I realized I start a lot of posts and paragraphs with “so,” so I thought I’d go with a homonym that ties in well with the post’s subject 
Captain America Pillowcase! So, the funny story here is that I bought a dark blue fleece that is closer to the actual color in the shield… and realized, as I was finishing the stitching on the last circle, that I’d used the wrong fleece! Which explained why I’d had to extend the edges out with red (another, less funny story, in which I seam lots of things together to make the requisite length). No way was I taking it apart or redoing it, though! Eh, roomie careth not
This excellent raspberry pink velvet dress was a quasi-Christmas gift from my aunt Nini, who wore it to a Hallowe’en party years ago. I have a faint inkling it is vintage, but that has not stopped me from planning its demise… er… reincarnation? There’s no way I’m wearing it as it is: as much as I like leg of mutton sleeves, they make this dress a bit too pretentious for me, and the high collar was never even a remote possibility. My plan (already partly fulfilled): remove sleeves, re-cut sleeve material into simple cap sleeves or the like; take neck down in a nice, gentle curve and re-line it. I’m leaving it that long; I like the idea of having a floor-length raspberry pink velvet dress!
I’ve strung this design twice: the first time, I forgot a bead and didn’t notice it until the end. I thought I could live with the asymmetry… nope. So apart it came! The red rectangle beads are from a vintage necklace my aunt gave me; the black eye beads are from (Istanbul?,) Turkey, courtesy of my older sis; the wooden beads are from a local bead shop I adore, Northern Star; the silver cylinders with black circles are from an OLD necklace belonging to I don’t know who (they’re metallized plastic, actually); the brown seed beads are from a bribe for the Da Vinci Days Kinetic Sculpture Race from AGES ago: The Emperor’s New Cheshire Cat, when Jenn and I were in elementary school! The first sculpture to use the giant ??-gallon drums—which we got from the Pepsi Plant in Corvallis; they had held secret syrup! The bribe was a necklace with a cat bead that involved these faintly blue-speckled semi-large seed beads. I have no idea where the orange plastic disc is from. Honestly. My memory failed me there!
Lucky Lindsay Necklace: so my roommate Lindsay YEARNS to travel to Ireland; her family is largely Irish, and she loves the Emerald Isle! So, for her birthday (on Christmas), I gave her 1) an Ireland calendar, 2) a Captain America Shield pillowcase (her favorite Avenger!), and 3) a green necklace with a four leaf clover! I even used the little travel bead case Ellie gave me several years ago and did some work on it at Black Butte (with pre-cut wire in a little compartment and all the beads in other ones). I did have to put my pliers in a separate container (one of the excellent clear ones I found at OfficeMax for $3 or so each!). Even the clasp uses a Celtic motif 
