Saturday Stitches

Antique Pin Cushion (from my collection)

Vignettes from an Antique Show

One of my favorite places to be is out looking at a thousand or so booths full of old things.

So much history. So much potential to add to an item's personal story.

And now, thanks to my smart phone (Moto X), I can capture little bits of the experience to share with you...

When I Go Treasure Hunting

I never go in with a plan. You really can't these days when out perusing the wares of antique dealers. It seems, at least out here in the West, that all of the good primitives have fallen into a black hole.

Good thing I'm not easily disappointed when it comes to collecting. I tend to favor the ragged and worn.

The more an item shows its history, the better. I love that the cupboard in my kitchen is missing the crown molding along one side where it used to cozy up to a wall... even though the missing molding is on the wrong side for its current home.

Usually, what I'm REALLY after when I go to a big antique show, is some time to be ME with nobody getting hungry or needing help with homework or even cuddle time. Freedom from responsibility goes a very long way to fuel my burners. Especially when I get to surround myself with old things.

Oh, and we can't forget kettle corn. Kettle corn is pretty important too.

This time I came home with three lovely old frames that will show up some day on a pattern cover and a pair of sweet old and completely worthless scissors that wouldn't cut if their life depended on it.

I also hit a jackpot mother-lode of tomato pincushions. Would you believe that I left another half-dozen behind that were almost equally as great? And each one for less than five dollars; a steal these days.

My final treasure- that darling little log cabin trinket box. Stamped on the roof the words, "Whiff of the Cascades", and hand-written on the bottom, "Wood you be my Valentine?" How could she say no to such a sweet overture?

It was an added bonus that I got to spend the day with my Sister in Law. It has been way too long since we spent that much time together just the two of us. Good therapy for the heart.

What do you look for when you go treasure hunting?

Oh... what's that you say? Sampler? Did I forget to tell you about the little sampler?

Why yes I did!


What a horrible friend I am.

And to let you know exactly how much of an imp I can be, I'm tempted to not even say a word more.

But I won't leave you hanging. Because I want you to keep coming back. I like you that much.

I've never seen anything quite like this little stitched piece. Just a simple little design, completely finished with a bit of muslin at the back. I can only imagine that it was a candle mat or wall hanging or perhaps sat on the arm of a chair. Three peacocks with a floral border. No date, no name, no alphabet.

I'm working on charting it up as you read this, and plan to offer it this week as a little freebie chart. Stitched on a higher count linen, it would be perfect as a pincushion or for the cover of a needle book.

Happy now?

Good. 

Around Here

I tend to do my best thinking and writing in the morning. Before little voices and to-do lists take up their space in my head and crowd out those ethereal threads of thought that used to come effortlessly. But my mornings are now full of packing lunches and combing hair and serving vitamins with breakfast and have you brushed your teeth?

I've been letting my photos speak for me. I hope you don't mind.

There is still a hermit recluse writer living inside my skull, and she comes out to threaten me with angry words every so often. She has even mentioned bodily harm to my camera, since I keep using it as a blog crutch. I tell her often that her time will come, but my kids have to take first place. That usually calms her down for at least a week or two.

My Funny Valentine and a hand-made treasure, my Grandma's yellow bird, With One Accord, Threads, the Letter T, Old Painted Landscape, Well-loved Doorknob, Forever Young next to Forever Old Spoons, Mincemeat, Yarn, Rusty Screen keeping Treasures un-dusty.

Treasures

You all probably know by now that I have a weak spot in my heart for old pincushions and scissors (and I dare say many of you share my obsession). I've been very good lately about keeping myself from the temptation to buy, and was rewarded come Birthday and Christmas time with such charming additions to my collection that I find myself satisfied. For the time being, that is.

The discriminating eye of my Sister-in-Law found an assortment of old scissors, including the pair with the cross and heart motif, giving them to me for my Birthday, and therefore officially making my sundry pairs picked up hither and yon into a bonified collection.

Which then made it necessary for me to find a way to put them on display together, leading the famous Farmboy to find a vintage spoon rack for me on ebay, sneaking it under the Christmas tree, and thereby wiggling his way further into my heart.

The scissors on the top left were given to me by the doctor that removed stitches from my 12 year old body... I know they don't really belong there, but they did become my first pair of make-do embroidery scissors. Plus I'm old enough that they'll truly be antiques in no time at all.

The scissors on top center belonged to my maternal Grandmother and have quite twisted points from someone using them to pry something open.

The amazingly hand-made white silk strawberry make-do was smuggled under my very nose from a favorite dealer at an antique show MONTHS ago, and faithfully stored away until just the right time. Some people just know the way to a girls' heart... and to elaborate on the story a little more, the little cross-stitched patchwork cushion was purchased off of my etsy favorites by the same sneaky person.

And this. crazy. whatever-cushion? Found on etsy by me. I positively couldn't resist.

Have you ever seen its like? Reported by the seller to come out of the home of three ladies who never spoke a word of English....only their native Norwegian, and lived somewhere in North Dakota or Minnesota and possibly made around late 1890s or early 1900s.

Too bad there are still some empty spots open in that scissor rack...

*NEW* Snow Zone

I fell hard for the little hooked mat shown at the bottom of the photo. It was last Fall, while visiting an antique mall with friends to celebrate my birthday. Perfectly winter-y in the best vintage way, it has been hanging on the wall in my kitchen all year round, despite the changing seasons. I just couldn’t pack it away!

I hope you find it equally appealing. Its uniform loops translated well as a cross-stitch pattern (stitched for me by the lovely Donna Gabbard), but I’ve also thrown in a line drawing for good measure, in case you prefer to do it up as a needle punch or hooked rug, or even wool applique.

It is a small design, and quick to stitch up, perfect for your evenings spent hoping for the first snow of the season to fall.

Stitch Count: 92 x 35
Model stitched on 30ct. linen

Using thread from The Gentle Art: 7082 Piney Woods

Using thread from Weeks Dye Works: 1092 Grits, 1118 Goldenrod, 1171 Dove, 1236 Mocha, 1330 Baked Apple, 2200 Kudzu, 2253 Sanguine, 3910 Mascara

This design is now available in my etsy shop, and will be going out to my distributors and the shops on my automatic shipments list soon. If you prefer to bypass etsy and order directly through me, you can send me an email: beth@heartstringsamplery.com

And be sure to check out my other new design, How Can I Keep From Singing?, which was released simultaneously.

Old Things

What is it about old things that draws us in? It certainly isn't for their pristine surfaces and bright colors... Quite the opposite, I suspect. Their worn edges, mottled patina, fading, peeling, tarnished condition alludes to layers of existence. A mysterious history, created by, held by, loved by Whom? For How Long? When? What winding paths did it travel down that led it to our hands, our collections, our hearts?

The yellow bird, the wooden bowl, the blue bell, came to me from my Grandmothers. But the others... whose Grandchild didn't care enough to hold onto the family heirloom? What happened along the way to make what was once cherished lose its value? I have often wished that such items came with an embedded computer chip that recorded its life history. We lose so much depth when we disregard our history and exchange it for the new, shiny, disposable implements of our own time.

What is Love?

Passion?

Emotion?

Commitment?

Sacrifice?

Intention?

Joy?

Beauty?

“There is no greater love than this: 

that a person would lay down his life for the sake of his friends.”

John 15:13