Nifty Thrifty

It was a good thrifting day today! I love these old books that no one seems to notice. This one is perfect for my nature study shelf, all about Jim's adventures in the woods and all the animals he meets.

I adore the colored illustrations and plates found throughout the book.

We've been doing a pretty good job of reading the things I bring home, if they are picture books. This one will find its home in my Morning Basket for sure.

I love the life-like illustrations of the animals as well as the poems that begin each new chapter.

The mountain ash was wearing

Her beads of coral red,

And the fuzzy caterpillars

Were all looking for a bed;

The thistle birds were calling,

And the air was crisp and clear,

"Summer has gone," said Buddy Jim

And Winter'll soon be here."

And the other happy find of the day...

If it has Melody Miller's name on it, I pounce on it. Ha. Gotcha!

This book is about creative ways to wrap gifts. But it is so much more than that. It is a craft and  sewing book. It is a photographic feast for the eyes, and an enjoyable read with quotes and anecdotes all throughout.

I love the colors and vintage vibe...

Here is a project teaching you how to make a box out of a vintage board game.

There are also ideas for bags, garlands, other types of boxes, and paper crafts. So inspiring!

I love this quote...

"Things are not difficult to make. What is difficult is putting ourselves in a state of mind to make them."

And finally, I got happy mail today! Stephanie from Modern Sewciety sent me this thank you package for the Boxcar Tote I sent her recently. I love this fabric and can't wait to use it for something special. I see more surprise packages to sewing peeps in the future, because it's just really fun to make things for other people.

Happy fall, y'all.

The "Say Yes" Challenge

I have realized recently that through the years I have said "no" to my kids a lot. "No" is a very good thing if I am teaching them respect, obedience, and self control. But when not balanced with a generous portion of "yes," you end up with some empty tanks, and that is not pleasant at all! My husband and I have made a little challenge for ourselves to say "yes," if at all possible and in their best interests, to the kids' requests. "Can you read me [this mile-high] stack of books?" "Can we go on a walk?" "I want to help you scoop the muffins." "Will you color with me?" It isn't always feasible, especially in the middle of cooking, but we have tried to be more generous with our responses. And in doing that, we have, like mine diggers, unearthed some otherwise hidden treasures of our kids' personalities and their particular stages of development, even revisiting childhood ourselves sometimes.

This past weekend I said "yes" to a walk outside with the Littles. I really wanted to do my own projects, but I chose against that. And look!

We have been hunting for four-leaf clovers (at least, I have), and I found one! I have never found one in all my life. Oh, the joy of saying "yes!".

We also found some other treasures. Seeds of all sorts, and something that's not a seed.

I just love those times we spend together. Without getting all sappy, I will just say, saying "yes" helps me treasure the moments that so quickly fade away.

Here is my current work in progress. It is the Cateye Pouch from Thread Riding Hood. I have made it a couple times, and I love the pattern so much. It is another surprise for someone unsuspecting, hee hee! I found the orange shot cotton at Value Village yesterday. I am on a fabric-buying freeze except for scraps and solids. So I didn't cheat! Angus the dog made it into the picture too. I love the colors in that book.

I did meander into a quilt shop the other day, and I began to drool over a bolt or two I found in the clearance section. But I walked away with empty hands. Pat me on the back!

Some other goodies I found at Value Village yesterday. Someone must have purged Grandma's linen chest, because there were all sorts of pretty embroidered things there. But I couldn't buy them all.

Look at this gorgeous crocheted apron I found for $2! I think it would be so dainty with a little Easter dress.

I believe it was handmade. And the blue satin ribbons sealed the deal for me.

Here's to a new week of "yes." Try it--I bet you will like the results.

Grandma's Buttons

Look at these buttons I found at the thrift store a while ago. Lots of times I pass over the bags of buttons I see there because they are overpriced cheap generic ones, of which I have plenty. But this was a find that almost broke my heart. In the box was another little bag of buttons with a note that said, "J.-- These are from your Great Great Grandma's button box," and it was signed Gram. How sad that those buttons were somehow forgotten or not wanted. I love looking at them.

Nothing Gold

This is a mini wall hanging I worked on last week for a musician friend who is moving across the country. The kind of friend who gives way more than you could ever repay. The kind of friend who is at your doorstep with boxes of food and diapers the morning after your car accident. The kind whom your baby reaches for in a crowd of people. This little project was the least I could do for someone who has given my family so much. I will miss you (you know who you are!), and this is just a little piece of my soul to go with you to your new home. I hope we can come visit you!

Among my thrifty finds of late, here are two new-to-me quilt books in my collection. The first attracted my attention since I have been curious about quilt history lately. This book has about 50 introductory pages about the history of American patchwork quiltmaking, and the rest of the book is photographs and descriptions of antique patchwork quilts in the author's collection. The most unusual thing about the book is that it is a history written in 1935. What a lot of water has flowed under the quilting bridge since then! There is not much text in the book, and the photos are black and white, which leaves plenty of room in the imagination for different color combinations. I am always fascinated by looking at the work others have done with much less than we have today.

The second book I recently found is already one of my favorites, the next thing on my to-do list. The book was still shrink-wrapped, so I wasn't sure what I was getting (looked a little outdated at first), but it just sang itself right off that shelf and into my cart! I shy away from 90's era froofy styles, but this book's timeless sort of contents is delightful. The author highlights 40 antique doll or crib quilts, and she also gives patterns for each one. I have a yen to get into more hand-quilting, and this book is perfect for that. I also like how "imperfect" those antique quilts look. The corners aren't always perfectly square, and the block arrangements are sometimes pleasantly askew. I find that very charming and authentic, filled with whimsy and child-like playfulness.
 

Speaking of child-like simplicity, I had heard of the Gee's Bend Quilters before, but I wasn't exactly sure what they were all about until I watched this short documentary. 15 minutes of soul! It really struck a chord with me, especially in light of this "slow-sewing" movement that has piqued my interest lately. The segment that highlights the Gee's Bend ladies' quilting bee made my own soul sing along with them. They sit around the quilt and quietly sing their songs, mournful, reflective, heavenly songs. Their friendship, simplicity, and earthy community lacks any pretense or competitive desire. It's not just about the quilt. It's about slow living, community, memories, and friends, not necessarily perfection.

All this brings me to question a few things about myself and the culture around me. How much should we and do we hold perfection up as our ultimate trophy of success? Have our modern machines and desire for "quick and easy" stolen a bit of soul out of our work? Can we walk away from mistakes? I see the thirst for perfection glaring at me in my own attitude. As one of my friends recently said, "Perfection is really hard work." Now there are surely times where perfection is the goal--obedience, for one. Our musical offerings. Our love for God and others. Those are things that will stay and grow forever, and we should strive for perfection there. But when it comes to things that won't stay--our clean houses, new clothes, shiny cars, making sure every stitch is in the perfectly right spot--maybe we should just slow down and enjoy the imperfections. Swim in forgiveness for things that need to be perfected, and enjoy the work of our hands, however flawed it may be.

Nature’s first green is gold, 
Her hardest hue to hold. 
Her early leaf’s a flower; 
But only so an hour. 
Then leaf subsides to leaf. 
So Eden sank to grief, 
So dawn goes down to day. 
Nothing gold can stay.

--Robert Frost 

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

I have a consuming habit. A magnetized pull. An irresistible urge. And it got me again today. It's the thrift store. If I know there's one around, I have to see inside. I have to pet the linens (well, only the pretty ones. The vintage stuff, you know. I still avoid the shower curtains and bath mats, ewwww). Have to rummage through a bin or two, because there is most certainly a treasure to be had. Not one I need, but nonetheless...I dream about what I will find next. And it's never what I expect.

I visited a new-to-me shop today. With 6 kiddos in tow. And a stroller. Bad idea to take the stroller. There must have been a convention going on there or something. So many people! And such tiny aisles! I had just about given it up, but then my daughter spotted something (the kids always spot things and call to me, just at the time I am focused on something else. They are thrifters-in-training.) This time it was no false alarm. Lo and behold, there, just brought out by the worker, not even hung up on the rack yet, was the most beautiful antique Dresden quilt, like a dream you don't want to wake up from. Pinch me please. You don't just walk into a store and ask where the Dresden quilts are or if they happen to have any in stock. No sir. This was no Pottery Barn reproduction. Those are nice, but not like this. This one is completely hand-stitched in my favorite 30's feedsack prints. It is that special. It is huge. And it is mine. Oh, and I still have some money left in my pocket. Should I feel guilty about that? Not a bit.

What is it about the Dresden Plate that gets me? I really can't explain it. I have an entire Pinterest board devoted to it. It is charming, classic, just dreamy. Huge or tiny, whole or in pieces, they always catch my eye. I love them. These days we have cute little rulers to help us make them very easily. I have an idea that the person who made this quilt did not use anything but a pair of scissors and needle and thread. And lots of time and love.

 Of course I wonder where in the world this quilt came from. Who made it? For what occasion? Was it made from scraps of homemade clothes? Whom did it keep warm on cold nights? How many babies were rocked to sleep in its warm folds? And the perennial question lingers, "Why did they relegate it to the thrift bin?" I know all these things will be gone someday. Moth and rust corrupt. But in the meantime, these material things sure do bring us a lot of pleasure. And some really good stories.

Thus ends another chapter in the Thrifting Chronicles. But stay tuned. The story will continue with an undoubted twist of excitement, next time...