Art and Soul

"Sew-In" turn winter blues into unique art pieces

It's a Chicago fact -- street fests and art fairs make the summer go 'round.

And as we continue to whittle down these final few days of summer (sniffle), we can now count those remaining glorious weekend festivities on our fingers and toes. But don't cry just yet -- one of the most anticipated events of the season, the Bucktown Arts Festival, takes place this weekend.

On your way to the festivities, check out a group of artsy local ladies who are throwing an exclusive "Foyer Sale" (a femme, upscale twist on a garage sale) at 2128 N. Oakley Street, just a hop, skip and a jump from the big Bucktown shebang.

Expect to find accessories and home decor made from recycled and vintage materials, like purses, pillows, scarves, belts, aprons all sewn together with stuff like seatbelts from old cars and -- get this -- moss uncovered from abandoned greenhouses.

Last winter (that one deserves a big sniffle), the "Sew-in" gals made a collective effort to not only to cope with the cold, but to find a creative way to survive the frigid economy.

Instead of restaurant hopping, they cooked recipes from the menus of their favorite places, and met weekly to dine, sew and chat. So what started as a sheer bad-weather-coping mechanism has turned into a collection of one-of-a-kind art pieces -- all for your end-of-summer, weekend-festivity enjoyment.

You could say one woman's winter blues is another woman's potential handbag.

Click here for more information on the Bucktown Arts Fest and here to view items from the Sew-in gals.

Jessica, founder of CheekyChicago.com, will be at the Foyer Sale, looking for more throw pillows.

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