Rescued Keepsakes

 When looking through bins of linens at thrift stores or garage sales, I tend to appoint myself as Savior of the Craft.  My hand usually goes to intricately woven, crocheted, knitted, embroidered things that someone has laboriously toiled over for many hours and is now relegated to a .25 price tag.  More than once, I have gasped aloud when seeing a tiny hand knit sweater or bonnet, carelessly pitched to the bottom of a box.  When I lift it out of it's sad ,discarded position, it almost speaks to me, 'Finally!  Someone who recognizes me for what I am!'

And what is that?
Something that someone, maybe years, decades before, lovingly, intentionally, carefully, labored over for some dear loved one.  Someone took the time to pour over patterns, weigh the pros and cons of the weight and color of yarn, took to their needles and spent sacrificial time, energy and money to create a special handmade sweater for some dear little baby.  As you know from previous meanderings here, I always tend to drift to the back story of each handmade/vintage item that I approach with interest.  Hand crafted things all have stories; that's what makes them so appealing.  It's just odd people like me that actually hear the items plea their history to ensure rescue.

That is how mama's collection came into being.  Years and years of casually drifting into yard sales and thrift shops only to be pulled into 'conversation's with, as dottie angel's[ www.dottieangel.com],calls: 'forsaken things', speaking to me in a most specific way: 'Puhlleezeeee! Do not let me sit and waste away on the bottom of this shelf!  Please see me for what I am!  A handmade lovely (or vintage something) that has been carefully designed, made and loved for years and has now been tossed aside by unthinking somebodies!  You know how much work went into me!  You see the detail!  Reach into your pocket, take out that quarter that you have been keeping there for this moment and take me home!  Rescue me!  I will serve you well!!'

 And so it came to be that I understand that it is my lot in life to caretake those things that most find old and discardable.  And glad that I am that it is my lot, for on a dull, gray February day, I had the unmitigated joy to enjoy this most delightful pillowcase as I changed my sheets.  As I reached for the pillow case I had selected from my linen closet (do you know just how many vintage pillow cases I own? Nope, don't even try....:)), my hand brushed over the amazing detail.  I had to sit to take it all in.  Crocheted baskets of flowers, countless stitches counted carefully and executed beautifully.  Rows of crocheted edging, intertwined around pink rick rack, creating the most endearing pillow cover.  Sometimes, I get so overwhelmed by the beauty and detail of the most mundane things like pillow cases, that I reward their beauty by ironing them!  Crisply and starchfully, they look stupendous on a turned down bed, already for a good night sleep. And I always remember to thank the hands that went into creating a spot of pleasure and beauty for me.

 I believe that if we begin to look at things, people, places, more carefully, to see the intricate beauty in each thing/person, we will live differently.  We will value and cherish things/people more.  We will see their purpose in just bringing joy in just being around it/them.
We will live differently.  Guaranteed.

Seek out beauty in the things that are normally overlooked today.....And be blessed...

Good To the Last Drop...

Probably not a good idea to come to my garage sales.  By the time I'm through with something, it is really done.  It's probably been morphed into something twice.  Or more. And then I still think about it as I put the sticker on it.  Then wonder as the new owner carts it down the driveway. So far, I have not chased after someone for something that I had second thoughts but I have had lingering 'what ifs'.  Today was a work day, meaning I have a deadline and a goal to reach and a number to create by those other numbers.  I needed quantity to my quality and I needed cheap.  Time to go through the mama's collection 'Cannot Throw Away, But Is It Really Good Enough To Keep' bag.  And here's what I came up.  Pieces of 50's toweling that a lady in a cafe that I was remodeling, had brought in for rags.  I calmly suggested that if I brought in some other rags, could I have the pile that she brought in?  Looking at me incredulously, wondering why I was lathering over a pile of old cotton rags, shrugged her questioning shoulders and responded,' Sure, why not?'  Why not, indeed!  Could she not see the value in these historic pieces?  Printed linen/cotton from from a pre dishwasher generation, when a towel had to perform lintlessly and absorbingly.  No, she did not get it and I quickly squirrelled my trade off to my pick up truck.  Today that treasure became a pocket on a market bag.

And the bag itself?  Crazy Dee was going through extra things while I was redecorating her living room last fall.  She hands me a pile of sheets and pillowcases and pronounces them, mine.  Won't you need them?  Won't you want to make them into something else?  Of course not!  That's what she has me around for!  So today, snip, snip!  Cut, Cut!  Sew, Sew! and so far, two new market bags are made from throwaways.  Not one dime was spent in the production of these useful products.  Even the interfacing was bought at a yard sale, three abundant yards for a mere 50 cents! Could that even be considered a cost?  Thread?  Negligible.  Electricity? By not using my television, I save more than most.  I proclaim it a Free Market Bag and I'm off to produce nine more!

It's exciting looking through my fourth time usables to see what zany inspiration these scraps of history will  become.  A pocket?  Trim?  Lining?

I cannot wait.....

Simple Sewing SUNDAYS: First Edition: More Pocket Fun

Rarely throw anything away.  I know my kids shudder as I write this.  It will be their lot to have go through all 'My Stuff' after I pass.  The same garbage that I rejoice over, they will, I'm sure curse.  Maybe, now, if you see my stuff that you want, perhaps I should keep a log, so that after the reading of my will, a Forwarding List will be distributed.  People matched up with The Stuff. Seriously.

Anyway.  I digress.  Majorly.

The point is, Youngest Son threw away these cargo shorts eons ago and I ferreted them out of the trash.  Having no idea whatever I would do with severely ripped in awkward places men's shorts, I did know that the cargo pockets afforded me lots of thoughts of adding them to something in the Sewing Future.(not to mention all the buttons that can add up on a pair of cargo pants; no, no do not throw things like this away!) And that brings us up to the Simple Sewing SUNDAYS!  I cut from the edge of the leg of the pants, up to a decent size of a pocket for the inside of my Vintage linen bag.  Fold down 1/4" and press on top of pocket, as pictured in the first photo. Then fold down, again, 1 1/4" and press again.  First photo again. Stitch along all three other sides 1/2" from edge. Trim seam.  Turn folded pressed edge to right side and press again.  Fold on the stitching line on the three sides.  Press.  Top Stitch all around.  Handy First Sunday Pocket made.  Now on to the Second Kind.As mentioned, these cargo pockets are not to be left to die on the vine. P-L-E-N-T-Y of life left in them.  I'm thinking that my traveling yarn and hooks could be quite comfortable and tangle free inside my purse in this ample pocket.  All that was needed was a careful trimming away from the shorts.  I tried to rip them off with my Faithful, Hardworking Seam Ripper, but dang, those dudes were on there for keeps!  Not one to be waylaid, I just cut them.  Simple.  Just trimmed them tidily, grabbed the other freshly made pocket, and placed them on the bag lining, centering and lining up both pockets to their new usage.  The pocket was edged well and thick with layers so I didn't bother edging it; just pinned it to the lining and sewed it on, reinforcing the beginning and the end; the tops of the pocket.See!  One side of the bag lining has these cargoey and standard-like pockets....And the other side has the triple compartmented vintagey lineny pocket!Snazzy, huh?  Before the lining is attached to the outer bag, put on the magnetic closure, being sure to reinforce with some Peltex(some serious interfacing/stabilizer like product)

There you go.  Three dandy pockets for your purse carrying pleasure.  And on a Sunday!  Now, go rest.

Friday Festival Finale

PETA should probably look away right now.
A small boy with a goldfish won in a game too late at night.
A small boy with a deep seated need to 'pet' the goldfish in his temporary home.
I informed the dad that my bets were on making it to the highway.
Knowing his son better than me, he bet on making it to their parking space.
The Friday Night Frenzy after having one night pretty much canceled.
Huge crowds. Lots of cars and the obligatory mud everywhere. Wow.
I would like to tell you that the photo below is someone from the festival.
However, this is Eldest Son's way of entertaining himself while we do the dishes after a wonderful supper of Mustard Crusted Pork Loin, Mixed Squash Bake, Spinach Salad and brownies. We always chocolate when Lovely Wife is coming for dinner. It's just what we do......We are pleased to say that Eldest Son's earring is Lovely Wife's bracelet even though we did think it quite fetching on ES's ear......Carnival games. Lovely Wife would not let any us touch anything.
Probably wise.....

Sewing today involved finishing a beret, making place mats for aforementioned dinner tonight out of vintage towels that are too fragile for towel use but are spending retirement as place mats and cutting out a patchworky type of tote bag for an order of five that I have......

Cooking, baking, sewing, little rain, Eldest Son and Lovely Wife for supper AND Persimmon Ice Cream at the Festival after....

What a good day it was....

It's Just Too Fun...

Yah-HOO!!!!!
It's what I kept thinking every time every time I finished an aspect of this special order Western Theme bag!
Absolutely a hoot to make. I found this all wool table runner in the bottom of one of Pauline's craft boxes at the auction this month. It looked like it had never been used. I laundered it carefully and was about to put it into the garage sale last Saturday, when I remembered my special order Western Theme purse! Too perfect! I had the embellishment for years; it was part of my button collection forever ago. It had no fastener, so it never got used, just admired...Then I found an odd Napoleon type medallion in my heavy metal collection of embellishments for the weighted flaps I put on my purses. It fit perfectly inside the western embellishment, got hot glued in and sewed on with the medallion's hooky thing!
Don't you love it when things fall into place like that??
I had found this wonderful horsey fabric at my local Ben Franklin and just kinda fell in love with it. Have no idea why and even hubby looked at me strangely when I bought it. Perfect lining for a western theme purse, right? Did I mention that I had bought this before I had the order? Spooky, but cool!!

And I got it all done so that Hubby and I could check out the Festival on the first night of bracelets..(special 3 day prices for unlimited riding)...We checked out the commercial tent and signed up for all they had, especially the $500 gas card.....! Just felt like taking it all in! Checked out Manny the Greek's menu for future reference....Gyro's and baklava....! Yay!

And then the walk home....Admiring the thin sliver of moon in the overcast sky.....

*sigh*

Jackpot!!

Estate Sales: Wonder of wonders...Pieces of someones life..The mundane and the glorious..
Here are some of the bounty of someone's life that I feel blessed to be the recipient of:
A hanky with the words, 'your day will come'in French...

A beautifully vibrant towel of Irish Linen in pristine condition.....

A half dozen pillowcases, crochet edged and embroidered......

Dozens of linens, lovingly detailed....One tablecloth had a patch with mend tape on it and I wondered out loud if they still make mend tape....Farther in the box was an opened package of mending tape.....I also loved the Mendets 'pot leak repair'....Do you repair your 'leaky' pots

A wonderful 40ish metal wastebasket......(yes, the sticker does say $1)

Three silver serving pieces. Nearly a dozen percale sheet sets, tablecloths, pot holders, mostly handmade, towels of all sorts, usually embellished and four sweet little jars, perfect for my harvested herbs.....

I am calmed down now but I must admit it did overwhelm me...My heart raced and my pulse quickened and I got a bit shaky.....The 2G's mama could tell an odd spell had come over me when she met up with me.....

Ah. The Grande Estate Sale.....Nothing like it......

Much ado about everything...

Multi tasking is the norm around my life. Always have at least three things going on. Three sewing projects, three books being read, three outdoor projects... Having ADD helps. I am able to get a lot accomplished by having this problem that got me into a lot of trouble as a child.

Today was one of those days....

Organizer Daughter left this weekend and had left me with assignments on my business. One of the tasks to be completed is to go through the spare room closet to make room for my abundance of vintage linens to be sold via a future etsy shop. Sorting through all of my collection was on the list today. And working on a new bag that needs to get finished this week. And picking produce from the garden. And all the errands that come after being out of the loop for two weeks.

So busy, busy was the day but what better time than pouring over wonderful fabrics from the past, wondering who is going to be the recipient of these grand finds, working with fabrics to be made into a useful, fun accessory for a friend and harvesting produce that was started months ago and ready to enjoy.

Good day.