Antique Quilt

So my father-in-law and his wife received the appraisal on the antique quilt.  It did not make them very happy. They were hoping it would have been appraised for more. Here are some of the notes from the appraisal:

Date Made: 1st quarter 19th century to 1830

Size: 96 1/4” X 98”

Pattern: Flying Gees Square-In-A-Square with Stuffed Work

Predominant colors: Brown, Indigo, green, red

Fabric: Cotton Prints, chintz, wood print blocks, solid muslin

Quilting was very good and included more than one quilter. Very good overall construction with excellent stuffed work. Condition is fair with acidic storage stains and 3 small holes.

That was some of the basic detail of the report. She appraised it at mere $850.00, yikes, I am not sure I agree with that after seeing it in person. The full photo I received from them is not the best quality but at least I can see the entire pattern now.

She is going to donate it to the  DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) so it will stay in Maryland. She decided not to donate it to the Smithsonian because it would just be boxed.

Let me be honest, I am a little hurt it was not offered to me.  Especially since it holds no importance to them and it is not in her mind a family heirloom but I will get over it since I never had a chance to really have it. What we never had cannot be missed!!

Sweet Nostalgia Block 3

Sweet Nostalgia Block 3
Originally uploaded by stitchin.thyme

Finally added the borders to the 3rd block from Dorothy Baker Designs Free Block of the Month. If you haven't checked her site out you need to - she has fantastic designs. Click on the link on the sidebar to check her out!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Thanksgiving today. I know mine has been great.  I worked last night so this morning when I got home the hubby got up and stated cooking. He cooked from 8am to 3:30pm.  I tell you I am definitely  blessed in the being fed category. I am married to a “Top Chef”!! Here are the fixin’s:

I ate so much. I am so tired now.  I am even going to go nap again before work tonight. Right now my husband is getting the Christmas tree out of the attic. The kids are running around crazy excited.  We are going to decorate this weekend but we always get the tree out today.

Enjoy your day!!!

We are Alive!!

We made it through the weekend but not without a major event happening. Luckily, Alice was able to forego the emergency room this year, she usually has a trip around Natalie’s birthday. But, I am not sure what happened is not just as worse in her eyes.

One of the little girls had to stay later because her mother works on the weekend.  I was straightening up our bedroom when Alice came in white as a ghost and crying. (I will remember this moment for the rest of my life). She told me Natalie’s friend told her Santa Claus was not real. Oh my goodness, what, Alice is only 6, almost 7, this can’t be happening. She had also told Gordon the same thing  but he chose just not to believe her.  I calmed her down and told her she could not believe everything others tell her and if she knows Santa is real then he is real.  I kept this up until she seemed to believe me, but Alice is a smart gal, I don’t think she truly believes me.

Gordon on the other hand is a obey the rule kind of kid. For example, we were on a family walk in our neighborhood, the kids were riding their bikes. There is an unfinished part where the paved road ends and the dirt road is blocked by a rope so you cannot drive a car through.  They wanted to ride their bikes on the bumpy road (well Mommy wanted to ride their bikes on the bumpy road – take me back to the days when it didn't hurt much to fall in the gravel). As we were walking we looked back because Gordon seemed to be taking a long time going around the “blockade”.  He was just sitting on the ground.  The hubby and I walked back and asked him what was wrong figuring he was hurt. But no, he wasn't hurt, he said he could not follow us. Why – because it was against the rules and that is why it is blocked off.  It is moments like those that make you feel like you are doing your kids wrong, he was right, the rope was there so people would not go back there, so what do we do, we teach him it’s okay to break the rules when you want. Ugghh!! With that story in mind, if Mom and Dad say Santa is real then he is real.

Alice is not like that. She analyzes the situation and if she cannot figure it out logically than it is not so. In her mind, (I know from her questions) Santa cannot fit down the chimney, he cannot go to every house in the world the same night, he should not need money to get everything on the list, the elves will just make it if he is real.

Believing in Santa is not a necessary part of life and it is not what Christmas is all about, but it is fun for them. It is part of being a kid – a part I remember as exciting. The waiting, the anticipating, the not being so disappointed because I didn’t get everything on my list, because I knew Santa had too many lists to keep track of.  It is not fair to have that taken away from them so young.  The sad truth is this is probably the last year of Santa in our lives, I will miss him!!!

Off to finish orders until I pick up the kiddos!

Look Who’s 11!!!

  Yesterday was my little Natalie’s 11th Birthday! I did not blog because we were out all day and I had to work last night.  I picked her up from school early (her Daddy insists they have to go to school on their birthdays) we had lunch, bought her a new outfit, a Demi Lavato CD (I do not know how to spell her name) and went to Starbucks. We had a great time, so I thought.  I asked her if she had fun and got the “Sure” for an answer. Man, I remember the days when she would have done anything to spend the day with just me.  I was hoping this day would never come but like everyone says it comes to fast. Blink and you will miss it. I am so proud of Natalie. She is such a sweet girl, a great big sister, a terrific student (way better than I ever was). She is an awesome girl, excuse me, tween, as Natalie would say.

I remember when she was born she was a happy baby (when she wasn’t crying – which was about 18 hours out of the day for the first 7 months). Natalie did not sleep for longer than 20 minutes at a time until she was 7 months old. I remember the first night she slept we stood by the crib all night making sure she was breathing.  My husband was a police officer at the time and also worked a lot of part-time, so I would be alone with her for a long periods of time. He would come home and find us both crying. I bet he loved that. She hated the car, so we never wanted to drive for long periods of time. She wasn’t a snuggler, has always been very independent.  She so beautiful, everyone always thought she was a boy because she did not have much hair until she was about 2 1/2, but she was pretty.

  Some people would say how can she be a good baby and cry all the time – it is hard to explain, I guess you have to be the parent to understand, and why would you have more kids if the first was so hard, again I think you have to be the parent. The joy she brought me even through the tears I will never be able to explain in words. I love that girl and I am so very proud of the “tween” she has become.  This weekend Natalie will be having a Sleepover Birthday Party so she will really get to celebrate.

Off to bed for me, work again tonight!! And I need to get rid of this lump in my throat!!

I love you Natalie!!!!

Elf, Elf and more Elves

I have had a busy morning. I am working on orders from the craft show this weekend, most of them consisting of elves and elf boots.  I love these little guys and gals. I love when their bodies are completed and I can start decorating them, dressing them up for the holiday, they all have such great personalities. I wanted to show a picture of them for those who don’t remember what they look like.

 

And lets not forget about the elf boots!

Well I should get back to work, I only have 3 more hours until I pick up the kids, lots to do. If anyone else is interested in these little guys or gals let me know by emailing me. I take Paypal and credit cards (through Paypal only), if you write me a check, I will have to hold product until it clears. Thanks to you all!!

My 1st Craft Show

Firstly, let me say I cannot believe a week has gone by since my last post. Where does the time go? It has been a busy week.

The Rusty Bucket had their open house last weekend, it went great. This weekend my friend Janet and I attended our first craft show at the NC State Farmers Market in Raleigh.  I was not as prepared as I wanted to be but I believe as a newbie I faired very well. Saturday was still a little wet and windy and chilly but the day ended up nice in the end. Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day.  I was even able to catch a little sun on my face and on my left arm, yes only the left arm. Sales were good on Sunday. The weekend was a lot of fun. I had a great time and met many other great crafters and many wonderful people, some were even customers. I learned what I shouldn’t bring and what I need to bring more of for the next show.

I made a doll from a pattern in the “Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle” book by Tone Finnanger. It is one of the Tilda books. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these books. Actually, I made just about everything in it, I was just not able to finish the projects up for the show.  Here is a photo I took of them at the craft show today.

 

Well, I am pretty beat today, and my kids missed me so they need some lovin"’.  All for now, hope the rest of your Sunday is a relaxing one!!!

Report Cards

Thursday was report card day! The kids did awesome. Natalie had straight A’s again, Gordon did well also, 2 A’s, 2 B’s, and 1 C, pretty awesome for a kid who hates school.  Alice got all 3’s, she does not get letter grades yet.  Natalie also passed the gifted test, so now she has to take another test. We are supposed to have a meeting at school soon about what is next. She is very excited, she loves learning and loves to be challenged. She definitely gets that trait from her daddy.

I was cleaning up the craft room tonight. Really only doing so because I have another time limit on when I need to have stuff done – and I hate having time frames. My creativity is pretty much non-existent when I have a time frame. I believe it may have more to do with being a rebellious gal, I feel like I have to do something so I choose not to.  I thought I would have grown out of that but obviously not. Hopefully I will get busy later today and pump some things out, the next craft show is this coming weekend.

Well, all for now. Hope everyone is having a great weekend! I am going to stitch a little until I fall asleep. Have to try to get up at a reasonable time. Guinea pigs and dogs to wash, grass to cut, clothes to wash, etc, etc, later today!!

Love My Friends!

What a day today has already been. I got off work at 7am and went straight to my friend Evettes’ house. She made me bacon, eggs and biscuits, YUM YUM YUM!! I was taking my Christmas stuff to her house and she was going to take it to the store for me, but then she called another friend and she came over. Sharon brought her adorable grand-daughter and we played with 3 week old kittens and they shopped my stuff before it went off to the store for Christmas open house. Love those girls! It makes my head explode to know that such talented ladies like my stuff. I feel really good now. I have been a little down in the dumps lately but now I am feeling like this:

Thanks girls – I owe you big time!!!!!!!

Christmas

I have some new Christmas items made. I am so far behind, especially since I am doing the Farmers Market Craft Show this year.  But here is what I have so far.

Of course I did my Elf Shoes again, the pattern is from Country Whims:

I did 2 Regular Size

And 4 medium Size:

And 4 Minis  - I adjusted the pattern and these little guys are about 3 inches long. They are so cute!!

I did a couple wall pockets. The stitchery is from Primitive Stitches. (www.Primitive-Stitches.com)

 

These next three I love. I used the pattern by Donna Veal of Moonchild Primitives. They are so cute!

  

I found this little dolly body laying around waiting to be dressed up for Christmas.  She is supposed to have that Christmas morning look. And what is Christmas without a snowman and his little red cardinal?

Then I have these three little fellas. The middle one is adapted from a pattern from Chestnut Junction, well all are actually but they have been changed quite a bit. I thought I should give her credit since the idea came from her. She has great stuff!!And you know I could not do up some Christmas things without embroidery and embroidery pillows:     

These two are stitchery's from Crab-Apple Hill Studios:

And last but not least another stitchery patterns from Primitive Stitches:

I have not been in a crafting mood lately so last night I had to finish all this up – I stayed up until about 4:30am. I am pooped. Kids are off to school and I think I need to get a little shut eye! Work tonight!!

Angel Swap

Okay I am a little bummed. This was the first time I participated in a swap and it did not go so smoothly.  I was conversing with my Secret Angel for some time, we were emailing back and forth and then something bad happened to her and she was taking a vacation and she was also moving.  I haven’t heard from her since September. I have sent her several messages but no response. So I let her know I did not want to send her package, because she overseas, until I knew she was 1. At her same house and 2. She was back from vacation. So that is my dilemma with the Angel I was assigned.

Then their is my Secret Angel, who is still a secret to me because I have never been contacted by her.  I am so sad. I was really excited about this and for this to be the ending I am a little bummed.

Anyway, I do thank Helen Stubbings for hosting it, there were some cute projects and I did learn a lot about another country that I did not know before from my Secret Angel.