The Mini Garden

Image via Maize Hutton

Image via Maize Hutton

Love this idea of using vintage tea cups and mugs for a mini indoor garden. I think it would look pretty cute in my apartment.

LA Chronicles

For the past 5 days LA has been terribly sweet to me. No grey skies. Just bold blue horizons, perfect sun and beautiful people too.

I'm so enthralled by Cali-love that I didn't even mind sitting in 2 hour traffic today while headed back to Venice from downtown LA.

From lush fabrics to puppy poodles and vintage Chevy step-side trucks, LA has it all. Or at least has my eye.

Now, if only there was a SEW Moni shop in Venice off Abbott Kinney. To be continued...

Xo-Moni

Lace Time

There are a few things that I can't live without and one of them is a black half slip. So when I realized my tried and true black half slip was missing I first thought "Shoot!" and second thought "I've always wanted a black LACE half slip!" Two hours later I have a newly designed slip from vintage lace I found in South Brooklyn. It was pretty easy to make and here's how you can:

-Cut a piece of lace that wraps around your hips comfortably and is your preferred length. Mine turned out to be 42 inches wide by 18 inches long.

-Take a quarter inch elastic and measure, while pulling, a piece that grips your waistline. FYI: I'm a size six/eight and cut a 28 inch piece of elastic

-Sew a fold over seam that's a quarter inch wide and then top stitch your elastic onto this seam.

-Finish your slip with a side seam. Add top stitched ribbon along the side seam for a finished touch.

I'm pretty pleased with this design so I've listed it for purchase @GreeneandSunset.com for $30 :-)

If you have any Q's just shoot me an email. XX - Moni

Paris

I'll be headed to Paris soon and at the top of my must do list is to find inspiring textiles for our shops. This image is of a vintage scarf I recently purchased while traveling through New Mexico. I absolutely love its color pallet and tribal feel. My fingers are crossed that I'll bring back similar discoveries from France. Stay tuned :-) xx- Moni

Vintage Ode

We are increasing the inventory of our vintage finds today! We think they are say SEWW cool.

Finding Fabric in NYC

I LOVE fabric so today I'm excited to blog about excellent places to find great fabrics in New York City! :) There's nothing like walking into a fabric store and being able to browse through all the unique fabrics first-hand.  The first area I go to get inspired and gawk at gorgeous fabrics is the Garment District in Manhattan. I'll share two of my favorite spots there first, then a great place for bargain fabrics farther south by Canal Street in Chinatown, and then a hidden gem down in Brooklyn!

Let's start with Mood. This store is amazing! It's the biggest fabric store I've seen in the city. They have three levels, packed with great fabrics of every kind you can imagine. It can get a little pricey but if you're looking for a very specific kind of fabric they're bound to have it. And if you're shopping for fabric for a special occasion this is definitely the place for you. You'll find Mood at 225 West 37th Street on the third floor.
P.S. I just found out you can check out their floorplan on their website! Awesome!

After I hit Mood, B&J Fabrics is always my next stop. Located at 525 7th Ave this store is smaller but it still has a great selection and the prices are a little more affordable.

New York Fabric Warehouse, (also known as Long Island Fabrics) is the place to go for cheap fabric finds. You have to dig around a lot more at this place, but you just might get lucky and score a great deal! You can find it at 406 Broadway near Canal Street. I recommend walking west on Broadway a bit while you're there because there's a couple more bargain-priced fabrics stores nearby as well.

The Baltic Thrift Bazaar in at 141 Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn Heights is a great second-hand shop with the best vintage fabric selection I've found anywhere, ever! :) A lot of their fabrics and notions are focused on upholstry and home decor which makes sense because they're nestled in with all the antique furniture shops on Atlantic Ave. This place is a must-see!

~Steph

Project: Plates

The blank chartreuse wall in my kitchen has been begging for some life since I moved in months ago.  It wasn't until today that I discovered the remedy for the boring lifeless walls.  Inspired by my mother, who hung a collection of blue and white porcelain plates in her yellow living room, I went shopping.  I went on a whim after work today, determined to find my own vintagy hodgepodge of plates.  To my wonderful advantage, I discovered six very different yet beautifully cohesive plates.  Some of them are reprints of classic patterns or inspired by vintage textile designs. My luck continued when I went to Target, who, being the amazing retailer that it is, had plate hangers in stock!

Once I got home, it was just a matter of stretching the plate hangers over the back of the plates (although I had more difficulty taking the things out of their packaging than completing the project itself), figuring out a harmonizing arrangement and hammering nails into the wall.  It made such a difference in my otherwise sterile Ikea kitchen. I love the depth and color the collection adds. It's just lovely.

I bought two blue and white plates in honor of my original source of inspiration, my mom, Laura. In fact, I feel a little more at home after it was all said and done.  Maybe because it reminds me of my parents home in Florida, or maybe it's because the plates' vintage designs carry such history and depth that it brings a little sense of history and depth to my new NY home.  Either way, I like the idea of both.

 You too can have your own wall o' plates, just follow these simple steps:

Pick your plates.

I picked mine up at Marshalls for four bucks each.  But Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Fishs Eddy, antique stores, or even stoop sales may have what you're looking for.  Mix up your colors, prints, and sizes for an eclectic look.  Or go for a color theme, like red and white, to have a more cohesive collection.  An odd number of plates is usually more asthetically pleasing.

Don't forget to get plate hangers, wall anchors, and nails.

I found some a local hardware store and Target.  Home Depot and Lowes should also have them.  Make sure the size of the plate hangers will fit your plates.

 

Plan your design.

Clear off your table or a space on your floor and lay your plates out.  Move them around into an eye pleasing form where color, silhouette, and size are balanced. I did 3 columns of 2, with the middle column offset.

Hang your plates.

Start with the center plate. Nail in the wall anchor and hang the first plate.  Then take a plate that was next to the middle plate, position on the wall and mark.  Nail in the anchor and hang the plate.  Continue until your design is complete.

Enjoy!
-Katie