Old Things Made Along the Way

 

 

 So, here's my story:

 

 

And, here are some things I have made along the way.  The "way" being years long.

I'm fond of these few things....none of them quilts, you will see.  I could have shown quilts, but my house doesn't have much to wall space to hang them, so it was just easier to show some small things.

 

 

 

 

 

This may be my favorite thing ever.  I do so love some embroidery...and I especially love the very old all white embroideries of days gone by.  The cloth on the end is one I found at the flea.  Immediately I knew I was going to try and reproduce it.  And, I did.  It's embroidered on linen with a beaded edge.

 

 

This is a pillow I stitched many years ago.  Redwork.  I remember I used two strands of, I think, DMC #816.  It doesn't take as long as you think.

 

 

 

Somehow I got into a habit of making pincushions.  I still love them and have LOTS of items to use to make many more.   I will....I may have to push harder but I have every intention of using a lot of this stuff up.

 

 

 This appliqued landscape I made for the old navy man.  He loved it...notice the power poles.  They weren't there at first, but he told me that barn would never have power if there were no power lines.

(He worked his whole adult life for the power company.)  I took his word for it, so managed to stitch a few power lines along the road.  There is even a transformer there.  It makes me smile still.

 

 

And this pincushion....I do love it so.  You've seen it many many times here.

It's very tactile...I just love holding it in my hand.  Several people have asked me how I could possibly stick pins in it.  I think that is hilarious as it has a million stitches holding it together. I actually don't use it as it was intended though.  Mostly I just look at it.

 

 

That basket.  I em embroidered that on a scrap of fabric, then didn't know what to do with.  I ran across some glass paperweights and knew that would be a good idea...so immediately put those two things together.  I've enjoyed having it.

 

 

 

 Another pincushion.  One of the Crazy Quilt things I felt compelled to make.  I may make some more here soon......as I have it in my head to fill a huge bowl I have with different pincushions and hearts.  We'll see.

 

 

This is a little book from Walmart's school supply section.  My kids are in their fifties, but every year I go to Walmart and buy some school supplies.  One year I picked up about half dozen of these.

I gave it a little artistic touch by covering it with a paper towel, then painting it, etc.  I write quotes in it.  There are never enough cute books to write quotes in if you ask me.

 

 

                                           

 

 This little 3" x 4" applique and embroidered bit of fun is another of my favorite things I've ever made.  What fun it was.  I still enjoy looking at it.........and, of course, it has been one of things that encouraged me to make LOTS of FRENCH KNOTS!!!

 

 

 

And, this little person.  Made her from a Japanese embroidered dinner napkin.  Except for her hair which I made from some hand-dyed fabrics.  She was so much fun to make.

 

And, I've saved this little pincushion for years.  It's barely two inches square.  Plain as can be.  I just never wanted to do anything to it as I thought it cute just as it was.  Don't really try to figure yourself out....just do the things you feel you want to do.  There really is nothing wrong with a plain pincushion, is there??
 

 So,there you are.  Many things you will find hanging around my house.  Hopefully....more will be forthcoming here shortly.  And that quilt I showed you a few weeks ago...I'd like to have it done by the end of 2022.   

Much goodness to come your way this year.......take care......pat ♥️

Stay safe and warm and have a happy heart

from

Bird Nest Cottage

♥️

MEMORIES OF LAURA

 

 MEMORIES OF LAURA

a quilt

made in 1988

by 

Patricia Eaton 

The last time I posted was in September of 2019.  I intended to carry on, really I did, but

 last year was not the happiest year I have lived through and it got the best of me.  My heart just wasn't in it. My blog posts suffered because of it...I could no longer come up with anything I thought interesting enough to mention to you.    So, I let things go.  I thought many times of just closing my blog. 

I'm so sorry about that.

The holidays came.  They are always hard for me. I'm not sure I've ever told you that.

And, I thought a lot about things during the last two months.

Being kind of a hermit....there is lots of time to think.  It can wear you out, especially during hard times.

 And, oh...there is also that OCD thing.  

Yes, I AM my own worst enemy.

Do you ever talk to yourself?  I do.  One day, recently this just came right out of my mouth:

"It's hard to be me....even I have trouble doing it."  

Now that is a quote from actress Tallulah Bankhead.

But, that day, it seemed clear as a bell that it actually fit me.

It IS hard to be me....and it may ALSO be hard to be you.  We are going through tough times.

So, I need to just get a grip and get on with it.  

You want to try it with me?

Right then, I decided to get out a quilt and show it to you, even if I have shown it many times before. 

And, this quilt got my attention one more time.

Yes, I made it in 1988...a lifetime ago.

I wanted to remember Laura Ingalls Wilder as I had read all her books in my youth and loved them dearly...then watched all the Little House of the Prairie shows on tv too. 

Below a quote from her I believe to be quite fitting for current times.

 

 Below, take a closer look at all parts of this quilt.

The quilt hasn't changed either...after all these years.

So, once again, Laura can inspire us with her words.

And, maybe this quilt will also inspire us in it's own way.

 

  Hand appliqued, embroidered and quilted.

  

One stitch at a time.

Each one, as I've always said, a prayer, a meditation, a poem.

 The sky fabric and all those shades of blue....hand-dyed specially for me by my dear friend, Mary Morgan.  Upon giving it to me, she told me "don't make a scene."

 What she meant was she didn't want me to try and pay her for it.

So, I just made another kind of scene!

 

 

 One of my favorite parts of the quilt is Laura's tiny pocket, it's a real pocket.

 

 The label on the back of the quilt.

(Gosh, it seems like only yesterday when I sewed that label on!!!)

I just may read these all over AGAIN.

 

 Yes, studying this quilt again and thinking of Laura also...I like to think she was right and the "real things" haven't changed.  

I will carry that with me through this year.

So, a HAPPIER New Year to you too!

 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

❤️❤️❤️

"Making" from the Heart and Hand

 

I thought I'd show you this little quilt....made several years ago and shown on this blog 'way back when.'  A part of this quilt serves as the banner on this blog also.  Someday, I'll change it, but for now...I'm still happy with it.   My son-in-law loved it so I gave it to him.  I was so pleased he wanted it.  All made by heart and hand.  It's about 20" square, if I remember correctly...

 

 Loved making the trees!

 

 

 Oh, I forgot...I did sew those leaves down with a straight machine stitch right down the middle of each one.  I knew it would take me forever to stitch each one down by hand....as would be my habit.

 

 I also loved the colors in the leaves...I should have saved some of the fabric used to make them. 

Just talking about the trees makes me want to make more....Oh.  My.

And, now, some quotes I chose this afternoon.  I find them everywhere and appreciate that others have said beautiful words that inspire and encourage me.  I hope to continue with my 'work' as long as possible.  Don't you?

"If you hear a voice within you say "You cannot paint," then by all means paint and that voice   will be silenced."   

Vincent van Gogh

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."

 Thomas Merton

"One eye sees, the other feels."

 Paul Klee

"May you see in what you do the beauty of your soul."

John O'Donohue

"Instructions for living a life.

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it."

Mary Oliver

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

♥️♥️♥️

Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilts, Part Three

 

  Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilts, Part Three

So, here we are with Part Three.  This will be the final episode of the Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt posts.  I had planned on showing you TWO quilts today, but, after a conversation with a friend this morning....I remembered there were two more of these quilts here in my house.  (My memory is haywire these days!)  

This one is really pretty, it has a "Garden Path" throughout.  I really like that, but I would never have pieced it myself.  This quilt, which I bought at the flea market, is beautifully made, but like most I get at the flea market, it has issues.  At some point, I hope to remedy that.

Can you see the green path?  This is a very pastel quilt.

 

 Look at that edge!  Oh my, binding that does not appeal to me....and the binding does have it's challenges.

 

See!

  Now, repairing that is going to take some creativity.  At this point, I have no idea what I will do, but, I'll figure out something.

 

 Isn't it pretty?

 

 Fortunately, it doesn't need a lot of other work...mostly two of the edges and a few little places to mend.   Well, the binding does need some help....another thing where I will have to figure out what to do.

 

 It's beautiful!

 

Here is another pretty quilt...with one big issue.  A friend of mine past away recently and this quilt top in her stash came to me.  It's beautifully pieced.  I actually think her mother pieced it.  At some point, someone decided to quilt it.  Why, I have no earthly idea, but they took some polyester batting and started to quilt the center of the quilt.

 

 Here is a view of the back.  Isn't that strange?  That's a lot of quilting, then it's trimmed.  I would not know where to go from here, so I am going to un-stitch that quilting and start over.  It deserves to be quilted properly. 

  

 Here is a close-up of it.  Really odd, but like I said, I don't think my friend did this...it's not something I think she would do.

 

 It looks really nice from the front.

 

A close-up.

 

Here is a better look at the piecing.  Lovely.

 

During a conversation I had today, it suddenly came to me that I had two more Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts.  How did I forget them?  So, I raided the quilt closet and there they were.  Of course, you have to see those too. 

 

 A lovely quilt top....beautifully pieced.

  (I love dappled shade, don't you.  I took these photos outdoors behind my house.)

 

 Very nice piecing!

 

The only issue with this quilt...Yeah!  One of the corners is not a full corner.  

What will I do?  Another challenge, for sure.

  I wonder what happened?

 

 And, lastly. a vintage baby quilt.  It has been very used and does need repair.  I've had it a very long time.  So, it will finally be put into the que created by these quilts and someday, I will have it mended and usable agian.

 

 You can see there is definitely work to do. 

 

 But, there are good parts too!

 

 A really special quilt that deserves repair.

The end of the story of these quilts is in the future, as there is lots of work to do.  I have

decided I love this "mending" of old quilts.  I think it will be good for my soul.  Don't you?

These quilts I have shown you the last few days are in need of attention and a good bit of care lest they just gradually fade away.  That could be sooner than one might think, the way time flies.  Somehow, it seems important to me, at this particular stage of my life, that I do my best to rescue and revive these quilts, along with others that I have here.  There are many quilts out there that can't be repaired as they are so very fragile, but I hope to do what I can, while I can, with the ones I have.  And, maybe future ones I run into at the flea market.  You know I can't resist, right?

I hope you enjoyed the stories of these quilts.  I will post more about them as work is done.  I will begin with my sister-in-law's quilt....

from

Bird Nest Cottage

until next time

♥♥♥