What I Saw Today

 

 One day a week, when possible, I visit The Junk House, my friend's flea market in Beebe.  She lets me pretend to be helping her, when really, I'm just receiving my weekly therapy session and visiting with her and my other friends there.  It's great fun and sometimes, we both learn something.

This morning, I had the idea of taking photos of some of Kathy's flea market finds, and showing them here on this blog....maybe a new feature in the middle of each week.   Tell me what you think.

So, here are a few photos of what I saw today.

1. This chair just came in from Kathy's own personal collection.   It's very sturdy and in good shape.  Because I have more chairs in this little cottage than anyone would need, I couldn't buy it.  But, really, someone out there needs it.  It's so pretty.

 

 2.  Here is a tin piece, some old silver, an ancient sugar bowl,  and a lacey remnant.

 

3.  A little figurine of a boy and girl, just plain cute.

 

 4. A length of linen trimmed with crochet.  I think it went on a dresser or a mantel in days past.

 

 5.  A china trivet.  Just lovely.

 

 6.  Three glass bud vases filled with white buttons.  Adorable.

 

 7. This really cute little washstand or cabinet.  

 

 

 8.  Cubbies also from Kathy's collection.  I love this...primitive and holds all kinds of goodies.

 

 9.  I just love all kinds of little jars, etc.  I have some of these old cold cream jars and bottles.  Right now I have a little glass tray filled with about six of these jars and I've put votive candles in them.  Makes a lovely light at night, I have to say.

 

 10.   There are Teddys, pillows and quilts.  This one is a "cutter" quilt.  In a great old trunk.

 

11.  This is a also a great old trunk.  Kathy used this as a coffee table at her home for a while.

Wonderful. 

Just some of what I saw today.

  Now, how much of it did I bring home?  Well, the ancient green sugar bowl, the linen piece trimmed with crochet and the three bud vases with buttons. 

 More wonderful treasures for Bird Nest Cottage.

Next week I'll have more for you to see as we never know what might show up at the Junk House!

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage 

 

More Hearts and a Doll Update

 

So last Tuesday, my friend, the one I call Mr. G. came for a visit.  He always brings things.

He knows I love the work of Kelly Rae Roberts and he was lucky enough to find this print of hers at the flea market.  So, he brought it to me.   She will join my collection of other KRR loot...and I will enjoy seeing her here.  Thank you, Mr. G.!❤️

 

 I love the sentiment there:  "Whole Hearted."  Indeed!  I have a sign in my living room that says

"You have my whole heart."  How else are you supposed to love?

 

And, here are the hearts she has placed just so.  One is a "ghost heart."  You never know where you will find one of those, so they are extra special.

 

Here's a silk ribbon embroidered heart I made long ago.  I'm thinking there is absolutely no limit to the ways you can make a heart.  ❤️

  

And, here's one I also did in silk ribbon long ago.  And, in this photo, it is sitting on a segment of a vintage Log Cabin Quilt.  I shared that quilt with my friend, Brian, way back when.  He has done many beautiful things with his.  Mine is still here waiting for me.  It twirls around in the back of my mind a lot and calls my name, reminding me that I have miles to go before I sleep. 

Several of you asked for more information about this doll I showed you last week.  I found it interesting that so many were interested....she's one of those things I've done over time that I felt only I would enjoy.  You know....the doll only her mother would love.

Yes, I DID make her.  Yes, her funny hair is just strips of fabric a stitch through her 'scalp' and each strand tied in a knot.  That's it.  Yes, it was made with one embroidered napkin.  I tied her hands and feet into knots because I didn't think I could really make anything that looked like hands and feet with that small napkin.  Her little tote bag was an afterthought really, as I wanted to pin her on my own totebag I was taking to the quilt show.  Her face is drawn with a permanent pen.  The little fabric 

pieces in the tote are just folded and placed inside....I made a long fabric bead from some fabric and trimmed it with some beads and gold thread.  One of my favorite parts is the blue glass bead she is wearing as a pin.  It too, is a very tiny heart.

When I was ready to take a photograph of her for the post, I needed a way to make her stand.  Sometimes you just need something to quickly solve a problem.  I had this little bottle of colored sand....my grandson did that when he was a little kid....and it had a cork I could stick a pin in, so that became the 'stand' to hold her up.  I used a tiny safety pin on her back and put a T-pin through it...stuck it in the cork.  And there we were.  

 

 

  One more peek at the back.

 I really hurried with this photo, so she slipped a little before I snapped the photo.  She's as graceful as I happen to be.  Meaning NOT!

 I still LOVE that chair.

And, I love that the chair, the doll and the print, all share pretty much the same colors.

How does that happen?

 

 Thanks for visiting.  Do take care and enjoy the rest of Heart Month.  February has flown by so fast.

Thank you, too, for asking questions about the doll.  I learn things from you and I hope you learn a few things from me now and again.

until next time

BE WELL

from 

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️

For the Fun of It

 

A doll and her tote, both made from one dinner napkin.  

 She was FUN!

And, love the resin chair.

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

 

Some Little Things from the Nest

 

 For today, just a few "little" things from the Nest.  

 

 The sweetest little basket...made in Germany.  So DEAR!

 

The tiniest Teddy Bear.....and a beautiful rose paperweight, leaning against an old architectural fragment...in the color green, in perfectly chippy condition!

 

 A tiny pink heart pin....sitting there next to that little scrap of a heart waiting to be stitched in Satin Stitch.  (Yes, Jenny, it makes me think of you!)  And, an odd scrap of linen with pink crocheted trim.  I always save the least little snippet of needlework.  Both of those will be sewn in a piece of my work as time goes by.

This all sits atop a huge tray I covered with old book pages and behind it all, a heart canvas I bought from Tuesday Morning.  

Wishing you a lovely new week!

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️

Valentine's Day

When this you see....Remember Me.

I made this when my grandson, Tyler, was seven years old.

(Drawings of our actual hands.)

 He will be thirty-four this July.  

Time really flies!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

until next time 

BE WELL

from 

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️

And, A Happy Valentine's Day to YOU

 

 For many years, I have included a heart in just about every project I have ever done, for it is the universal symbol of love and I'm all into that.  Seems an age ago, I stitched these hearts you see here and I'm still stitching them, though they are more difficult for me to do these days.  Vision being what it is and all.  I'll keep trying, I hope, to make them "from my heart."

 

 My sister gave me this Mary Englebreit girl....her message simple.  And, I've added a few of the hearts I've made over time to this photo.

 

 And, this pincushion one of my favorite things I've every sewn.  It's about three inches square.

 

 Back when I was teaching, I often kept an embroidery hoop filled with muslin and I'd use that to demonstrate how to make the stitches we would use in whatever project we were making.  I sometimes gave them away, but this one I kept. 

 

 Here's a tiny pincushion I made to go with a doll.  It's about an inch and a half squre.  With the heart simply outlined in backstitch.  FUN!

 

 And, here are some hearts....tiny ones, drawn quickly....and stitched at leisure.  I would call this 

"practice."  Do people do that any more?

 

  Notice the little drawn heart in the upper left.  Just to show you that the smallest piece of fabric never need go to waste.  I'll use that little heart on something, just you wait and see.

 

 And, more.  These may forever remain just as they are.  Reminders of things I used to do. 

 

 

 More or less.

 

 Notice on this piece, there are also circles.  More difficult than hearts, I think, but still possible.

 

 Just another look at it all.

 

By the way, I love this wonderful old quilt I bought....so simple, so gorgeous!! 

I was looking for some quotes today....hearts, Valentines, whatever.  And, I found this one.  Immediately, it has become one of my favorites.  So, I'll remember it this Valentine's Day because I think it might be true.

"The fact is that when you do something from your heart, you leave a Heart Print.."

Alice Walker

  

And, here....one from my collection...a vintage German Valentine.  (Did you notice there is a tiny basket of flowers?)

Sending you best wishes for 

A Very Beautiful and Happy Valentine's Day!

until next time

BE WELL 

from 

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️ 

 

 

Tiny Teddy Bears for My Valentine's Day

 

 The other day I was in Hobby Lobby and ran across these tiny little Teddy Bears.  There were only two packages of them left...six in a package, so I got both of them....instantly thinking they were the cutest things ever and what could I do with them?  So, today, I had to come up with something for the blog and what's cuter in the month of February than tiny Teddy Bears (each with a heart) frolicking around in my bedroom/studio?    So, have a bit of fun as you look at these photos.  It seems to me that each bear has it's own expression although, really, they all have the same face.  Just TOO cute!!

 

 I plan on sharing more hearts here this month.....so I hope you enjoy them as we go through what I call February....HEART Month!  ❤️

(Notice there is a little basket shown in this post too.  More of those to come also.)

Until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage 

 

❤️❤️❤️