Freshly laundered vintage aprons, tablecloth and doileys.

Recently I purchased four vintage gingham aprons.

Three were chicken scratch embroidered.

I also purchased a chicken scratch table cloth.

Someone had put a lot of time and effort into embroidering it

and

the four aprons 

and

had never used them.

I washed all my purchases and ironed them,

and

they looked so lovely on the clothes line

I thought to photograph them.

I also got the 100% cotton lace in a pennant design from the same seller.

I have never seen cotton lace like this

and

I paid just $6 for it

and

two lovely little vintage embroidered doileys.

I'm quite impressed with my little purchases.

I think that makes about 30 aprons in my vintage collection now.

This unique garden ornament was given to me by my SIL.

He knows I love quirky rustic bits and pieces for my garden.

He found it somewhere and immediately thought of me....

LOL

Anyhow I added the rusted horse shoe

and

thought I'd leave the white fungus insitu,

because it looks like a white bunny rabbit profile.

Leave me a comment,

I'd love to hear from you.

Two little wallhangings

I made two of these folksy little wallhangings for two friends

in

Christmas 2008

Wow seems so long ago.

I used a pattern from an Australian Patchwork magazine.

I customized the colours to suit my friends individual tastes.

I miss sewing SO much.

It's 14 months now.

That queue of projects in my mind

has

ceased to grow

as it's just so long

since

I

sewed

anything.

Before I finally stopped sewing due to back pain I was

living

 and

breathing

it everyday

like

it was an affliction.

I'd turn on my sewing machine and get a little zap of happiness.

My 3 machines now sit idle but are still loved.

Cardmaking has taken over as it's more achievable than sewing for me.

I just love to read my favourite papercraft blogs and look forward to seeing each lady's daily offering.

BUT

Sewing is still my first love.

I have been sewing since I was 3 years old.

I distinctly remember turning the wheel on my mother's blue HG Palmer sewing machine just to see what it would feel like.

It felt great, I loved it.

BUT

A few hours later, Mum asked, "who has been touching my sewing machine"?

"Um, that would be me"......(eekkk, I'm in trouble).

Not really, she just told me not to touch it again, 

I already knew that before I touched it,

but the temptation was so strong I finally gave in

after thinking about it for

weeks

and

maybe months.

So after that day Mum gave me some needles and thread

and

some material

and

lace offcuts so I could do some hand sewing.

Oh I just loved it!

I still have my first funny little attempts.

Three little hand sewn doilies at about age 4 or 5 I think.

and

my 1st attempt at knitting when I was 8....

obviously

not

as

successful as my sewing....LOL

I have knitted quite a few things over the years but do not really enjoy it.

Sewing is my passion.

I don't really care if it's sewing clothes,

patchwork

or

mending,

if it's fabric needle and thread...

I'm blissful.

Handsewing circa 1965

Knitting circa 1969