Look What I Made!

Meet my sister, Bridget. She made these wonderful hobo bags, silk flowers and fab fall pumpkins! The pumpkins are made with luxurious fabrics (velvets, tapestries, linens--not your ordinary fall decor.) She uses natural vines and wood for the stems. Bridget has been sewing since she was a teenager, and does quality work! Our mother was a great seamstress and Bridget 'got the sewing bug' from her at an early age. I know mama loved it that Bridget followed her around trying to learn to sew because I had no interest at all! I am now trying to play catch up and learn from Bridget! She is a lovely sister, enjoys camping, her home and family, and especially CATS! She rescues cats and has too many to count!

Always mindful of the tremdous waste of resources today, Bridget uses recycled and natural materials whenever possible.
All these items are for sale at a reasonable price. Bridget's email is barrington@greshaminc.com.

Look What I Made

This from Sister #337, Paula Grimstead--"My daughter Rachel is trying to be a stay at home Mommie, by babysitting and sewing to supplement their income. I am so proud of the aprons she is making. Here is one style. I will have more pictures as she sews and will be bringing them to our Sisters on the Fly campout in Alabama--'Southern Fried.' She actually thanked me the other day, for teaching her how to sew. Did my heart swell with pride, you bet!!!"
Rachel's contact email is simply_blessed2011@yahoo,com , and she's also on facebook! She's happy to do special orders!
As a crafter, I'm so happy to see young women having an interest in home, sewing, and crafting!
Way to go Rachel!

Needle Felting!

Check out these adorable needle felted dolls I found today on Mary Jane's Farm!
Needle Felting is such a crazy, cool craft!
Its popularity is sweeping the world. Nearly anything that one can imagine can be created from wool using only single barbed felting needles!
Felt Alive dolls are fully jointed, solid felted wool and require no sewing, no stuffing, no painting, no knitting or crocheting, no patterns and no wire armatures! That's right, none of that! Shaping and sculpting fluffy, unspun wool with barbed felting needles is nearly like magic. Check out the website at http://www.feltalive.com/
to learn more about the craft! I want to learn!!

Look What I Made!

"This is my latest embroidery project. My grandmother, Madeline Sanders taught me how to embroider when I was a child. She, my Great Aunt Daisy Meade, and I would sit and embroider for hours. Those are some of my favorite childhood memories! It's not just about learning a craft--it's about making memories that will last a lifetime!"
Laura-- Chattahoochee Hills, GA

Note: Laura is making these pillowcases to sell as well as jewelry, sock animals, decorated vintage train cases, and some beautiful fabric pins! She is a talented crafter and we'll add more photo's of her crafts a little later. Contact her at questover@bellsouth.net

Happiness Is!

Happiness needs no accessories, for it is in itself omnipotent. It takes hold in the heart, builds its nest, and brings forth its own birds to sing for you! --Mary Brooks Picken
I thought I should introduce my friend, Paula Bush to you with this uplifting quote from Mary Brooks Picken who founded The Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences in 1916. Our new blog is devoted to women, hearth, home, and happiness! Much as we love to wander, Paula and I find much joy being at home -- reading, learning, creating and sharing with each other. Nothing gives us more joy than 'feathering our respective nests'! Please join us in this journey as we learn from each other. This is your blog--created to share ideas, tips, patterns, and 'how to's' to make our lives better and more beautiful. We are all about 'making something out of nothing' and 'trash to treasure' crafting! By doing so--we not only save money but we are saving the environment by reducing waste in the world's landfills and reducing our carbon footprint. Read much more on the subject at http://www.sew-green.org/sew_about.html
We are also passionate about 'passing the torch' to the younger generation of women--so the art of 'makin do' that many of us learned from our mothers and grandmothers is not lost.
And I will end with another quote from Ms. Pickens:
"Cheerfulness is much more to be desired than riches. Those who possess it have something riches cannot buy--a great possession because it created goodwill and makes for real happiness!"

Hearth and Home

"One man's junk is another man (or woman's) treasure"...how true!

We love to up-cycle & re-fashion vintage and gently used clothing & linens; we also

embellish clothing, aprons, handbags and other wearable accessories as well as pillows, tea towels, and the like for the personalized, sustainable home. Many of us heard our Mothers and Grandmothers say, "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"...a great idea, don't you think?

Some of us paint, some sew, others crochet or knit...we are all crafters, and with a burning desire to teach younger women the art of hearth and home with an emphasis on frugality and sustainability.

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems. For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible planning and management of resources.

Wikipedia

...and do we love junkin'? Yes, indeed, we do!