Check out these cute books..............

One is knit and one crochet and they have loads of fun and easy things to do for Christmas. You can use them as package decorations and they can be tree decorations. So many really cute things to do. If you get a chance to check them on line it may be worth it for anyone who likes this sort of thing.

Embroidery......

None of this work is my own. These are all things I have collected over the years. The hand work is beautiful and are finished with either lace, crochet or tatting.



This I believe is called stump work? The stitch is done over a thread to pad it out. The edging is crochet



This table cloth is full of details. The ladies face has lips so small and dainty and her eyes too. Her dress and bouquet are French knots and stump work. Detail is shown on a part of her dress


Look at the detail here.

Ironing..............

I stood about an hour ironing doilies and things. As I stood there I was admiring the work of some of the table cloths, the time it must have taken to do them. I use all my things and wash them and put them away and use others so they dont get too worn. The kids around here are not at all careful and I often wonder as time goes on will anyone appreciate these hand made things? I know that the teens and twenties just put coffee or soda or whatever on them and they get stains and the lace gets torn and so on, well I expect my house to be comfortable and lived in but.........well I just wonder sometimes. If they had spent the amount of time it takes to embroider just one piece I think they would frame it on a wall and never use it. Not that I can see it ever happening. I grew up in a different world where people loved to do the needle crafts and hand crafts. Now everyone is plugged into their phones or some other electrical device. I sound old don't I. Every generation says the same thing about the young folks. "In my day......." and so on, fill in the blanks.
Will the pendulum swing back again as it did with quilting? Will there be a resurgence again when these kids are older? I know when I was young I hated quilts, thought they were ugly. Well now I appreciate them, especially the very old hand made ones. Even now I could not sit and hand quilt such a big thing as a bed quilt. I do small things. I am the in between age where I want instant gratification but also want the hand made things, so I choose to make small things. Baby clothes to knit and doilies to crochet. Lap quilts better than bed quilts and so on, but at least I do still keep the old crafts alive. I collect all I see at sales and add those to my collection.



(I made these collars several years ago now. I will sell them on Etsy when I set up a shop)



I still iron and starch my linens although since Tristen arrived I gave up on sheets because no one here cares enough, so why bother. I do that now just for guests. Besides the girls have about ruined all my good sheets one way or other. Does no one undress for bed anymore? They jump in fully clothed, how uncomfortable is that? The rivets on jeans take their toll and belt buckles. I keep my good things out of their way if I can. I have seen quilts, white ones at that laying on the floor under dirty laundry and being walked on. Why do I allow it? Because I dont go into their private space unless I have reason, and then I will remove things from the room. I just wish they had more pride in their surroundings. Sigh!!!!!

Tea Time........

Many years ago now my aunt sent me a little book called "A Proper Tea". She sent it to me she said to remind me from whence I came. I enjoyed the book and since then I have collected a few books that have wonderful pictures and tea times vignettes.
Here are a few of the books that I have collected. I enjoy the whole idea of tea time. I started collecting the books that remind me of home. Of how things used to be for me long ago.




I love tea time in England the scones and clotted cream with lovely home made strawberry jam.








I love to collect pretty tea cups and tea pots but I have to photograph them yet. I collect them from various places like garage sales, antique shops, thrift shops. Anywhere that I can find them at a reasonable price.
When I have been home to England, and I have only been able to go back 3 times since I came to the States, I have looked forwards to those cream teas. There is nothing like the bread that one gets there, hot from the bakers oven. Fresh cream butter. The best of all is the cream teas. That means scones or fairy cakes with clotted cream, or Devon cream. My cousin did eclairs full of lovely cream or meringues. Always fresh cream.
I much prefer coffee to tea now but if I do drink it there I like it with just a tiny bit of milk if its a good tea. Here I prefer green tea or black tea with nothing in it. Herb tea with honey.



Don't you just want one? You know you do.



Victoria Sponge the ultimate afternoon tea time cake. Filled with fresh cream naturally.



This is another book worth adding to a collection if you enjoy looking at tea time vignettes and want to know where to have your tea.



This is my first tea time book, it was sent to me by my aunt who is still in England.



You can thank pretty ladies like this for that special cream that makes it all so beautiful.

Some of my own things.

Years ago many collectible things were really give away's. They were considered tacky at best. Now a lot of these things are quite valuable or at least desirable. This little lady still has her earrings and necklace and is quite pretty. She reminds me of Elizabeth Taylor. What do you think?




I never dreamed I would ever want anything like this little pink poodle. It seems they used to give stuff like this away at the fair. Now I think its quite sweet.



This one is a little pathetic but I still like it. I have another somewhere with two puppies attached. I must find that one for you.




Here she is, I found her, the poodle mum and two puppies.

Pretty Things....

These little critters were carved from Sumac by Rod Conklin. He lives locally. I would go at least once every year to his studio and come away with a prize. They are very simple but he uses the grain of the wood to perfection. The last time I went he had retired. He let me see what was left of his collection but was not selling. I have two wrens that you see here.



A tiny frog on a leaf.......




This is another Rod Conklin piece, a mouse sitting with a Brumm plate.

Old Drawings...............

Me and Danielle. I did this from a photo by hand, no trace or light box. I try to do all my drawing from scratch. I now wonder why. So far I have not done it any other way but when I had the watercolour class the teacher traced or used a light box or projector. He said if you do a building then it needs to be accurate. I thought that was cheating but I guess its considered acceptable. Now I dont see so well I might just try that from now on.


Trouble is all my pictures that I have saved are under glass and I was too lazy to undo them to take a photo but maybe some day I will redo them. For now this is a copy of an add in a magazine. I can no longer remember what it was about but I loved the picture and it reminds me of all my babies.


FRIENDSHIP IS BEAUTIFUL

Yard Sale......................

I had a yard sale the last two days. One more day to go. Its a lot of work and can be boring after awhile but I had company. My daughter came over and sat with me and my granddaughter helped me set up. This time I was trying to sell a lot of clothes that have been packed away for several years. They are nice things that either dont fit me any more or I am tired of. I also have a load of baby clothes that Tristen has grown out of. Among the stuff I dragged out were knick knacks that I had packed away from my last sale and a load of books. I was selling everything for 50c. People liked that, said "This is a real yard sale". We held it in the drive way this time. Much more room and no old men stopping by and saying "How much are you selling the garage for?" and us having to laugh like its the first time we have heard that.
Well so far I have made over 200 dollars, not bad for 50c sale. The fact is the last couple I had I made really good money. The first one, several years ago I made over 1000 dollars and the next couple I made around 500 dollars. I had good stuff then, furniture and knick knacks that always sell well. People dont go for clothes so much.
Its funny sitting and watching people. For example I had a couple of those baby car things, the bases that hold the car seat. Someone was pondering over if or not it was a universal base or not and if it would fit her baby carrier or not. Well at 50c why would you not just take it and find out????? but they didn't. Old ladies are worse, they will haggle over 10c. For example 2 glasses at 25c each but one was bigger than the other so would I sell the smaller one for less? Come on people. I gave her them both free with a basket to take them home in. I figure she needed them more than I needed the 25c. I know thats the fun in going to sales, the bargaining and all that but sometimes I just shake my head.
Anyway, one day to go for this sale.
Later in the Fall I want to go through the whole house and find everything I can bare to part with and sell it at a proper price.
Another thing I have discovered, people seem to think if its only 50c then something must be wrong with it haha. Its a life experience and fun to people watch. All shapes and sizes and young and old. The old guys are so funny and obviously bored and so they amuse themselves at our expence as the wife shops. Talk about silly jokes.
One couple came with some cute little kids. My daughter brough out our lunch while they were browsing and as we sat down to eat our sandwiches (ham, cheese and cucumber) the little boy who must have been about 3 came and stood staring at me with big blue eyes. The mum said "are you hungry or something" he said "yes" so I asked if he would like to share my sandwich and he nodded yes. So I broke my sandwich in half and he chowed down and ate the whole thing cucumbers and all. His dad was just cracking up. I thought it was sooooo cute. Its a wonder he didnt want my drink haha.
Well who knows what tomorrow will bring. It was so hot today, and it may rain tomorrow.



Well I only did two days after all. I went out on day 3 to find everything wet. It was covered but the cover leaked so now I am washing everything. Thats OK though because next time I have one all the clothes will all be sorted and ready. With a bit of luck I will be able to do this again before winter. If not then in the Spring. Meanwhile I made enough to cover the gas for our trip and to pay our house sitter.

Quilting............

One of the easiest and best looking quilt patterns is the log cabin.




I took my first quilting class because a couple of friends encouraged me. They said it was easy, a nine patch quilt. OK I thought that would be really easy, I mean to say I have always sewn. So nine patches? So I signed up and went to the class. I saw the nine patch quilt displayed on the wall and about screamed. Nine patches made up one tiny square of the enormous quilt. I had to choose fabric to make this thing as well. It turned out to be a lot of fun, especially I found that choosing the fabrics was the best part. I was hooked. I cant say I have made a whole lot of quilts but I sure got a LOT of fabric. My stash. Books? Oh yes, I have books. Finished projects? Not so much.




My three quilting friends, Barb, Edna and Nancy took several classes with be before we decided we could do just as well on our own. Barb in fact bought a long arm quilting machine and started a business. That was great. She experimented on our quilts and has become a real proffessional, she found she has the talent and now the experience to do a great job. Nancy and Edna still do a lot of quiting. My life has taken a differnt turn but we still all go out looking for fabric and going on "shop hops"
I have done my share of quilts though. I made one for my sons bed and his spare room bed, my daughter and granddaughters. I have several around the house. I slowed down when I began to babysit. That is a whole nother story.
This one is sort of cheating because I used a panel. The backing is great and my friend Barb did a nice job of machine quilting for me.



This one is one of my early quilts, I took a class to learn it. I thought it would be way more difficult than it was. It is now my poodles favourite napping quilt. It has been washed so many times its faded and soft. This one I quilted myself in straight lines, it was before Barb got her long arm quilting machine.



This one is done with just two fabrics. I tied this one and its one of my favourites.


Some I did for Laura's kids....flower fairies.



and a close up of the fairy quilt.



This is the only miniature quilt I have done, its a very simple one but I loved the colours and the tiny buttons




Our Eons group worked on doing a Quilt block and I put it all together. It was a project to get lap tops to disabled veterans so they could be in touch with their families. It turned out quite well.

Watercolour.......................

I love to paint. I love watercolour. I have not found my nitch. Most of the art that I admire is so lifelike and so intricate and detailed that I know I could never achieve that level. Consequently anything I do myself is in my eyes worthless. Well, having said that I have done a couple of pictures that I like. Out of most of the things I have done though the ones that make me happy are few. I have been looking at some watercolour blogs and I have found some that are very free and clean. I cant do that myself and so I would like to learn to. I also like ink and watercolour and will try to do some more of that. I have read about watercolour pencils too and have some so I could try that. I was not exactly sure how but now I am into this blogging business I have found some answers. I will try that too.This is a picture of Betsy Lighthouse here in Michigan. Its not good but is one of my better ones. There are some elements of it that I like but still...........need to do a lot of work yet

I also did quite well with this one but again, I see too many faults to enjoy it myself.

Right now I want to begin fresh. I would like to do some drawings and make a new beginning.
This is a picture I did a couple of years ago from a photo of my parents back yard. The door is the coal shed.


This one I did in a watercolour class, the only one I ever took. Pity they are under glass now so the flash shows. I must replace these pictures some day with new ones but for now I just want to get a few on here.