Evolution…

My friend is moving later this month.  She was going through her mother’s sewing supplies that she had been keeping forever.   She offered to me what I wanted before they were all donated.   I grabbed the zippers.

Look at the evolution of the labels on these zippers.

Love the old packaging….and their prices too!  The snaps were in my mother’s sewing box!!

Happy stitching!

Vintage Thingie Thursday--In a Christmas Way

I know it has been ages since i posted a VTT item, sorry. Really crazy busy at my house, but hopefully I will get back to normal...whatever that is. If you are new to VTT Suzanne at Colorado Lady host this great weekly post about all things vintage.

Yesterday as I was unpacking all the Christmas decorations. Now I come across these Christmas ornaments every year. They have travelled many miles over the years. They originally came from my mom, used on our tree when I was growning up. When I moved out she gave me a few boxes to get me started. I remember as a kid our tree had every colour of the rainbow on it. Now I don't use these balls on my tree as I keep just to gold and red. I can't believe they are in the originally packaging. I will keep them around for many more years probably. Great memories come alive when I see these from yester year!

Today it is really cold outside (yet I know there will be colder ones to come) so I declare it a sewing day....need to get a few things down and in the mail. Off to the machine I go......

Something from Charles for Vintage Thingy Thursday

If any of you having been following my posts for Vintage Thingy Thursday hosted by Suzanne at Colorado Lady, then you know that I have been posting about my great grandmother's quilts that my sister, mom and I all have. She did amazing work and if this is your first time reading my blog then check her quilts out on my sidebar at Genevieve's work. At last I have run out of quilts to post about. So I thought it was only fair of me to post something that her husband, Charles used.

Charles was a man of many trades, but was a skilled sheet metal worker I am told. Last summer when we were in Ohio visiting the old homestead, my dad gave me one of his tools that was still laying around.

I have no idea of its proper name. Dad said he would use it to bend the sheet metal. The reason it is all black, is because it was in the barn fire a long time ago. It is as heavy as can be too made of cast iron. I think it was probably even hand made. Anyway that is my story for today. Hope everyone has a great week.

Last of Genevieve's quilts for Vintage Thingy Thursday

Saving the best for last for another, Vintage Thingy Thursday hosted by Suzanne at Colorado Lady. This treasure of a quilt is another, and the last one we have, from my Great Grandmother. this one is in the possession of my mother.
As a kid I remember having this one on my white canopy bed for many years. I believe the flowers are poppies, but please correct me if I am wrong. The edges are scalloped with a red binding.


Again I am in awe of her stitches and eye for detail. The colours are getting a bit faded, but after so many washings over the years I am not surprised.

this feather stitch (below) I want to learn to do on my machine.

Vintage Thingy Thursday....

Well if it isn't Vintage THingy Thursday already. Gosh even in the summer the weeks go flying by. Featured again this week from me, is another of my Great Grandmother's quilts. I am still amazed at the work that she did. maybe one day my great grand children will admire mine too! This is a real gem of a quilt, all hand pieced and quilted, unfortunately the backing fabric is sterribley fadded, but the front is still beautiful. My sister is in possession of this one.

I love the scalloped edges and the randomness of the fabric. Her stitching is so tiny, I can only hope one day mine will be so good.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this quilt. I am off to my own mini quilt retreat today. The kids asked me what I wanted for my birthday (yesterday) I said "peace and quiet and a day where I didn't have to make anyboday anything, drive anybody anywhere, referee and I could sew (or blog) all day sun up to sun down." I wonder if it will work or not. I hear feet above me getting ready for summer camp and one has left for summer school already...fingers crossed it works. Ok off to the machine.

Vintage Thingy Thursday....already!

I guess like the saying goes...time flies when you are having fun! Can't believe another week has gone by. Don't forget to visit the other bloggers at Vintage Thingy Thursday for some more unique and interesting Vintage items.
One tradition that has been in my family for 4 generations is making cookies. Both my daughter and I love to make cookies. At Christmas time we always make cut-out sugar cookies. We have been using the same recipe that my mom and her foster mom used for years. Last summer when I was at the family homestead in Ohio, my dad gave me some old cookie cutters knowing that we are always baking cookies. Instead of keeping them in a box, I have them hanging on either side of my kitchen window ( no space for anything else really). I did buy a few more last fall at an antique store. I love to think of who might have used them and how many cookies they have made. I will continue to look for more on my travels this summer.
Happy Vintage Thingy Thursday!
P.S. I think my post last week didn't work, so scroll down to see some of the tools that my great grandmother use to us to make her croheted doilies, or tating, knitting, check out the name on the pin box!

Vintage Thingy Thursday

Sorry I missed last week, but with the end of school activities and work just couldn't find the time. Any way this week for Vintage Thingy Thursday, hosted by Suzanne of Colorado Lady, I thought I would show you some of the tools that my Great Grandmother use to use when crocheting and tatting. At some point I hope to put these all in a frame to hang in my 'dream sewing room'. have to run take the car to have new windshield put in, take dog in to be spayed (she is not going to like me) and get #1 off to summer school. I will post some projects I have been working on in my quilting world later this week.

Have a good one
Lee

Pin wheel

Happy VTT! Suzanne at Colorado Lady hosts this wonderful get together every Thursday. Participants show off there Vintage things. I have been showing off the two loves of my life (well besides my husband and kids) antiques and quilts. Most particularly the quilts made by my great grandmother. This pinwheel quilt is in the possession of my sister. I love the retro fabrics. I recently purchased some new 'retro fabrics' to produce something of my own.
Unlike my great grandmother mine will not be hand pieced and stitched together. These days I like to see the end of project soon after I start it, call me impatient.

Absolutely stunning by Genevieve

Well I have just returned from Ontario from helping my sistser recover from surgery. While I was there I was able to take pictures of more of the quilts our great grandmother made. This particular one is amazing. I love the way it plays tricks on your eyes with the different patterns. Any one know the name of this pattern? The black and white contrast is stunning and quite art noveau!
As far as I can tell it is all hand quilted and I imagine hand pieced too. The quilting is amazing.

Even the borders are works of art with the sawtooth patteren.

Everytime I look at it I see a different pattern. I think I would have gone a alittle crazy making this one!

Hope you enjoy looking at this one.. I have more pictures for other weeks but now I am back in full mommy mode and have to get the kids off to school. Today daughter #1 has her graduation ceremony from Grade 9! hard to believe.

Update Oct 11/09: I have found out this is the Iceccream cone block. Pattern was published in the 1939 Kansas City Star newspaper.

More from Great Grandma Genevieve

I hope you don't mind seeing more of my great grandmother's quilts on Vintage Thingy Thursday hosted by Colorado Lady.

The first quilt is a 'Red Ware' (I think that is what they call it, please correct me if I am wrong) quilt made for my dad, so over 70 years ago. I think the quilting was machined because the stitches are quite even. the Red stitching are various nursery rhymes in a circle in the centre and then around the outside too. when I acquried this quilt back in the '80's the edges were all frayed and torn. So I trimmed them up and made a binding for it. Or course back then I didn't know how to sew a binding on properly so you can see my lovely stitching on the back. I remember having this on my bed when I was a kid! Oh gosh does that make me vintage now???

the second quilt is one my mom had for years and gave to me last summer. She thought maybe I could 'fix'it. It is a wonderful 9 patch quilt. I love the vintage fabrics and its simplicity. This one is definitely hand stitched and well loved. there seemed to be a white fabric that was used with the red patches that has worn away.

while i am at my sisters this week (she is recovery from surgery and I get to be her nurse) I will take some photos of even more our Genevieve's quilts. I know my sister has a few more and my mom has a beautiful appliqued red poppy one that I use to use as a bed spread. Can't wait to see it again.

until then. Enjoy all the other VTT blogs

Update: Oct 11/09 the Red Work patterns are designed by Ruby Short McKim who published them in the Kansas City Star newspaper in the 1920-1930's

Another of Genevieve's

Since the link didn't work from last week I am resending this entry. This week for Vintage Thingie Thursday another one of my great grandmother's quilts.

As promised last week, I would post another picture of my Great Grandmother's quilts. I sure wish could have met her and learned from her. Her sewing skills were amazing. Although I am told that she wasn't a very good cook and was extremely stingy! This quilt I can remember being on my bed as kid. The prints are now called "retro prints" ! I just laugh at that since I have this quilt when it was "in" fabric. I believe this is called an "Apple core" pattern. The edges are all scalloped with a beige binding. Lily always manages to get in on the pictures!!!

Pink glass

In between soccer games and dance classes this evening I quickly took some photos of my grandmother's pink glass set for Vintage Thingie Thursday. I always admired this pink glass dessert set in my grandmother's house for as long I can remember. I was fortunate enough to receive it after she passed in 1997. There are no marks on the glass. I consider it a dessert set because there are mostly sundae/parfait glasses and bowls to the set, one covered dish and 8 plates. I have used it once and awhile over the years, but the glass is so thin and delicate I have to be extra careful washing them. I took the pictures so quickly I didn't have time to wash them, hope you can't see too much dust!!! Next week I hope to combine two of my favourite hobbies, antiques and quilting....hint they were made by someone in my family!

Have a great week.

Vintage Thingie Thursday

For my first Vintage Thingie Thursday, I wasn't sure what to post. I am very fortunate to have many of my great Grandparents belongings from both sides of my father's family. From pieces of furniture, to porcelain, to pictures, to handicraft tools. what an awesome way to showcase some of their/my things. For years I have been working on my family tree as well.

I have started a small collection of hop nail glass. My Paternal grandmother handed down a couple of pieces to me and I am slowing finding more pieces from time to time.

The second picture is of a chest of drawers from my great grandmother again on my father's mmother's side. I have loved it forever and was very pleased when i inherited it in 1997. The inside is very rustic and the back is made from rough hewn boards. The hardware is original and there is a burn spot on the top probably from an oil lamp. My great grandparents came from Missouri and I am told this once was on a covered wagon. From Missouri it went to Ohio and from Ohio to Canada.