Aromas of Autumn

The sewing room is needy but the gorgeous day going on outside is beckoning.
I have things to do before the homecoming of most of my babies for this weekend.
I am giddy because I get to see My Vivien and to embrace Baby Girl's bountiful growth.
I am excited like Christmas and this beautiful day isn't making it any easier to focus.
Extra dog walks just to be outside.
Even weeding takes on a renewed joy.  Not the sweaty, drippy task of summer.  This is pleasantly puttering and noticing the changes in the garden preparing for sleep.
This is the kind a day that  I remember the young mama days.
Today, after my lunch dessert of sliced apples with peanut butter, I began the clean up before heading outside to 'play'.  Eating alone can sometimes provide a bit of extra that you just can't finish.  As I picked up the apple core and two small slices of sub par apple, I quickly remembered an annual autumnal practice that I had forgotten about till this very day.
On those pleasant fall days of long ago, when my young ones asked to do their school work in our tree fort on on the porch or patio, I would make up late afternoon snacks to keep them till supper time.  In fall, the treat often turned to apple slices with peanut butter or cheese.  The younger ones usually fought with apple skins so I would attempt to peel the apple in one long spiral strip.  Sometimes, the olders would chomp away on the leavings, but mostly I had other plans for the peels.


In an old pan, I would add the peels and cores and sometimes the occasional bad spots.  I would fill the pan with water, a teaspoon or so of whole cloves, three or more cinnamon sticks and a swig of vanilla.  This lovely concoction would brew and soon fill the house with an aroma to rival any packaged potpourri.  This mixture would last for days before it had to be thrown out but in the meantime, we all enjoyed the simmering, spicy, fragrant apples.


I know, as sure as I sit there, that when my kiddos come home to roost tonight, the first thing that they will comment on is the smell of the house with all it's appley, cinnamony goodness.  The last time BG was home, during a reprieve from the heat and the windows were open, she proclaimed quickly, 'It smells like my childhood in here!' since we did not have air conditioning while the children were growing up.  The smell of fresh air was a given in our Little House on the Prairie, technological starved home.


Something tells me, I will hear that same statement at least three times tonight.....


Enjoy your weekend.....

Michele's Bag

Funny how things work out.  Years ago, while I was caring for my dad in his home, I sought distractions to help with the heaviness that comes with 24 hour care giving.  Baby Girl was in junior high and even though by care giving time line left me with very little time to be an 'Active School Mom', one of the things I enjoyed doing was designing and making purses for her friends.  I made these purses by hand, not having room for my sewing machine amidst dad's sick room equipment.  Working with the materials and occupying my hands was therapeutic to my jangled, sleep deprived nerves.  Since that time, I have wondered what happened to those early bags.  One day, I found one of them at the second  hand store, noting the date that I stitched in the bag for a birthday.  One fell apart in shreds after countless repairs for a stubborn young girl unwilling to let go of it.  She was one of my first customers when my new bags started to be produced.  I believe the current count for her is four.  Then there is the Facebook Connection.  Baby Girl had a long ago junior high bud contact her and ask about my bags.  She told BG that she still had the long ago bag and that her little girl plays with it now.  Her birthday was approaching and she kindly contacted me with a birthday wish to purchase a new and much improved mama's collection handbag.Eldest/Admin had recommended that I develop a purse survey to aid in the creation of a custom made bag.  So Junior High Friend was sent one, returned it filled out and the result is what is pictured here.  And this is a Premiere Edition as well!  A matching cosmetic bag was requested to go along with the purse so after researching and remembering Chicago Friend's lesson at the retreat this past July, I endeavored to design one myself. (See Sewing Simple Saturdays this week for more on that!)   Also, whilst on my Smoky Mountain Vacay, I had the opportunity to pick Crazier Don's busy brain regarding my business.  CD has had his own business for many, many years and since he was on vacation and actually sitting still (well, somewhat), he was more than willing to give this Business Newbie some input.  One of the swell ideas he was to give me after I shared with him my mission in creating bags and totes, was to include, deep down in the seam of my purses, some relatable bible verse that will be read, almost stumbled upon at some later date.  Brilliant!  I remembered a winter coat I had years ago that I had worn for quite awhile before I noticed one freezing winter day, a little tag deep inside that simply said, 'May you stay warm in your heart today'.  I loved that little note and now I want to share that bit of encouragement with my customers.  I asked CD which out of allllllllll the verses in the whole bible I should use and he stated simply, (duh), 'Pray about each one for each client'.  Done.  I prayed over the fabric before I made the first cut and asked the Master Designer to reveal the verse that this customer needed.  And He did.  But I can't tell you.  It's a secret.  But I can tell you that I loved making the labels for other young mama's bags/purses/totes/diaper bags.  I loved thinking of them finding the tag and reading them with a feeling of encouragement as they care for their little ones and themselves.

Fuel your Spirit today. 

Purposeful Purple Panties

Funny Story:
I'm with my daughter in Cincinnati, at a trendy eco/mama kinda store.
Wonderful, wonderful things but like all such, pricey as well.
Eldest/Admin sees some felted fruit/veggies for bambinos that she just loves.
There is even some grapes made out of a softer material, like a cotton knit. These grapes have the sweetest faces on them and my daughter just melts.
Meanwhile, this is what's going in my mind:
Years ago, a young friend stayed with me with her tiny infant. Lots of packing and laundry for the young mama and something was bound to get left behind. After all was said and done, the only thing that was left was a pair of post partum purple panties. By the time the young mama got home, far away, they probably were already too big for her.
But being the practical person I am, I placed these in the bottom of my drawer.
Now I forget a lot of things.
People's names, things I am to do, birthdays, anniversaries etc.
But for some reason, I remembered the knit and color of the purple panties that were stowed away in the back of my drawers.
When I saw the beloved grapes, I immediately knew that the color and type of knit of those hidden undies would be the perfect little sweet faced grapes for Miss Vivien.
The week I got back home from my Vivieland Visit, I excavated my chest of drawers to find....'TA DA'! The perfect grape material..!
And here it is in process:

And here is Violet G. Grape!
Vivien's first of many stuffed fruit/veggies I think...

Another Repurposeful Success!
Think carefully before you throw things away, especially nice fabric on any type of clothes...
Fun, fun things can be had from the strangest of items....!