauties so much so that I did not snap one photo of them! They also had a great set of button collections. I may just have to go back for this jar--I have such a weakness & love for vintage buttons.

I walked away with a few things that I just couldn't leave behind--a reproduction Victorian Photo Album which I am going to put my wedding photos in.

I found this great necklace that I am going to steampunk. I just loved the gold of the beads and pattern of filigree in it.

Of course, I couldn't visit Guthrie and just go in one shop. I also discovered Treasures & Books--an amazing shop with a trove of used and antique books as well as handmade items from local artists. I found 3 mini tiaras and a great postcard!

So my antique lovers and fellow garage sale junkies--visit Guthrie soon. You will spend hours walking through their many wonderful antique shops, and if you're there on Saturday--from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. is their flea market for even more great finds!

As Always, Happy Junkin'!

Enjoying a Chilly Day in my Cozy Studio

It's been a while since I have blogged--sorry! It's been an intense couple of weeks: gearing up for Indie Emporium & The Alliday Show and making jewelry for Dwelling Spaces & Made for the upcoming holiday season. It's a busy time, but one I relish! My mom and grams visited me & Rhys last week (a whole delicious week) on their way to a few quilt shows out in the Midwest. I always love it when I have house guests--most of the last week has been filled with baking yummy sweets, tipsy games of Mexican Train dominoes, sewing, watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding (a movie all 3 of us know by heart), and crafting all together at the same table. It has been wonderful! Last week I also interviewed for a full time position and got the job! I am now the Community Relations Coordinator for the Tulsa World. I can't wait to start work next week and it was wonderful that my family was here to help me celebrate!

So today, even though it's not yet Thanksgiving, I am counting my blessings. I am lucky to have such supportive family & friends; a fiancee who bolsters my confidence and tells me to keep dreaming; and a community that inspires me.

It's a lovely day to be in the studio--with some tea, a good book (the newest installation in Gail Carriger's Finishing School series--Waistcoats & Weaponry), and lots of things to tinker with. Here's a little of what I've been up to in my studio today:

Making earrings...as always, I love to make earrings. And I've finally finished making the table place cards for my wedding. Each place card was hand cut, colored, and punched. I added a reproduction tin gear to each place card. All that is left is the calligraphy! What have you all been up to lately?

Swap-o-Rama-Rama Live Pinterest Board Projects

At Swap-O-Rama-Rama again this year we have a live Pinterest Board--with examples of the projects already made to inspire you. Here are a list of instructions (and links) to make these projects on your own: 1) Update an Old Mask (brought to you by Bohemian Romance)

2) Headband Crown (brought to you by Hello Bee & tweaked a little) Follow HelloBee instructions, and if you would like your crown to be a headband instead. Simply Make your crown from a single piece of felt (the size you'd purchase from many craft stores) and cut two small slits in opposite sides and insert the headband!

3) Military Vest from an Old Vest (brought to you by Bohemian Romance, and inspired by Bifftastica) First, select an old vest that is made of sturdy fabric. Purchase approximately 30-36 military-style or simple metal buttons (approximately 12 per row). First begin by replacing your original buttons with your military-style buttons. Add additional buttons if desired and create new button holes by cutting slits into your vest's fabric. Next, add 2 additional rows of buttons on both sides of your vest.

4) Update an Old Pair of Gloves (brought to you by Bohemian Romance) 

5) From Bridesmaid Dress to Princess (this is very simple & great if you have a bridesmaid dress just gathering cobwebs in the closet). Accentuate the dress by adding lace, rhinestone pins, or a sash. On the example dress, we've added faux sleeves by sewing lace up and over (from the front to the back of) the dress. Be sure to measure how much lace you'll need beforehand and leave at least 1/4 inch to a 1/2 inch on each side for sewing. We've also added a rhinestone pin on the side!

6) Spats (Here is a lovely pattern for Spats) The directions for these spats are printed on the pattern. The only step that is not explained fully is how to add your closure (meaning the buttons, hooks, or ribbons that you want to use to fasten your spats to your shoes). When adding buttons or hooks, place the spat around the shoe and mark where you'd like your closures to go with a fabric pencil or chalk. Then sew the buttons/hooks onto the bottom layer of your spat. Create buttonholes if using buttons; sew the second portion of your hooks to the other side. If using ribbons as an enclosure, sew a piece of ribbon to each side of your spat and be sure to leave enough room for you to tie your spat closed.

Thank you to everyone who came out for Swap-o-Rama-Rama, Halloween Edition this year! Thank you to all of our volunteers & orgainzers: Hollyrocks, Bifftastica, Bohemian Romance, Made, Indie Emporium, The Workshop, and as always, The Philbrook Museum of Art.

DIY Steampunk Ring Holder

If you're like me, you don't like to wash the dishes or fix your appliances with your nice rings on. I've seen a ton of really great ring holder DIYS on Pinterest lately & they have inspired me to create this new steampunk DIY. To make one of your own, here's what you'll need:

• Scissors
• An awl
• A pencil
• Small cup hook (generally you want one with a 1/4" screw)
• Small picture frame
• Small piece (or scrap) of scrapbook paper
• Glue Stick
• Paper/poster board watch face (mine is upcycled from an old pocketwatch; but you can also print your own from the Graphics Fairy)

Steps:

1. Open your picture frame and take out the paper & glass. Set glass aside for a future project or as a future replacement. Use the paper to trace the shape you need to fill the frame on your scrapbook paper.
2. After you've finished tracing your shape, cut it out with your scissors.
3. Next, glue your scrapbook shape onto the back of your frame.
4. Then glue your watch face in the middle of your frame onto the scrapbook piece.
5. Allow your glue to dry completely. (Approximately 5 minutes.) Create a small starter hole using your awl in the center of your watch face. Be sure not to create a large or wide hole because your cup hook screw will fall out.
6. After you've made your starter hole, begin twisting your cup hook in place.
7. You've done! Proudly hang your ring on the hook anytime you're rolling up your sleeves & doing dirty work!   As always, Happy Crafting!