Goodbye, Mom Nadine

Three weeks ago, we went to visit my husband's mother, Nadine, in Oregon. We had planned on going in June, but for some reason, we decided to go in March.

Two weeks ago, we got the terrible news that she had passed away. We were in shock. We had just seen her!

This week, we had to fly out to Oregon again for her funeral. My poor husband. It was so hard on us all, but mostly him. Thank God we decided to go visit in March! Thank you, Lord!

She was an amazing woman who lived through the depression, World War II, raised 5 children and loved the Lord.  She was a gardener, crafter, sewer, and a righteous, loving woman.

Thank you to the ladies who've noticed that I haven't been on my blog lately. What a blessing to have such sweet friends.

Patricia

Dreaming of a Laundry Room

When I lived in California, I had my washer and dryer in the garage. In a way it was great, because I didn't have to keep it neat. But, I didn't like having to go to the garage when it was too hot, or too cold. Anyway, it was the garage where there are creepy crawlies that could get into my clothes!

Here in Texas, I have an actual laundry room!! Woooo Hoooo for me! But, it's not ideal and some day I'm going to paint it yellow, add white cabinets, and a utility sink.  Hopefully it will be this year, but you know how life gets in the way of plans sometimes.

Anyway, on my last shopping trip I found these adorable dish towels. They're birds (love that), they're yellow (the future color of the room), and they're doing what I do almost every day (washing and ironing). They're perfect!!

I'm going to hang two of them from the cabinet doors under the sink.  So cute!!

There are three of them, but I'm only keeping two (I think).   I know I've said it over and over, but I sure do love these hand embroidered linens. So much love went into making them. It's only fair that they get to be enjoyed for years and years.

Blessings,
Patricia :o)

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

 St. Valentine's Day is a world wide celebration of love and romance. Red roses and chocolate hearts are a traditional gift for a loved one.  But roses fade, and chocolate gets eaten (Yummy)!

Another way to celebrate is to take out all your vintage embroidered hearts.  I didn't realize the variety in which our fore-mothers designed their hearts.  These are just some of the hearts that I've recently sold in my eBay store.

 This beautiful blue heart on pink roses is on a stunning pillowcase.

 These sweet daisy garland hearts are embroidered on each end of a table runner.

 Some hearts are appliqued like these pretty pink hearts, above, on a dresser scarf.

 Red roses and little daisies create this lovely heart. The words "his" and "hers" are embroidered into the bow at the top. So romantic!

 The hemstitching around these lovely posy hearts makes this runner unique. It is way more beautiful in person than in the photos.

The silk ribbon embroidered heart is a bit more modern than the others. There are tiny pearl seed beads tucked into the little rosettes. 

Even dish towels were touched with a bit of romance. These two puppy dogs are too cute!

I never cease to be amazed at the talent, creativity and patience the ladies put into their every day linens.  What a great way to add a touch of love to your decor that turns a house into a home.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!!

Patricia :o)

Ps:  The items in this post are no longer available, but if you're interested in seeing what other things I have listed, please visit me at my eBay store by clicking here.

Victorian Robe

Have you ever noticed how modern house coats and bath robes are lumpy squares of fabric that don't emphasize a woman's shape?  Well, truth be told, I've filled out a little and really need some help to "create" a more feminine shape.  So since I can't find a ready made feminine robe, I decided to make one.  The closest thing to what I was looking for is this Simplicity Victorian Robe pattern. It took me forever to find it at a reasonable affordable price (which I finally did on eBay)

 The next step was to find just the right fabric - all NINE yards of it. Then of course there were the yards and yards of lace.  Putting it all together was fairly easy, but adding all that lace was a test in patience for me.  But I did finish it and it really didn't take as long as I thought it would.

 It's not even close to being authentic in design, but still, it gives me a much nicer shape than the square modern ones.

I wear it almost every night. It's not as heavy or cumbersome as you might think and it's a lot of fun to wear. I feel like a princes floating around the house.  Now I need the perfect PJ's to go with it.

Patricia :o)

Embroidered Poodle Vintage Apron

 I have always loved aprons. I'm not exactly domestically inclined and am quite messy when I cook, do dishes and clean house. So I have to wear an apron when doing these things.

 This sweet half apron is hand embroidered with a darling French Poodle wearing big pink bows. I'm not sure exactly how old it is, but I'm guessing it's from the '60's.  It is home made using an apron kit.

 If you're interested in this one, you can click here to check it out on my eBay site. I don't usually sell aprons, but this one was just too cute.  Hope you enjoyed it.

Patricia :o)

God is Good!

Thank you to all you lovely ladies for your words of faith and encouragement. It is truly such a blessing to have met to many beautiful women.

I've been away from blog-land much longer than needed.  Everything turned out well, after all. God is so good!  My son moved back home, though he is planning on getting "his own place", it will be her in San Antonio, or Austin this time. He's learned a lot, though not enough. At least this time, we'll be near by.

While I've been "gone", I've done some growing, a bit of traveling (to CA) and sewing.  I stitched up this tote for my sister-friend in CA.  It turned out ok, but it's not exactly what I had in mind.

 I had such a hard time picking the fabrics. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to match what the fabric store has in stock and what you have in your mind?  I finally had to just work with what they had.

I gave it to my sister-friend for Christmas and she loved it!

I'm back to selling on eBay which seems to take up so much time. I'll try to post regularly but I have a feeling I'll be visiting you all more than I'll be posting.

Thank you again for all your kind words.
Patricia :o)

"...Some rain must fall."

“…Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.”

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-1882, written in 1845?

I had a few ideas I wanted to share, but they will have to wait. There are ups and downs in life, and right now I'm going through a small "down."  Although it is a major change, it's natural and part of life.  One of my little chickies is leaving the nest. I'm not sure if he's ready, but he wants to try. It's hard for a mom to let go and I don't feel like myself, so I won't be posting for a little while. 


I have been so very blessed, that this seems like a giant glitch in the fabric of my life. I'm sure the sun will shine again soon, but for now "some rain must fall."


Patricia :o)