Catching Up!

It's been awhile since we chatted!

Let's see if I can remember how to do this.

 

First, thank you so much for all the kind comments, encouragement and support

regarding the closing of my business.

The main reason for my absence here has been the flurry of activity on my website.

Seems I spend the majority of my time filling, packing and shipping orders.

 

My husband and I also took a few days off to attend his 40th high school reunion and visit family and friends in Tennessee.  It was a delightful time!

 

Now, the temperatures are dropping, the leaves are changing, and my life is heading in new directions. 

There are still some orders to fill and merchandise to sell, but the website will soon be closing permanently.

 



Many of my sewing friends are busy packing their bags for Atlanta.  The 2012 Convention of the Smocking Arts Guild of America begins on Tuesday.  How I wish I could be in attendance with them.

I am certainly there in spirit, and anxious to hear their reports afterwards.

 

 

A small part of me is also there in this chatelaine.

I made and contributed it to the Delphi Heirloom Sewing and Smocking raffle basket.

The chatelaine, combined with a silk embroidered hussif, reticule, scissor case and handmade scissor fob, will be won by a lucky attendee!

Some of you may have already seen the photographs shared on Facebook or at HS&S.

The chatelaine is made of blue silk satin ribbon, woven through mother of pearl rings.  A pair of small embroidery scissors is looped on one end.  A ribbon pouch, embellished with seed pearls, can hold a thimble.  The silk strawberry, filled with emery, is for polishing needles.

A small mother of pearl heart-shaped button holds the ribbons together at center back.

The chatelaine can be draped around one's neck. 

I use mine mostly to just keep track of those small scissors on my often cluttered sewing surface!

It also comes in handy while sitting and stitching on a comfy couch or chair.  It is more difficult for everything to disappear among cushions and pillows, when they are all linked together!

 

 

The photograph prompted many inquiries and requests for additional chatelaine instructions and information.  I thought I would share a few similar chatelaines and sewing accessories I have made over the years. 

The chatelaine above was made and donated to the Wee Care raffle basket during the 2004 SAGA Convention.

This particular chatelaine included hand embroidery on the ivory silk satin ribbons.  A small pincushion and more elaborate ribbon thimble pouch were also included.

Another SAGA member generously donated various decorative sewing tools.  They, and the strawberry and pincushion, were attached to the chatelaine after this photograph was taken.

 

This is a chatelaine I made for myself several years ago.

 

 

While perusing photographs, in search of chatelaines, I stumbled upon this silk ribbon embroidered mouse pincushion!  She was made and contributed to the Wee Care raffle basket for the 2005 SAGA Convention.

 

 

I also rediscovered this pincushion and emery strawberry.  They were made to coordinate with a pair of Gingher designer embroidery scissors, and given as a gift.

 

It is so much fun to make these sewing accessories, whether you keep them for yourself or share the joy with others.

 

None of these ideas, for the chatelaine, pincushions, strawberries or thimble pouches, are necessarily original.  I have taken ideas from a variety of sources, and fitted them for specific persons or events.

Due to the many requests, I will try to soon share basic instructions or resources for making some of your own.

 

In the meantime, happy stitching -- whether in the solitude of your own home or sewing room, or while gathered with fellow sewing sisters!

 

Rambo . . .

For fourteen years you filled our lives with unconditional love, wet kisses, and silly antics.

You never did learn the command of "sit and stay", but you will stay forever in our hearts.

As you scampered across that rainbow bridge, your buddies Bounce and Blitz no doubt waited to welcome you.  Maybe they introduced you to our first schnauzer, Bluff.

I just am not sure how to tell your human best buddy that you will not be here to welcome him home again.

Rest in peace, sweet friend. 

Our home will never be the same.

Christmas Wishes

The past few weeks, blogs, Pinterest and FaceBook have been filled with images of the perfect Christmas. 

 Maybe those really do exist in some lives, but not necessarily in mine or those of many friends.

If there is an empty chair at your family dinner table this year, and you are missing someone special,

you have known the gift of love.

If the stockings and the tree are a little more bare than previous years,

you have known the gift of prosperity and security --

something many will never experience.

If you no longer hear the pitter patter of little feet

and grown children spend the holidays with in-laws and others,

you know the gift of sharing.

If you can see the twinkling lights, hear the glorious music, and smell the fresh pines,

you have the gift of life and health --

even if some days are easier than others.

If you believe that next year will be better and brighter,

you have the gifts of hope and faith.

Love, joy, peace, hope and faith

are the true gifts of the season.

I wish you these and so much more.

A very merry and blessed Christmas to all!

Comfort Food - Biscuits

Sometimes we all need something to comfort us on gloomy days.

The gloom may be in the form of chilly or rainy weather.

It may be a case of sniffles that you just cannot shake.

It may be missing family and friends as holidays grow near.

It may be the ache in your heart when a friend loses her battle against cancer.

My comfort food is warm buttered bread, and lately I have needed a lot of it.

The recipe for 7-Up Biscuits has been popping up all over blogs and Pinterest lately.

Having all the ingredients, I decided to give them a try.

Now, some of you may cringe since the ingredients include Bisquick.

Just bear with the rest of us who often rely on quick and easy!

I used the recipe found here.

The ingredients were things already stocked in my pantry or refrigerator.

I was halfway to soothing my soul!

I find baking helps soothe the soul.  The house seems a little warmer.  The air fills with delicious aromas.  The world slows just a little.

As the recipe states, this is a sticky dough. 

On the initial try, it was a really, really sticky dough!

My first attempt resulted in more drop, than cut, biscuits.

They were still hot, yummy and comforting.

On the second attempt, I added a few more spoonfuls of Bisquick to the dough.

Instead of just dusting my pastry mat, I coated it with a substantial layer of the mix.

That allowed me to scrape the dough from the bowl, more easily turn it a couple of times on the mat, then cut the biscuits.

The addition of sour cream makes these very moist, and the 7-Up adds to the fluffiness.

With the butter in the bottom of the baking dish, there is really no need for additional butter.

Although, who can ever resist adding just a bit?

Enjoy!

Oh, Happy Day!

It's back:

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake.

Heaven in a cup!



Where I Sew

My friend, Southern Matriarch, reminded me there were only a few days left to add our sewing spaces to the  inspiring tour over at Pink Chalk Studio.  I have really enjoyed peeking into the creative spots of fellow bloggers and stitchers.  I also had good intentions of cleaning up my own sewing room and sharing it.

Well, the month is almost over and there has not been a lot of cleaning or photographing going on in my little corner of the sewing world!

Instead, I will share some photographs taken a few years ago.  My room remains pretty much the same, as far as furniture and fixtures.  There is just more fabric, stacks of books, magazines, patterns, and unfinished projects.

Please tell me you can relate!

The photograph above is the door to my sewing room.

So, come on in!

It was important to have not only a space for sewing, but also a place where I could surround myself with the things I love.  Many are items which once belonged to family members and friends.  They hold a special place in my heart.  Maybe in future entries, I will share some of their stories in more detail.

The settee is covered with a family quilt.  There is a shawl, crocheted by my mother, which comes in handy during cool weather.  The cutwork pillowcase was made by my grandmother Bessie.  The basket-turned-coffee table is topped with a silver tray that belonged to my mother-in-law.

Photographs and other favorite belongings are displayed on the shelf, along with some of my mother's hats which I shared in an earlier entry here.

The mahogany bookshelf, to the right, was purchased by my parents for their first home.

This Elfa drawer unit provides much needed storage and work area.

I have since made a black and white gingham skirt which hides the drawers.

The drawers hold sewing notions and patterns.

I keep my lace shaping board and iron here for quick pressing jobs, while sewing.

The stool was used by my father in his garage workshop. 

I do not sit there much, as it usually is piled with various magazines or pieces of current projects!

My sewing table is also constructed with Elfa components.

I made the window valances and covered a bulletin board with black and white toile fabric.

The Swiss cuckoo clock was purchased by my mother on one of the last overseas jaunts she and Daddy were able to take.  It always provided entertainment for the grandchildren when they visited the grandparents.

It just makes me smile!

My sewing chair is not fancy schmancy.

It is probably terrible for my back and legs.

It is very special, though.

This was the chair that always sat at my grandmother's sewing machine.

I painted it black to better coordinate with my room.  I also adorned it with some of the larger vintage mother of pearl buttons from her collection.  There are also mother of pearl buttons hot glued to the bottom of the black hanging shelf.  I love to see them when I sit and sew.

Do not fret all ye lovers of mother of pearl buttons!

These that met their fate with the hot glue gun were not ones I would have sewn on sweet little heirloom gowns or frocks!

Prior to building our current home, we spent twelve years living in and restoring a home in one of the city's historic districts.  As with most older homes, closet space was non-existent.

We purchased this antique armoire to help store out-of-season clothing.

For some reason, neither my husband nor myself could muster the courage to leave it behind or sell it when we moved.  So, it came to live in my sewing room!  It does provide wonderful storage, but it takes up the majority of the room.

There are three sections.  Behind the door on the left, is a space for hanging clothes.  The larger center section contains shelves and drawers.  The right section has flat pullout drawers. 

It comes apart in numerous pieces for moving.  Our movers were not thrilled with putting all the puzzle pieces back together again!

The small pictures to the right of the armoire once hung in my mother's childhood bedroom.

They are silhouettes of children at play painted in reverse on glass.

This is the armoire section with the flat pullout drawers.

I have since removed many of my finer fabrics from this section.  I discovered some were becoming stained if they came in contact with the wood.  I always kept the shelves lined with paper, but the fabric folds sometimes touched the sides of the armoire.

And this is the section with space for hanging clothes.

I upholstered the interior of this space with the same toile fabric used elsewhere in the room.

I also covered the inside of the door with a roll of cork, creating another space to tack notes and information.

So, that is my little corner of the world!

I think these photographs have inspired me to try and return it to this state of cleanliness!

Thanks for visiting!  Now, hop on over to Pink Chalk Studio and visit even more charming creative spaces!

Pink Chalk Studio

Watching the Magnolia Bloom

Gee, it has been a little quiet around here lately!

Somewhere in all those boxes I was unpacking last month, I also seemed to unpack a severe case of the blahs.  Hopefully, better days are ahead.

About the only thing I have been doing is watching my magnolia tree bloom.

I love magnolia blooms!

The ones from this tree are very dear and special.

Maybe one day, I will share the story behind this special tree.

The tree is now about thirteen years old.

Each year, I anxiously wait to see if it will bloom.

For the first several years, there was nary a bloom.

The last few years, there have been maybe two or three blooms each Spring.

For unknown reasons, there are now at least twenty four blooms!

I have been bringing some inside and floating them in water.

Their intoxicating scent fill my house.

I am loving them, and they are definitely helping to chase away those pesky blahs.

This is a magnolia bloom created with ribbon and tiny glass seed beads.

It was a project one year at Stitchin' Charleston Style, taught by Laura Jenkins Thompson.

There are folded ribbon roses on the other side, and the whole bouquet was to adorn a black silk evening bag.  A few years ago, I removed the cluster from the purse and nestled it in a bow on a hat worn to a Kentucky Derby party.  I loved them so much on the hat, they never found their way back to the purse!

And here is one more form of magnolia bloom found in our home.

It is a piece of Boehm porcelain, with a special link to the tree that I am watching bloom in our yard!

All part of a special time and people in my life.

And to my friends in Mississippi and Louisiana, where magnolias are usually in great abundance, my prayers and thoughts are with you.  May each of you stay safe from the danger and destruction of floodwaters.

Dishes of the Past

Growing up, most of our family meals were served on plates bearing the Wheat pattern by Franciscan Ware.  This was the everyday pottery my parents selected when they married.

At some point, most of these dishes were pushed to the back of the cabinets.  Plates and bowls of a more contemporary design and color took their place.

However, it is these dishes that remind me most of those family meals.

I now have only the sugar and creamer, shown in the first photograph, along with this serving platter, a serving bowl and three bread and butter plates. 

Their amber color and wheat sheaves are perfect for this time of year.

There is also something special about displaying them now, as my parents were married during the month of November.

Happy Friday and weekend!

 

Priceless Pumpkin

One lunch size brown paper bag.

plus poster paints and brushes,

plus one 4 year old,

plus a mother's memories.

Priceless.

Of all my Halloween decorations, this one remains my favorite twenty one years later.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Halloween!

Cans Can Feed

I mentioned previously that the Dallas Arboretum is one of my favorite places in the city. 

Another favorite is NorthPark Center.

I feel a little guilty admitting that a shopping mall holds such a spot of honor, but it is so much more than a place to shop.

For me, it holds so many memories.  Good memories.

It is a place that my mother and I giggled like school girls.

It is where I would meet my sister when she was a buyer for Neiman Marcus.

It is where I spent hours working a phone bank to raise funds and sell season tickets for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

It is where I, and so many others, picked up packets for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

It is where I pushed a stroller in an attempt to entertain my young son, and assure myself there were people in the world taller than 3 feet with real vocabularies.

It is where that same son first sat on Santa's knee.

It is where I will go in a few weeks and still see the timeless holiday decorations that once filled his eyes with amazement and wonder.

It is a place filled not only with stores, but also wonderful artwork, landscaped gardens and inspiration in many forms.

It is so much more than a shopping mall.

NorthPark constantly gives back to the community, hosting various fundraisers and exhibits throughout the year.

I just happened to be there recently and observe Canstruction, the most unique food drive in the world.

Canstruction is an annual competition of giant structures built completely with canned food.  Competing teams are led by architects and engineers.  Competitions are held throughout the country.  This local competition is organized by the Society for Design Administration, working in tandem with the American Institute of Architects.

This was the 14th annual local competition and featured 23 structures.

Don't Let Hunger Drag-on by Corgan Associates, Inc.

Approximately 6,000 cans

Some sculptures incorporated bags of  beans or packets of soup mix for just the right texture or color.

We Can Turn Hunger Around by Perkins + Will

Approximately 2025 cans

Close up of turntable.  The black color was achieved with plastic lids.

I-CAN-dy by FKP Architects

Approxiimately 3225 cans

Pairing Up to End Hunger by Alliance Architects

Approximately 1182 cans

Due to strong sunlight, I was unable to take a good photograph of the opposite side of the ark.  That side featured pairs of small plastic animals marching up the plank of the ark.

I was able to capture a photograph of the cute couple at the ark's bow!

Souper Bowl by HDR Architects

Approxiimately 5860 cans

A most appropriate sculpture, since the metroplex will be hosting the NFL Super Bowl in January 2011.

Notice it is resting on green turf to resemble a football field.

You can also, just barely, see a spoon handle emerging from the bowl on the opposite side.

Extinguish Hunger by VAI Architects

Approximately 2120 cans

Blowing Away Hunger by Paige-Southerland-Paige

Approximately 4020 cans

Following the competition and exhibit, all food is donated to the North Texas Food Bank.

What was a delightful exhibit and feast for the eyes of many, will become desperately needed nourishment for many bodies.

As I looked at the vast amount of food, I was reminded how very blessed I am.

While my life is not perfect, and some days are difficult, I have never known hunger.

I pray that someday that can be true for all.

Until then, I am thankful for non-profits such as Canstruction, all the teams of architects and engineers that contributed their time and talent, and a shopping mall that is a favorite spot for more reasons than shopping.