Quilts

quilt [kwɪlt]

n

1. a thick warm cover for a bed, consisting of a soft filling sewn between two layers of material, usually with crisscross seams

2. a bedspread or counterpane

3. anything quilted or resembling a quilt

vb (tr)

1. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Knitting & Sewing) to stitch together (two pieces of fabric) with (a thick padding or lining) between them to quilt cotton and wool

2. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Knitting & Sewing) to create (a garment, covering, etc.) in this way

3. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Knitting & Sewing) to pad with material

When I think of quilts, I think of a warm fireplace, wrapped in the warmth of a handmade blanket. I think of all the hours that were spent-cutting, piecing, sewing and quilting the pieces together. Some made of feed sacks, some out of old clothing and some actually off of bolts of fabric if they were lucky.

My great grandmother loved to quilt. I heard stories of her in a horse drawn wagon, quilting for hours, in all kind of weather and all kind of light (or lack of.) It's hard to believe, that if they weren't made they would not have anything to cover up with. No Walmarts or Dillards to just go pick up an electric blanket. They were hand-sewn with whatever was on hand and batting was sometimes horsehair or feathers.

My mother inherited all the old pattern and pattern pieces of the quilts my great grandmother made. The patterns are worn and you can see where the pieces have been pinned over and over.

The patterns are made out of different papers. From sacks, old newspaper or old receipts.

About 10 years ago, I took quilt lessons. I instantly fell in love with going to a quilt store, seeing the hundreds of bolts of fabric to choose from.I started with a tote and finally worked up to a full size quilt for my son.

I certainly appreciate quilts alot more having made them. Alot of long, loving hours goes into each one.

I also love making baby quilts. When my second granddaughter was born, the theme of her nursery was butterflies and frogs. So it was so fun designing and making a small baby quilt for the crib.

I love the look of quilting so much, that no matter what craft I am doing, I seem to gravitate towards the "look of quilt." I think this is why I picked this paper to make this card for a friend. It appealed to me so much because of the soft colors and the look of quilting.

The next time you wrap yourself in a quilt, picture the loving hands that put so many hours into this piece of art. Don't just view it as a blanket, view it as loving arms wrapped around you as you drift off to sleep.

Happy Birthday

sacrifice sac·ri·fice [ sákrə fss ] noun (plural sac·ri·fic·es) Definition: 1. giving up of something valued: a giving up of something valuable or important for somebody or something else considered to be of more value or importance 33 years ago today, I gave birth to our youngest son. From a young age, he has been a gentle, loving and giving son. I know he would protect us from anything. He's the type of person , that when you are around him, you feel safe and secure. God blessed us with 2 sons. We were involved in every aspect of their lives, whether it be karate, wrestling or chaperones at the prom. They were never embarrassed to have us around. It was no surprise he got his degree in criminology. He entered the police academy and was chosen out of over a 1000 applicants. 50 were selected. It was a grueling and exhausting several months, but I knew he would get thru it. He spoke at his academy's class graduation. That was one of the proudest moments of our life to hear him speak. Everyone asked if I was worried to have a son going into police work. I had a calmness and we are always praying for his safety and the safety of the other officers. They put their lives on the line everytime they go on duty. I did a "ride-along" with my son and it just reinforced what a man of integrity he was. He was stern when needed, and compassionate when the time called for it. He is now married and he and his beautiful wife have given us 2 beautiful little granddaughters He is now a "Crime Scene" officer and it makes us feel a little better, that he is not walking into "the unknown"- the crime has already happened and the scene is secure with other officers. So on this day, our sweet young son, We want to wish you a very happy birthday. We want to thank you for being who you are and sacrificing for us and total strangers, so that we may live in a safer world. We love you and want you to know what a blessing you are to dad and me. Mom and Dad I made him a special birthday card in honor of his birthday and his occupation.

Love Letters

Love Letters lyrics

The sky may be starless
The night may be moonless
But deep in my heart
I know that you love me
You love me, because you told me so

Love letters straight from your heart
Keep us so near while we're apart
I'm not alone in the night
When I can have all the love you write

I memorize every line
I kiss the name that you sign
And darling, then I read again
Right from the start
Love letters straight from your heart

In this hi-tech world we live in now, the hand written letter is becoming extinct. Our contact is becoming faster, but less personal.

I have had my parent's love letters for some years now, but didn't read them. I asked my dad if he minded if I read them and he gave me permission.

There was a time when my mother decoupaged anything that didn't move. She made this box years ago to house all of dad's love letters from 1945 and 1946.

As I pulled out the first letter and read it, it took my heart to a place of understanding. Most of us did not experience the long separations from our loved one, unless they were in the military. I'm sure the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" had to come from the war era.

My mother had the mis-fortune of getting one of the dreaded telegrams telling her, her first fiance had been killed in the war. I can't even imagine how this would feel. So when she was engaged to my father and he left for the Navy, my mother had the bittersweet walk to the mailbox. Fortunately, love letters were what she always found.

I found a postcard from 1945 my dad sent my mother. It was quite startling because on the front of it was a 7 ft rattlesnake. Now my mother was petrified of snakes and so am I. He wrote "I ran into a friend of yours and I thought you would like a picture of him. He's a little tall for you though, Love, Kenny"

I asked my dad if he remembered this and he didn't. But he did ask if I had run across a letter where he started writing in the middle and wrote it in a circle. And then the one where he skipped a space and came back and wrote in between the spaces.

For some of you that know my dad, he's a real prankster, still is. I've heard the same jokes over and over again.

I came across a couple of vintage cards they sent each other. I wish they still made cards like this.

About the 3rd letter I read spoke of my dad on a trolley car. He saw a sailor and his wife with a little girl. In his letter he expressed how much he wanted children and hope at least one of them was a girl. He got 3 wishes, a boy and 2 girls. That was seven years before I was born. I was a thought on a trolley car:)

In June of this year, my parents will be married 65 years. I am proud I can say that. I am proud I can say in August, my husband and I will celebrate our 39th anniversary.

All of because of love letters straight from their hearts!

Linens and lace

lin·en/ˈlinin/Nounc

1. Cloth woven from flax.

2. Garments or other household articles such as sheets made, or originally made, oflinen.

lace/lās/

Noun: A fine open fabric, typically one of cotton or silk, made by looping, twisting, or knitting thread in patterns.

Verb: Fasten or tighten by tying laces

I've always loved linens and lace. Especially vintage. Lace always represented to me daintiness and being feminine. The linens remind me of all the holiday and formal dinners and events we had in our home. I guess too, nostalgia plays a part in my love for them. I always like to know who made it, how long did it take and knowing some of these methods used back then are a dying art form now. When I opened the pillowcase that held all these beautiful "works of art", immediately, the room was filled with the scent of my childhood.

When we had to put my mom in the nursing home and my dad nearer to her, we had to do an estate sale. As much as we would have loved to have kept everything, we couldn't . Mom had a small room she was moving to and dad , a 1 bedroom apt. , so we had to condense as much as possible.

As I was going thru all mom's things, I tried to pick out the things that were extra special to her and had been made by her parents and grandparents.

As a child, I remember all the bridge club nights. All the friends would gather together at one home, (kids included.)All day my mother would iron all the "bridge cloths" to cover the card tables. I can still see her ironing with her green, glass "7-up" bottle, with a cork with holes to dampen the linens before she ironed them. The smell of spray starch lingered in the air.

This lacy dress was worn by my great aunt Mae. She was a school teacher and dressed like this every day.

.

I think my mother kept everything!! She even had the lace pillow and blanket my grandfather used as a baby. With all it's delicacy, it's hard to believe it survived over a 100 years of several baby generations.

The detail is remarkable and I find it astonishing someone spent so many hours making this bedding.

Other linens she kept were the "tea towels." They were all hand

embroidered and hand sewn.

And yes, all these were ironed too before they were hung. I never really understood ironing something you would be wiping her hands on over and over again , but just did as she asked (sometimes.) Of course there were the bed linens, that had alot of cotton in them and wrinkled very easily. Again, my mother ironed each and every one of them.

I know if my mom could,she would iron all my clothes, linens , and then some. I took it for granted for so long. Even after being on her feet as a nurse for double shifts, she could still stand for hours so we would have smooth sheets and pillowcases to lay our bodies on.

Many of these items have started to tear ,and basically age has deteriorated them to a point, I have decided to create some things from the lace and hand sewn parts of the linens. I have alot of ideas rolling around in my head. I just want to make sure, before I cut into any of them, that I still give all the love and hard work that were put into each one them, the honor they deserve. Hopefully the created items will be handed down to my grandchildren someday.

Vintage

vin·tage (vntj)

n.

1. The yield of wine or grapes from a vineyard or district during one season.

2. Wine, usually of high quality, identified as to year and vineyard or district of origin.

3. The year or place in which a wine is bottled.

4.

a. The harvesting of a grape crop.

b. The initial stages of winemaking.

5. Informal

a. A group or collection of people or things sharing certain characteristics.

b. A year or period of origin: a car of 1942 vintage.

c. Length of existence; age.

adj.

1. Of or relating to a vintage.

2. Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic.

3. Old or outmoded.

I had the pleasure of giving my mother an 80th birthday party. She loves anything "vintage", so I made that the theme of her party. She didn't mind since she said she was vintage herself.

I tried to use bits and pieces of her life to be represented through the decorations.I made the invitation using her picture when she was 16. I just covered it with vellum and with the party information on it. Then fastened with ribbon and jeweled centerpiece.

I used hanging vintage purses on the table and put plastic ware in it , also hanging her nurse's cap.

I scattered pictures about the tables, from childhood to present. I used pearls and crystal boggles on the table to give it more of a vintage look. I had a separate table with cake and punch with more pictures and

memorabilia.

I made favors for each of the guests. I just decorated little paper mache boxes and tied with a ribbon with a

sentiment. I placed teabags in each box.

We even had her greatgrandaughter,

Alessondra, dressed in a little vintage outfit.

I am so thankful I did this party. Shortley afterwards, my mother fell, broke her hip and now is in a nursing home with Altzeimer's. Each time I visit her, I wonder what era she is stuck in that day. She certainly has many memories to dwell on. I wish I have the mom back that is in this picture. For now, I pray for her daily and cherish the times we did have together. Love you "Glo"

My grandmother's buttons

There is something intriguing to me when I see buttons. They make me think of what garment were they on in years past, who wore them and projects I can make with them.

When my grandmother passed, I rec'd her "button box." It was exciting pulling out all the draws and seeing the treasures each one held. Even the little bottles were delicate and filled with vintage goodies.

My mother framed some of the oldest, so they would be preserved and stay together. I don't even begin to know how old some of these are, but I would venture over 100 yrs old on some of them.

How many hours did my grandmother spend, sewing on buttons and removing them when the garment was no longer fit to be worn? Her sewing basket sitting by her side with her threads and buttons,brings a smile to my face.

I have started my own collection of buttons and hopefully they will passed down to my grandchildren. I hope they can say "I remember where that came from "or" this was in my Nindy's sewing room."

In the meantime, I will continue to look at them everyday, run my fingers through them and use some of them in my craft projects to come.