Pincushion/Needlekeeper Swap!

I joined a Pincushion/needlekeeper swap this fall! I swapped with someone in Australia - how cool was that!

I was a little slow getting done - back surgery was right in the middle! Depressions because back surgery did not help! But finally I got my done.

I received from Ciara (from Sidney) a really cute pincushion that looked like a cupcake and a really neat needlekeeper that was so bright and cute with the butterflies on the front.

I sent her a chicken pincushion made out of 30's reproduction fabrics and a needlekeeper that I had designed and digitized for embroidery machine.

It was fun!!!

Toooo Busy!!!

Tooooo much going on!!! Just got over Fall Break and now the kids are back at school. Trying to get a few quilts quilted for my customers!! Trying to make a few things to sell before Christmas! Cleaning the shop! And Cleaning the house!!!! AT least canning is over!!!

I made a small table scarf with my Spear's loom - gotta get a picture of it. Worked great!

Now I have bought a used Leclerc Mira Loom!!!! That's why I had to clean the shop - to make room for it!!! Got some yarn at R&M Yarns during their 50% off sale. Got my books! My friend, Tanya (my buddy in trying to do everything at least once), loaned me some vhs tapes on weaving! Now I can't wait to get it warped and going!!!!

Yard sale treasures!

Treasures at yard sales!!!!

Yay!!! I love yard sales - sometimes you can find such treasures!!

I found these aprons a few weeks ago.

I think this one is very unique! Fabric looks kinda 50'ish. Insert has a ruffle at the bottom. Person had to be very trim to wear it - the ties are very short!

I am going to try and make a pattern off it.

This one is a short work apron - very simple but cute (only cost a quarter). Great to wear when working in the shop!!!




Well, tomorrow we are off to John C. Campbell's Folk Art School in Murphy NC. I have never been, so I am looking forward to walking around and checking it out! Sure I will be drooling over the classes!!!

New Hobby!!! Like I need one!

Mountain Dulcimer!!!

I bought a dulcimer this spring at a yard sale - for the whopping price of $10. It had a place that needed to be repaired and a friend of mine, Tanya, told me to call Johnny McGrew!! I think it is the best thing I have bought in a long time!!!!!!!!!!

We went to visit Johnny and his wife, Becky!!! What a wonderful couple! They told us the history of dulcimer and played for us some beautiful music! Both Johnny & Becky are so talented - I was full of envy! A beautiful log house that they built, and all the furniture in it was built by them. Johnny is an artist! His furniture & cabinets are wonderful. Plus he restored an old truck and it would make anyone drool - it had cherry wood in the bed and he has made a cherry tool box for the back! Becky made some of the most beautiful pottery that I have ever seen - I would love to be able to do pottery but I have to stop at getting new hobbies (Ha-Ha).

Johnny builds the most beautiful dulcimers and I fell in love with the sound they made! He fixed my little dulcimer and both he and Becky showed me how to play. Becky got me a book - and before I left I could play a simple song! I don't read music so I was excited that you did not have to read it to play!

Brian & Britney both can play and even Angie has joined in on this new activity!!! She is wanting her own dulcimer now!!!

Angie & Brian playing in my kitchen!! Here's Brian on the deck - isn't the perfect place to play a mountain dulcimer!!!

Johnny is building me one and I told him to surprise me with the wood & design of the cut out. I am so excited to get it! I will have to relearn how to play because it is bigger than my little one.
Will post more later!!! Hopefully pictures of him building it!

Wow - I am tired - I think this is the latest that I have been up in a while - I will pay for it in the morning!!!!

Sassy Apron Swap!

Finally, I am posting the pictures of the apron that I made for the Sassy Apron Summer Swap! I have to admit that I have not felt like doing anything this summer - and have went days without even turning on my computer.

I made the apron out of 30's reproduction fabrics; added a loop to hang a kitchen towel thru and put a pocket with a little yo-yo flower on it. The kitchen towel was made from osenburg and I added a redwork kitchen design with my embroidery machine. It is reversible with 30's on the back.

You can see in the background that I have another one on the design wall. Of course, it has been there for 2 months!

I received a beautiful apron from my swap partner but apparently I have lost the pictures - so I have to retake them and will post it later. It was alot of fun!!!

Trying to get back in the swing of things!

This summer has been so busy - I just can't find the time for everything! The garden did okay until it got so dry but I have still had to can, freeze & dry constantly, thanks to friends passing on their extra stuff too. Then, of course, there was back surgery - that did not help much!

Here's my husband, Rhea, and my grandson, Brian, picking cherries. Brian made his first jam this year and was quite proud of it. He has helped me in the garden this year.

Britney has also been helping some, here she is helping me make jelly. She also helped with the salsa.

Because of an unexpected heart cath and the back surgery, even my husband had to learn how to can this year!!! He canned beans, blueberry and blackberry jam & jelly. He has help me with freezing corn, and also making apple butter. Gave him a chance to see how much work is involved in all this.

But I do love to see all the jars lined up on the shelves for winter!!

A Beautiful summer evening from my deck! I love looking at the mountains -= I just don't have enough time to do it!!!

I think Brian has found his Calling - Future Landscape Artist!!!

Last weekend my grandson, Brian, worked very hard on my flower bed in front of the house!!! He did a wonderful job.

I wished I had taken a before picture - the area was all grown up with daylilies so thick that he had to take a shovel and maddock to get them out. I think he loaded a wheelbarrow at least 12 to 15 times and had to move it to the woods down the hill in the back yard. He started about 10 a.m. and finished with the digging and raking about 3 p.m.

Then that afternoon, my husband got a load of black mulch. It took close to 2 hours for Brian, Britney & myself to unload and place it around the bushes.

It was Brian's decision on where to put the stones for a walkway & to place the bistro table & chairs. Plus he

placed the other concrete things, like the small birdbath, angel, concrete flower pedistals and more. He did a great landscaping job!!!!!

He has two more projects planned for me - next he plans to work

on the area below the steps and then I showed him a place in the woods that would be a beautiful shade-garden room. Great place for him to practice his guitar! I will do before pictures this time.

I hear he is now working on a landscaping plan for his mom! Can't wait to see it.

Frog scrub - into - "Smock" Apron

I just had to work on my "apron" today. I got it finished and I think it turned out good. It was very comfortable - plus I did not use my shirt to wipe my hands on when I was working in the kitchen! It took about 2 hours to complete.




(1)First I cut the sleeves out and took the side seams apart and part of the hem at the sides (I did not even notice that it was a small so I had to make a few changes there).

(2) Removed the top snap and fuzed some fabric over the hole and zig-zag around it (it was on the back but I did not want it to ravel.

(3) I drew a templete by laying the top of the scrub on the paper and made the curve of the outside; then laid the templete paper over the facing and marked the width of it. I wanted the lime green fabric to show at the top like a lapel.






(4) Turned under 1/4" on the curved edge of the green facing and pressed; serged the bottom.

(5) After I pinned the facing to the scrub, I used the buttonhole stitch and attached the curve side to the scrub (on the scrub facing side. Then I serged the inside of the facing to the scrub facing and serged the shoulder seam (I did not take the shoulder seam out but wanted to attached the lime green to it.) Pinned each side back to make a nice point and topstitch it down. Pressed it all

(6) I cut 3" strips from the lime green and attached one to each side of the scrub; leaving enough at the bottom to turn under for a matching hem. Pressed under hem and stitched.

(7) I cut 1 1/4" strips on the bias out of the lime green. Joined them and turned under one edge and pressed. I attached the raw edge to the armhole on the wrong side of the scrub then rolled it to the front and topstitched it down (starting and ending under the arm)

(8) Cut 2 pieces 3 x 11. Turned under 1/4" on each side and pressed; folded it in half and pressed again. Next I stitch closed to the edge on all sides. Put a buttonhole on one end of each strip.

(9) I decided where I wanted the tabs on the back; pinned in place & stitched.

(10) I had to decide where I wanted the tabs to be attached with a button on the front. Once it was in place, I used a chalk pencil and marked the button placement and sewed on the button. The tabs were placed above the waistline because of the pockets - but it just made it look like it had an empire waistline.


I pressed it and then wore it!!!

May sound like alot work but really it was not at all. I had fun doing it! I think the lime green accent really set it off. I have an orginal "smock" apron and only have @$1.50 in it!

I hope I explained it okay - if you have any questions, let me know.

Great Day for Yard Sales!!!

I took off yesterday morning with a quest!!! I wanted to find some vintage apron patterns!!!

SUCCESS!!!

Here is what I was able to get!!! I paid a .25 for one and .50 for the other!

The McCalls was copyrighted in 1952. The other one is a Simplicity and it was copyrighted in 1953.

The Simplicity had been used alittle more but all the pieces as well as the applique & embroidery is intact. The cute thing about it was that the pattern was in a plastic bag and you could not tell what it was. The bag was a Sears "No Doubt About It" mid-leg panty girdle bag. The bag is in excellent shape! I probably wore one like that in the late 60" and early 70"when I did not need it but every girl was suppose to.

I also found some other goodies. I found a about 3 yards of red swiss dotted fabric - very similar to something I might have worn in a dress when I was alittle girl. I don't think they even make it any more. Use to wear it with a stand out slip as we call it. Of course the best thing about wearing one of those slips was you waist really looks small and no one can tell how large your hips are! Look at June on Leave it to Beaver - I think those ladies dresses like that are really cute! Including the white gloves! Wore them too! And never wore white after Labor Day or before Easter (been told that was a Southern thang!)

Another find was a hand embroidery star on yellow gingham. It is so sad when a mother dies and kids just put her handiwork in a yardsale instead of getting them finished and cherishing it. I am considering making this into a pillow, framing it or possibly adding a ruffle of small yellow gingham and making a cute apron to hang up but not use. I have her name and could put it on it somewhere.

Got some big, big, bright plastic buttons - don't know what to do with them but thinking decorating a purse with them - I have some big bright polka dot fabric that would make a mod (60's) purse. Also several packs of ric-rack - prices on them was .39 & .44 each!~!

Now, this shirt called to me!! I love frogs!! This is a scrubs shirt, I think - gave all of .75 for it but really think it would be a cute cobble type apron. Cut the sleeves out - add alittle trim and maybe ties at the side.

I had a fun day!!!! I love to go to flea markets and yard sales more than the mall (ugh!) Some days you find some real treasures and some days nothing.

Some Quilts from the Past!

I am trying to get motivated to work on some quilts again. Most of the ones I have done have been given away or donated. I have only maybe 3 bed size quilts left here at home and several wall hangings that I have used in my home. I have so many quilts in my brain that I have to use all the fabric that I have bought for them!
Here are a few of my small quilts:


I still have a dozen quilts started and many more in the planning. I think I stopped working on them because I just don't know what to do with them when I am finished with them! Just wait until I take pictures of my fabric! Did I say bolts of fabric!!!

Aprons!!!

Finally got to work on something I wanted to do!!!

Britney is modeling my GRITS apron.

I love this apron it is fun to do and you can change it so much just by the fabric used and the design on the pocket.

The strap goes around the neck with 2 buttons for adjustment and it has long apron strings. The pocket had a embroidery design and frame with cordinating fabric. And of course- we are Girls Raised In The South!

Britney has made her a blog to show some of her work she has done! Hopefully she will now finish some of her projects so she can post them. Her blog is: www.cottonpatchquiltsjr.blogspot.com Post a comment so she will be encouraged!!

Baa Baa says the Sheep!

I made my first needle felted animal! I was so much fun but I do know I will have to make another one so I can improve my work.

It was so much except for the legs which were masonary nails. I had a time getting them to work and getting them glue in right. And after so much time & work - the front legs are still alittle longer than the back ones but he still stands - must find a way to improve that.

Anyway - I love it. I think I will call it Mr. Sam since he has the hat (which I will make the stack on it longer next time).

The Shawl is done!

I finally finished the shawl I have been working on forever (or at least it seems - really only about 3 months and maybe it all the time was put together - maybe only about 3 weeks)

I bought my cotton yarn at R&M Yarns ( http://www.rmyarns.com/ ) in Cleveland, TN. I was knitting a washcloth out of it one day while I was watching a knitting show on TV. The program was about lace knitting - and I thought "why couldn't I do a form of lace knitting with this yarn". It is light weight 100% cotton (4.5 /3 ply natural cotton), the finest I have ever worked with (even though real lace knitting is from something alot finer).

One things is that I can't not say how much I yarn I used since I bought it on the cone by the pound but I believe it was only about a pound cone. I used it for 3 wash cloths before I started the shawl and I have some left.

Dolls! Dolls!

I Love Making Dolls!!!

I have always love making dolls! I have worked the past couple days on my Long-Legged Angels. It is like bringing them to life as I put the details on them toward the end. I almost hate having to put a needle in them - afraid I am going to hurt them!

These angels are about 26 to 28 inches tall and have wings made of an old quilt that I have saved from being destoryed. I love thinking about how someone many years ago lovingly made a quilt from old clothes, saving the memories of the loved ones that wore them. So many quilts are loved to bare thread and someone will discard it in a yard sale or so - at least part will be remember for a long time.

The legs of the angels are long and slender and are able to bend at the knees so they can cross their legs and their arms are usually up with their hands praying. I have cute osanburg bloomers on them - I just can't make a doll without bloomers!