Simply charming...

 

The next phase in my parents life has begun - we must liquidate all household goods in preparation for ultimately putting the house on the market. I have spent the winter months cleaning out drawers, cupboards and closets. Endless trips to St. Vincent de Paul, Goodwill or The Neighbor's Place...personalized items, important papers, even jars of pennies have been safely stored...refrigerator and freezer cleaned out and unplugged...each donation, each disconnection, each packing away of something is a piece of their lives changed forever. I can hum along at a fairly good pace and then the discovery of something will stop me in my tracks. Photographs of us when, oh, so very young, we rode for what seemed like endless days in a big heavy blue Buick or a tan colored Ford "boat" - Yellowstone, Bryce, Zion, Jackson Hole and the Grand Canyon - in the 1950's, the ultimate road trip on the new US highway system...memories...

Mom'scharm bracelet...I immediately spot the tiny sewing machine - with movable parts! Thimble & spool of thread. A cigarette lighter (Mom smoked until the '70's), a toaster with slices of bread that move and 3 engraved silhouettes for my brother & I and our David - her Grandson. The rest are largely a mystery and I will take this to her in the hopes she can tell me more.

These are mine and every one tells a story...first plane ride, school memories, bridesmaids, years of being a military family - it's all there...history linked around a person's wrist...

Two in silver and 2 started in gold...with space for adding more...

Do you have a charm bracelet? How often do you wear it?

Pat

 

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$Antique Blocks$

Thank you for dropping by...my blog posts of late have been few and sporadic. Chalk it up to ongoing family committments, lots of house projects and just the lure of the garden on a summer day...

Having never done this before, I am not sure how to go about it properly, so will just jump in...

These 6 appliqued blocks have been in my possession for much too long...I found them in an antique shop near Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin which is north of us.

They probably date to the late 1800's but possibly earlier? Hand appliqued, and a uniquely done stem - see close up. The narrow stem was folded and stitched on one side, leaving the folded edge free.

There is one smaller age spot and you can faintly see old stitching lines. Was this part of a larger quilt top?

... Fabrics are double pink, turkey red and "poison green." The background is muslin. My sketchy thinking that the blocks might be earlier - or at least the fabrics - are due to the green which is overdyed.

Is the pattern some variation of Whig Rose? You've got me.. This c.1850's quilt look similar..

The blocks could be placed on point with alternating squares allowing for lovely hand quilting such as a fancy wreath...or perhaps you would just like to keep them as a reference for vintage fabrics and block construction.

I am downsizing my sewing room (and as time permits - the rest of the house). I won't tell you what I paid for them back in 1994 - way too much! If you are interested in these, I am asking $40 for the 6 blocks. Shipping will depend on your location. Hoping they will find their way to a new home and become a quilt that the original maker will smile down from above and say "Thank you!"

Pat

 

 

 

 

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Quilting of an evening...

...after a picture perfect day here at the edge of the woods at Taylorsoutback...is there anything better than a day in June when blue skies and puffy clouds bring temperatures of 70...how I wish for this all year...

Arctic lupines in full bloom and keeping watch over my young herb plants...

The sewing room beckons - windows open to fresh air that is so soft and still as the sun sets...a gentle drift of music from a favorite Pandora station...

And slow, steady progress doing machine stippling on my Mountmellick quilt..

All in all, a lovely evening, treasured, because they don't happen too often these days...

Wishing you a gentle evening to do what you will...

Pat

 

 

 

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