Hankie Craft

 

Good morning!

How was your weekend?  I did some sewing and cleaning out of the sewing room.  Today's topic is Hanky Craft because I found this wonderful craft I purchased at a local flea market.  Yes, I meant to distribute them as gifts and forgot.

So I'm showing them to you now and perhaps you will do something similar with your handkerchief if you have any nice ones.  These are fairly large and even came with an envelope. 

Of course I had to guard them for the textile bandit:

These three can be given out this year for Valentine's Day to my mom, aunt, and cousin.

There are two other ones here as well and hopefully, I'll remember them at Christmas time:

I thought these were clever at the time I purchased them and I still think they are charming.  Maybe you will be inspired to do something with your handkerchiefs too!

Have a safe and happy day!

Flower Friday: We need some flower power

 60 Days Until Spring!

I wasn't going to post today but we all need a touch of spring today!  So here are some photos to keep you inspired!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Thursday's This and That: January 18, 2024

 

Happy Thursday!

I can finally share some good news!  🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

My SIL is in rehab.  My brother sent me a photo of her standing up at the walker and I burst into tears.  I'm so happy.  Later he texted me that she actually walked 22 feet which is a lot considering she couldn't sit up on Monday.  We didn't think she'd ever be able to come home.  My brother's love and devotion to her is a big part of her recovery.  I am so proud of the man he is and the care and advocating he has done for her.

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

***

Well it's still cold here...just as it is all over the country these days.  Lucky and I are sure missing our long walks but it's just too icy.  

So of course I'm sewing in between playing with the puppy.  I finished another quilt.  This was a baby quilt that I made with a Disappearing Four Patch Quilt tutorial (found here).  I quick took a photo in the sewing room before Lucky the Textile Bandit decided to run off with it.

Last summer I was playing around (and trying to use up) charms from my stash.  So I decided to make these blocks.  In the fall, I assembled them for a baby quilt.  It wasn't the traditional disappearing four patch quilt block that I usually see so I experimented.  The colors are a bit off from the cloudy days but there are diagonal rows of the same color: red, purples, greens, etc.

I wasn't sure I would like it but once it was machine quilted, I loved it.  I'll give this to Jenny for her baby due on Leap Year Day.

***

My dog eats brussel sprouts.  

I couldn't believe it because for the most part, poodles can be picky eaters.  I made some brussel sprouts and two fell on the floor when I was packing left-overs.  Most of my dogs would have sniffed and walked away but not Lucky.  He thought they were delicious.  This I attribute to his history as a street urchin.  I'm sure there were times in his past he had to eat garbage to survive.  The vegies weren't even roasted but just plain boiled sprouts.  Fortunately, I found out it wasn't toxic for dogs (he had gobbled them down before I realized he ate them).

I try not to give him anything but dog food and plain biscuits but if I or my family drop anything by mistake, we learn he will eat things like cooked asparagus or a piece of orange.  

On the photo above, Lucky is relaxing after fun in the snow.  He has really filled out since we got him and is almost at the weight the vet suggested.  

***

I'm not sure I'll be posting for tomorrow.  I don't have much else to share this week.  So in case, I don't--have a safe and happy weekend!

Another Hero with a Needle

 

Good morning!

Well it seems like nearly the whole country is coping with frigid temps and even snow in the south.  I'm fortunate.  I have a nice puppy to cuddle when it is cold.  But if you don't have a pet, I'll bet you are looking for something nice to snuggle with--what about a teddy bear!

Today's post is about a woman who once said, "Freedom is believing in yourself."  

Most of us know about Steiff bears, we see them on the Antique Roadshow, marvel at how collectible they are and how Richard Steiff "invented" the Teddy Bear which he named after Teddy Roosevelt.  The rest is history.  But is it the whole history?

Margarete Steiff was born in 1847 in Germany.  At only a year and half years old, she contracted polio; both of her legs were paralyzed and she had difficulty raising her right arm.  Fortunately for Margarete she had parents who encouraged her to live as normal a life as she could.  Despite the pain in her arms, she became an accomplished zither player...

And despite her handicaps and the pain in her right hand, she took needlework lessons; by 17 years old, she completed her training.  The zither was a useful skill; she gave zither lessons and that money enabled her to buy her first sewing machine.  She opened a felt store and made felt underskirts which was all the rage at the time.

But in 1879, she widened her focus.  She found a pattern in a magazine to make stuffed animals--like rabbits, mice, and elephants.  She gave her original toys to children of family members and friends.   By 1892, she even applied for a patent for the making of animals and playthings.

Five years later, her nephew Richard joined the company and designed more toys.  In 1902, Richard's design for a bear with movable joints and soon became the most popular toy in the United States (named after Teddy Roosevelt).

1907 ad, Lancaster, PA

1908 Christmas ad, Rochester, NY

In 1909, Margarete Steiff passed at the age of 61.  I keep her in a mental file of "heroes with needles";  her determination overcame her physical disabilities and enabled her to become not only a great seamstress but an early woman entrepreneur.

I never looked at teddy bear quite the same way after I heard her remarkable story.  Maybe you won't either.

Have a safe and happy day!

Snowy Sewy Day

Happy Tuesday!

The whole city is quiet.  The puppy is still curled up asleep and I'm enjoying the rare silence of an early morning snow day.  The snow began last night.  The storm came up from the south where my husband is working.  

We love snow days as children and happily, most of the school districts have closed for the day and not done virtual.  I think a snow day is important fun for kids.

For my entire adulthood, I dreaded snow days.  I hated--and still hate--driving in snow or ice or both.   

But now I'm retired and welcome this kind of weather.  Everyone knows I don't drive on a snow day and that makes this day even more cherished.  Yesterday I ran errands to make sure that my mother had everything she will need for her snow day.  

It's going to be a snowy sewy day and I'm so looking forward to just being at home.

Over the weekend, I finished binding this quilt.  I'm giving this to 7 year old Amelia. 

I'm almost done with this fabric.  I bought it about over 10 years ago (or more).  My 13 year old niece Christina picked out the fabric and the pattern she wanted for her bedroom quilt:  

The pattern at the time was from the book, Wonder Blocks by Terry Martin.  Christina had a queen sized bed and I bought a lot of extra fabric in case I wanted to make another.   Back then, I often made two quilts at one time.  But then...

Halfway through the project, Christina informed me she had painted her room purple so plans changed.  I did curtail the original project but made a couch quilt of these fabrics when she graduated from high school...and happily she loved the colors again.  

What are you doing today?  Many of you are being impacted by the same storm.

Today I'll be binding a baby quilt for Jenny, coaxing the dog to go to the bathroom out back, and deciding on my next project.  Our neighbor Howie plows us out and at least I don't have to worry about that.

Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy your day!

Have a safe and happy day!

 

Mysteries in the Textiles and Sewing Kit.

 

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. today.

Wishing you a day of peace and reflection and kindness!

***

Good morning!

Today I'm thrilled to share some mystery textiles.  I just love a good mystery don't you?

The first was reported by the New York Times and shows a wonderful bustle dress (not above).  There was a message found in a secret pocket of the antique dress.  For more details, check out the dress and read the story here.  

Years ago, Beth and I created a program called "Money, Myth, and Madder" on women's roles and women's quilting during the Civil War.  The photo above shows one of the mini quilts I made for the program.  We knew that women worked as spies for both sides of the war but last weekend, Beth sent me a link that gave me goosebumps.

It's from the The Huntington Library in California and it is an amazing video to watch.  You can see it here.

I'll never look at my old spools of thread the same again! 😄

By the way, the mini quilt featured a replica of an Abolitionist textile that states:  "Am I not a woman and a sister?"

Have a safe and happy day!

Friday Free-For-All

 

Happy Friday!

67 days until SPRING!

The snowdrops have made their usual January appearance and it reminds me of the resilience of life and in just a few month, another spring will appear.

I have to apologize for the lack of a post yesterday.  I had plugged in the wrong date so that post will appear on Monday now instead.  

Yesterday Lucky went for his first official grooming.  I stayed since he is sometimes anxious when I'm not there and helped Jessa get him cleaned up.  It wasn't a full out grooming but a good introduction on the spa treatments he will be getting in the future.

Lucky didn't mind the majority of the grooming and gave Jessa a lot of licks through the process.

The one thing he didn't like was having his nails trimmed.  And then...Mamba the cat entered the room and Lucky's attention was fixed on the feline while his nails were trimmed.  Lucky us!

He didn't mind the shampooing but the drying frightened him.  Afterwards he ran around like a maniac so he wasn't too traumatized by the experience.  Now I have to get a nice photo of him.  His body has filled out now as he has gained some weight (doctor's orders).  He really is a handsome chap!

Wishing you a happy and safe weekend!