Number Eight - Peter's Wife

Rhymeland Quilt block number eight is finished!

That pumpkin shell doesn't look very spacious, does it!?

From this angle, the letters seem to be a little bit "uphill". It was drying on a towel when I took the photo, so I think it will be straight when it is pressed.

This was the last block that was ready to stitch. I had not stamped the last four designs, but they were waiting to be transferred to the blocks. My iron of 35 (or so) years betrayed me! It stuck to the paper and pulled it out of position before the entire design was clear! Just a little on one side was too faint, though, so I decided I could pencil it in.

I decided that maybe I had the temperature turned up too hot, so I turned it down for the next one. The same thing happened again, only this time there was not enough of the design to salvage so that block was unusable. Naturally, I didn't learn my lesson and I ruined the fourth one, too!

I can wash the blocks and reuse them, but I will have to re-trace the designs with the tracing pencil before I can re-stamp them.

I think I may have ruined the Teflon finish on the sole plate of my iron during my mis-adventures with t-shirt stabilizer.... I guess a new iron every 35 years isn't too extravagant...

Who knows? Its been so long since I shopped for one, maybe there is new ironing technology! Maybe I will get on that has wi-fi!

Rhymeland Number Six & Number Seven

I have finished two more of the Rhymeland Quilt blocks and I am really pleased with how they are turning out. There is enough detail in the designs to keep it interesting, but not so much that it makes it difficult to stitch.

This is Tommy Tucker, singing for his supper - don't you just love the shoes?

A gigantic umbrella for gigantic rain drops! I love the eyes in both of these blocks!

I am almost finished with Peter Piper's Wife. I will have four more to do after that.

These blocks have been fun, but I have a couple of other projects in the hopper that I am itching to get started on.

It's a good thing car show season is right around the corner. I will have plenty of time, sitting in parks, parking lots and fairgrounds in the next couple of months to work on lots of things!

Tiny Trimmings

Besides Dearest Sister's two grandbebes that will be joining the family this year, there is another baby due that is a grandbebe of our good friend that we lost last month. The mother of this child is a dear friend of Ms A. She and her mother and Ms A and I enjoyed many Girl Scout overnights through the years and we are all anticipating meeting the baby boy in a few weeks.

My baby gift plans started out grandiose. I was going to make a flannel quilt with a pattern that I got in the Great Frozen North last December.

January and February did not quite go as planned, so that idea was set aside for a purchased layette set from the Osh-Kosh store at the outlet mall. I still wanted to make something special, but with the due date approaching and other projects undone, I had about given up on the handmade aspect.

A few days ago, Martha at Q is for Quilter posted these images from the 1948 Simplicity Needlework Catalog. I decided they were just the ticket for handmade baby gifts that do not require weeks of commitment to finish!

So yesterday, I made this:

It is from Simplicity embroidery designs pattern #7123, "Story Book Trims".

I had never stitched on knit fabric and the stabilizer experience was certainly a learning one!

The suggestion was to use 6 strands of floss. I only used three strands for most everything - two strands for the giraffe.

I think it turned out a little wonky, but cute. For the next one, I may use all one color to minimize the number of knots and threads. I might try one with more strands of floss, too.

It was a really quick little project and I can't wait to do more!

Another stash....

When I first saw Martha's Simple Objects Quilt at Q is for Quilter, a whole new world of embroidery motifs opened up for me! Her beautiful quilt is made from the designs in a vintage coloring book from 1963!

Previously, my embroidery was really centered on transfers from Aunt Martha and Sublime Stitching. I had ordered a tracing pad and transfer pencils so that I could do other designs, but I was thinking more of being able to re-use some of the vintage transfers in my collection. (When the instructions say "transfer the design to fabric using your favorite method", I usually passed. My favorite"method" is heat transfer!)

Suddenly, a light bulb went off and I picked up several coloring books that had simple line designs. I looked on eBay for vintage coloring books, but most of the listings didn't really show any of the pages, so it was hard to tell if the designs would be fun. And, they were too pricey to take a chance.

When the Mister and I were in Kansas last month, I stopped at an antique show and found a couple of coloring books and a tragic quilt (that story is here). One of the coloring books had an adorable image of a teddy bear on a rocket ship, but the opposite page (with a presumably coordinating picture) was missing. So, occasionally I have searched on eBay to see if I could find another one of those books with all the pages.

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled on a seller that has listings of books and coloring books that are pristine, and unused. Apparently, they are from the Western Publishing archives and, they are listed as auctions with a starting bid of 99 cents. And, some of them go for 99 cents!

This past weekend, I received the first package of purchases. Four coloring books - total with shipping less than $15.00! And they are wonderful!!




Like most sellers, none of the inside pictures were in the listings, but for the price, I decided to take a chance, or four chances to be accurate!

I couldn't be more pleased! One of them is Simple Objects to Color, but it is a later edition. I think, from the style of the pictures it is from the late 60's or early 70's:

I can just picture bottles like these in dark purple and aqua!

Is that flower power I see on that saxophone?

The other three are large format. The Trucks book is from 1951!

"The freight is loaded. Now back up to the trailer." "See you in Kansas City," calls another driver.

There have been many changes in the transportation industry in 58 years!

The Mister liked this one!

The Mammoth Book to Color (no date) has some very cute-y pie animals!

This one reminds me of the Days of the Week patterns from Aunt Martha!

The Big Pictures for Little People to Color (1954)has some great vintage scenes, too.

That helmet doesn't look like it would protect much...

My next package will have 7 more. Most of them were listed as "buy it now" for $1.99. (total for 7 books with shipping - less than $20)

So, by now, I have purchased about a dozen coloring books. Bargains, to be sure, but over $35 worth! Probably enough for most folks. However, something inside me compels me to check every few days to see if there are any others that I might "need".

The seller is Golden Treasures.

You should look.

You might find some you like.

You would be doing me a favor if you buy them before I do....

All Tish Tuesday, or History Sisters

When Dearest Sister was in Kindergarten, she met a "new girl" named Tish who became her bff. You can read her account here.

First day of Kindergarten for DS - I was home alone! Well without DS...

I believe that I have mentioned that throughout history (mine, anyway) I have been a hanger-on to most things that DS discovers first.

Using the Distributive Property, you can see that if

(DS+BFF) = (fun and high jinks)

and

(DS+me)= (fun and high jinks),

then

(DS + BFF + me) = (Great fun and Very high jinks!!)

Me on the left, DS on the right. Tish next to DS.

Most all my memories of fun with Tish are associated with summer.

We moved away from our hometown of Greensburg, but came back to visit and stay at Aunt Ruth and Uncle Don's house every summer and holiday. I remember visiting her at school for a day when one of our spring breaks didn't coincide with her spring break.

Mostly though, we hung out in the summer time. At the pool, at the drive in and at the dances at the VFW hall.

In front of the parlor at Aunt Ruth's house.

Tish is wearing my dress, DS is wearing a dress that would become mine and I am wearing some sort of toga, it seems! Must have been a Sunday morning, or we wouldn't be in dresses! Sometimes we performed as a vocal trio in church. When we were younger. ("Winds, through the olive trees, softly did blow....")

We shared clothes, adventures, secrets and 5 cent cokes. We admired shooting stars and tan farm boys and never wore shoes, (except to church).

Tish has a sister. DS and I have our sisters (each other, too), but Tish and DS and I are history sisters. And sometimes history is thicker than water!