Dreaming Of Green Leaves And Blossoms

I think just about everyone is ready for winter to be over and for the snow to disappear.   I'm dreaming of green leaves and blossoms bursting with color!

Thank you to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.

February Snow

We are getting the kind of snowfall that everyone wishes for on special days ... like Christmas.   These snowflakes are massive and gorgeous!   Seriously, they are bigger around than a quarter.  Everything has already been coated in white and it's supposed to just keep coming down for several more hours. 

If you enlarge the picture above you can see the huge snowflakes coming down out of the sky.  Those are not droplets on my camera lens.

Both of my college kids were planning to come home this weekend.   I hope they are careful on the roads.
I have just come in from shoveling snow.  It is heavy, wet snow and it's about 8 inches deep on the drive.  What a great work out!  But I probably won't be able to move tomorrow!  LOL!!

Crocheted Hearts

This is my collection of vintage crocheted hearts.  There is a sweetness about these pretty little cushions: the pineapple crochet pattern on the front, the various lacy crocheted edges, and the satin ribbons woven through.  Sometimes these hearts were used as a pin cushion in a sewing box or to hold favorite brooches at a dressing table.   My Mom used small hearts as drawer sachets, scented with rose or lavender.  

I am linking to Vintage Thingie Thursday  and Alphabet-Thursday (C).     Please visit the links to see lots more interesting posts.

Felted Hearts From My Sister

Look what my baby sister  just sent me!  

Valentines!    

Two little felted wool hearts with tiny glass seed beads sewn all around the edges.  

The beads really sparkle in the light.    Aren't they pretty?  

I love them!

A Quilt For Orphans Africa Auction

I have a dear old friend who works with an organization that builds schools in Tanzania, Africa.   They are really doing some wonderful things to help educate orphaned children and teach skills to widowed women. You can read more about it at Orphans Africa.

(these photos are all from the Orphans Africa website.)

She called a couple of weeks ago and said they were having an auction in February to raise money for a secondary school classroom.  And she asked if I would make a quilt to put in the auction.  Of course I said yes.

So that is what I have been working on this weekend.  I gathered up everything I would need.  I learned an easy way to make these triangle blocks in a class based on Martha Thompson's book, "Start With Squares".   And I thought they would be perfect to use in the auction quilt.  Block rows were layed out and then sewn together to make the main part of the quilt.  Two simple borders were  cut and sewn on.  Everything was layered together in a quilt sandwich so that I could pin-baste and machine quilt.

I still have to sew on binding and make a label for the back.  This quilt is fairly small, about the size for a  nice wallhanging or table topper.   I am pleased with how it is coming along.   Will post a picture of the final product when I'm all  through.    (update--- see completed quilt here.)

Linking to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House.

Embroidered Tea Towels And Pillowcases- Bluebirds, And Puppies And Sunbonnet Sues

My Grandma loved to embroider.  She a tin of embroidery floss sitting on the lamp table next to her living room couch and in her spare time she would sit and make tea towels, pillowcases and all sorts of other pretty items.  She made hundreds of sets of tea-towels for church bazaars and friends.  And she made a set for each of her grandchildren.

I think I was about 11 or 12 years old when I picked out this cute embroidered and appliqued Sunbonnet Sue pattern.  The next time I came to visit, she had them all made up for me.   (I display them in the kitchen, but I don't wipe dishes with them, because I want them to last forever.)

This is another set that she made. These have yellowed a bit and I need to clean them up using some of Gails tips at Faithfulness Farm.  (how to take care of vintage linens.)  Isn't the muddy puppy adorable?

My Grandma embroidered these pictures too.  They hang on my family room wall.  I just love them.

So it's no wonder that I grew up loving embroidered items.   I picked up these next two kitchen towels online.  I do not know if they are vintage or not, but the patterns sure are.

I collect embroidered pillowcases, especially bluebirds. (Bluebird starts with B.)  I use these on our beds all the time.

Today I am joining Suzanne, The Colorado Lady,  for Vintage Thingies Thursday.  C'mon over and see what other fun vintage items have been posted.

I am also joining Jenny Matlock  at Alphabe-Thursday.  Come and visit all the other B's.

Amish Country Store- Iowa Welcome Center

Take a peek inside the Amish Country Store at the Iowa Welcome Center.

I bought a cute pillow and some raspberry jam last time I was there.

Isn't the toy barn cute?

My new pillow in a favorite reading chair.

Mary at Little Red House graciously hosts Mosaic Monday every week.  Click on the links to see all the other fun mosaic posts.

Almost too pretty to use!

These arrived in my mailbox the other day.   Aren't they beautiful knit dishcloths?   They are almost too pretty to use!  They will certainly make the task of washing dishes more cheerful.    I ordered them from the etsy shop of  fellow blogger  Cathleen at My Sewing Serenity.