Antique Crochet Bags and Crazy Quilted Pieces Just Completed

Hello my dear and beautiful blogging friends!!!!

I haven't posted for over a month not for lack of something to say, life has been wonderful and I'm bubbling over with things to tell you!

Button Card on Etsy

I started the day after Thanksgiving creating and just going wild in my little sewing studio 24/7!

I downloaded beautiful vintage reproductions of advertising themes and the wonderful offerings of Graphic Fairy and many others and made button cards with vintage buttons, trims and charms.

Ribbon and Charm Card Etsy

I have found in my own creative process ~ the sweet little carded packages my creative friends have sent me I often keep in a dish to look at and enjoy.

Button Card Etsy

They give me great inspiration until I am ready to snip off the buttons or bows for a project.

Button Card Etsy

That is what I wanted to create for my blogging and etsy friends.

                                                     Spring Green and Creme Inspiration Box

I was so excited to post about it the next day. As I was getting ready to post, the news about Sandy Hook started coming in on our local station.

I have lots of friends there so became consumed with the story.

Needless to say ~ it just felt inappropriate to post about anything other than the tragedy.

The blog post I ended up writing on Sandy Hook was in the Sandy Hook Patch and others in Connecticut and I wanted to keep it front and center until it felt right to re post.

So here it is two months later from that sad day in December  ~ it feels okay now to share joyful things while still carrying their broken hearts in mine.

Besides the button cards, I have also created Inspiration Boxes containing far more value than the $19.99 I am charging on Etsy.

Blue, Pink and Creme Inspiration Box

They each have a color theme and contain a mixture of vintage supplies, hanky's, silkies, new silk ribbon, silk threads, some have tiny pin cushions I made filled with emery to keep your needles nice and sharp.

You will be able to open the box and start a new project!

Blue and White Inspiration Box

 I've decided that I need more variety of supplies to create with but I don't want much more than 3 yards of any one thing....that doesn't apply to silk ribbon however ~ we all know you can never have enough of that!

I am listing all my vintage laces in addition to the silk warp and grosgrain ribbon and velvet that came from my Aunt's millinery shop in Chicago well over 60 years ago.

Vintage Trims Section Etsy Shop

Lace Section Etsy Shop

I have been buying crochet trims, soaking them in lavender baths...

then pressing and carding them by the yard. 

Crochet Trims Etsy Shop

I LOVE taking this ~

and turning it into this ~

Crochet Trim Etsy Shop

Many times I tea stain the trims ~ in the photo below you can see an example of the same crochet trim ~ one tea stained and one left white. (center lace)

Hand crocheted by loving hands ~ these are treasure that must be preserved!

I have also started collecting crochet bags from the late 1800's early 1900's.

My budget is under $10.00 a bag but after a good soak, loving care and a little mending...

these bags are the treasures they were always meant to be!

I couldn't understand my sudden obsession with these.
Then I realised my Grama was an amazing crochet artist. Her stitches were tiny and perfect,
She had strict orders to send me all her "mistakes" which I will love and cherish always.

She passed away this past fall ~ then it became clear there is a connection to my determination to "save" vintage crochet pieces!

I also remembered this little bag filled with lavender,

It has been hanging on my guest room door for years. I found it in my basement when I was a little girl and it has stayed with me all these years.

It belonged to my great grandmother who was an expert pattern maker and seamstress.

It's really just in my blood, to care for and then pass on these pieces of art.

It feels in some way as if I am caring for their legacy.

I have lots more trim to list in my shop over the next couple weeks.

Here is more beautiful antique laces I found at a local shop ~

My dear pal Pat sent me the most beautiful fabric book for Christmas ~ I cherish it so!

As is always the case ~ she inspires me so much that I decided to make one for each of my daughter for their 30th birthday.

My beautiful twin babies ~ I can't believe they are 30!
Here are a few of the pages ~

The front of Cheri's book ~ sorry it is sideways!

The layers of pages from Jaci's book ~ I love all those vintage fabrics!

Someone ~ she knows who she is ~ got me hooked on paper dolls so I tried making one from shrinky dink printer paper.

It looked a little silly but was cute for the book tassel.

This is a needle book I made for a very special gal ~ using the same idea as the fabric book but very tiny ~

more sideways pics ~ so sorry!

The needle book closed ~ the tiny crochet ball at the top is filled with emery to sharpen pins and needles.

A repurposed Ballerina jewelry box for Pat ~

And a bookmark with sweet little Angell's picture.

Speaking of book marks ~ here are some I have on my etsy shop ~

                                                                Book Mark Section Etsy Shop

And this little needle cases with layers of chenille and felt inside ~

Pin Keeper/Cushion Etsy Shop

 I 've also combined some of Grama's vintage pins with lavender hanky sachets ~
                                                       (the first one is sold)

                                                        Pins and Vintage Goodies Etsy Shop

These are butterfly's from Germany that I have had for many years and just listed ~
their wings flutter in the wind!

                                     German Made Victorian Butterflies with Magnetic Wings

 I have so much more to share but have to get to the grocery store!

This will be the 31st year of making Heart Shaped Meatloaf for Valentines Day Dinner!

We were snowed in for four days ~ until Monday so it's quite nice to once again be able to just get in the car and go!

Here are the town trucks coming down our one way road to save us!!!

We had 6 and 7 foot piles in our street from snow drifts and people cleaning snow off their cars.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to you ALL!!!!!

How about treating yourself to Pat's latest issue of

""Crazy Quilt Gatherings"

Folks ~ it Crazy Beautiful!!!

Remember no matter what your situation ~ you have a Father in heaven that calls you His Beloved!
He knows every hair on your head and every desire in your heart ~ YOU are Never alone!

Lavender Between The Cracks: Can Peace Be Found on this Christmas Morn?

Lavender Between The Cracks: Can Peace Be Found on this Christmas Morn?

Can Peace Be Found on this Christmas Morn?

Living in Connecticut ~ the tragedy in the Town of  Newtown has consumed us and our broken hearts.  

 I asked myself ~  "Can peace be found on this Christmas morn?"

Often we need just turn back the pages of history to find our answers.

On Christmas morning 1864, one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Morning" was penned by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Out of great despair and a heart so fully broken, he did not believe peace would ever belong to him again.

Longfellow lived in the tranquil New England town of Cambridge, Mass. overlooking the Charles River with his beloved wife Fanny and their five children living children, having had a daughter that passed away as a young child.

Cambridge was an idyllic town surrounded by wooded pines and star filled nights, they felt safe and protected in their home.

Longfellow said of Fanny, "She never came into a room where I was without my heart beating quicker, nor went out without my feeling that something of the light went with her."

In July of 1861, Fanny recorded in her diary "Poor Allegra is very droopy with heat, and Edie has to get her hair in a net to free her neck from the weight."

The following day Fanny trimmed Edie’s beautiful long locks and attempted to preserve them by dripping sealing wax on them. As she began to melt the wax, bits of it dripped on her without her knowledge, causing her summer dress to go up in flames.

She ran to the Longfellow’s study where he attempted to extinguish the flames with a small rug. As the flames continued, he threw his arms around her, severely burning his face, arms, and hands.
She died the next day.
Three days later on their 18^Th wedding anniversary, 44-year-old Fanny was buried.

Longfellow lay in his bed recovering from his wombs unable to attend Fanny’s funeral service.

The month after Fanny’s death, Longfellow wrote to his late wife’s sister, “How I am alive after what my eyes have seen, I know not. I am at least patient, if not resigned; and thank God hourly - as I have from the beginning - for the beautiful life we led together, and that I loved her more and more to the end."

The first Christmas after her death he wrote, “How inexpressible sad are all the holidays.” Later he was recorded as saying “I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace.”

As the Civil War raged since the first shots in April 12, 1861, Longfellow’s beloved firstborn son Charles enlisted with the Union against Longfellow’s will.
Longfellow's journal entry for December 25th 1862 read "'A Merry Christmas' say the children, but that is no more for me."

In 1863, at the Battle of New Hope Church in Virginia, Charles, now a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac was hit in the shoulder with a bullet taking out parts of his vertebrae.
Longfellow headed to Washington to find his seriously disabled son and brought him home to Cambridge to recover.

The Christmas of 1863, Longfellow made no entries in his journal.

As the Christmas of 1864 approached, the ravages of the Civil War had taken their toll. The entire future of our country seemed uncertain and a feeling of darkness and death filled the land.

Could peace be found on this Christmas morn?

The anguished Longfellow, still mourning the loss of his beloved Fanny and the injuries of his first-born son Charles, reflected on his sorrow as the distant church bells rang out from the village of Cambridge. As he listened he began to pen one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time ~

I heard the bells of Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair, I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

As he wrote, the sound of the bells grew louder and louder.
With each ring of the bell, he felt Fanny’s strength and presence.
His heart turned as hope arose….
if Christmas lives on, Fanny lives on.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

And so it was on Christmas morning, Henry Longfellow found the peace and hope he believed it was impossible to feel again.



For God is not missing even in our deepest grief. His Sovereign plan is greater than ours ~  though often hard to understand.

Evil never wins, for even in death our Lord ushers His beloved children to him through the gates of heaven where there is no more suffering or pain.

There will always be evil in our midst this side of heaven. The peace we long for must be carried in our own hearts, spread from person to person on the wings of grace.

As we mourn the loss of children and mothers, daughters and wives know that death is a beginning and not an end.

Romans 8:38~39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Psalms 48:14 “For this God is our God forever and ever ~ he will be our guide even unto death.”

Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Go Here to find my favorite version of this song, newly released.

Dream Come True ~ Meeting Pat Winter at Tinsel Trading in NYC!

It was the end of an uneventful day this past September 13th when I jumped on the computer after cleaning up the dinner dishes. Imagine my shock when I opened this email from Pat Winter ~

Hi Sweet Pea,
Dawn just told me we were flying out tomorrow early and will be at Laguardia 9:15 NY time so she thought if you wanted, we could meet you at Tinsel Trading around noon, if the train and all goes on schedule. Is that possible?

I think my reply to her was something like

HOLY CRAP!!!

So there I was on a hot September day standing in front of Tinsel Trading and in no time there was Pat and Dawn, walking my way...I could hardly believe it!

Pat, Marcia (owner of Tinsel Trading), me and Dawn

It was simply magical ~ my attention didn't know where to fix itself....

Pat and Dawn or these amazing surroundings!

Pat and her dear friend Dawn won out every time.

I simply couldn't believe this dear friend who's voice I had never even heard was suddenly standing before me and in all places Tinsel Trading, N.Y.C.

The three of us were in wonder as we walked the old wooden floors of this gem of a place.

Then as we were starting to pay for our things, Pat handed me this pack of gorgeous playing cards  each with a picture of a different piece of her work.

 They are on a heavy stock and high quality. We opened the pack so I could show the owner Marcia and the other girls there Pat's amazing talent. She is so completely unassuming about her talent ~ I wanted to shout it from the rooftops!

Then she gave me this beautiful necklace ~ I ran around the store looking for the owner to show her this as well! I was so excited, I forgot to put it on!

 We also wandered into M & J Trimmings and got giddy all over again! New Yorkers generally keep their excitement to themselves so I'm quite sure we stood out ~ it was so much fun!

Pat and Dawn

After all the excitement, the girls treated me to a meal. Dawn was so surprised Pat ordered a beer instead of a glass of wine that she had to take a picture.

It was getting close to the time the girls had to head back to their hotel as they were staying near Laguardia Airport so I treated us to a carriage ride through Central Park before we said our good-byes.

It began to get dark as we rode through the park, the contrast of woods and tall buildings rising behind them was so beautiful. 

I tried to savour this incredibly special moment, a dream come true really.

As our magical ride finally came to an end, we found out the name of our horse was "Lucky".....the very same name Pat's beloved father was called by his war buddies.

Of course this didn't surprise me at all. Our long on line friendship has always been filled with these little coincidences and heart warming moments ....too many to mention.

As I walked away from these two wonderful girls and started down 5th Avenue, I was light as a feather. I felt luckier than any other person that I walked by including the models in the million dollar dresses.....and will always be so grateful to dear Dawn for making the whole thing possible.

Here is some of the loot we bought.We also each "sneaked" buying things for each other...I mean three crazy quilters loose in Bead and Button Row in Manhattan is just well...CRAZY!

 

If your wondering what Pat is like in person here it is in a nutshell ~ even more beautiful than in her pictures, so soft spoken you almost want to protect her but strong and solid on the inside so you know you don't have to.

I hope to be sharing more adventures with these two "crazy chicks" this coming year!!!

 Pat's playing cards are available at her etsy shop HERE. and make a great gift for anyone who enjoys beautiful things quilter or not.

The Winter issue of her magazine "Crazy Quilt Gatherings" should be out any minute now ~ go to Pat's blog HERE for a link or check back here for an updated link.
Link to purchase Winter Issue HERE

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And on a completely different note, I had to share with you a picture of my 25 year old baby Ashley with her first ....make that first and second deer!

Even the deer seem to be smiling!

This was her FIRST time deer hunting with her Dad and she got two deer, one right after the other.
We now have a freezer full of venison for the winter ~ I could not be prouder!

Until We Meet In Heaven......Grama Passed Away to be With Jesus

I was honored these last several weeks to have been able to spend countless hours with my Grama, together with my Mom, Uncle and her wonderful nurses and being there when she took her last breath and entered the Glory of God.

The beautiful moments I will always remember.....

~ Mom and I putting face cream, lipstick and french perfume on Grama whenever we arrived to her room from being away, she loved it.

~ when her eyes would gaze at some heavenly place for hours and she would call out to loved ones already there

~ the time my Mom and her Pastor sang her favorite song to her "Life High The Cross" as she lay there unable to speak but peace filled the room

~ when Mom and I walked in her room somewhat dressed up and she looked deep in my eyes and said "Pretty....pretty for me?"

~ the hospice nurse that came by on her day off to read the bible to Grama

~ walking in her room to see another nurse holding her hand and singing 'Amazing Grace"  another of her favorite songs.

~ her favorite nurse Lucia who became like family, arriving to work moments after Grama had passed and was able to dress Grama in her prettiest night gown before she was taken away.

Below is what I read at Grama's funeral at St Paul's Lutheran Church Glen Burnie, Maryland, the church I was raised in. 

Eulogy to My Beautiful Grama

My beautiful  Grama was born in Baltimore, Maryland on January 8, 1919 to John and Emma Trader.

John was a tug boat captain for Arundel Corp. and Emma was a housewife.

Grama had two sisters, Florence who was stillborn, my dear Aunt Mae and her baby brother Buzzie, named after the family dog.

Her early years were spent in South Baltimore where her family was known by neighbors as " The Laughing Traders."

Grama adored her Dad. She loved going with him to watch the Orioles baseball team and could recite all the baseball players and the positions they played up until the end of her life.
Her hero's were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx all of whom she saw play with her Dad.

The two of them liked to eat hog head cheese, purple grapes and ice cream...which was her last meal.

On March 29, 1941, Grama married Benjamin Hiss.
They had two beautiful children, Emme and Jack. She said giving birth to them was the two happiest days of her life.

Grama held many jobs but enjoyed none more than her time at the Flight Detachment at Fort Meade, Maryland.
She saw first hand the men coming from and moving out to Vietnam.

She often had "her boys "over for Spaghetti or lasagna dinners. They all called her Mom, these were treasured memories to her and an important part of her life.
One of them, Frank James Gannon, married my Mom and is a treasure to our whole family!

She worked full time, kept a clean house, a beautiful lawn and garden, made time for friends and family always, and we never missed a Sunday at church.

She also made alot of her clothing, the dress I am wearing today was one of her dresses she crochet 35 years ago.

Until her stroke, you could call Grama at 3am and she would wake right up and talk as long as you needed to!
I often made those late night calls as a teen as has my brother James and Uncle Jack.

She was filled with fight and tenacity, but her heart was tender and filled to the brim with Love for her family.

And I can't forget to mention her love of politics! She was a Republican through and through and was never shy to share her views.

One of the few times she got cross with me was during the Obama - Bush election when I defended Obama and she feared living in Ct had finally turned me into a liberal.
(forgive me about that Grama, you were right!)

She took great pride in our country, our flag and had a deep love for our nation.
Most important of all was her love for Jesus Christ.
He has been the one sure thing in her life, when all else had fallen apart.
He has never left her, never forsaken her.

And so on September 30, 2012, Our sweet ,sweet Lord took her home, where she can watch over the beautiful family she created....uninhibited by age and illness, in His glorious Light.

I love you Grama and was happy to be in your inner circle.

I considered what Grama might say if she could stand before you today, after having been in God's glory, and I came across this blessing.

My Prayer For You

That like Job, God would surround you with a hedge of protection and that you would have greater blessings in the latter part of your life, from this day forward.

That like Abraham, you would grow wealthy with cattle, gold and silver.

That like Issac, you plant a field and reap a hundred fold harvest.

That like Jacob, with wisdom and discernment you would grow your flocks and your herds.

That like Joseph, the dream that Gods’ given you, would be, Salvation to many.

That like Moses, the Lord would reveal Himself to you and show you His glory.

That like Bezalel, who helped build the tabernacle, that the Lord would anoint you for the specific task that He has called you to accomplish.

That like Joshua, God would fill you with the Spirit of Wisdom.

That like The Children of Israel, you live in lands that you didn’t buy, with barns and houses that you didn’t build, drinking from springs and wells that you didn’t know existed and eating from vineyards that you didn’t plant, that He would bless the fruit of your trees, the grass of your fields and the calves of your herds, that He would bring the spring and autumn rains, and that there would be none sick among you and none barren.

That like David, God would give you a blueprint of what He would like you to build for Him.
That like Solomon, He would give you a wise and understanding heart.

That like Uzziah, there would be good men caring for your cattle in the foothills and that you would have a love and understanding of the soil.

That like Daniel, God would give you ten times the wisdom, favor and discernment of all those that don’t know Him.

and That like Peter, you cast your net on the right side of the boat and catch one hundred fold for your effort.

In Jesus Name, This is my prayer for you.”

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I love you Grama forever and ever and Always.........

 Obituary for Leona Stevens

Credit for "My Prayer to You" Jordan Rubin