The Humble Stitcher

Early Work Mercantile Update Tonight!

2012-02-29T16:18:00.010-08:00

Wow...I can't believe it's already time for my monthly Early Work Mercantile update...where does the time go??? This month I stitched three sampler style pinkeeps with spring flowers in mind. They are all stitched on linen and then antiqued for a warm, early look.

I am a certified Country Rustic Primitives fanatic and so couldn't help stitching two of Jenny's wonderful designs. Don't you just love those red blossoms and pretty blue birds???

I also love this sweet pattern by Primitive Stitchin and decided to include it with my offerings for March. I've had this pattern by Shelly Auen for a while but finally got around to stitching it up. I changed the date a little bit (sometimes I just can't help myself!) and am pleased how it turned out.

These will all be posted on Early Work Mercantile later this evening if you'd like to take a peek. Just click on the link at the top left of my blog to get there...I'd be honored to have you stop by :)

I hope you have all been keeping well and that March will be a good month for everyone. Enjoy your stitching!

Sandy

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's sending you all big hugs and wishing you a wonderfully sweet day!

Sandy

Early Work Mercantile!

2012-01-31T18:05:00.001-08:00

I am pleased to announce that I will now be selling some of my handmade goods on Early Work Mercantile starting later this evening! Look for my updates on the 1st of every month from this point on. I feel honored to be selling alongside so many talented and gifted artists and would be pleased to have you stop by and take a peek if you get the chance.

I am starting things off with two bird pinkeeps made with Valentine's Day in mind as well as a 19th century inspired doll quilt. I hope you like them :)

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the beginning of a new month...where does the time go? Happy February to you all and, as always, I wish you lots and lots of happy stitching!

Sandy

Some Old Bears

2012-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

There is nothing in the world quite like an old teddy bear which is why I love them so much! Old American bears are my favorites and here are three from my collection. The little white one is an early Ideal as is the brown one but the origin of their rust colored friend is still something of a mystery. Aren't those sweet old faces completely irresistible?

I hope the New Year has been good to everyone so far. I have an exciting announcement coming in the next week or so. Until then, I wish you all lots and lots of happy stitching!!!

Sandy

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T17:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to my very special friends! May 2012 be a wonderful year for us all filled with love, peace, and lots and lots of stitching!!!

Sandy

Merry Christmas To All!

2011-12-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

I want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas Eve and a joyous Christmas Day. May the peace of the season continue far beyond just today and tomorrow but remain in your hearts always.

Merry Christmas!
Sandy

Merry Christmas Cupboard Keep

2011-12-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

I just finished another Christmas design by Country Rustic Primitives and wanted to share it with you all. This one is called "Merry Christmas Cupboard Keep"...don't you just love that Santa??? Jenny's designs are so much fun to stitch and I always love how they turn out.

I stitched this one on linen, backed it with a pretty homespun cotton fabric and then aged it for a nice, warm, primitive look. It is, as always, stuffed with wool for that old fashioned finish that I love.

I hope you are all keeping warm and enjoying the holiday season so far. Christmas will be here before you know it...guess that means I'd better get started on my shopping!

Happy stitching :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T20:33:00.000-08:00

I love the cover engraving from this old 1866 American Sunday-School Union tract and wanted to share it with you as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, 2011. I hope everyone has the kind of holiday that will be treasured and remembered for many, many years to come. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends...I am thankful for each and every one of you!

My Thrift Store Doll

2011-11-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

If you treasure old cloth dolls like I do then you're going to love what I found at the thrift store last week! Can you believe I purchased this wonderfully worn yet obviously cherished old doll for a mere $20.00! Be still my heart!!! She smells of an old cedar chest so I believe she has been passed down from generation to generation until finally, no one was left to care for her anymore. I guess that's where I come in because I plan to keep her for many, many years to come!

Her eyes are made from two old pins and her original cotton head is now covered with a newer stockinette type fabric. I'd love to see what her original face looks like but will just have to imagine it because I'm not going to change this sweet girl in any way.

What little hair she has is braided from something like straw, at least that's what it feels like to me. A pretty white ribbon keeps every strand in place just perfectly.

Judging from her dress fabric, I'm guessing she was made sometime in the mid 19th century. I decided that such a special girl should have her very own pinkeep, so I made one from a pattern by primitivebettys. It's obvious to me that some little girl treasured this wonderful doll many, many years ago. My how I wish she could talk!

O Christmas Tree Pinkeep

2011-11-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that just one week from tomorrow is Thanksgiving but...it's true! Where did this year go??? In order to get myself in more of a holiday frame of mine, I decided to stitch my favorite design by Country Rustic Primitives called "O Christmas Tree 1806 Pinkeep". I bought the pattern last year but finally got around to actually making it this year...and...it's not even December yet!!!

I stitched it on linen, stuffed it with wool and then backed it with a wonderful brown reproduction calico that I absolutely love :)

Hope you are all keeping well and happily stitching on something that makes you smile!
Sandy

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

Here's wishing you all a fun, safe and spooky Halloween! I adapted my pumpkin doll from a pattern by Sunnyknoll and thought she was perfect to share with you today.

Happy trick or treating everyone :)

Another Little Bear

2011-10-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

I finally finished stitching another one of my little bears (yeah!) and wanted to share him with all of you. Please meet Rusty, a 5 inch fully jointed bear that I made from mohair using a pattern of my own design. I also hand knit his tiny scarf...just in time to keep off a much anticipated autumn chill that will hopefully be arriving here any day now. Hope you like him!

My Blog Giveway Winner...

2011-10-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

My most helpful old American bear was anxious to draw the lucky winner by himself when...

another helper arrived on the scene and insisted that he be allowed to join in on the fun.

Together, they pulled the winning name from out of the basket and told me that is was Jennie Lynn from Appleseed Prim!!! Congratulations, Jennie Lynn. I will send you an email and get your mailing info. Enjoy your new birdie pinkeep!

Thanks to everyone who left such sweet comments re my giveaway...I appreciate each and every one of them :)

My First Blog Giveaway!

2011-09-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

I now have 100 friends who follow my blog so, as a big thank you to you all, I decided it was time for my first ever blog giveaway. My gift is an autumn colored bird pinkeep that I adapted from a pattern by Rock River Stitches and sewed completely by hand. He is made from wool, stuffed with wool roving and holds a little string of buttons that I think he must have stolen from my button jar! Just leave a comment on this post and I will enter your name into a drawing which will be held on October 5th.

Good luck and thank you all for your awesome gift of friendship, support and creative inspiration...you're the best!

Sandy

Happy Autumn!!!

2011-09-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite season of all and so it is with great pleasure that I say these words..."Happy first day of autumn!!!" I designed a little pinkeep in order to celebrate this day properly and hope to have it available as a pattern sometime in the future.

It is stitched on R & R 30 count Witches Brew linen and is backed with a wonderful old looking homespun fabric. I hope you like it :)

And now...I'm off to buy some pumpkins at my local market. I saw they were in last night and can't wait another day to get some. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone :)

Samplermakers Autumn Stitcher's Challenge...My Finish!

2011-09-18T16:24:00.001-07:00

Here at last is my finished piece for the Samplermakers Autumn Stitcher's Challenge. Samplermakers is an online group of amazing needlewomen (and at least one man!) that was started by Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm. Our challenge was to design an autumn themed piece using at least two motifs that were graciously provided by Jennie Lynn of Appleseed Prim.

I chose to make a sampler using Jennie Lynn's owl and crow motifs as well as enlarging and adapting her house motif to fit my own design a little better. Everything else was created by me except for the antique alphabets...these came from an old 1885 pattern booklet I own. I worked my sampler on 30 count 18th Century Brown R & R hand dyed linen and am really pleased how everything turned out. Thank you, Jennie Lynn, for such a fun challenge. I can't wait for the next one!

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-04T22:46:00.000-07:00

I want to wish you all a happy and productive Labor Day as we celebrate this uniquely American holiday. Autumn...here we come!!!

Strawberry Pillow Tuck

2011-08-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

I just finished stitching another wonderful sampler design...this one is by Beth Twist of Heartstring Samplery. It is called "With My Needle" and according to Beth, is inspired by:

Sweet summer strawberries and the thousands of little girls from centuries past who signed their samplers, "With my Needle".

I stitched my sampler on linen and decided to make it into what is either a somewhat large pinkeep or perhaps a rather small pillow tuck...I can't decide which! It is stuffed with wool roving and backed with a piece of wool that has been dyed a yummy "antique" strawberry color. I love doing these simple pinkeep/pillow finishes with no framing involved :) It keeps things nice and easy!

I can't believe that the weekend is here already...where does the time go??? Here's wishing you all a nice, relaxing two days filled with lots and lots of stitching!

Rachael Hawkes Sampler

2011-07-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

I finally finished stitching this wonderful sampler designed by Linda Gillon of Primitive Things and wanted to share it with you. The pattern is called "Rachael Hawkes" and is only one of many amazingly primitive samplers that Linda has to offer. I stitched mine on linen using cotton floss and really love how it turned out. This was my first of Linda's designs to try but it definitely won't be my last. After all, one can never have too many samplers in the house!!!

I hope everyone is keeping cool during all the heat that seems to be everywhere. Aren't these hot days of summer just perfect for staying inside and stitching???

My Little Bears

2011-07-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, several years ago, I used to make little teddy bears and sell them under my then business name of Sandy Paws. I say "little" bears because they usually stood 5 inches tall or slightly less and, because of this very manageable size, I was always able to easily stitch them entirely by hand. I came across a group of these little guys the other day and thought it might be fun to show them to you.

Wobbles, Bradley and Marmalade are all made from mohair and stand 5 inches tall. I used my own original design to make them and knitted Marmalade's scarf myself using pearl cotton.

Wally is my smallest bear. He stands just 3 inches tall and is made from a really soft "mini" bear fabric. My grandmother's old thimble will help give you a better idea of his actual size. I always loved making my bears but there came a time when I just needed a break from those little but sometimes demanding faces. Happily, I'm feeling that maybe it's time to get out my mohair once more and start stitching...

I hope everyone is staying as cool as possible so far this summer. I am still stitching away but don't seem to be getting much finished lately. Those cooler days of autumn sound pretty good right about now!

Happy 4th Of July!

2011-07-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

Here's wishing you all a safe and happy Independence Day celebration with those you love. Happy Birthday America!!!

Penny Rug

2011-06-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

I love wool applique and especially love to make penny rugs. I haven't been able to find out too much about the history of early penny rugs except that they probably originated in New England sometime in the 1800s. They may have descended from early bed ruggs (bed coverings) that eventually developed into smaller table coverings. Most antique penny rugs were made from recycled clothing or fabric scraps of wool or cotton. The height of their popularity seemed to be around 1870.

My penny rug is made from a pattern by Karyn Lord of Wool & Whimseys. I was lucky enough to take one of Karyn's classes a while back and was really inspired by her obvious love of the art of making penny rugs. It really was a fun class and I learned a whole lot (especially about the blanket stitch!)

I hope everyone is having a good summer so far. I have been catching up on gardening and housekeeping tasks so haven't had as much time as I'd like for stitching but still try to complete a few letters on my current sampler project everyday. Hopefully, I will have it finished soon :)

Happy Flag Day!

2011-06-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

Three cheers for the red, white and blue...long may she wave!

Memorial Day Remembrance

2011-05-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Remembering the many who have died in all of America's wars as well as those they left behind...may peace come soon.

Sandy

Simple Four Patch Doll Quilt

2011-05-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

I have a special place in my heart for old doll quilts that look to have been made by a child. With that in mind, I decided to make a basic little four patch quilt that was inspired by those simple quilts of old. Mine is made from reproduction calicoes and is entirely pieced and quilted by hand. It measures about 12 inches by 9 inches and each four patch block is 3 inches square.

I backed it with what is probably my favorite reproduction madder print of all time. Jo Morton designed it a few years ago for Andover Fabrics and I LOVE it! It is from the Jo's Calicoes line and is just wonderful.

I'm looking forward to a quiet night of stitching at home tonight so better get to it...my sampler awaits!

Happy stitching!

Housewife For My Civil War Soldier

2011-05-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I happily found a reprint of an original United States Christian Commission pattern for making a Civil War era housewife (sewing kit). The Christian Commission was an organization very much like the Sanitary Commission with the added function of ministering to the soldiers' spiritual needs as well as their physical ones.

The patterns were distributed on the home front by the Christian Commission so that women and children left behind could make these housewives for their beloved soldiers. Included in the instructions were the following words:

It is said by many soldiers and sailors that a well-filled house-wife saves them from Five to Fifteen Dollars in cash. It enables them to mend their clothes, sew on buttons, &c., and thus preserves what would soon be destroyed, and have to be replaced by new. Beside this, the moral value of one of these little articles is often unspeakable... The following is the most simple, convenient and serviceable style we have seen...Housewives, thus made, are much more convenient and serviceable than comfort bags.

I have made several of these housewives for my son and his reenacting friends and many have told me that the Christian Commission had it right...they work extremely well and are very handy.

What I find especially interesting is that the original pattern called for an elastic cord fastener. I had no idea that elastic was even around in the 1860s but it was actually patented in 1820 by an Englishman, Thomas Hancock. When I make these for myself and my "modern" day friends, I don't usually include the elastic cord because I like the finished look much better without it. But my son and his friends always get the most authentic version I can manage, calico button and all!

That's the last of my Civil War postings for now...I hope you have enjoyed them!

Hand Knit Scarves For My Civil War Soldier

2011-05-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I took a knitting class and learned just enough to realize that knitting needles are definitely not my needles of choice. I did manage to master the lowly garter stitch and now every so often find myself knitting scarves whenever I need something to keep myself mindlessly occupied.

Luckily, my son can use these scarves in his Civil War reenacting so at least my efforts are not in vain! Here in California we don't have much use for wool scarves but once or twice a year I wear one myself when the weather is exceptionally cold.

During the American Civil War, women and children on the home front knit many different kinds of items for the soldiers, including mittens, gloves, stockings, caps and scarves. I am amazed that little children of six or so years of age could knit stockings that would put me to shame. I can only imagine how many thousands of scarves were lovingly knit at home for all of the husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers away fighting in that terrible war. It's heartwarming to think just how grateful those soldiers must have felt when they happily received those precious items from home.

Nine Patch Quilt For My Civil War Soldier

2011-05-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

My son, Zach, is an avid history student who loves to reenact various eras from America's past. One of his special interests has always been the Civil War so I decided to make him a reproduction United States Sanitary Commission quilt based on an actual surviving quilt I saw in one of my quilt books.

I used the dimensions for a "Sanitary Commission Nine-Patch" given in Barbara Brackman's wonderful book Quilts From the Civil War and then tried my best to copy the colors used in the original piece. My quilt was sewn entirely by hand but soldier quilts of the period were often machine sewn since these went together faster and therefore got to the men quicker.

I decided to tie or "tuft" my quilt instead of hand quilting it because this was a common 19th century way to finish a utility quilt. Hospitals were in desperate need of these cot sized quilts so women made them as fast as they could in order to help comfort their sick and wounded men. Because of this, I'm sure that more than a few were put together quickly by tying. Women and children on the home front (both sides) worked selflessly to keep their soldiers supplied with quilts and other necessities but it was the United States Sanitary Commission that stood second to none in making sure these treasured items ended up in the places where they were needed most.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I will be sharing a few more Civil War projects in the coming days so until then.....

Happy stitching!
Sandy

Marking Sampler Pinkeep

2011-04-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun designing this simple little pinkeep using letters I found on an old 1830s alphabet chart. I stitched it on linen and then stuffed it with wool for more of an authentic finish.

The backing fabric is a reproduction calico with teeny tiny blue flowers and is a fabric that I really love. I decided to antique the piece just a little for a nice vintage feel and am happy to say that I got the look that I was going for.....always a nice way to end up a project :)

Here's wishing everyone a happy weekend!!!

Great Aunt Rosa's Dolls

2011-04-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

My Great Aunt Rosa was born in 1899 and sadly passed away when I was only ten. She was a first generation German American and my own grandfather's sister. I never met her but cherish her memory because of the cloth doll she made for me when I was very young. I always remember having the doll so can't tell you exactly when she was made but 1953/54 is probably about right.

I had many dolls as a child but Aunt Rosa's is one of the few that survived my mother's many doll purges (long story but you probably get the idea). I played with her a lot as a child and always remember the story of how Aunt Rosa made dolls like mine for all of the girls in the family. She was made with two dresses to play with, brown wool hair and a wonderful hand embroided face. I never named her when I was little but think she should now be called Clara since that was Aunt Rosa's middle name.

Like I mentioned before, Aunt Rosa made dolls for every girl in the family but I never saw any besides mine until my daughter was born. It was then that my cousin presented me with a doll she had in her family as a special gift for my new baby girl. This doll was obviously in much better condition than my Clara so I think she wasn't played with much. In fact, I think she most likely belonged to my Great Aunt Anna, who was Aunt Rosa's sister. She has a pretty dotted swiss dress and lovely hand sewn shoes plus that same endearing face as my Clara. Her dress is sewn on so I think she was mostly meant for display and not actual play. Her name is Anna.

I am so happy that I still have these dolls today and that a part of my Aunt Rosa may still live on thru me and my doll making. I hope she would be proud.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

I want to wish all of my friends a very blessed Easter. I hope the Easter Bunny brings you lots of chocolate!

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here's wishing you all a wonderful day celebrating this precious planet we call home. Happy Earth Day!!!

Gail Wilson Doll Number Two....Finished!!!

2011-04-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that I just completed my second Gail Wilson doll for this year and am really enjoying the experience of working on these wonderful patterns. This newest girl is Pattern 101 called "Dolls To Make With Vintage Fabrics...With Authentic Looking Aging Techniques". While I didn't use any antique fabrics on my doll, I did try to follow Gail's advice for aging new fabrics and am really pleased with the results.

Once again, I stitched every single stitch by hand (I know...I'm a little nuts!) including all of her clothing. I really do love the rhythm of hand work so will probably keep sewing my dolls this way until it starts to not be fun anymore. And then its back to the sewing machine for me!

Her little friend is a tiny Steiff "Molly" dog that I purchased at a local folk art show a few years back. Molly's sweet face pleadingly said "Take me home" so....I did!

I hope everyone is having pretty weather by now. Our "baby" peach tree is showing pink so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we will have blossoms for Easter.

Happy stitching!

Gail Wilson Historical Doll...Finished!!!

2011-03-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

I recently finished this sweet doll made from a Gail Wilson pattern and am very pleased with how she turned out. Gail's patterns are extremely detailed and a joy to follow...I will definitely be making more!

This particular little girl is called "An Historical Folk Doll Series-Kit Two: 15" Doll with Woven Wool Fabric Hair" and "is representative of many dolls from the period 1800-1875." I challenged myself to sew her completely by hand (body included!) and really love the results. I am a hand stitcher by choice...always...but it does take way longer to sew this way so I won't be getting rid of my sewing machine any time soon! It's just nice to have options :)

Her little doggie friend is made by Chad Valley and is part of my collection of small antique dogs. He's definitely been well loved but how could I resist that face! Not only that, but when it comes to picking lavender, he is quite the helper!

Happy stitching, everyone :)

Another Antique Doll Quilt

2011-03-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to say that I am now an official antique doll quilt collector since, as of a few days ago, I currently own a grand total of two! I purchased my latest treasure just last week from Ebay and it arrived in the mail on Friday. This one is direct from an estate in Michigan and has been very well taken care of with no rips or tears anywhere. It looks to have been made by a child and, judging by the fabrics used, most likely dates from around 1900. It measures a small 14-1/2 inches by 12-1/2 inches and is entirely handquilted with wonderful little childlike stitches.

It is backed with a lovely double pink fabric that was also used as a border for the front of the quilt. The binding is done in a solid red cotton and was attached with the sweetest of "learning" stitches. I really love the simplicity of these little treasures and can't wait to find more.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday!

Happy Spring!

2011-03-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring everyone! It's raining here right now but that's ok...I love listening to the rain while I stitch which is exactly what I plan to do most of today. I guess my garden will just have to wait a little longer for my attention :)

I hope you all have a wonderful day and enjoy the sunshine if you're lucky enough to have some!

Martha Mortenson Sampler

2011-02-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

I bought this Scarlet Letter sampler kit many years ago and am happy to say that I finally got around to completing it :) The description of the piece as written by the Scarlet Letter reads:

The Martha Mortenson Sampler is a simple, early 19th century New England marking sampler, whereby the young girl practiced her lettering and stitches in preparation for marking actual household linens in her career as a maid or housewife. It is worked on 25 count, unbleached, natural linen, in faded hues...

My favorite samplers of all to stitch are those based on antiques. I guess that's mainly because I love to imagine what that first little girl was thinking about when she made the same stitches as me all those years ago. Was she at home or at school? Was she alone or surrounded by her family? Did she enjoy the work or was it more of a chore? I find imagining the answers fascinating.

Here's an illustration from The Workwoman's Guide, first published in 1838 England, of a classroom full of little girls learning to make the stitches they will use for the rest of their lives. Is it just me, or do you wonder too if Martha was in a classroom just like this one...

Happy stitching, everyone!!!

Another Pinkeep

2011-02-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

I love this "Basket of Flowers Pinkeep" pattern by Stacy Nash and kept thinking of springtime the whole time I was working on it. Aren't those red flowers wonderful??? Not only that, but the design is just perfect for Valentine's Day!

I stuffed it with wool roving and decided to back it with a 19th century reproduction turkey red fabric. I usually back my pinkeeps and pillows with wool but those flowers were begging for something just a little different this time.

The weather is beautiful today where I live so this is my way of sharing a little bit of our sunshine with those of you still dealing with winter weather. Hopefully, warm and sunny days are just around the corner for everyone :)

Nine Patch Doll Quilt

2011-01-26T14:03:00.000-08:00

I just finished another little doll quilt...finally!!! I decided to make this one using blue and brown 19th century reproduction fabrics in the spirit of many old doll quilts that I've seen. The quilt measures just 10-1/2 inches by 9-1/2 inches and each little nine patch square is 2 inches. I pieced it and quilted it by hand...my favorite way to make a doll quilt!

Antique Doll Cradles

2011-01-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

I love old doll cradles from the 19th century and have two little treasures in my collection that are my favorites. Both are put together with square nails which is a good indication of their early age. They are small as far as cradles go but that to me is part of what makes them so special.

The first cradle measures just less than 7 inches long by 4 inches tall. I know nothing about its history except that I purchased it on Ebay a couple of years ago. The patina on this one is amazing and could only have come from years and years of cradling little dollies!

I purchased the second cradle on Ebay as well but happily know a little more about its history. This one came from New York and once belonged to a 92 year old woman who had received it as a child. She inherited it from her mother who was most likely the original owner. It measures 6-1/2 inches long by 5 inches tall and has been well taken care of through the years. The patina is simply wonderful and oh so warm.... I can only imagine how many happy dollies fell asleep in this cradle all those many years ago!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T19:58:00.000-08:00

I want to wish you all a Happy New Year filled with peace and contentment. I am settling in for a wonderful evening of stitching....my kind of New Year's Eve celebration!

I have enjoyed meeting so many of you through this blog and am truly looking forward to getting to know you even better in the year ahead :)

Happy 2011!
Sandy

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! May your holiday be filled with wonderment and joy.

Old Father Christmas

2010-12-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

I love old children's books and was just looking through a particular favorite of mine when I spied a wonderful picture of Old Father Christmas. The book is Robin Ranger's Picture Book and it was published in New York in 1865. Isn't it fascinating to see how this old gentleman turned into our modern day Santa Claus? I wonder if the children of that period loved him as much as the children of today love Santa.

Here's wishing you all a wonderful Christmas filled with cherished memories of old and happy thoughts of Christmas times yet to come.

Christmas Ornaments

2010-12-04T22:34:00.000-08:00

I have been busy stitching Christmas ornaments lately and wanted to share a couple of them here. Both are stitched on linen and then aged for a warm, primitive look.

This is a Country Rustic Primitives design by Jenny Hoffman called "Primitive Merry Christmas Cupboard Hanger". I love Jenny's designs and can't wait to stitch more of them.

"Silent Holy Night" is a wonderful freebie pattern from primitivebettys. I made a few little changes but the design is all hers. I really like how it turned out and enjoyed stitching this one a lot.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far...I know I am!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T00:09:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I hope your day is filled with cherished family and friends and lots of good things to eat! I stitched this pinkeep from a wonderful pattern by primitivebettys and just wanted to share it with you as we celebrate this truly American holiday.

Antique Doll Quilt

2010-10-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

I love old doll quilts so thought I would post a little bit about one that I own. It is a simple little one patch that measures approximately 17 inches x 14 inches and is hand tyed instead of quilted. Judging by the fabric, I'm guessing it was most likely made in the 1870s or 1880s but I don't know the actual history of the quilt so can't say for certain.

The back of the quilt consists of four blocks made from some beautiful antique fabrics. The brown madder print is especially wonderful!

There are some amazing madder prints in this quilt with plenty of shirtings and other types of prints mixed in. Only a few fabrics have been used more than once so it truly is a great little study of 19th century calicoes. Someone once upon a time had a lot of scraps to use up!

Happy October!

2010-10-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of October! I love Halloween so decided to cross stitch this wonderful "Boo Jack" pattern by primitivebettys and make it into a cupboard hanger. Betty is one of my favorite designers and I especially love her pumpkins so just couldn't resist stitching up this spooky guy.

Don't you just love that face???

1872 Sampler

2010-07-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

I found the pattern for this reproduction 1872 sampler in the September 2006 issue of "Cross-Stitch & Needlework" and just had to stitch it. I know that 1872 is well past the heyday of sampler making in America so found this piece a little intriguing. Interestingly, even as early as 1834, Mrs. L. Maria Child wrote in The Girl's Own Book that:

Indelible ink is now so much in use, that the general habit of marking samplers is almost done away: but like many other old-fashioned things, it is a very good thing. There are times in everybody's life when it is convenient to know how to mark the letters of the alphabet; good taste may be shown in it, as well as in other branches of needle-work; and, at all events, it is a safe and pretty employment for idle little fingers.

I love stitching these old samplers and this one was especially fun to work on. I initially thought I might get bored using just a single color of floss throughout but that didn't happen at all. The frame is actually one I already had but I think it looks like it was made to go with this piece. I love it when that happens!

My Favorite China Head Doll

2010-07-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you to my favorite china head doll, Mary Elizabeth. I purchased her about six years ago on Ebay and she was the first antique doll that I ever bought. To date, she is my only china head to be dressed as a child. Along with her came a paper dated 1985 that reads:

This doll dates back to the Civil War period. She may have been owned by my Grandmother Bragdon (nee Mary Elizabeth Hodgkins) or my Grandmother Small (nee Mary Elizabeth Allen). She is in mint condition except for a small stain on the skirt.....This doll should be kept and passed down but always on display or in Safe Deposit box. Too valuable for children to play with...

While I feel very fortunate to have her in my little collection of antique dolls, a part of me feels sad that there was no one in her original family that wanted her or perhaps there was no one left to pass her down to. So, in honor of her first "Mama", I named her Mary Elizabeth.

Mary Elizabeth stands slightly less than 9 inches tall so she is small for a china head yet her clothing is beautifully made. It is entirely handsewn with perfect little stitches. Her petticoat and drawers are both hemmed with cotton lace...so sweet!

The stitches in her dress hem are nearly flawless and so tiny. I wish I knew who made the clothing...maybe a mother, grandmother or even an older sister. If only Mary Elizabeth could talk, oh what stories she could tell!

Sampler Pinkeep

2010-07-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another little sampler that I finished not too long ago. It is a pattern by Kathy Barrick of Barrick Samplers, i.e. Carriage House Samplings, called "My Love I Give Thee". I stuffed it with wool in the tradition of antique pinkeeps so as to protect all of the pins and needles from rusting. This isn't much of a problem for us today but, in early times, pins and needles were far too precious to risk damaging. I really love the man and the woman in this one. Guess I have a thing for stitching couples!

Sampler Cupboard Hanger

2010-07-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

My first "stitching" love has always been cross stitch. I've been cross stitching for over 30 years now which must be why it sometimes seems like I've been doing it forever! When I finished this sweet "Lady Love" Sheepish Designs sampler, I decided to make it into a cupboard/door hanger and not mess with the framing. Because I stuffed it with wool, I guess it could also serve as a pinkeep since wool is such a great choice for keeping pins and needles in good working order.

Four Patch Doll Quilt

2010-07-08T00:04:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy creating doll quilts from 19th century reproduction fabrics and pink and brown is just about my favorite combination. This quilt is 13 inches square and is entirely pieced and quilted by hand. The two girls enjoying a little bit of sunshine are part of my small collection of antique china head dolls.

Calico Tucker Doll

2010-07-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! I just finished making this wonderful pattern by Catherine Douglas Mahone of The Primitive Heart and had a lot of fun in the process. I added a pencil face to her which wasn't in the pattern but I think it gives her a special little something. At 9 inches tall, she is the size of doll I love making most, not too big, not too small but just right :)