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Isn't it wonderful?
Isn't it fabulous?
Do you see it?
Yeah, yeah, I know, bunnies. They're cute. I like 'em a lot. But look behind the bunnies.
Do you see what's on the window?
Raindrops! It's raining! It's not just raining, it's pouring. Which means it's not snowing.
Actual spring-like precipitation. It takes so little to make me happy.
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Know what this is?
Here's a hint.
It's a little needle case. I picked this up at the flea-market store for 50 cents, but you can make one in no time at all.
I'm making one out of this piece of embroidery I've been keeping forever. It was the corner of a tablecloth that was an absolute wreck, but I couldn't throw this embroidery out.
The only other things you'll need are narrow bias tape, a scrap of plain fabric, a scrap of flannel and a snap. As usual when I'm posting about how to make something, some of my photos didn't come out so great, but this is so easy you can probably figure it out anyway. First, cut out a circle for the outside of the needle case (mine is about 7 inches across; it can be pretty much any size) and another circle the exact same size for a facing. Put the circles wrong sides together and bind the edge with bias tape.
Next, fold the circle in half with the pretty side out and press.
Cut a slightly smaller circle out of the flannel, pinking the edges if you've got pinking shears, fold in half with the pretty side out and press. Then, line up the center of the half-circle of flannel with the center of the outside circle and stitch through all. Sew on the snaps.
That's all there is to it.
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One of the first things I saw when I got home last night, sometime after 9 p.m., was a tower of laundry the same height as me in the bathroom. It was impressive - not only for the fact that it materialized during the 12-hour period I had been gone, but for the skill that went into its creation. It's not just every teenager that could get a final bath towel on top of that pile without knocking the whole thing over. It took one of my highly skilled teenagers. Rather than showing off their creation, I thought you might rather see a picture of some old quilt squares.
These came from the estate of a woman whose family has been friends with my family for generations. A few of the blocks were appliqued onto backing fabric, but most of them weren't. And three of the blocks explain the original idea for the project:
A friendship quilt.
I recognize all of the names, since they were all families from the area where I grew up.
And although I don't know why this particular project was put aside and never finished, I can imagine that Mrs. Saul just got busy with other things. She and her husband lived on a farm and raised three children. She had a family to feed, a house to clean, a garden to tend. When she had a pile of laundry to do, she used a wringer washer machine and a clothesline. Still, she thought about making pretty things, and sometimes she got them done, and sometimes she had other priorities. We can all identify with that.
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There's been some discussion lately of whether it's too early to put out Easter decorations. It kind of is for me, but it's prime season to get out the Easter craft supplies. These fluffy chicks came from an estate sale last year. Much as I love them just as they are, they could use a little dressing up.
This required some green Easter grass (the paper kind - love that stuff), a jewelry box lid and a scrap of vintage wrapping paper. I also ended up getting out every millinery flower I own.
We settled on lilies of the valley.
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H is for handkerchiefs, and by the way, I want both of these objects in slightly different versions. I think I'm willing to tackle the limited amount of embroidery it would take to make myself a flowered monogram handkerchief. I like the handkerchief pouch, too, but I think I'd make one with a brighter scrap of fabric and a vintage button. (Both have to wait until I finish the regrettably large crocheted doo-dad bag, although I'm pleased to say the half-crochet stitch is coming along swimmingly.)
The letter H also stands for how-to. Since I spent an inordinate amount of time washing and pressing handkerchiefs Thursday, I thought I'd accomplish two things at once and do a little post about how I clean them. I'm not an expert, but you can learn from my mistakes. First, and this is probably obvious, but don't wash vintage handkerchiefs in the washing machine. They're too delicate for all that agitation. If they need to be washed, I soak them in Oxy Clean. It's especially good at getting out yellowing. Not all handkerchiefs are colorfast, so be careful. Be very cautious about yellow and somewhat cautious about red. I start out with maybe a heaping tablespoon in a dishpan-full of hot water. You can make it stronger if you need to, and soaking overnight often does the trick.
One thing that Oxy Clean won't get out are rust spots. On hankies, they're usually little pinhead-size spots that are orange or dark red, usually courtesy of a straight pin or a staple. Whink came to the rescue on this pretty monogrammed handkerchief. Follow the package directions exactly. I don't experiment with stuff that's got a big DANGER label on the front. If all of the stars are aligned, the rust spot will melt away before your very eyes. If a dark cloud is over your head, the Whink will eat away the rust spot and the fabric underneath it. That's more likely if there's a big or very dark spot.
Were you wondering what the L stands for? It's for my pal Linda, who's having a giveaway right now. I've seen the Little dresses she's giving away Live and in person, and they are Lovely. If you're Lucky, you'll win. OK, that's enough from the Letter L.
I use the bleach pen pictured earlier only sparingly, and usually on something a little more sturdy, like a pillowcase. Bleach is harsh stuff. It can also make a white background too white, so you end up with a spot anyway.
This picture is of some of the hankies I finished yesterday - I'm working on my big beauty shot for an eBay listing this weekend. (Some are going on Etsy, too.) The posy is in the middle is covering up the pointed tips that I didn't quite line up.
Here's an ironing action shot. Sort of. This is after the hankie has been washed and air-dried.
Here it is after ironing.
Here it is after starching and ironing. I love starch. I like the pump-bottle, non-aerosol Niagara Spray Starch. I forgot to take its picture. Anyway, a final important note on ironing. Sometimes you read that it's a good idea to iron things while they're slightly damp, to really get out the wrinkles. I'm here to tell you that can end in disaster - like irreversible, I can't believe I just scorched this embroidered Madeira handkerchief to death disaster. The iron can just latch on to those damp fibers and singe them. It doesn't always happen, but it's happened to me often enough to let things dry. I'm so cautious now I even let the starch settle a little. It's horrible to work so hard to get something clean and perfect, only to ruin it in ironing.
Hope this post has been helpful and hasn't bored you to tears. In the right frame of mind, I find all of this fussing with linens sort of soothing and meditative. It's pretty satisfying to the inner preservationist to bring something a little tired back to its original loveliness.
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Apparently I own a boatload of vintage handkerchiefs. I do not understand how this happened, since I promised I wasn't going to buy any more. I did talk myself into buying these at the thrift store Wednesday, though. Actually, I think I had promised I wouldn't get carried away at an auction bidding on vintage handkerchiefs, as I had in the past.
And I would only buy ones that were in perfect condition. Or one little bath in Oxy Clean away from perfection. Listen, if a newly appointed senator can have multiple versions of how exactly he got to be a newly appointed senator, I surely am allowed to revise my recollection of vintage handkerchief purchase rules.
Wednesday's purchase included the classic crocheted butterfly hankie.
A collection of dainty chiffon hankies with flocked flowers.
Pretty pink flowers.
And some lovely lavender blossoms.
Wednesday's haul of hankies forced inspired me to look through some of the other handkerchiefs I've accumulated, which I had justified purchasing by saying I'd sell them. I'm really trying to get better about that. So I guess I'll be parting with the most perfect springtime handkerchief ever. Maybe.
And this set of round hankies with flowers and ribbons.
And these - all the same pattern, but in different colors. Maybe.
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During the auction season, Beth does these great posts in which she brings home a box lot of treasures, then unpacks it piece by piece. I don't have a box lot, but I did find a scrapbook that I couldn't wait to explore. I was so interested in what was inside the book that I didn't notice until I got home how pretty the cover is. These pictures aren't going to be the greatest because it's been dark gray outside all day, but we'll muddle through.
I had just looked through a pile of scrapbooks that were filled with magazine pictures and newspaper clippings, and at first I thought this didn't look very promising, either. Page after page of envelopes ...
which I then realized were filled with greeting cards. Which were in perfect shape, because the envelopes kept them nice and clean. And with the postmarks, I can tell exactly how old they are. This one is from 1946, although the plane and the pilot's goggles are a pretty good clue it's not exactly new.
There were lots of valentines ...
and lots of cowboys.
There were a few Christmas cards, but some very sweet Easter cards. Can you see what the bunny's doing? He's playing the "bells." I love when bunnies do that.
More Easter sweetness.
And baby cards, one of which had a note that said "Dear Ada, Congratulations. I heard you were hoping for a girl." The baby was a boy, which just goes to show you that clueless behavior is not a recent phenomenon.
A couple of extra-pretty ones.
And these two - one with a bunny-covered hatbox, and the other with an embossed quilt.
And since my husband and I met while working at the same newspaper, this one is probably my favorite.
I had another lucky find at another thrift store today, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.
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I've been thinking about that old saying, the advice that's given to mothers of sons that are getting married: "You're not losing a son, you're gaining a daughter." I've been telling myself that I'm not losing fabric. I'm just making space for more. This is some of what I've been listing on Etsy the last couple of days. Those of you have experienced the joy of listing items know that only about 4 percent of one's total brain capacity is needed for the job. The other 96 percent is devoted to cussing at the computer and/or camera and thinking about other things you'd rather be doing. Once I had that out of my system, I made up stories about where my fabric might go.
This might be the curtain on the door of a florist shop on a charming street. The door has a bell that jingles when a customer or the postman enters. Today, the postman (played by the late Jesse White) is handing a letter to the owner of the shop (Meg Ryan.) She's so distracted upon seeing the envelope and the return address that she forgets to tell the postman to have a nice day. She reads the letter and immediately picks up the phone to call her best friend, the wisecracking hairdresser who rents the other side of the building. (You can pick out the actress to play the hairdresser. I just watched Sleepless in Seattle for the 99th time, and I can only think of Rosie O'Donnell, but I'm not seeing her in the hairdresser role.)
This is the curtain on the door of the beauty shop. It goes with the curtain on the door of the florist shop without being too matchy-matchy.
The hairdresser lives in a funky apartment upstairs that has a chair upholstered in barkcloth.
Meanwhile, in Iowa ... (I didn't get very far on this story.)
I'm so worried about this piece. It wanted to be a shirtdress in the worst kind of way. It wanted to be worn with white summer sandals and a clasp bracelet, but it feels as if its time has come and gone.
Meanwhile, in Portland ... (Oregon or Maine? You decide.)
There's also a piece of vintage red denim that wasn't very photogenic but very, very cool. I want a former contestant from Project Runway to buy it. I don't really care which one, as long as it's not one of those designers overly involved with sequins. Maybe Michael from a few seasons ago. He was good at sportswear. I liked him.
Enough of my overactive imagination. Here's what I want to make from my new Learn to Crochet book.
It's the beginner's project for the half-double crochet stitch. I'm a little concerned about the lacy edging, but the instructions make it seem like it couldn't be easier.
I think this sweater is adorable. I'm not ready to try that. Plus, what if you get the whole thing pretty much done and you realize it doesn't fit?
I like this a lot, too.
I think I'm going to do a giveaway pretty soon. Here's a hint: It's got nothing to do with this post. Here's another hint, a la Top Chef: A significant advantage will go to people who usually read my blog and leave comments. This week will be kind of like the Quick Fire challenge. (I think I'm watching too much television.) Soon this will all make sense.
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Today's good sport award goes to my husband. He was happy to go along with my suggestion to visit the big barn o' unfinished furniture, and I really did not have any ulterior motives. Somehow, though, and largely because I was driving, we ended up at my favorite little odd flea market. My husband groaned twice - first when we pulled in ("Where are you going?" "Look, the flea market's open!") and the second time when we walked in. He'd never been inside. It is a bit of an inventory nightmare. But the well-trained eye knows where to look, and I spotted the little thatched-roof cottage covered with roses salt and pepper shakers almost instantly.
Here's the rest of the haul. I had to work quickly, although my husband would tell you he felt like we spent a lifetime in there. There's a Learn to Crochet book, which has instructions and patterns that I think even I can follow, and because we love all of the holidays, a set of flag picks, a tree-topper ($2!) and five vintage valentines (5 for 10 cents!!). I'll show you some of the patterns inside the book tomorrow.
Note to Sue: It's the place in Elbridge. They had a Vera scarf, bright geometric blocks, but it's the chiffon kind, not the silky kind. I left it for you.
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