More fun things to make with items from Goodwill



 A jewelry box from an old book



Garment bags out of pillowcases



A patchwork throw from felted sweaters



I think I might make this a regular serires on our blog. What do you guys think?

 All of these images were found on pinterest.

Cristina

The Treasure Chest

Vintage Christmas

Here are some fun Christmas ads and fashion images to brighten your day!

1920s Christmas Postcard

1914 Christmas

1950s 7 Up Ad

1960s Avon

Ceil Chapman

1950s Pepsi Ad

 

As the holiday quickly approaches, I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas.  May you all have time together with loved ones, and PLEASE eat a cookie for me!!!

I will also be spending time with my family, so in the spirit of the holiday, all orders placed between now and Monday, Dec. 26th will be shipped on Tuesday December 27th.

Cristina

The Treasure Chest

Shipping Reminder

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying this holiday season, and enjoying time with loved ones. 

Just a reminder:

If you're considering purchasing Christmas gifts from The Treasure Chest (any of our sites), we must receive your order and payment by Friday, December 16th in order to deliver before the holiday.  Even shipping Elves need time to prepare.  Thanks!!!

Here is a cute cartoon to brighten your day:


Happy Holidays!

Cristina
The Treasure Chest

Do you have a holiday outfit yet?

If you're anything like me, you forget about the holidays until the last minute, and then when you get invited to a party you realize you have nothing to wear.

This year, we want to make sure that doesn't happen to you!

If you live locally you can visit us at our Milham Rd store in portage for our holiday "Glitter Sale"!  There will be not only beautiful party dresses, but jewelry, antiques, furs, and gift items.  We have some beautiful items this year!

If you are not local, we list a lot of party dresses on our Etsy site and our ShopGoodwill auction site.  Check out the links tab on this page to visit these sites!

Hope to see you tomorrow!

411 W Milham
Portage, MI 49024

Cristina
The Treasure Chest

It's That Time of Year Again!!! (Check for the coupon code :))

Happy Shopping Everyone, and have a GREAT Thanksgiving Holiday!!!

Cristina

The Treasure Chest

Making more of your Goodwill purchases...literally.

So I thought today we could use a change of pace.  Another one of my "dorky" qualities is that I am a quilter, and knitter.  I love the ability quilts have to teach someone patience, and comfort them through any situation.  I also love making something unique as a creative outlet.

Did you know that there is a large green movement happening in quilting?  There is.  Textiles are some of the most polluting substances to manufacture, and as such, the cost of quilting cotton has been steadily increasing.  Quilters are starting to take notice that something as beautiful as a quilt can be hurting the environment.

One of the ways quilters are "going green" are making quilts out of recycled clothing.  One of my favorite examples is Bonnie Hunter (http://www.quiltville.com/).  She makes some of the most beautiful quilts out of cast off fabrics and recycled clothing that I've ever seen!

Here is one tutorial on her website that actually refers to buying shirts from Goodwill!!!

http://quiltville.com/smokeymtstars.shtml

This is a great way to not only save money on fabric materials, but to help the environment by helping to keep textile pollutants out of our environment!

Another thing you can make from clothing found at Goodwill are mittens.  It is so easy to recycle sweaters, and these would be great handmade gifts going into the holiday season!!!

The tutorial to make these is here: http://fivegreenacres.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/sweater-mitten-tutorial/

As we near the holidays, remember not all gifts have to be purchased.  Sometimes the most meaningful gifts are handmade, and here at Goodwill, we can help you make the holiday extra special!

Cristina

The Treasure Chest

Jack O' Lantern

I always find it interesting to learn where certain holiday traditions come from.  Recently I stumbled upon the history of the Jack 'O Lantern on History.com.

From History.com:

 

The Legend of "Stingy Jack"

People have been making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack-o'-lanterns.

I think that's a pretty interesting story.  I thought jack o lanterns were just happy glowing beacons for the holiday, or maybe a representation of a skeleton.  Seems I was wrong.

Here are some cute vintage pictures of jack o lanterns.  Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!

High Fashion Halloween (and some vintage too!)

Here are some spectacular Halloween vintage and fashion images to inspire your costume creativity!  Much better than all the polyester nonsense being sold in stores don't you think?!



Steve Klein Christian Dior



What a glamourous witch!

Veronica Lake

Pepsi Ad 1950s.

Many of the vintage looks in particular are made with regular everyday clothing (from the time period) with masks and hats added in!  What a pretty way to dress up for Halloween!

Cristina

The Treasure Chest

hail to the working girl!

One of the major trends showing up on the runway for fall/winter 2011 are working girl dresses.  They are sophisticated and feminine (without being TOO girly), and they can be accessorized for work (duh) or for everyday!  I feel like this is such a versatile look, that it might become my go-to outfit!

Here are some examples from the Runway:



Luca Luca, Adam, and Jill Stuart Fall-Winter 2011

Here are some examples currently in the shop!





These are just a few examples of what we have right now.  To get more details on these, or to see more visit us at our Etsy shop!



Have a great week everyone!  Fall is only a few days away! :)

Cristina
The Treasure Chest

Labor Day Whites

So as we come upon the labor day holiday weekend, I am reminded of the old rule: don't wear white after Labor Day.  Unfortunately for me, I just bought a white jacket, and many many white t-shirts (I needed to restock the basics ahem).  Does this mean I can't wear these pieces until summer 2012?  Does this rule even apply anymore? 

After having a momentary panic attack that my recent purchases we a waste of money, I decided to investigate.

First I found this article:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1920684,00.html

It explains where this "fashion rule" came from, and it also gives some good insight as to why it is no longer quite so hard and fast.

Secondly I found these pictures from the recent fall 2011 collections:

Nanette Lepore

Yves Saint Laurent

Alexander McQueen

Elie Saab

Givenchy

Chloe

I'd say this is concrete proof that you most certainly CAN wear white after labor day.  In fact I'd say it's downright fashionable to do so. 

I'm going to go put on that white suit jacket now.  You can't stop me.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day!!!!

Cristina
The Treasure Chest

We are international!!!

So, I thought it would be fun to get a visual on all the places we've sold our vintage clothing.  Here is a map of the states and countries we've sold to so far:





States include:
Arizona
California
Colorado
Conneticuit
Florida
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Massachusets
Michigan
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin

Countries:
Australia
Canada
England
France
Germany
Hong Kong (China)
Ireland
Norway


I just thought this was a fun thing to see.  I wonder how long it will take to cover the entire map!

Cristina
The Treasure Chest

1860s Inspirations

I leave for my reenactment on Wednesday evening, so I thought I'd show you some dresses that have given me a lot of inspiration.  All of the dresses I make for a living history event are inspired by original garments, photographs, and fashion plates (magazine drawings) of the time period.

All of these photos have come from personal collections or museum websites.  They are intended for informational purposes only.

All of these dresses date between the years 1860 and 1865, during the American Civil War.  This was during the Early Victorian period, and this era marks the time when skirts were at their fullest.  The Crinoline (or Hoop Skirt) was invented in 1846 in order to reduce the need for multiple heavy petticoats.  By the late 1850s they were the height of fashion. The crinoline allowed women to wear bigger skirts, without weighing them down completely.  However, they were not very practical garments, as they easily knocked things over while walking, got caught in doorways, and were easily upturned (by tripping, climbing in a carriage, wind) which exposed the wearer in an improper fashion. 

By 1865, skirts started to move toward the back of the form, first by using an elliptical crinoline (oblong hoop skirt with more skirt to the back, and flat in the front) and then to an early bustle style.  Many bustle dresses of the late 1860s were constructed by "re-making" a skirt that was meant to fit a crinoline.  The dressmakers would shift the bulk of the material to the back in order to emphasize the rear.  The bustle helped support the weight of the fabric.

Considering how many dresses of the early 1860s were re-made, it is wonderful to find examples that have been left intact.  The dresses in these photos not only teach us about what people wore.  They teach us about the textiles available, sewing techniques, The economic health of the country at that time, and even social norms for that particular culture.

Haha, well hopefully I'm not boring you all with this mini-lecture.  I will be in Manassas until Monday, and I'll have lots of photos to share when I return!

Cristina