Pie Time Wallhanging

Finished this one Sunday night.  I'm giving it to Jess, my oldest son's girlfriend.  She is a wonderful pie-baker and we adore her!  I found these vintage images and just had to do something with them (the puppies sealed the deal).  My favorite blocks are the last two:

3 Kitties and a Mad Lamb :D

Recently, I found a set of five embroidered blocks at a flea market (the fifth is the same kitty close up but in the wash).  I thought it would be fun to scan the blocks and use the photos to make some home made cards.  Don't you think that Nurse Kitty would make an adorable "Get Well" card?  So there were 4 kitties in this bunch and one lamb that is looking really annoyed.  Maybe because it was clumped with the cats? 

Ah the things that amuse me...

Sunbonnet Wallhanging

Linens from Estate Sale...

Love this little tablecloth and napkins! The tablecloth fits our cafe table on our patio. The lady who made them did lovely work but the edges (although surged) are unfinished. I am looking at my notions to see what I can add. I want to keep it simple though to frame her work... Many of them are for the back and arms of a chair....

And some are just tablerunners. She did beautiful work and I am hoping to do something with the ones that have small wear marks or stains in them. Maybe cut the embroidery out and make small pillows?

Lots and lots of crocheted linens!!! I am going to put together a stack for Katie's room. I think some white ones will look nice in her pink room.

A pillow cover (embroidered) and some other doilies, probably store bought (not the pillow cover).

I also got a box of buttons and lace edgings but I'm already using them so they are off in the sewing room. Have a happy Sunday!

luncheon cloth

Last week I went to an estate sale and purchased a box of linens for a very VERY low price. This was why I bought the box: My photo doesn't do it justice (the yellow is the camera lighting, not the cloth).

The workmanship is excellent. I particularly like the way she made the intersections darker than the lines. Not sure what I am going to do with it--right now I'm just holding on to it until I decide what shape dining room table I will get...

IT'S HOT!

8:17 and 70 degrees already: It feels as hot as the tropics, but more humid and full of spring tree pollen which means: AIR CONDITIONING! Oh how I hate to put the a/c on this early but I just can't breathe outside with the maple pollen falling. The humidity seems to make the pollen linger in the air. Tomorrow I think we are going to have rain (please) which should help and the temps are going to go lower, which also should help. In the meantime, I'll be hanging with little Miles and putting off laundry until tomorrow when it is cooler... Today it is supposed to go up to 88 degrees!

Happy Saturday!

As for me, I'll be in the garden...

and I won't be looking like this:

Been busy!

Haven't been posting because I have been soooo busy these days. Wish I had accomplished more but I seem to be rushing from one place to another these days. Tomorrow we are expecting a wintry mix and I think I might need to take a day off and stay home!

Isn't this lovely? My great grandmother made it and the grapes are comprised of multiple french knots.

It's Fastnachts Day!

Ahhh, anyway you say it--Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, or Fastnacht Day (pronounced fost-nokts) is here! The Pennsylvania Dutch in my region celebrate Fastnacht Day (I think the translation of this is 'fast night') with powdered donuts. Don't know about you, but I will always accept a donut. So eat up troops, fasting starts tomorrow! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

china dog

China dog, china dog what do you see?

A boat full of china in a dishwater sea?

Oh no, no, no, said the young puppy lad

There's more snow a-coming and fun to be had!

How many days til Spring?

We've got about 7 inches of snow so far and it is still falling. It is a fine snow so drifting will be an issue as well. Last night I got the Maggie Report from Maryland (Maggie is my niece) and she said they had about 6 inches at 9:30 p.m. already.

Actually I love being snowed in! I love good sewing days when no one expects anything from me. I have three more blocks to finish for a spring project and want to make some placemats. Should be a good day to get some things done!

Samplers

I'm just about done with the garden redesign and am just taking a moment to remember other things I love.

Yesterday my friend Patty posted a pic of embroidery work she just finished and I was reminded of these wee samplers I picked up for a buck or two last fall. I don't know who RS is but I remember using these same bright and cheerful colors when I learned to embroider. The transfers she used struck a memory. My transfers were given to me by my grandmothers and I have a weakness for old transfers. I'm obviously not alone in this love and some of my favorite blogs feature vintage transfers: q is for quilter, turkey feathers and stichado.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Cleaning Days...

I'm in a cleaning phase right now. I just can't get comfortable in the mess that winter brings. I look outside the window and it is half snow, half ground and looks dirty. The inside of our home is a disaster what with the salt and the dirt the dogs (and we) drag in. And of course, we have a mountain of wash these days, all our bulky clothing that needs to be washed. All this and of course, it is going to snow today--apparently a major snow event.

Seamus is clean too--he went for his grooming and because he is so young, he still doesn't have the drill down. This was his third grooming. The groomer had problems drying his hair and when she plucked his ear hair (a necessity for poodles), he began to yowl. I never talk about his personality and he is one howling boy. I call it a howl although it is a really loud whine, he may be excited, or happy but he always sounds AWFUL--like he is being tortured. He is REALLY loud when he is behind you in the car (did I mention he is 60 lbs or so?). He can howl so loud that when we are driving people a half a block away turn to see who is being beaten.

So he began to howl when poor Jen did his ears. People in the store stopped to see what the groomer was doing, customers in line checking out grimaced and turned to see who was being tortured. All I can say is, Sorry Jen and give her a nice tip.

Well I am off to do more wash and have to shower to get ready for my checkup.
Be well, do good work, and always be kind.....

Sweet Sunday!

I just got finished doing my treadmill and now we are getting ready to go visit the kids. I want to see what Nik and Melanie have done with the house since we were there last and then we are all going to lunch. Helena should be a pip during lunch, I am taking a little strawberry shortcake doll to entertain since Mel said that the restaurant isn't child oriented.
Last night and this morning I was going through my photographs of linens. I have so many and need to get them in order. I don't know about any other collector but my fear is that if something happens to me, my treasures will get tossed or sold for a song. Since some of them have family history, I am trying to document what I can. I sure would love to see how other people do that (maybe a scrapbook?). I also wish I could find a perfect way to organize my sewing paper ephemera. Not sure how to do that besides the binder method I have.
The angel above is from my baby quilt. My mother made it while she was pregnant with me :) Guess she knew then what an angel I would turn out to be (or was it wishful thinking?)! :D
Be well, do good things and be kind....

Christmas is Officially Over!

Christmas 2008 is officially over: packed up and out of sight until November 2009! Today I finished taking the tree down and packing up the ornaments. I later took a walk at the flea market up the street because I just needed to get out. DH was working on a fishing rod rack in the basement and Teddy wouldn't stop barking every time Brad used the saw. So dogs went into the crate for an hour and I walked around the flea market before going for the week's groceries. (see above pics for linens from the flea market). I wasn't looking for anything in particular but I like tinted linens (the parrot) and of course the little Overall Sam sack was too cute to pass up. Things were reasonable too (for my cheapo purchases, 75 cents is so my style).

Tomorrow morning I'll do the cleaning and then start the 2009 work. Right now I am working on a list that I have broken down to two areas: the long list (long term goals) and the short list (broken down by weeks). The problem isn't all that needs to be completed but being realistic in my expectations.

I take Peter to the urologist tomorrow but he was already saying today that he was feeling better enough to drive himself. It is up and down with him right now, he still experiences painful outbreaks from the stones.

Tonight I am just tired so I am just going to work on my list.

Be well, do good work and hug each other often!