Friday Tidbits

It's been a week since we were hit by the flu...I'm not yet 100% but trying to make it through my days...There has been a lot of napping and body aches, sore throats ...But getting rest is first and foremost. I got out a few Autumn things and spruced up our great room. Just small touches here and there. I guess I have a thermos collection? funny...But hey it looks pretty cool grouped together with my old metal trays. I am hoping to find some gumption to make a couple fabric/quilty pumpkins to put up there...Soon I hope. I found some fun stuff thrifting last week too! The vintage patchwork pup was one buck...I have always wanted one and had planned on making one..but there he was waiting for me to snag him up sitting in a pile of stuffed animals! I also found som vintage orange and yellow tupper ware bowls, an old cake pan, an apple basket, vintage lace for sewing projects, and some floral fabric. It was a good thriftscore kind of day.

I found this quilt last month from an Instagram shop for dirt cheap. I thought it would be a great piece for the end of the bed or snuggle blanket watching a movie. nothing fancy but worth the price I paid. 

I also made this adorable Autumn wreath for our front door to cheer things up and bring on the festive fun that comes with Fall. I love love love how it turned out with my 70's calico fabrics. 

Well I'm off to take another rest. I can hardly keep my head up and this tea is tomorrow, 

Happy Friday y'all

Teatime Tuesday~ Holes In My Quilt

Welcome to my new series: Teatime Tuesday. 

For the love of tea and mugs and a bit of conversation, whether it be my thoughts, prayers or just about my unraveling, beautifully broken life. I'd love to take you with me on my personal journey in this life...to be raw and real and share with you what's on my patchworked heart, I am just another broken person walking this road with you all, even if it's a different path, My faith, happiness, joys, pains, sorrows and struggles are just as real as the next guy's. 

My favorite quote by Augusten Burroughs sums me up well: 

" I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions".   

I'm not perfect (surprise, surprise) lol!!! and though it may seem like I have a sugar coated life through my pictures and some of my posts here on my blog. I will confess...I have a story and a life that is not always a bowl full of cherries. I fight battles everyday with others and the enemy. I am a Christian....I just want you to know because of this fact and my faith in Jesus that I do not think or ever have claimed to be perfect or ever mean to come off better than others. I will be the first to tell you I am not better than anyone. There are some people in my life who think this of me because I am a Christian...I have been wrongfully judged on many occasions. It is funny but not really that funny that people think just because someone is Christian, it's assumed or stereotyped that they should be perfect or act a certain way. 

Being a Christian does not mean we are perfect and righteous...No one is perfect: all people sin and make mistakes all the time, yes, even Christians! It means we are broken sinful people who need a Savior, and that is just what I need on a daily basis. I am so grateful that my God gives me grace and forgives me when others are unable to forgive. That is all that really matters. My personal relationship with Christ is in good standing and I trust in Him with all my life in His hands. I also know that as a Christian, I will be judged by others and even persecuted just as my God was. And that is alright. I am learning everyday as my relationship with Him grows: He gives me the strength to be bold and brave and stand up tall and walk in confidence to the foot of the cross, then brings me to my knees in worship to Him.

Holes In My Quilt

*****

As I faced my Maker…at the time of judgment

I knelt…in front of my Lord…with others there… along side of me.

In the distance hanging… on golden lines

Quilts…some as beautiful as beautiful could ever be. 

My pile of squares now lay in front of me

As an Angel… took each piece to sew.

But mine were quite ragged and lacking color

And filled… with giant holes.

Each piece had written… labels on them

Indicating parts of my life…that had been difficult.

The challenges and temptations…I faced everyday in my life

Each one now…the Angel took.

I glanced around…and no one else had squares like mine

Other than a tiny hole… here and there.

Threadbare and filled with holes

Was mine… as I gazed upon each square.

Finally the time came when each life was displayed

Held up to…Heaven’s holy light.

The scrutiny of the truth…

In each viewed…tapestry

Those faded…ragged patches… of my life.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame

Of all earthly fortunes… had.

Yet love and good health… were some of mine remembered

Which made me feel proud… and yet so sad? 

I had spent many a night… on my knees

Asking God for guidance in my life.

To muster up the strength I needed

To be a better servant…a better mother…a more loving wife.

While I stood and lifted…the combined squares of my life to the light

The light filtered through each hole 

There viewed was the face of Jesus Christ.

For all present to behold.

Then our Lord stood before me

With warmth and love in His eyes.

“Every time you gave your life over to me… my child

Each point of light…was when you stepped aside.”

“Allowing my light to shine through 

Until there was more of me… than you.”

May all God’s children’s quilts… be filled with holes

Allowing the light of Jesus Christ… to shine on through.

By: Linda Winchell

2009

I love this poem. As a quilt collector...I have rescued many old quilts that are tattered and torn that most people wouldn't want. It makes me think of my life being like a quilt all torn, tattered, soiled and unwanted by many... But God wants me to come to Him this very way. I am content the way I am and will let the Lord shine through all my holes until 

that day comes when He makes me whole again. 

There is just something beautiful about the quilts I have collected, even the quilts that have been unfinished. All the different colors and textures, prints and sizes, while some are vibrant and some are faded or some in great condition and a number of them completely ruined...There is still a beauty about them just as they are. What a beautiful picture of a persons life...Each square sewn together by hand with much love in every stitch. My life is like that...The one who has sewn my quilt with those loving stitches is the Lord. I just love that!!!

Here is another precious poem about a quilt and life. 

Just delightful!

***

A Quilt Poem by Mildred Hatfield

******

It's more than a coverlet, 

More than a spread

This beautiful quilt 

That graces my bed.

 It's laughter and sorrow,

It's pleasure and pain,

It's bits and pieces

Of sunshine and rain.

It's a bright panorama

Of scraps of my life~

It's moments of glory,

It's moments of strife.

It's a story I cherish

Of days that have been.

It's a door I can open

To live them again

Yes, It's more than a cover,

This much~treasured quilt,

It's parts pieced together

Of the life I have built.

Thank you for joining me for the first installation of Teatime Tuesday....Some posts might be heavier than others and some will be lighthearted too...Hope to see you here again soon!

May all your quilts be threadbare and worn,

allowing Christ to shine through!!!

Summer Vintage Finds

I love Thrift shopping. I go on a regular basis, hunting for little treasures for my home and sometimes to set aside for future selling. This Summer I have found a few vintage dolls, sewing notions & supplies, fabrics, pot holders and kitschy goodness, 

sheets and useful storage items in my sewing room.

I was excited to find two quilts as well. My recent find was a Grandmother's Garden Quilt...I have always wanted one but never could afford some of the price tags on them. This beauty was $10. I saw it hanging there and was a little weary to look at the price...thinking nah, it would be to good to be true if it was affordable. I saw 10 and was like...Um, yeah! I snagged it off the hanger so fast it would have knocked your socks off. I really couldn't believe this hand sewn, colorful quilt from the 40's was so cheap! it made my day, that's for sure!!!!

We also found these adorable lunch containers for Freckles new school year. 

They are not vintage but it reminded me of little floral vintage fabric... The colors are so sweet...

And all $1.50 each from Daiso...eeep!

 I love a great bargain!

Vintage Tins~ Gift Ideas

I recently ran across a post on one of my fave blogs about gift wrapping ideas. This is nothing new I am sure. I have been using tins/gifting for years. And perhaps you have too. I thought about some of my own gift ideas and gave it my personal spin....Perhaps you will find some inspiration to this clever gift giving in vintage tins yourself. Tins are fun to use. I use them in my home for everyday uses like, holding pens or crayons, craft supplies, sewing needfuls and buttons, foodie items, and jewelry The possibilities are endless, especially if you find a cute tin. I like vintage tins. You can find them in all sorts of shapes and sizes and prints, some very colorful or plain...However you like it. I spend between .50 cents~$1.99 on tins in thrift shops or garage sales. You can store them away fairly easily and keep them on hand when you need to give a gift on a whim. I came up with three delightful tin gifting ideas for three sorts of people. 

The Seamstress/Quilter:

I found this sweet quilty looking tin, making it the perfect tin for that special seamstress/quilter. I am a regular in thrift shops so, many of the items I used are finds I had on hand. These sorts of thins are great to purchase and set aside for fun gifts such as this. I added in a couple vintage spools of thread, a vintage tomato pin cushion with needles/pins, a measuring tape, an old thimble, an old pair of sewing scissors, a wooden peg doll, vintage fabric yo yo's and a string of old buttons. Everything nestled perfectly inside with a stack of quarter fabric bundles. I used old tissue from dress patterns. And made a dress pattern tissue flower to top the tin with.

 I pick up old patterns thriftng. Makes great gift tissue! I tied some yarn around the tin and added a tag with a fun little vintage bird in a basket...along with a word card that says QUILT. 

The Tea Lover

I found this tin and had to get it. With it's vibrant colors and sweet picture...It was the perfect tin to use for a tea lover like myself. It was big enough to hold a dainty antique tea cup. I added two different teas and sweetener, a little sugar spoon, a tea house strainer and a little gift book all about tea! It is a lovely gift for the lady who enjoys a nice cup of tea at noon as she reads Jane Austin novels.. Tie a piece of scrap fabric around the tin and add an antique picture or postcard with an oragami bird. Truly a thoughtful gift indeed.

The Writer

For this tin, I kept my daughter in mind She is not only a writer but an avid reader and enjoys painting her nails and doing scrap booking crafts...So... I found this Country Winter themed tin and added vibrant, fun things inside, any writer would enjoy. I added a stack of different note cards and envelopes, a little journal note pad, a vintage reproduction ball point pen, a pencil, library stamp and little lists to fill in, washi tapes, a little gift book about Father Christmas Letters, some nail polish...Because you know your fingers have to look good when you are writing....And let's not forget the hand sanitizer...You don't want to have sticky fingers. I suggest even adding things like lotion for the hands and even some lip gloss...Some writers tend to stick their tongues out when they are writing...So it comes in handy.

These gifts are OOAK and perfectly suited for that special individual. Who wouldn't love a gift that was thoughtfully put together and themed, with you in mind? Make the gift unique by using vintage items and a little bit of this and that inside for fun!

For the little things:

I find things such as washi tapes and stationary cards in Michaels, Target, Dollar Tree and Daiso. Everything is very inexpensive. It will just take a bit of imagination and clever thinking on your part to make this gift. Like I said before the possibilities are endless.

You can do one for:

 The Baker

The Cook

The Artist

The Student

The Kid

The Candy Lover

The Cookie Monster

A baby shower gift

The Neighbor

The Hostess With The Mostess

Have fun creating!

 Stop by and share your ideas!

Patchwork...

Freckles and I went rummaging through a couple thrift shops last week. As always we have our route through the aisles. We always look at the books, then we look through all the knick knacks, then we head over to the linens and bedding. I saw her hanging there, her colors so vibrant and sweet, she called out to me...I hesitated. It was a finished quilt! Surely this shop would over price something so sweet as this darling patchwork quilt hanging there between substandard blankets. I thought.....Heck with it, I will look at the price in hopes it would be affordable but doubt that it was. I am not a big spender when it comes to things in thrift shops....I usually won't pay anymore than 10-15 dollars for an item that isn't furniture.

To my surprise...She was just the right price. I couldn't believe it really. She was perfect and just the right size. She isn't fancy, and that is fine with me. I like simple things. I snagged her up real quick. Immediately I pulled her off the hanger and placed her in my basket. Oh the price, you are probably wondering what I ended up spending for her. I can proudly say she was less than $10.

Everytime I run into quilts or afghans that have been made by someones hands, I just sigh. All the hours they spent lovingly putting them together, they sometimes end up in a thrift shop. Not even handed down to someone in their family. Just cast out with no care. I guess I am just a sentimental fool. I love to adopt things that have a story. A story I may never know, but I can imagine it. It does make me wonder about the person who made it, why she chose the fabrics she did. Did the fabrics come from something meaningful, and who was this quilt for? Was it loved and cherished?  What has this quilt been through? Perhaps it comforted someone when they were sick, cuddled when they were hurt or sad, held tight when they had a bad dream or placed on their bed with pride and joy just because it made them happy. Did it bring smiles when they walked into the room?..So many questions. It is a wonder to me. If only it could tell their story. I think it would be fascinating. Maybe it had a dull life and just sat around,

 but what if it had an adventurous life? I'd be curious to know. Wouldn't you?

Well we may never know. I am just glad I got to bring this colorful piece into my home. It will have quite the adventure living with us, I would hand it down to my daughter and she would have stories to tell.

Happy Weekend!

Hello July...

Hello July.

You came with a bang...with a heat wave that is almost unbearable. We look forward to this month. We will celebrate Independence Day, visit the library often, have picnics in the park, play in the sprinkler, enjoy a baseball game, get to know our new friends, and soak up family life. 

We are adding the final touches to our new home with little pieces of art, some new textiles for the table, our new couch...eeep, and other little details that make it homey and cozy for us. We were blessed by a neighbor dropping over with a big box of cookies to welcome us to the neighborhood...So sweet. We received a lovely house warming card filled with encouragement from my Dad and Mom in Washington....It was such a pleasant surprise that really lifted up our day. I also received a bouquet of flowers from Mr. Darling and Freckles, for no reason other than just because they love me. We even got the sweetest note from our son expressing his love for us and that he missed us and how he thinks we are the best parents ever....

These are the little things that mean so much.

 Especially during times of sorrow and despair...Last week I mentioned our little Great Nephew was in the hospital...Well, I am sad to write, that he passed away yesterday. There is a lump in my throat and an aching heart for our Niece, her husband and our Great Niece as they suffer this great loss of there precious baby boy. I could not imagine losing my children as long as I am alive. My heart goes out to them as I wish with all my soul we could be there to comfort them. Unfortunately we are unable to make a trip there at this time. I pray mostly that they will seek our Heavenly Father to bring them peace and comfort as well as

 assurance that their baby boy is in

 the arms of our Loving, Merciful Savior. 

He will be greatly missed by our family

 and never will he be forgotten. 

I hope to show you a little home tour soon. Just a few more things I need to finish before I share. Like sewing our chairs cushion using this fabulous 1930'3~ 1940's quilt top. I have to finish up my dining chairs and hang a couple more things...Then we'll be up and running.

Okay July...Don't you slip away to fast...

We hope to enjoy the Summer while we can.

Hope you all are having a great Summer so far.

My Sunny Simple Sunday Farmgirl Kitchenette Redo....

Hello, Hello.
I have been a Busy Bee this weekend. A little over a year ago I found this sweet 50's kitchenette set.. the table and two chairs were on sale at the thrift Shop. I had good intentions to paint it and re-cover the chairs...but just wasn't happening. And, since I am in the midst of packing up boxes for our move.
 ( Still don't know where yet)
I needed a creative outlet since I won't be focusing on decorating here in this home. I still have more painting with a few other pieces...that will come soon. For now, I wanted to share what I accomplished. For our love of color and Vintage Farmgirl Kitschy Style...I went bold. Here is my rendition of Farmgirl Kitsch.  
My neighbor was having a garage sale a couple weekends ago and I spotted a little 50's chair that would go perfect with the other two chairs that came with my table. My sweet neighbor & I made a trade...I gave her 5 lbs. of apricots for the chair...Sounded like a great deal to me. I painted it Robins Egg Blue. And left the other two the white finish I got them in. I then got out my bucket full of scrappy goodness fabrics and pulled together scrappy quilted covers...I finished two...Just one more to go.
 I love, love, love the colors and fabrics together.
 ( Happy Dance)

  

My white table...became a Sunny Yellow...Oh how I am loving it. I added another wooden chair to the mix...When I use the leaf I have yet another little wooden chair and a small bench,
which will then seat 6 around this little table. 
I even set the table just for you.
I made four cute little napkin rings to match my fabrics.
Come back Monday to see a tutorial I put together on how to make them.   
This just makes me smile.
Next on my list of things to do is...
My kitchen hutch...
My glass doored book case for my living room...
 Freckles dresser...
Yet, another dresser and a bookshelf.
Then I will do my outdoor patio furniture....
Perhaps when we're moved.


Hope you liked my Kitchenette redo. Thanks for dropping in.
 Hope you have a lovely Simple Sunday...
A Sunny one at that.
Linking up with:
 Sunny Simple Life
&
Between Naps On A Porch