Kreativ Blogger Award

Thank you so much to
 Little Susie Home Maker

for giving me the

Little Susie was one of my very first blog followers.

Check out her blog if you like recipes,

 vintage items, crafts, link-ups, and chickens!

As part of the award, I'm to share 7 interesting facts about myself.

Then, I need to grant the award to 7 other blogs.

7 interesting things

 (I think . . . )

1.

In the Second Grade,

I couldn't put down The Secret Garden.

From there on out, I was a reader.

2.

One evening during the summer of 1996,

 I happened to meet a very interesting young man.

The next day, I told my mother that

 I hoped I married somebody just like that man.

I married that exact man in 1998.

3.

I'm learning to play a folk instrument called the Bowed Psaltery. 

 I own the middle-sized version pictured.

4.
My favorite place in the United States that I have

 physically visited is the Grand Canyon.

5.

In 2010, I spent 11 days in Israel.

I hope to go back again.

6.

I'm willing to admit I have a minor . . . OK,

a BIG addiction to craft magazines.

7.
I've eaten soooo much dark chocolate that I no

longer enjoy the taste of milk chocolate.

If you're still with me, here's what is really interesting!

The next Kreativ Blogger Award winners!

Terrie -- Smiling

Terrie lives in Hong Kong.

 She works with wool and creates beautiful things.

  She also hand dyes pieces from natural materials

 she finds from her surroundings.

A Lovely Thought

Rayanne at "A Lovely Thought" has beautiful,

 romantic photography and many lovely thoughts.

Donna's Lavender Nest

Donna will share with you

 the vintage treasures she picks up during her journeys.

  She also just listed her first pattern on Etsy!  Yeah!

A Redeemed Sheep

Amy is a great quilter whose fabric stash colors

 closely resemble mine. 

 I really enjoy seeing what projects she's finished.

Gwendolyn Gage

Gwendolyn blogs about creative writing.

  Sometimes she shares parts of her inspirational fiction stories.

  At other times, she gives a book review or shares a writing tip.

  Occasionally, readers receive an inspirational thought.

 Her blog is gorgeous and fun for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Mama's Little Treasures

Nina's blog has resources too numerous

 to mention for the Christian crafter and writer. 

Nina's blog has tutorials and devotionals, and 

her posts are often linky parties to her Ruby For Women Community --

 a great place for women to connect for publishing opportunities,

 prayer support, crafting, blogging, friendship, and so on . . . . 

It's like I said . . . too numerous to mention!

I hope you'll visit these creative places.

Enjoy.

Amy

Link to a Free Vintage E-Book

Each Friday, I love to share a recent vintage find.

If possible, I really love to share part of the item's story.

This week's vintage find is a

reproduction-style

 pattern for a doll's dress, hat, and petticoat.

The pattern is adapted from a child size dress
 shown in an 1884 Delineator magazine

.

Although I have seen some antique fashion magazines,

 I wasn't familiar with the Delineator. 

Butterick published the magazine from 1873 until 1937.

Look at the gorgeous covers.

If you'd like to read an early copy of the Delineator,

 you can download a free E-book to your computer or device.

The magazine's clip art and advertising graphics are stunning!

Free Google Books Delineator

The doll pattern includes a hat called a "Beefeater"

 modeled after a June 1890 Delineator.

The doll pattern fits 14" and 16" dolls

 and is now listed in my Etsy Shop.

Enjoy your weekend.

Amy

Colorful Tablecloths

I haven't shared any great reads for a while.

Here's a book I purchased for my overflowing bookshelf.

  I'm cleaning out my craft bins and closets

 to make room for great new items

 such as this great resource featuring

 vintage tablecloths by Schiffer Publishing.

Yvonne Barineau and Erin Henderson, the authors,

give readers four different tablecloth sections --

floral, fruit and veggies, conversational,

and the geometric and abstract.

The photographs of the tablecloths

 by David DeHoyos are wonderful!

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the

 tablecloth descriptions and pictures,

 I especially loved the information provided

about cleaning and storing vintage tablecloths

 given in Chapter 5. 

The manufacturers' information in

Chapter 6 along with the photographs

 of the manufacturers' tags are incredible.

My only disappointment was that the price guide

 was limited to pristine and tagged tablecloths.

  Thus, all suggested price listings

 were on the higher estimated end.

  The authors did give an explanation

 for this in the introduction,

but the buyer of this book still be expecting

 to find help for pricing their vintage

 no longer tagged and probably not pristine tablecloths.

This is a GREAT book to own.

Colorful Tablecloths: 1930's-1960's Threads of the Past

Yvonne Barineau & Erin Henderson

A Schiffer Book For Collectors

With Price Guide

To Read More Reviews or find it on Amazon, Click here.

Amy

Finding a Pearl of Great Price

Here's Friday's Vintage Find.

I didn't think twice when I saw these

 vintage burlap rug hooking backings. 

Their previous owner just barely got them started. 

 Her pulled wool color choices are beautiful.

What do you think?

Both rug patterns had Pearl K.McGown named as the designer.

When I looked her up, I found quite a story.

I'm ALWAYS ready for a story.

(Can you imagine this rug finished?)

Pearl McGown, born in 1891,

 learned rug-hooking from her mother. 

As early as the 1920's she began designing rug patterns. 

When commercially made rugs

came on the market,

 Pearl feared the hand-made art would vanish. 

Her "hobby" eventually became her business.

(This rug backing is from the Old Sturbridge Village Period 1973)

Pearl would go on to publish a book on rug hooking during the 30's,

and teach rug-hooking to about 140 wounded veterans

of World War II during their long hospital stays.

She would even have women send her their very scarce burlap

so that she could apply her rug designs to them during war time.

(rug hooking wool)

In the early 50's, Pearl McGown and family began the

McGown Teachers Workshop

where rug-hooking fans

could learn the craft and become teachers themselves.

(This rug backing is from the McGown Teachers Workshop Period 1956)

By the 70's, Pearl McGown was in her late 80's. 

She and her family were still involved with the rug-hooking,

but needed to sell the business on to Old Sturbridge Village.

I love Pearl McGown's deep love and devotion for this craft. 

To think of all of her designs (over 1,000),

 and her business, and her books,

that she managed with her family

without internet, cellphones, copiers, etc.

My large rug backing is from the

Old Sturbridge Village days (1973).

The geometric rug backing is from the

McGown Teacher's Workshop Days (1956).

Pearl left an interesting legacy that still exists today with the

National Guild of Pearl K. McGown Rug Hookcrafters, Inc.

whose membership has grown to about 1,500.

If you'd like to learn more about Pearl's fascinating story

 or find a Pearl K. McGown instructor near you,

 visit the Guild's website by clicking here .

As soon as I can bear it, I will eventually be placing the rug backings in my Etsy shop along with the rug hooking wool.  (Alas, I cannot afford to take on another craft project despite my desires.  Although I'm sure if I had met Pearl, she could have convinced me.)

Best wishes for your weekend!

Amy

Come and visit my backyard . . .

Sometimes we can miss the beauty that's closest to us.

The yearning for the view on the

 other side of the fence can at times

keep what's right at hand in a blind spot.

Last week, I traveled around the backyard

of my own home state of West Virginia.

I thought I'd share some snapshots with you.

Welcome to my backyard!

Blackwater Falls State Park

Tucker County, WV

Cabela's

Wheeling, Ohio County

(You should see the menu board at the restaurant! 
Have you ever tried ostrich?)

West Virginia Golden Anniversary Rainbow Trout!

Edray Fish Hatchery

Pocahontas County, WV

Built in the 30's by Civilian Corps.

This is the oldest functioning hatchery in WV. 

Birds of Prey Demonstration at Greenbrier

Greenbrier Resort

Greenbrier County, WV

Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum

Ohio County, WV

This museum is in an old school building. 

I took the dollhouse snapshot because I had

the dollhouse on top as a child. 

Now it's in a museum!! YIKES!

Pendleton County

Seneca Caverns

Pendleton County, WV

Beverly Heritage Center

Randolph County, WV

Civil War Battle of Rich Mountain Site

Independence Hall, Wheeling WV

It was right in this room that West Virginia

became a state during the middle of the Civil War.

I'm so glad those men so long ago made that decision.

Thanks for visiting with me.

What's in your backyard?

I'd love to hear about it.

Amy

Removing "yellowing" from Vintage Linens

Cleaning Vintage Linens

is always a game of give and take --

I give and give and give. 

 The linen takes and takes and takes. 

 The stain stays and stays and . . . stays.

I recently came across an advertisement for Retro Clean in a quilting catalog.

The product claims to remove the aging stains from vintage fabric.

Although I was interested in trying the product, I didn't want to invest in a 1 lb. bag.

A few days later, I found a much smaller package at an antique store.  For $5.00, I purchased a small bag.

Here's the first item I tried cleaning.  A beautiful, round, frilly doily with a yellow-brown stain across more than half of the doily.  This type of aging I often have difficulty removing.  I've been able to fade the stains, but not eliminate them.

I followed the Retro Clean instructions by taking a small dishtub and filling it with 3 teaspoons of Retro Clean and one gallon of warm water.  I placed the doily and a few other items into the water and set it outside on my sunny deck.

Occasionally, I would go outside and stir the items in the dishtub.

Look at my beautiful, round, frilly doily!

It has no stains!

I have cleaned several items now with great success.  Retro Clean will not remove every stain, but it will remove the stubborn yellow-brown aging that I often find on my purchased linens.

I love it!

(My commercial is now over.)

A google search will help you find your favorite seller.

Retro Clean also has their own website.

www.retroclean.com

I'll be sure to post any other vintage linen cleaning tips as I come across them. 

Enjoy your week!

Amy