Winter Days, Winter Projects, Winter Thoughts

A new tote for my sister. The fabric is crazy-quilt printed in such a cool way -- looks like the embroidery is real. I love love love the cherries. And the vintage button looks like it has stitchery on it as well. Love the bag -- love my sis!






Breakfast -- wonderful raspberry jam from Sunflower Sundries on 7-grain bread. It is the very best raspberry jam I have ever had. Just the right breakfast treat at my desk, while making a seed/plant order from Select Seeds. In just a few months I'll show the beautiful flowering tobacco, Nicotiana mutabilis, in the garden. Right now it is a mail-order promise of warm days and honey scents.



Vintage postcard. On winter days, thoughts turn to family and friends, near and far, here and gone. I am thinking of you.

Felt Sweetness

Little felt bears made for a two-year-old. Aren't they sweet? Easy pattern, except for the bitty pieces (oh, my eyes aren't what they used to be!). From this book:


Much more sweetness inside -- including the cutest kitties. Love this book.

Happy holidays to all! I wish you goodness and peace in the new year.

Corners of My Home

A new corner of my home. This is in the kitchen: an old pine chest of drawers just purchased at the consignment shop, immediately bedecked with some sewing stuff. The pipecleaner-button tree I made a few years back. . . . The short green tree is surrounded by red buttons; the green bobbins are a birthday gift (thanks, N!). The cones of white thread look like snow-covered trees to me. A new sewie corner. I love it.

Chai Days

Crazy-busy these days. To get through, I drink Chai tea. At least one a day.

Thanks to The Spice House, I can now make a decent, fast cup of chai at home. I use an Irish Breakfast Tea bag from Trader Joe's, a good scoop of the chai spices from The Spice House, a little warmed milk, a little honey, and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon. Mmmmmmm.

What I like

Oakleaf hydrangea, in glorious color . . .




Golden creeping jenny, dressed in her new fall wardrobe . . .




Buffalo china custard cups, sweetly waiting for me at the thrift shop.

Orange Books on the Classroom Shelf

My first four years of school were at Beeline School, a two-room country schoolhouse. We walked most days down the gravel road, running the last few yards if the bell started ringing (one of the boys was assigned the task of pulling the heavy rope to ring the large bell atop the school).

One of my clearest memories of the schoolroom is of the little library -- long, low shelves of books, really -- especially I remember the long row of books on the lowest shelf, the biographies with orange covers.

I remember reading so many of them and learning odd 'facts' about various famous Americans. The book about Thomas Edison told the story of how he lost his hearing -- he was running to jump onto a moving train and stumbled; the train conductor grabbed him by the ears and pulled him aboard, thus damaging his hearing for the rest of his life. Well, that doesn't even make sense, does it? But I sure was fascinated by the story.

All this rushed back over me when I found 'Jane Adams: Little Lame Girl' at the thrift shop. It's pictured open above, showing the silhouette illustrations. How fun to find it! Copyright 1944, published by Bobbs-Merrill Company, part of the "Childhood of Famous Americans Series."

'Bird Girl: Sacagawea' soon found me, too, via Ebay. And listed in the series is 'Tom Edison: Boy Inventor.' I also remember 'Clara Barton: Girl Nurse.'

'Twould be fun to find more of these books -- but not the more recently published of the series -- I want the orange books of my childhood.

Two more bags . . .

Found this pattern online -- Tiny Happy blog -- and decided to try it out, using a thrifted pillowcase and a piece of green calico for the lining. Because I thought it needed a little more body, I added a flannel interfacing. The front has a cellphone pocket.

And the back has an interesting pattern. Seams are up the middle (front and back) and at the top of the handles. Easy pattern -- size is good for a little library trip -- check out the tutorial here.

Second recently finished purse. I love this one! It's quilted on the outside and has a magnetic snap inside; the lining is blue and red floral, and the inside pocket is of the same fabric as the handles. The tutorial is on Creative Little Daisy blog -- patchwork purse here.

I do think this purse needs a little more -- either a few red buttons or a flower pin. I'm thinking a pin, made before next summer, when I'll want to use the purse to dress up my usual jeans and a teeshirt outfit.

More purses to come. CK, your tote is next. Then it's time for the custom purse for NL (you know who you are)!