Tuesday, March 20, 2012

For You!


Just wanted to share a springtime bouquet with you today. My favorite lilac bush is about to explode with blossoms. The magnolia has already lost its' petals from the winds. The Bradford pear tree and dafodils are at their best. Oh, how I wish they could stay like this a little while longer.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Bunnies!!


It's bunny time at my house.! Almost everyday, I spend either cutting bunnies, sewing bunnies or selling bunnies!! Unfortunately little time has been spent on DUST bunnies lately! Here's one penny rug that was listed on Ebay today.
It is larger than most of the little candle mats I've been selling, but people sometimes want a bigger piece. I like the variety of working on something different each day so I don't do many large projects any more.
Up next is this guy who will get some work done on him while watching tv tonight!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Redware Penny Rug


I love Redware pottery! I have started a small collection of new pieces......mostly plates. I like to rotate out the plates on display to correspond with the holidays. My newest addition is a running rabbit plate received as a Christmas gift. It and the color of some Woolrich wool I had on hand inspired some "Redware" Penny Rugs. The ones in this post have been listed on Ebay

Friday, February 10, 2012

Wool of a different kind!


I usually work with wool fabric to make appliqué pieces, but I've been wanting to try this project for awhile. You use 100% wool sweaters that have been felted (ruined!) by putting them in the washer and dryer. You may have a shrunken sweater in your closet or one you'd like to repurpose. I found several that had been felted (unintentionally, I'm sure!) at my local thrift shop.
This 100% wool sweater from The Gap was just $3.00. I used a pattern and instructions from a post on Make&DoGirl.comThe pattern makes a large pair of mittens. I was able to get an adult size and a child size pair from one sweater. Another sweater yielded several adult pairs and enough left over for a turtle neck sweater for my little dog!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Primitive hearts


Been busy sewing up some hearts for Ebay. Someday, I'll have to make one for myself! The prices are low these days, but I enjoy sewing during my free time no matter the profit. This one is currently on Ebay.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Emelie's Room




I've been doing some visiting this summer and thought I would share a little information about a handmade sampler of the past.....

There's a room at my mother's house we call "Emelie's Room." We have no Emelies in our family, but an 1800's memorial sampler hangs on the wall in that guest room. My mother came across this sampler many years ago at a sale and had to "adopt" it. I admit some of us were a little creeped out at first.... sleeping in a room with a picture of a dead girl surrounded by pieces of her hair! But my sisters and I have come to love little Emelie and can only imagine the heartache her mother endured.

The sampler reads "God Bless My Dear Child Emelie Born Nov third 1872 Died Aug third 1881 Absent But Not Forgotten"

We often wondered who Emelie was, where she was from and what could have caused her death before reaching the age of 9. My youngest sister went on a mission to solve the mystery. She found the photographer's name on the back of Emelie's photo, found the town, found the names of her parents. Emelie was from a small town in Kansas.

There was no cause of death or burial place listed for Emilie. The curator of the town museum told my sister that in 1881, a traveling salesman had exposed some residents to small pox. That may have been what caused little Emilie's death, but we do not know for certain.

Some day, I think it would be nice to return Emelie to the town where she was born. Perhaps the museum would like to have the sampler or there is a descendant who would take "watch" over little Emelie. But for now, she has her own room and she is "absent, but not forgotten".


Below are some links about memorial samplers you may find interesting:

Remembering those we love
Art of Mourning
Mourning Samplers

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Idle hands.......



I took a little break from sewing this weekend to spend some time with my family. My sister snapped this photo of a friendly butterfly who landed on my hand while we sat on the dock.
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
Terri