Pillows - and my new scanner

As some of you have read - I got a new photo scanner a little while back - and I've been making good use of it. I am scanning 35 years worth of family photos - and when that is done - I have hundreds of old family photos - from Don's family and my family - old B&W photos from long ago.

It has been such fun to see all the old photos going by on the scanner. I started with when we were first married - oh those long years ago - and so far I am up to when our kids were in Jr. High and High School. What a fun trip it has been. Along the way I've scanned the photos of crafts I have done over the years - and today I thought I'd share with you some of the needlepoint pillows I've made. I used to have a business making hand made dolls, doll clothes, stuffed animals and needlepoint pillows. The rancher's wives where we lived loved to have parties at their homes - like tupperware parties - except that I'd bring my items for sale and they would order. Then I'd go home and work like crazy to get the orders completed before the next party.

Christmas pillows were very popular - in different colors for different families -
to match their christmas decor . . .

Santa has a big fuzzy beard - and the one was often changed to reflect a little girl - instead of the train running around the edge there were dollies and girlie things . . .

I made samplers - the ladies picked the things to go in the sampler - this one was for someone's mother and had the things she was involved in - orchestra, swimming, biking, scuba diving etc.

This holiday sampler could be personalized too.

Special pillows for anniversaries were a favorite . . .

The teddy bears were quite popular - and always
available in special colors, with ribons to match . . .

I really liked the holiday teddy bear . . .

And a cute pink one for a little girl's room . . .

The stitching was done on brown needlepoint canvas, with the canvas left unstitched for the background, giving a country feel to the pillows. The floss was regular embroidery floss, satin floss and metallic floss, depending on the pillow. The ruffles were moire' satin. and sometimes the pillows had a double ruffle, lace and then moire' satin. I really enjoyed making them and probably made 100 or more. I still have the patterns, but never made a pillow for our house. I made a lavender teddy bear for our youngest daughter, her room was all lavender when she was in Jr. High and High School.

Imbolc - Candlemas

February 1st is a celebration of Imbolc - of the "returning of the light" - a time to think about our past and our future - a time of clearing out for the new that is coming. In Celtic tradition this is a sacred time when the doors between the worlds are open and magical events can occur.

Though the month of February can be so cold and dreary, small but sturdy signs of new life began to appear: Lambs will be born and soft rain brings new grass. Ravens begin to build their nests and larks are said to sing with a clearer voice.

Today I will look for the daffodils I planted last year - hoping to see them
pushing up through the soil - as a sign of the hope for the future.

This is a time for planting, for renewing, for looking to the future.

On February first we honor Brighid, a Celtic goddess, who later was usurped by the church and became the Christian saint - St. Brigid. Brighid is the Goddess of Healers, Poets, Smiths, Childbirth and Inspiration; Goddess of Fire and Hearth, her name means "Exalted One."

On February second we celebrate again - with Candlemas day - the coming of longer days - with candles to light the way and encourage the sun to try harder, and stay around longer each day.

In Shakespeare's time about 400 years ago, the second month of the year was called 'Feverell'. In Isaac Newton's time one hundred years later it had become 'Februeer'. The modern name, February, is only about a hundred years old.

The Romans had a custom of lighting candles on Candlemas Day to frighten away evil spirits of the winter.

It is believed that Candlemas Day predicts the weather for the rest of the winter. The weather proverbs express the idea that a fine bright sunny Candlemas day means that there is more winter to come, whereas a cloudy wet stormy Candlemas day means that the worst of winter is over.

There is also the tradition that if the groundhog sees his shadow on a bright and sunny day, on February 2, he will return to his sleep for another six weeks, leaving us to endure more winter. (This does not hold true with the unkind way that Punxsutawney Phil is brought roughly out into the daylight - this is supposed to mean that the groundhog comes out of his den on his own - a German tradition brought over to Pennsylvania from the old world)

WEATHER PROVERBS

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter won't come again.




If Candlemas Day be dry and fair,

The half o the winter's to come and mair;
If Candlemas Day be wet and foul,
The half o the winter's gane at Yule.

FARMER'S PROVERB

'A farmer should, on Candlemas Day,
Have half his corn and half his hay.'

'On Candlemas Day if the thorns hang adrop,
You can be sure of a good pea crop.'

BORROWED DAYS

February 12-14 were traditionally said to be 'borrowed' from January. If these days ware stormy, the year would be favoured with good weather: but if fine, the year's weather would be foul. The last three days of March were said to be borrowed from April.

"The Snowdrop, in purest white array, First rears her head on Candlemas day."

The name snowdrop does not mean 'drop' of snow, it means drop as in eardrop - the old word for earring.

Any Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) should be left up until Candlemas Day and then taken down.

Cakes were traditionally baked and offered to the gods on February 1st and 2nd, for good weather and prosperous growing seasons.

Any reason to bake a pretty cake is a good reason. . .

Yay for cakes!!!

As we light our candles - and think of ways to clear our lives - in whatever way seems right to each of us - may the peace of Imbolc be with us. May our plantings be prosperous, our hearts generous and our ways kindly.

All cakes were baked and decorated by my youngest daughter Lori.

Mosaic Monday

Monday - time for Mosaic Monday - sponsored by Mary at the Little Red House. Click and visit more fun and beautiful mosaics.

Whatcom Falls Park is right in the middle of town. Bellingham is built on hills, many many hills - and we get to enjoy the benefits of rivers, streams, lakes and waterfalls right in town. This is one of our favorites - ok, I admit, they are all favorites. Upstream from the falls is a small lake that is a nursery for fish from the hatchery. It is full of ducks and sometimes a kayak or canoe. The falls are much less full this winter, as we've had a dry year, but still gorgeous. Click the mosaic to enlarge.

Glad you stopped by.

Gingerbread man

My lovely daughter-in-law, Jamie, and I love gingerbread - and sometimes I tend to get carried away with a theme. I make gingerbread pigs with pink icing on their backs for christmas every year - and they are the cookies that go the fastest, I even bought a pair of scissors with a gingerbread man for the handle for this christmas this year when Jamie was here, so we could use them when we wrapped gifts.


And now I've made a Gingerbread Man potholder. He is just a modified nine patch, with rick-rack sewn on for decorations. I used round black beads for his eyes and buttons, but later went to the fabric store and got tiny black buttons that I will use for the next potholders I make.

I used binding, like a quilt, but I suppose I could just sew around the edges (right sides together), leave a small opening and turn it right side out, then top stitch around the edges to define them - I might give that a try on the next one.

The green is just background - not part of the potholder. I am definitely making more of these. What do you think, Jamie?

More Dresden Plate blocks

Two sweet friends offered to give me some Dresden Plate blocks, and I'm not one to turn down DP - they are one of my favorte blocks.

Sheila offered me these Dresden Plate stars - are they not the most wonderful thing you've ever seen? The points are all neatly pressed under and they are ready to applique. There are 20 of these blocks. I was thinking of a pale brown background, to make them stand out, and maybe sashing, or maybe alternating plain blocks to make the quilt bed size. Not sure of the center yet - you have any good ideas? Oh I know you do - let's hear them.

Then Billie offered these Dresden blocks - she said her sister got them at a yard sale in a sewing box - from an older lady's house. At first I thought they were done in 30's reproduction fabrics, but the more I looked, the more I see that they are not reproductions, but the real fabrics from the 30s and 40s - oh how I love them. I like the way there are two spokes of each fabric, across from each other. Someone put a lot of work into these blocks and I'm honored to be able to make a quilt of them, and of the yellow blocks from Sheila.

Close ups of the Dresden Plates

They are not appliqued, though some have the pointed parts turned under and basted and some of the circles are turned under and basted. There was even a needle and thread still attached to one of the blocks. I think the centers will be all different - or do you think I should pick one color for all the centers? And not sure of the background, though traditionally these would have been done on a pale color that suits the fabrics - still debating that with myself.



And these you might have seen before - these are the 70s Dresden Plate blocks I got at the thrift store for 2.99. There are 17 done, appliqued down on white, and enough pieces and background to make 4 or 5 more.

One of the blocks has a small pieced sashing attached. There aren't any more fabrics to finish this sashing, but I've been collecting 70s fabrics to use. I think I'll make the sashing a little wider than this - maybe 2" - and set the blocks together that way. They are large blocks - almost 19 inches each.

And my last set of Dresden Plate blocks - I am making these, all in pastel tone-on-tone colors.

The points on these will be rounded . . .

And one of them is going to be a little basket - just for some interest. I might make another block into a butterfly - we'll see. And all centers are yellow.

And that's my Dresden Plate story - glad you could visit and see all the pretties I have. And thank you again Sheila and Billie - and the unknown maker of the 30s blocks.

What kind of tree is this?

While out driving one day we came across this tree - just loaded with crab pot bouys. Wonder how they know where their crab pots are if all the bouys are in the tree. And how did they all get up there?

Mosaic Monday - in my kitchen

Monday - time for Mosaic Monday - sponsored by Mary at the Little Red House. Click and visit more fun and beautiful mosaics.

I'd like to share with you some of the wonderful things in my kitchen. Come in, sit down, have a piece of pie and a cup of tea - we'll chat and enjoy the chilly winter day in my cozy kitchen. Glad you stopped by.