Go to the Head of the Class!

Monday morning the school bells ring!

 

 

I'm ready for a new adventure!

Are you?

 

I'll be teaching a great group of 4th graders this year.

 

I've taught in a variety of settings -- the most recent

 having been the homeschooling

of my own fourth grader.

 

While I'm searching for vintage linens, I occasionally

come across vintage school memorabilia.

Such was the case for this 50's Milton Bradley game

"Go to the Head of the Class."

 

 

I love the striped edging and rows and rows of desks.

(I'm not sure this room arrangement

would be great for class control!)

 

 

My game-board only goes to the 8th grade.

 

No skipping class in this teacher's room!

 

 

I'm cheering for Cowboy Joe or Susie.

 

Could you answer these questions?

 

Even Mommy and Daddy get to play!

 

It's my prayer that I help each student

"Go to the Head of the Class."

 

 

 

I'm ready!

Are you?

 

 

 

Have a blessed week,

 

Amy

 



Summer Project Finished!

I've been enamored with the vintage-style oilcloth

that has resurfaced in fabric and quilt stores.

 

 

While visiting a quilt shop this summer, I purchased

some yardage featuring strawberries and gingham.

I couldn't wait to try a sewing project

 that called for this textile.

 

I found oilcloth very easy to sew.

 

My tote is unlined, but pinking shears provided

a cute touch to the edges.

 

Here's my blue-eyed Sassy once again

 interrupting a photo session.

 

She definitely approves of the new tote!

 

 

The pattern for this tote came from the creative

Sophie Bester's Oilcloth Inspirations.

 

I have enough oilcloth left for an adorable lunch sack.

Hmm . . . .what else could I make?

 Before too long, I'll be getting out of storage

some unfinished

fall projects from previous years!

Where has the summer gone?

In my hometown,

school begins this Friday!

 

 

(I saw this storm coming in while at an area shopping plaza.)

I've seen some storms this summer.

 

 

I've seen what comes after the storm.

(The church children found this Lunar Moth after services one evening.)

I've had the time to stop and see

 God's beauty in the smallest of things,

 

 

(Martin's Branch Road.  Everybody needs at least one

road with a tree canopy.)

and I'm ready to see where

the next adventure leads.

 

What will you remember about this summer?

 

Amy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Little More Blue . . .

 

 

Here's a soft, well-loved vintage tablecloth

that works well in my kitchen.

 

This little tiered server adds that

little extra "mid-century modern" vibe.

 

 

 I haven't been able to identify the flowers. 

Any ideas?  I'd love to know.

 

 

I picked up this decoupaged cutie

after spotting the Anton Pieck illustrations.

 

After a little on-line searching,

I discovered that this keepsake box was crafted from a kit

manufactured most likely in the late 60's-early 70's.

 

Although unable to find an intact kit, I discovered

many finished boxes and purses similar to this one.

 

The wooden decoupaged purses usually fetch

higher prices.

 

Most of the boxes and purses have velvet linings

with ric-rac trim.

 

Helen did a wonderful job on her treasure box. 

 I love the personal touch of her fabric tag.

 

I recognized Anton Pieck's art

from children's books

illustrated with his work.

 

 

His work was also frequently used for

three dimensional paper cutting crafts.

If you're lucky, you might come across

a collectible wooden purse that contains

a shadowbox.  The shadowbox will

have the three dimensional Pieck image.

 

 

 

Thank you to Glory Be Vintage

for letting me post this picture of her Etsy item.

 

 

Have you recently found a vintage treasure?

I'd love to hear about it.

 

Amy

 

 

 

 

Blue Feels Like Home

 

 

Blue feels like home.

 

Like aquamarine with teasing tide,

or powder blue with cotton clouds,

Midnight navy between the stars.

Nestled egg, the robin kind.

Deep indigo on Staffordshire, 

Aged, azure-tinted canning jars.

 It whispers out of Grandma's opal

appears sky-like in my children's eyes--

familiar, known, but new.

Ah, yes!

Cerulean turns and looks at me --

Their father's blue, what sky becomes,

a deeper, dearer, colored hue.

 

Blue feels like home.

 

 

  

 

I find blue very calming and use the color for my living room,

 dining room, and kitchen.

 

I don't find blue very often during my vintage linen searches.

If I happen upon a piece, I try more often than not to bring it home with me.

 

This square blue cotton tablecloth was probably part of

a bridge or luncheon cloth set.

(Think card table size.)

 

 This hostess probably received many gracious compliments

on her needlework and crochet -- both are beautifully done.

Her unique color selections would have made her table memorable.

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you are taking time to smell the roses.

Summer's quickly passing us by and with it the season's blossoms.

Enjoy them!

 

What color do you most enjoy?  Please tell me why,

 

Amy

Sewing with Vintage Linens

 

 

Repurposing vintage pieces into a new project

 can seem daunting at first.

Any vintage linen enthusiast hesitates

to cut a handmade item.

 

Here are a few tips

 I've learned along the journey. 

 I hope that they will encourage you

to begin a project using upcycled vintage linens.

 

Choose a small project for your first

vintage linen upcycle.

Save that hankie quilt project using

Grandma's special hankies

for a third or fourth upcycle project.

You'll be much more confident at that point.

 



Choose first to upcycle linens that have

no sentimental value to you.

This charm-square tote upcycles two

very small linen pieces -- an 11" crocheted doily

and a small embroidered dresser set side-piece.

Neither piece held any sentimental value to me.

They were thrifted finds that I didn't mind cutting.

Choosing to cut thrifted finds removes the

pressure of making cutting mistakes.

(charm square -- a 5" fabric square)

 



Secure the piece you've cut to a background.

After cutting the linen piece to fit above the brown charm square,

I top-stitched the raw edge to one

 of the brown square's raw edges.

The 1/8" seam secured the linen's wrong side

 to the charm square's right side.

I then top-stitched along the inside edge of the crocheted trim.

Once this charm square was pieced

within the others to form the tote's front,

the linen's raw edge was secured again

 within the 1/4" seams called for in the pattern.

 

A thrifted sheet was used for the tote's lining.

 

 

Another piece of the linen

 incorporated into the side of the tote.

Always secure loose/cut

crochet threads with Dritz Fray Check.

This beautiful variegated doily had many loose threads

after I cut it.  After stitching it to the blue charm square

with an 1/8" seam around the raw edges, I brushed

 the loose threadswith Fray Check. 

The stiffening Fray Check will prevent

the crochet threads from slipping under the square's seams.

The doily was secured again

within the pattern's 1/4" seam allowance

used to sew the tote's charm squares together.

 

 

 I hope you'll be inspired to start that

vintage upcycle project.

 

If you've sewn or crafted with vintage textiles,

please share any tips you've learned along the way!

The charm square pattern used for this tote

comes from Whistlepig Creek Productions

(#1156 Charming Totes 4)

The vintage-look charm square pack is

a lovely example of Moda's Fig Tree & Co. fabric line.

 

 

 

Happy Stitching!

Amy

Birds for Tea

 

 "Even when a bird walks

one feels it has wings."

Antoine-Marin Lemierre

 

 

This Japanese teacup had lost its saucer

by the time I happened to purchase it.

 

I thought perhaps I'd share it

with some of my feathered friends.

 

 

 

This cardinal couple loved stopping by

 to check on their "tea."

 

 

 

Enjoy June!  It's slipping away.

 

Amy

Spoon Rack Upcycle

 

When I found this $4.00 cutie,

I knew it would be just perfect

for an upcycle project.

 



This unvarnished piece just needed a spray coat of

white primer followed by a coating of

black enamel spray paint.

 

 

(Easy-Peasy)

 



The wheat imprint on the rack's top

hides beneath this

framed mini-collage.

 

 

 

My hankie holder now resides

in my little sewing nook

right above my sewing machine.

 

 

Enjoy your week.

 

Amy

 

 

I Cannot Plead

O Lord, I cannot plead my love of Thee:

I plead Thy love of me; --

The shallow conduit hails the unfathomed sea.

Christina Rossetti