Monday Memories #8

This first memory should give you all a little giggle.  After all she is a cutie!  I truly apologize for the horrible quality of these Monday memories photos. You see I am taking a picture of a picture that was taken way before digital cameras were a thing.   Anyway this cutie was made in the late 80's. I no longer have her but I believe her ear spots were painted on as was her face.  She was stuffed and dressed with a chambray dress with a bandana print ruffle. And she is sitting in a child's wooden rocking chair that was mine as a child! 

 Pillows were a real thing back in the 80's also.  I bet you could guess that from the fabrics!  The flowers were all machine appliqued on.  Adding buttons as the closure was popular then also.

Here is something you might not know about me, I have an embroidery machine!  Well it is a Janome sewing machine with the embroidery set up.  It is only a 4"x4" hoop size.  I thought I was going to do a lot of embroidery to sell. These bibs were about the only thing that sold and I discovered it was not a money maker and I didn't enjoy it much.  So it kinda just sits on the shelf now.  I really should just use it for the sewing but I like my newer Janomes better!  These bibs are made from white finger tip towels with an opening to slip over the head. The opening is finished off with a piece of ribbing. 

Well my friends that might be the end of the Monday Memories, at least for a while.  I would have to do some serious looking through photos to see if I have anything else to share.  Thank you for taking a peek every Monday, I appreciate your comments as always. 

And here is the latest blooms from our yard. Lilies are a favorite of ours, but our supply has dwindled over the years as the deer love to chomp on them.  We enjoy the deer as they walk through our yard on a daily basis, sometimes many times a day. But darn it stay out of my flowers!!!!  I believe these are Asiatic lilies, you can see we have these behind a fence, but sometimes they get tall enough the deer reach right over the fence and help themselves to a flower salad:(

I'll see you tomorrow for To Do Tuesday but for today I am linking with MCM, Design Wall Monday, and Monday Making.

Monday Memories #7

I've come a long way baby!  Here is a glimpse of the first quilt ever.  OMG I think it is ugly, but it is proof of how far I have come.  These were dresdens were made the old fashioned way by drawing around a template.  They were cut out with a scissors and appliqued by machine onto a sheet!  This was made back in the 70's.  I am almost embarrassed to show it but it is just proof of how much my skills have grown.  This was made for my first apartment.

These were made many years later in the 90's.  The patterns used were from various designers but I know a few were definitely from Debbie Mumm books.  Debbie's patterns are what got me really quilting in the modern day of rotary cutters, mats and rulers.  

All of these were made way before I had a longarm quilting machine.  Applique back then was made using a fusible web and I am pretty sure no machine applique was done on them.  After all they were made to hang on the wall and not get much wear and tear.  Any quilting that might have occurred were all stitch in the ditch on the sewing machine.

This quilt was made in 2003 several years before my longarm days.  I really wanted a bed quilt so after piecing the blocks and sewing into rows I learned how to quilt as you go on my domestic.  There was some quilting done which doesn't show in the photo. But I remember drawing a couple circles on the flower and a leaf shape for the leaves which I then used the domestic machine to stitch it. I was pretty proud of how flat the quilt was.  I never made another queen size quilt using that method as I thought it took too long.  

     
                                      

That's all the memories for this week my fellow quilters.  But I think I can scare up a few more for you next week. 

 I will leave you with my purple Clematis in it's current state.  It always amazes me how fast this grows back as I try to cut it back to a couple feet tall in the fall or early spring. You see the window in the upper left corner, that is my sewing room.

                                                         

I'll be back tomorrow to show you my week's accomplishments I hope you will stop back again.

Linking with:
Monday Making
Design Wall Monday

Monday Memories #6

Many years ago I used to do a lot of hand embroidery.  Night after night I would watch TV and stitch away.  It was so relaxing, I just loved doing it.  I turned all my stitchings into primitive pillows.  The stitching was done on tea dyed muslin and then bordered with homespuns.  They were also backed with a homespun and stuffed with polyfil.  They were mostly Christmas, Winter and Fall designs. 

The stitchery patterns were purchased from various designers, Chestnut Junction was a favorite for sure.  Recently I have been envious of some of you stitchin' away.  So I might just have started something.  I might share it with you in tomorrow's To Do Tuesday post!

There were other designs I stitched too, but I guess I didn't take photos of them or at least I haven't found them.  These were taken in 2007.  Fond memories of good times;)  If you have been following my Monday Memories or if this is your first time, I thank you for letting me share the many different things I used to do before quilting took over my life(in a good way!). 

Please come back tomorrow to see what I have accomplished this week. 

Today is the start of the Sunshine Blog Hop.  My day is Thursday so I better get busy!

                                                            

Monday Memories #5

This week I will share some fun fall decorations I used to make for local craft shows.  These were all photos from 2006-2008.

Mr. Turk took a bit of time to make but he turned out so cute.  His feathers are flannel and had a wire in them to stiffen them up.  His body was a heavy flannel and he is stuffed with polyfill and a little sand to weight him down.  His hat was a painted clay flower pot! His wooden beak, felt waddle, blush for checks and painted black dots for his eyes made his face come alive.

This turkey has twine for his long legs and arms. His body is muslin while his feathers are homespun with batting in between the layers. I found Indian corn fabric to make the corn look real. I used black felt for his hat and homespun for his pants.  And look he is even wearing stockings!

Lady scarecrow has a muslin body stuffed with polyfil. Her dress and apron are homespun fabrics. Purchased curly raffia for hair and a straw hat completes her country look. 

This was a different technique for me to try, to make the witch hat stand up straight you cut and sewed it with black cotton fabric and then used a fabric stiffener. The tip of the hat is bent over and a wooden star glued onto it.  A cheesecloth strip was tied around the brim of the hat.  A purchased straw broom was added for a cute detail. 

  These prim scarecrow heads are made from muslin, then stuff with polyfil.  Raffia is glued on to the head with the addition of a straw hat.  The head then was glued onto a small grapevine wreath. 

As you can tell I loved making all sorts of country doll decor, I think having a nice variety for customers to choose from is important.  

I hope you are enjoying learning a bit more about me from pre blogging days!  I still have more to share with you so I hope you come back next Monday for another installment;) 

Linking with 

MCM

Design Wall Monday

Monday Memories #4

Hello Monday!!  In searching through some old photos I found these fun snowmen.  Now I have made snowmen using muslin, flannel and batting for their bodies and then stuff with poly fill for years and years.  Add some cute accessories and you are all set.  These photos were taken in 2006 while getting ready for local craft shows. 

Adding a black felt hat and an electric candle made this guy glow!

 These guys were about 30" tall when done.  They were made by putting a dowel rod down the center of them and hot glue between them to hold them upright.

My hubby made the frame and we put wire behind it and added some grapevine before gluing him onto the frame/wire.

These guys were made were made using a vase tipped upside down and painted and glittered for their body.  The head is batting sewn into a tube and gathered on top and bottom and stuffed.  A felt hat, a scarf from homespun fabric, button eyes and a clay nose completed his look.

Don't you love his tall felt hat decorated with snowflakes, and just look at the big felt nose!  His face is made with batting.  I used Warm and Natural batting for all the snowmen. 

So you see I have been a snowman lover for many many years.  Over the years I purchased many patterns to make them, if I could remember whose patterns these were I would certainly give credit to the designer. 

Even though this is not snowman time of the year here in the U.S.A, I hope you have enjoyed seeing them anyway. 

Monday Memories #3

Today I am sharing with you some of my early machine knitting days.  Back in the 80's my mom wrote (you know snail mail letters) to me that I should buy a knitting machine.  What is that I thought.  She mentioned it a few times and one day in March of 1986 I saw an ad in our local newspaper for a knitting machine dealer.  I told my DH that curiosity got me and I am going to go have a look at one.  A couple hours later I told my DH I needed some money, I really wanted this machine to add to my business.  I had been sewing doll clothes to sell at local craft shows.  A week later I had my first knitting machine that used sport weight yarn!!  Yes I said first.  A couple years later my DH surprised me with one that would use thicker yarn, like 4 ply.  I went on to acquire an electronic one with a motor on it a few years later.

The main thing I wanted to make were sweaters for kids, you have seen a few of those and I'll have more in tomorrow's post.  I did that and more.  Here is the more...

The kitties were a knitted panel and then we cut the sweatshirt apart and sewed in the panel.

                             

This is a sweater I knitted for my dad. Oh how he loved it!

     

Little knitted Christmas tree ornaments, stockings, drums, mittens, tiny hats, and peppermint candies. Kind of tedious to make!

A lot of color changes in this Norwegian adult style sweater. It was beautiful with a dark green and red design.  

                                      

I couldn't resist making a few knitted outfits for 18" dolls such as American Girl. 

                                      

I got a call from the local High School my kids were attending asking if I could make mittens for their school store.  Wow I jumped on that and mitten dozens and dozens for them.  It was so fun going to football games and seeing high school students wearing what I knitted!!  While doing that I contacted another school and these are things I made for their school store.

 I presented them with a prototype of a dressed up bear in their colors and logo.  They loved it and I made several dozen of them.  

The majority of my machine knitting days were before quilting took over my life;)  I still knit just not that much.   Here is a sweater being knitted.  As you knit you see the backside of the item you are knitting.  This one has tractors on it.  These machines are so fascinating with 200 needles.  You only use the amount your pattern says for the size you are making.  But it has the capability to use all 200 like if you were making an afghan.  All my machines are Brother brand, which long ago went out of business. 

                                    

Thank you for visiting and I hope you have enjoyed seeing more of my knitting.  There are lots of You Tubes on the machines if you want to see one in action. 

Linking with 

Monday Making

Design Wall Monday

MCM

Monday Memories #2

Here were are already to Monday Memories #2.  This week I'll share three more photos of items I used to make and sell at craft shows.  There were all made starting in the mid 90's.  

Here come the bunnies!!  Sitting bunnies, hanging bunnies, bunnies with carrots.  Oh yes I adored making bunnies back then and they were good sellers. 

Bunnies made from osnaburg fabric with a looser weave, and bunnies made from tea dyed batting. 

Bears made from plush felt, some bunnies were too.  And then we have some dolls and angels.  Boy I sure went through a lot of poly fill stuffing these guys!  Their clothes were made from homespun fabric in all colors. 

More bunnies, apples and birdhouses.  And enter some snowmen.  These birdhouse hanging decorations were made from wood.  Yes I went through a phase of loving all things made of wood and painted.  I really wanted to learn how to be good at it.  Even after inheriting my dads band saw I just never felt good at it and decided I should go back to doing what I did feel good at...sewing.   I think I chose the right path after all;)

I hope you enjoyed going down memory lane with me.  Each Monday over the next several weeks I'll show you a few more photos of what I made pre-blogging days.

What did you use to make that you might not have shown on your blog?  I'd love to hear about it. 

Today starts the 'It's Cool To Be Square' blog hop.  Join me on May 22nd when I will share my project.

    

Linking with Monday Making and Design Wall Monday, 

Monday Memories

I'll get to the memories soon but first some background.  Last week I just didn't feel like sewing at all.  That is just not like me.  I didn't have anything pressing at the time that needed sewn anyway.  So I decided to uncover one of my knitting machines and knit some kid sweaters.  My supply is down and I needed to get busy on them.

While knitting I was near a messy set of cubbies that had fabric in them and piled on top of them and it was not appealing at all.  That afternoon I started sorting and organizing and putting in bins and before long it looked better.  The next day, after knitting another sweater, I tackled another little cupboard that had miscellaneous stuff in it.  Some of it was put in another location and that made room for more fabric storage;)  In that process I found an old photo album that housed photos of things I used to make a long time ago, like 30+ years ago.  A light bulb came on and I thought why not share some of those photos with you.

Most of you know that I do local craft shows but did I mention that I started doing them 35 years ago!
First I made clothes for Cabbage Patch Dolls and Barbie Dolls. I haven't found photos of those yet.  But shortly thereafter I began making and selling these baskets on ice cream pails.  Those are sitting on the fireplace and then the stuffed lamb dolls.  We haven't lived in that house in years and I still miss my gorgeous fireplace.

These country kitchen towel dolls were all the rage for a few years.  Their face, arms and bodies were made with muslin and stuff with polyfill.  It was fun looking for just the right combination of prints, plaids to go with the towels.  All of these items were made from purchased patterns.

And they evolved into bunnies, ducks and lambs. I made all the other dolls sitting on the shelf(which my dad made). My parents were very crafty too and sold at craft shows for years also.

Wow did those photos bring back memories of things I used to make.  I didn't date the photos so they most likely won't be in the order of which things were made. In the next several weeks I will be sharing more memories on Monday.   Perhaps you have old photos of things you made pre-blogging and would like to share your memories on Mondays also.  At this time I don't have my blog set up for a linky party, but you could write your own post about your memories anyway.  If you send me a link to your blog post I could include it at the bottom of my post so others could find you.

I hope you enjoy getting to know me a bit better through my memories.

Linking with Monday Making, Design Wall Monday