SouleMama

I love...

...this little old typewriter, and the tip-tap-tapping sound it makes as you write. I love it almost as much as I love all the stories that my little ones write on it. This one, "The Fox Gets Lost", by Ezra starts out:

Once there was a fox who had 1234 legs but the fox did not have 123456789 legs.

Awesome.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

The stories you shared yesterday are wonderful - individually, and collectively, they not only help a new knitter, but they tell a lovely tale of craft, too. Thank you so much for sharing them!

under my tree

It's green, it's vintage (the boys are sure it came from Almanzo's parlor), it holds all the silly people I love so dearly, and it's a little weathered and worn - fitting in just right with everything else around here. It's so very perfect. I'm happy.

I never thought I'd say this, but...thank goodness Steve saves his gift shopping until the day before, which in this case allowed him to intercept a perfectly timed email (thanks Julie!) alerting me to this couch before I could see it. Which he then arranged the swift purchase and epic pickup of (without a truck, mind you). In a snowstorm. On Solstice Eve.

I think my honey loves me.

No idea what I'm talking about? Read here, here and here for the whole silly-long sofa saga. Whatever will I blog about now that I've got it?

weekend finds

Ah, a very lovely weekend - I hope yours was too. We had one drizzly day - perfect for inside house projects and reading and lounging; and one gorgeous summer day - perfect for visiting with family, trail walks and playing baseball. And, of course, there was a tiny bit of weekend time for thrifting and yard sailing too.

Last week I was all drooly over Meg's fabulous vintage girls dresses she found thrifting. And then a few friends appeared with some more, and I figured that must be the end of them. But there were more! By the time I finally got myself over there this weekend, these were still kicking around (and I left a few behind, if anyone's local and interested). I do wonder what the story is with all of these handmade vintage dresses - I'd like to think the maker would be pleased at the new life they're getting. These are a little big yet for Lady A, but hopefully she'll let me put them on her when the time comes (one can hope). In the meantime, that red wool is the best "Annie" dress my kids could hope for.

A few little linens - bedsheets that I'm really loving.

And this little clock - I've been looking for an old one for my studio. And this yellow and aqua one is just perfect for me.

I promised myself a year ago that I would NOT bring any more aprons into my house. For the most part, I've stuck to that. But really, how could I resist this one?  It's cocktail time. My apron says so.

favorite things

My great grandmother's rulers.
 

Making me happy...

Really, it doesn't take much to make me happy. A front row seat at the in-house jousting performance. Ending the day with some Green and Blacks. Making it through an entire day without anyone breaking a glass or dish (which I really only mind because it means i need to vacuum. ugh.).  But there was even more yesterday that has me in good spirits:

This vintage dress. Thrifted yesterday for $2. A vintage 'Alice In Wonderland Frock', with the adorably illustrated tag still attached, and the crisp tissue paper and pins on the inside. It will fit Adelaide this spring and I can hardly wait. I think we might need some patent leather shoes. And ruffle-bum tights? Alright, alright. I'll stop at that.

You. Not only did the shop sell out, but more importantly, you showered me with kind words. It feels *so* amazing to put yourself out there, sometimes a bit vulnerably, and to be met in return with kindness, and generosity. Really now, that's just wonderful. Thank you.

Baby Steps. And giving cause for one more celebratory dinner, a title for the book was finalized yesterday. I'm slowly beginning to believe that at the end of all of this (January '08!), there's going to be a book - MY book - that I can actually see, and hold, and read (well, I'll probably be too freaked out to actually read it - I'm anticipating it to be like hearing your voice on an answering machine.oy). So, without further adieu -
The Creative Family:
Simple projects and activities for you and your children that encourage imagination and nurture family connections
A title! Hooray!

Who knew that such a random Tuesday in January could be full of such goodness.

breathe

The edited manuscript is due today (sort of my 'last chance'). And the perfectionist in me (ugh) is having a minor freak-out, stomping her feet and whining those dreaded, evil words, "it's not good enough yet!".  I do think my kind and very gentle editor is going to need to come and pry this thing out of my hands, against my pleas for More Time (which I've already had). Either that, or I'm going to get a quick lesson in letting go. Um, Today.

So! Rather than talk about the ugliness that was me and the manuscript at 2 am this morning (oy), let's look at something pretty, shall we? Yes, let's.
My sweet, in her vintage smock I found this weekend while flea marketing with the lovely Meg and Brandie. The digging and rummaging and chatting with these two ladies was just the welcome break and escape I needed. And this smock on miss sweet cheeks makes me very happy, as do those sweet cheeks themselves, of course.

Ah. That's better. Return to the breath. Return to the breath. (Yeah, yeah.)

Recently Acquired

I've been remiss in sharing my thrifting finds of late. So how about a post of my favorite recent treasures? These buttons surely top the list (though the fab bowl I put them in - also newly thrifted - is the absolute 'perfect' mashed potato bowl, making that a big favorite too). The buttons were sealed up with gobs of tape in two ziploc baggies, and given local thrift store standards were actually "a lot" of money at first glance. I first walked away from them, thinking they were really dirty, and they were priced too high. Until I was at the back of the store and had calculated their total cost to be about what I spend on ice cream in three days worth of time. Um, yeah. I dashed back there to claim them for my own. And I'm sooo glad I did - such treasures in there. I use a lot of vintage buttons without much stress in giving them away, and so it's always a pleasant surprise that just as my stash gets depleted a bit, some new ones appear before me. Perfect.

Don't let the lazy photography fool you. These are two amazing 50's girls dresses that I just adore. I'm pretty sure my purchase of them cements the likelihood that Adelaide will despise wearing dresses by the time they fit her. And so, I put them up on my studio wall so I could enjoy them until the day when I beg and plead with her to wear them.

Ah. The vintage orange coat. I do adore. It needs a bit of sewing assistance, and it's first on my list after all the holiday goodness is done. I also need to lose about 5 lbs for this to fit just right, but that's going to have to wait until after all the holiday goodness is done too. Ahem.

And last but not least - this sweet gal. There's been plenty of holiday thrift finds around here, but they quickly get snatched up by little hands and 'distributed' throughout the house before a camera sees them. Holiday thrifting is definitely a favorite for me - there's just SO much great old stuff out there, and I seem to have far less stress about bringing more 'stuff' into the house since it's going to only be 'out' for a month, and then packed away for the rest of the year. I'm not sure exactly how that logic works. (but somehow it does.)

Now, on to the Joy

Thank you all so much for the support. I've tried to answer questions as best I can. My intention really was not to stir the can of worms more than it already was, nor to put more fear out there, nor to be hostile towards those of you who thought using images in a  'positive' way was okay. My tone might have sounded harsh as I was coming from a place of defending my children from being 'used' in a commercial way. I'm not fearful for our safety, and I have no intention of changing how my children appear on the blog, nor do I advise you to do so - unless that feels right for you. But I do believe strongly that asking first before using someone's content or images should be the standard. Providing a link on your website is fine (lots of you have asked me about this), that isn't 'taking' anything, it's just referring. A big difference. I was encouraged by most of the response to my post, and it feels good to me to know that we're looking out for each other. I think that, combined with awareness, and technological knowledge that will help protect image theft, this really can move in a positive direction. I do hope.

Now, let's get on to some joy, shall we? Please? I'm bursting to share this with you!

From under a table (always look under the table!) at a church rummage sale this weekend. It was one of those heart-leaping thrifting moments, where you're sure you're not going to actually make it out the door with the find. Do you know what I'm talking about? Frightening. The conversation went like this:

Church Lady: Oh no. Where did you get this dear? What is THIS doing out here?

Me: {sinking heart...and are those tears forming in my eyes?}

Church Lady: Father Michael! Come over and look at this. Who put this out here, this is filthy! We shouldn't have ripped up old quilts out here.

Me: Oh, it's okay! Really! I love old things.

Church Lady: I don't know who put this out there. This is all ripped up and old and filthy! Just filthy! Bertha {yes, really, her name was Bertha}, did you put this out there?

Me: {chewing my fingernails. getting a little twitchy.}

Bertha: Well, if she wants it, sell it to her!

Me: {That's my girl, Bertha.} Yes, I really do like it just the way it is.

Church Lady: Well, I can't sell it to you for a dollar, I just can't. It's just filthy. Bertha? I can't sell this to her for a dollar!

Bertha: Well, if she wants to buy it for a dollar, sell it to her for a dollar!

Me: No, really, it's FINE. Let me give you a dollar for it. I'm happy to! {please, please, please}

Church Lady: Well, alright then. But I just don't understand....I can't believe....Who would have....Why would....

Me: Um, thank you! {OUT the door}

Oh, how I love my 'new' quilt.

What I Love: aprons

These two new (old) thrifted aprons have me smiling. I remember loving to wear aprons as a child. And as un-feminist as this may sound (I actually think it's quite a feminist act), now as the 'Mom' in our family, I'm in love with the feeling I have when I put one on. As hectic and sometimes-insane as my life and the world around us may be, the minute an apron goes on everything changes. I'm suddenly reminded to take a deep breath, put on some music, and pour a glass of wine. There's something about wearing aprons that makes me want so desperately to bake bread, put more energy, thought and time into what we eat and how we eat it and just generally sloooow down not only our food, but our moments together too.

One more day of What I Love. I'm having fun. Thanks for playing along.

Corners of my Home

It's been a month since I posted for Corners of my Home for some reason, and it feels good to do it again. Today is a combination Thrifting Report and Corners of my Home. I scored this vintage metal high chair (or 'doll-e hi-chair' as the adorable decal says) at a yard sale this weekend for a mere One Dollar. I love it so very much. At the same yard sale, I found the vintage baby quilt hanging in the background. Yellow with pink dogs and balls of yarn, for crying out loud! Um, that would be 50 cents. Rock on.

The sweet baby doll was my mom's when she was little, and she winds up in the back and sings. Doesn't she look a little sassy? A little 'too cool for school' or something? I love her and her attitude, and the dress she's wearing (also my mom's). Her kerchief (hiding a mess of hair) is from a scrap of polka dotted silk I found this weekend while hunting with Lisa. We were at an adorable retirement home rummage sale, and thanks to her keen thrifting eye, we moved passed the room of baked goods and found a room full of all sorts of fun things (I hope she shares her great find from there too!).

More Corners of my Home on Flickr.

Quilt Monday

Sorry for the rip-off title, Amy. I was feeling a bit nostalgic for the great and inspiring "Quilt Mondays". (And by the way, is it possible to feel nostalgic about something only a few months ago? In internet time months equal years, and so it seems like ages ago, right?)

Anyway. So there's this quilt. I picked it up thrifting a few weeks ago. It was one of those finds that stopped my breathing momentarily, and I couldn't quite breathe right again until I got out of the shop and into my car. Safe from anyone snatching it away, or any other of the other ridiculous things that I imagined might prevent this blanket from becoming mine.

It's a mix of hand and machine stitched, with quite a bit of wear and fading. Which only makes me love it more...that it was once really loved a whole lot. But the fabrics. Oh, my. Amazing. Can you see the prints? two bluebirds with 'love in bloom' written; a duck with an umbrella and 'singing in the rain' written; and then those amazing multicolored mod-looking trees and people. I have no idea how to date that fabric, but I am quite curious. 50's, perhaps? Or later? Last year? I never can tell, really.

Sadly, photographing a quilt is a wee bit challenging. Photographing a mainly white, and faded quilt is a bear. The photos today are my third attempt. But I hope you get the gist. Because it's really quite lovely, and I'm so thrilled that it's new home is with me.

please talk me out of this

Yesterday a friend gave me a fun, fun pile of vintage knitting patterns to pour through, which are always such a treat to read. A lot of them end up being fairly similar to other patterns of the same era, but this one stopped me:

Okay, I have to make this. No, I really do have to make this. The sweater thing (I'll stop at the hat). Can't you see this in some really great, Oilily-ish bold colored cotton? It's crochet, which is kind of a bummer since i don't really crochet. But that isn't stopping me from planning an afternoon trip to the yarn store to buy yarn for this project. Have I lost my mind?

added: does anyone know the website where there's a list of vintage yarns and their gauge/yardage? I know I've seen that before, but I can't find it now. Thanks!!!

care for some tea?

My grandmother, Meme, was a dreamer, and a master of pretend play. The reality of her life was that she grew up very poor during the depression, in a large family, and saw much more than her fair share of tragedy. It's precisely that, I'm sure, that made her the dreamer she was. I adored being with her and all the dreaming we would do together-- we had secret names for each other (what? you think I'm telling? never!); had grand adventures to many places (including the 'seaside cruise' we went on in her backyard in the summer--which amounted to laying in lawn chairs, running a looooong extension cord from the house to prop a fan in front of us, closing our eyes and 'listening' to the boats in the harbor... All of this in the rural mountains of Maine, of course.); we had a tea party every day I was there; and of course, went on many a 'treasure hunt' at yard sales and junk shops.  On the summer of my 10th birthday, she decided our mission would be to find a real (as in, not a child's) tea set. Because every 10 year old girl needs her own tea set, right? Naturally. After a few days of hunting around, I came upon the tea set above at a shop, and I was sure that this was THE ONE. I think it surprised her--certainly it wasn't the 'fine china' that she had in mind, or that I was usually drawn to (we're talking about a child who already had a bavarian china collection at this point!), but - never one to get in the way of a child's dream - she bought this one for me anyway.

Mostly, it's sat in a box in some basement or another for the past 20 years. I've never been so sure that I love it, and haven't really had a place to keep it out anyway. I dug it up yesterday, as we're getting ready for Ezra's third birthday in two weeks and he wants a 'tea party'. I hadn't really looked at it in about 5 years and was surprised when I opened the box. Surprised that I think I kind of like it again. Or at the least, am very interested in figuring out what my 10 year old self loved about it. Today's goal is to find a spot for it so I can ponder just that. And so I can have a tea party with my little ones, perhaps on a breezy seaside cruise.

Score, Part Two

Still no sun, but I'm forging ahead with bad lighting and a wee bit of flash anyway.

For the Mama. Love, love, love the handknit 'pocorn' seriously old-school sweater. Lemon. Yum. And then the brown ribbed sweater I adore as well, especially the brand name "Glamour Knits". Love it. And, oh, those long johns! I *know* had a pair just like these as a kid that were actually a hand me down from my mom. I don't know what will become of this--clothes for A? hope for me to fit into them someday? Hmmn..... Had to have them.

Seriously bad lighting. But can you see them? Vintage girls sized nightshirts. I saw these three together and the tears started flowing right there in the thrift shop (oh yes, thrifting can be a highly emotional experience for someone as sentimental as I!)...My Meme always had a drawer full of these and whenever we would visit we would wear these all day. All day. And I loved them. So many memories.

And last, some vintage treats for the babe. Besides the red shirt on the left (love), the others were made to be dolls clothes, I believe, quite some time ago based on the prints. I think I might be able to squeeze her sweet arms into some of them as shirts this summer, then off to the dolls clothes bag they go.

It's so much fun to share thrifting finds with someone who appreciates it, isn't it? Steve, who's such a dear about it, really, is quite 'trained' in saying the right things about the treasures I bring home--"wow", "oh, what a find!', "really? only a dollar?" and other false statements to please me. It's very kind of him, of course, but I do think the past year of me sharing some of it here on the blog has taken some pressure off him! So I'll thank you--from him--for the oohs and aahs.

Oh, almost forgot! The grand total. For part one, and today's combined: $14. Oh, the joy.

Score

It's been a good thrifting week. So good that I'm going spread the goodness out over two posts. Here goes.

The fabric. I love that the linens at this place are 99cents. That makes me very very happy. This is an assortment of sheets, curtains, and bedspreads that will all have a new life as clothing or bags.

Also found in the linens department (my first stop always), are these vintage dishcloths. Um, I love.

I usually don't even look at the aprons, because really, how many can a girl need? But this fabric caught my eye. Love it. And I love that it's unfinished. Not sure if I'll actually finish it or cut up this delicious PINK fabric.

Second stop: the dishes. Some old glasses with silver rims (which match my current drinking glasses, which seem to break as fast as I bring new ones into the house), a great Hakerware oven plate and bowl (yummy mustard color), dishes to sort of match my sort of matching set of blue vintage dishes, two fun painted trays, and more fun yellow plastic bowls, all good for outdoor food, for sure. (good god, I just noticed the specks of food on the table in the back of the photo. we all have priorities. cleaning up isn't one of mine, apparently.)

Random rainbow goods. Old school suspenders which quite pleased my Ezra. A Susan Bates knitting row counter (I've never seen one with pegs like this before!). And an old Polaroid camera. I have no idea if I can even get film for this, but my littles are so fascinated with the 'magic camera' after a beach date last fall when mav showed them how it worked.

And my last stop (before rushing out the door because I've spent too much time there already), is always to the books. I found another old chapter book that I think the boys will love, and this FABULOUS big old book All About Ants. It's full of drawings and way more than I think I want to know about bugs, but still can't stop myself from looking. Oh! And the Jean Ray Laury Quilts and Coverlets book in the back was actually found by my friend Betsy at the same shop (Thanks, Betsy!).

That felt sooo good. Up next: Vintage clothing goodness. And the grand total price, because, really, that's part of the exciting thing about thrifting too, isn't it? The deals!

Vintage Pattern Fun

I'm finally getting on the ball and getting some stuff together in my Flickr albums. I just added a set of My Vintage Patterns, and uploaded most of the baby/children patterns I've been gathering at yard sales and received as gifts, etc. I love these vintage styles of clothing for children, and have grand plans (of course) to make lots of them. And the thought of using vintage fabric on them as well, makes me practically giddy.

These coats are so fabulous. I intended to make the boys coat for Calvin last winter, but got overwhelmed at the pattern instructions. I'm amused that the older patterns assume so much more sewing knowledge (mostly that I don't have!) than modern pattern instructions do. It seems like what is said in one step in 1960 ends up being 10 steps in a modern pattern.

And these dresses!! They remind me so much of pictures of my mom I see from the late 50's. So adorable. And then the 60's summer fun outfits on the left--how cute??!!

A Baby Jacket (or five)

I'm so excited about this jacket and hat set--I made it for Adelaide from the vintage pattern below. It's with my absolute favorite fabric of all time--the Munki Munki cardinal jersey (thank you, thank you Jessie!! What kind of a friend not only KNOWS what your favorite fabric is, but then gets you that fabric for your birthday, when it's nearly impossible to find? A damn good friend, I tell you!). I'm digging this pattern--I love that it's lined, so it's all comfy and cozy, and I really adore the scalloped edging on the front.

And because I'm completely insane (certifiable, I'm sure), here are the other FOUR jackets I made this week:


I told you I got a lot of crafting done this weekend!! Most of these are jersey on the outside (lots of Munki Munki here--I must be making room for the NEW line), with flannel on the inside, so they're pretty thick and warm. I have a few baby showers coming up that I might use these for, but I might start stocking up on them for the craft fair I'm doing next month (I told you I was insane).

It's Cool to be a Pack Rat

My habit of saving EVERYTHING comes from my parents (who, are by far, much much worse than me!). But sometimes I'm grateful for all the "stuff'" they saved--like this clown suit we found recently in my parents attic. My grandmother made this for her children to wear in the mid-fourties. And all 5 of her children wore it at one time or another (my dad included), and I remember two of my sisters wearing it too. It was in need of some serious cleaning and mending, but I managed that just fine, and now....Calvin (who's been performing circuses in the backyard since our circus experience this summer), has the perfect suit for his performances.

My crazy performer and the signs he made for the show. There are tickets, too, and a playbill. Oh yeah...he's pretty hardcore about his performances. Two showings a day around here. No rest for the clowns. (Hmnn..where could THAT intensity come from? I have no idea....)

And Ezra, the announcer and one man band for the show, who bangs on the banging wall for the "music".

Calvin, on the "set" of the circus. In the high spot where he gives his Mama a near heart attack.

I love, love, love all of Calvin's creative and imaginative characters and performances...such a joy of parenting and knowing him.

Goodness

Between the mail and a lovely visit from Jessie, the girls and her mom...some fun baby treats have arrived in our home in the past few days. I'll spread them out over two posts (and why not? I certainly don't have any crafting to post about!).

Look at this fabulous thrift shop find that Lisa sent! Isn't this vintage gown just lovely? And the pink (yes, PINK! Ah, I'm love with PINK right now.) romper poking from underneath is so sweet. Thanks for sharing your finds with me, Lisa! I love thinking of you wandering through a thrift store and spotting these for Adelaide. I wish I could be thrifting with you! ;)

And here starts an amazing gift package from Jacquie, otherwise known as "jessie's mom"  (who really must start her own blog--we'd all just drool over her amazing vintage finds and wonderful words and spirit to match).Let me tell you that Jacquie is as lovely, and kindhearted and warm as her daughter, and vice versa--I'm so terribly fond of the two of them, and feel quite blessed to know them. And this gift of sweetness is so perfectly "me", I was giddy opening it (even in the chaos of FIVE children running around), and poured over the contents several times throughout the day after they left. So, above, is a sweet embroidered piece, and some cutie pie mary jane socks!

And this book! Two Hundred Best Poems for Boys and Girls. Such a beautiful cover, and lovely illustrations inside too. Beautiful.

Yumminess!! A box full of vintage trim, buttons, ribbon, pins, and more. YUM!

This is where I get slightly orgasmic. Look at that pattern! And the vintage fabric! And the transfers!

And look at this loveliness in the details--the wrapping paper, card, stickers. Ah! Ah!

Thank you, thank you, Jacquie. Such a lovely treat for Adelaide and I to share.

My faith has been restored

So after griping last week about the lack of cool stuff in the local thrift stores, my faith was restored by the weekend yard sale hunt. A few of the treasures:

First, some fabulous vintage costume jewelry for dress up play. And a brooch for mama.

A way cool old lamp for my sewing table (so hard to photograph!).

Sweet, sweet vintage cotton baby blanket.

Glasses to match the set I already havem and an old soap dish.

Vintage fabrics.

And the jackpot. A tin full of old, old buttons.

Ah, that feels much better.

Vintage Sweetness

So, I suppose the flip side of getting no crafting time, is that I've gotten a lot of other necessary things done. This weekend, I hauled up from the basement and cleaned and sorted all the baby clothes. I'm so ridiculously nostalgic about my babes' clothes--it was like a flood of memories putting them all away--remembering when each of them wore them. And I found a few forgotten surprises, too...like these amazing vintage shirts that I found at a thrift store for 5cents a piece a few years back. They are so beautifully detailed --and so wee!! I think the seasons might be just right that this babe will actually get to wear them. Can't you just picture these on an itty bitty babe with just a cloth diaper underneath? Ah...

Surprises in the Mail

How cool is it to arrive home from vacation to fun, surprise mail treats? Very, very cool, I tell you. I got this package from the incredibly sweet and thoughtful Jes of Sweetpeas. She knew just how to get to my heart with these vintage knitting and crochet patterns.

And then look at this! A vintage, embroidered crib cover! I was squealing with delight when I opened it.

This package totally made my day! Such sweetness--from a fellow Maine girl, no less. Thanks so much, Jes!!

Weekend Finds

After a month of being busy on Saturday mornings, I finally had this weekend free enough to hit a few yard sales.  I was thrilled at the stash of vintage fabric I found at one sale. There was so much more that I left behind, and of course, being the greedy gal that I am, I'm so regretting not getting MORE! But here's what I did come home with, and most pieces are quite large-between 1 and 3 yards.

I love all these kitchen-y themed prints. I would LOVE to use the blue one on the right for curtains, but I don't think I have enough.

The black and white mod one on the left might be my favorite of all. I don't know what I'll dare to use it on!

More treats.

One of these needs to be a skirt, I think.

This one's wild--it's a burlap sort of fabric.

And of course, lots of ribbon!

Some wonderful vintage hats and gloves for dress up.

And two needlecraft magazines from 1933. So wonderful to look at! They each have needlework transfers included, too.

That was so much fun!!

Vintage Scariness

A few weeks ago when Steve and I were working on cleaning out the basement (oh, fun),  I found these two crazy things I just had to share. I must have picked them up when I was selling vintage finds on Ebay a few years ago. I think I couldn't let these go 'cause I didn't want them "out there" in the world! Scary!

"Play the game. Help with the housework" ! Perhaps this would have made a great father's day gift? ;)

And then there's this crazy game from the early 60's, "What Shall I Be:  the exciting game of career girls". Yup, the exciting game of career girls gives us these whopping six career options:

Teacher, Model, Actress, Nurse, Ballet Dancer, Airline Hostess.

Wow. A good reminder of gratitude to all the many, many women working for change in the past 40 years.

Weekend Finds

After a few weekends off from rummage sales, I finally went "sailing" this weekend for a couple of hours. Ah....bliss.

One of those funny old bassinets, that I just adore. And yes, I'm actually going to put my child in there. And two (more) old suitcases for fabric storage (pictures coming soon of my "cleaned up" stash!).

Fun old bowls that were a whopping 10cents a piece--how could I resist? I love the oven plate on the bottom--old and red seem to be a combination I'm drawn to lately!

Linens, of course. A large floral quilt-like blanket underneath, some holiday napkins, teapot embroidered tablecloth, and an old pink apron! (cause, you know, I need more of those!..oh, and btw, go over to Amy's and see what's she's got cooking up for an Apron collective!)

Some fun old books--origami, poetry for children....and look at that wild knitting needle case/holder in the back. Wow!

And, saving the best weekend find for last....an old quilt. This actually came from my parents house this weekend, and was made, I believe, by the same person who made my other two.  I love this new-to-me addition-- it's in such great condition, and such lovely fabrics. The colors are perfect for me and my home. And with the small  shapes (and size--this one's huge!) , I can't stop looking at all that amazing handstitching in awe.

Vintage Favorites

I have a huge love for vintage knitting and crochet patterns, and fortunately, a stash to satisfy. I love looking through all these old patterns, and trying a few once in a while.  Here's one of my favorites, Accesories from Red Heart Yarns, circa 1952.

Aren't these mittens / puppets so cute? Sometime I'll make these for all the little ones I know. Someday.

I love this yellow fanned bolero thingy. Isn't it cute? Too bad it's knit on a size two needles.

I ADORE the shape of the pink hat on the girl in the middle.  And what's up with the blue one on the littler girl?

This is just a fun picture. Fun hat...

And finally....a MUST HAVE for all of us....pom pom slippers. Definitely in yellow.

Vintage Dolls Clothes

Last year as I was helping my grandmother move out of her farmhouse, I came across a box full of dolls clothes that my great grandmother had made in the 30's. That box met a terrible fate that almost makes me cry every time I think about it (dumpster? goodwill? no one knows--I'm sure it would have been "junk" to anyone else there cleaning). BUT before the box disapeared, for some reason I still don't remember, I pulled a few out of the top layer, and this is what I still have. It's nothing compared to what I remember being in the rest of that box, but I'm still happy to have something!

Two sweet shirts. Lovin' the fabrics. And I totally love the practical way that they're made--you can tell it's scraps of fabric pieced together, mismatched buttons, etc.

More sweet fabrics. And the last pic is a shot of three of those gauzy/silk dresses. So beautiful!

And my favorites! A wool coat with embroidered flowers. And then an amazing knit sweater--I think this might even fit a newborn if I can figure out how to clean it gently.

 

Vintage Apron Show-and-Tell

I've been so tickled to see other people as equally as in love with vintage aprons as I am. Recently, Stephanie at Mama Unraveled 2 shared one of her beauties. And just this week, Amy over at Angry Chicken posted her beautiful collection of aprons. And I just stumbled on this book at Amazon, which I hope to check out soon.   Most of mine come from my grandmother and great grandmother, which for a sentimental gal like myself, is such a treat. I'll show pics of my favorites, and then a group one at the end to save this post from become nightmarishly long.

Love this black and white one with those great retro "star" shapes.

And polka dots are so freakin cool.

This one's wild--it was made by my great grandmother as a child, obviously learning to do needlepoint (I LOVE the "mistakes").

The shape on this one is really fun to wear.

I love the peekaboo pocket on this one.

Isn't this kite one, um ...weird?

And here's the rest of them. The browns on the bottom are a bit much for me to actually wear (am I remembering the 70's perhaps?), but I do like them anyway. Oh yeah, and there are the two that I got last weekend here.

And please forgive the terrible picture quality on this one it won't stop raining here!), but I wanted to show how I've been storing/displaying the aprons. I was so sad to keep them in drawers for years (I mean, you can only wear ONE at a time, right?), so finally I started keeping them out and on pegs in the kitchen like this. I move them around once in a while so I get to see them all.

I dream of quilts

I've always been intimidated by quilting, but at the same time, really drawn to it. One of my grandmothers-- a seamstress-- made many many quilts for all of us, but they weren't exactly my "style" (it was the 80's, there was no style anyway. Ha!). In high school, I helped her make my quilt, which I found to be so tedious--the endless cutting, the small small pieces, etc.  But I do appreciate her work so much more now, and am so grateful to have several that she made for us.   And then years later, I discovered a few antique quilts, and like all things old and textile-- I fell in love (um yeah, let's not get into the ridiculousness of my vintage apron or handkerchief "collections!"). Lately I've been (literally) dreaming about doing the hand stitching that I see on some of these old quilts....and I know the time is coming soon when I can resist it no longer!

In light of another quilt dream this week (this may be blamed on a late night browse at Amy's beautiful work at Kingpod!), I thought I'd share my favorite old quilts.  These first two are from a woman my family knew who was born in 1900. She never sewed or quilted, so I wonder if these were made by her mother. I'm not so great at dating them. I just love the hand stitching detail (which won't show up in the photos--dang!), and the "Sugar Sack" printing still visible on some of the back pieces! (click to enlarge)

And here's my favorite "little" quilt.....my great grandmother made it for my grandmothers doll bed. I love looking at all the fabric, particularly knowing that for something like this (and being very poor in rural Maine during the Depression), all the fabric must have come from old clothing in the family. I feel so connected to my past when looking at this simple quilt. The time that went into making a quilt for a doll for one of 5 children, when there must have been so many other things to be done....it seems like such a beautiful, timeless act of Mama Love.

Button, Button, Who's got the Button?

I've been so pleased lately to see so many mentions of others' vintage button obsessions--oops, I mean collections. ;)  Amy over at Angry Chicken put some beautiful vintage buttons to use on a jacket she made for her wee one. And at Craftapalooza, she recently found some cool "granny buttons" while thrifting.  And though they may not be vintage, I love this crafty use of buttons over at Split Yarn. I totally want to make some of those for the kids in all sorts of cool designs--birds, flowers, suns, etc.  And at Wee Wonderfuls recently, I saw what may be the most beautiful button ever! Hmn...and there was someone else who recently shared pics of her whole button stash, but it's too early for me to remember (anyone else remember?).

So....here's my stash.  Most of them are from my grandmother and great grandmother. I have this weird reverence for them (I'm so damn sentimental), that I almost never actually "use" them! But I love to just look at them, and play with them and imagine all the beautiful things that they once belonged on, or that I could create for them in the future.

And these are my favoritest of my favorites.....and they're exactly like the buttons on this vintage button bracelet that Steve bought for me in a Portland boutique when we first met (before I had shared my buttons with him! I thought it was a "sign"! LOL).  I adore the bracelet, and get so many compliments on it when I wear it. I wish I were at all competent at making jewelry so I could use these buttons for that!