Two Dresses

Today I would like to share two dresses I sewed for my daughter. They aren't exactly seasonally appropriate, but I knew if I waited until fall to share them I may forget!

The first is my favorite dress, perhaps even my favorite sewing project of all that I've made. The pattern was a perfect canvas for embellishments, and it was a pleasure to select the fabrics and trims to sew this special dress.

The yoke is sewn from a fine wale corduroy in navy blue. I enjoyed being able to add a little hand embroidery that picked up on the colors in the calico portion of the dress. It was a hard decision when it came time to select a ric-rac, I had a few that coordinated with the calico. 

I loved adding crocheted lace trim to the waist and faux button placket!

The pattern included a hem panel that allowed for a neat lace border. The sleeves are sewn from batiste and also edged in lace. The dress was meant to include a back zipper, but I substituted buttons for the zipper.

Here is a picture of the pattern I used. It is a Gunne Sax pattern from the 1980's. I love finding old Gunne Sax patterns on Ebay. The detailing makes them extra special!

 

The next dress is one that I sewed last fall for my daughter's birthday. I loved this beautiful brown calico! It seemed to compliment the design of the dress and added to the old-fashioned appearance.

 

The shoulder ruffles look so sweet when worn! And I couldn't resist adding a little embroidery to the collar.

The most challenging aspect of sewing this dress were the pintucks. I had to sew the pintucks a few times before they were all straight and even, but I was pleased with the end results.

 

This dress was sewn using a Cinderella pattern from 1980's. I loved the cover art on this pattern. The illustration on the far left was my inspiration when sewing this dress. 

It is always bring me so much joy to sew dresses for my little girl! I have a couple of pretty spring time fabrics sitting in my sewing basket just waiting to be sewn into new dresses and skirts for her. 

I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful springtime season! I hope to share a post soon with some pictures of all of the lovely birds, blossoms, and blooms around here.

"And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." Psalm 90:17




 

Pictures from July

 July was a beautiful and busy month. I always enjoy July, as I feel that it is filled with summer's best. Trips to the lake, picking berries, stunning sunsets, garden produce, family picnics, beautiful flowers, well as you can see I could go on forever!

We were very blessed with an abundance of berries in our garden this year. I was able to make jam from our home grown strawberries, black raspberries and rhubarb, so far. I still plan to make red raspberry jam from our garden at some point. I also had enough berries to freeze for the winter months ahead.

There is nothing quite like a pie made with fresh berries from the garden! It gives us such a good feeling to see the hard work of planting and caring for our plants come to fruition.

Although we have planted blueberries they are very slow to grow. The picture of the plant above was taken at a beautiful blueberry farm we visit each summer. Our annual trip is one of my favorite summer traditions! This year I went with my mom and sister, with her children. It was fun to see the cousins enjoy their time together and competing to see who could pick the most blueberries!

 

One evening Jemimah brought in a basket of bell peppers she picked. She likes to pick flowers from her wild flower garden and then arrange them among the vegetables. She finds great delight in surprising me with beautiful bouquets and displays of her flowers.

I am grateful to have a nice supply of peppers in my freezer for the winter ahead.

We are thrilled to finally have some ripe tomatoes. They seemed to be a little slow to ripen this year. We have a few different heirloom varieties, which is a real treat. Above is another example of Jemimah's creative expression in vegetable/flower arranging. : )

The geese have grown so fast! They are such characters and seem to find ways to amuse us nearly every day. Axel is a little aggressive with people he doesn't know and becomes very vocal at his annoyance when unknown guests arrive, like the gas delivery man yesterday! He also finds great delight in chasing our poor little dog Darla Mae and chasing Jemimah while she rides her bike. He has gone so far as to bite her bike tire. I'm glad to be on his good side, so far!

 

Jemimah spent time this summer working on her embroidery and learning how to sew on the sewing machine. After completing a couple of hand sewn projects she was ready to try her hand at using a sewing machine. She sewed a patchwork quilt for her dolls and did a great job! I was so proud of her hard work, and blessed when she won best of fair at our county fair for her quilt.

Over the summer I hand embroidered a little runner/dresser scarf. I found the stamped embroidery kit at a little quilt shop in our area; they were selling a number of vintage stamped embroidery projects for 50cents- $1. I purchased several, some appear to be from the 1950's. 

I also added a couple of new (to me) vintage apron patterns to my collection. I am hoping to find time to sew them over the next few months, and maybe add them to my shop. I really like to button back closure of each design.

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful summer! 

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Romans 11:33

Christmas Books by Grace Livingston Hill Part 2

Back in 2017 I shared some of my favorite Grace Livingston Hill Christmas stories. Since then I have discovered a few other Christmas books by Mrs. Hill  that I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope you will too!

The Prodigal Girl was quite the story! It follows the Thorton family during a rather tumultuous Christmas season. Mr. Thorton has spent his years climbing the corporate ladder and spending little time with his family. One day, just after reaching his highest professional achievement, he over hears a rather surprising conversation regarding his eldest daughter. He is stunned, and upon further investigation realizes that while he was pursuing his dream career his family had been terribly neglected. Mr. Thorton makes the decision to remove his family from the city and relocate to his childhood home in rural Vermont. 

As can be imagined his worldly wise offspring are less than thrilled with this arrangement. Mr. Thorton meets with a great deal of opposition from his family, especially from his oldest daughter. As the story unfolds we see the Lord's redemptive plan for the Thorton family and it is beautiful! I loved the description of the old homestead in Vermont, and I especially enjoyed reading of the old-fashioned preparations for Christmas. The Prodigal Girl was a book that I found hard to put down and one that I would highly recommend.

Astra is a sweet story. In the first pages a wintry storm, as seen from a train, is described so beautifully I felt as though I were there! I could imagine seeing the little towns covered in snow, Christmas lights gleaming. The main character, Astra, is a lonely young woman. She had lived with her cousins family since the passing of her parents. Her values don't always align with those of her worldly cousin, so when her cousin and family take a trip out of state Astra sees her means of escape. Life on her own is difficult, she isn't sure were to turn when all of the old friends she had counted on are out of town for Christmas. Astra finds a friend and help in a most unexpected way. A beautiful story of Christmas romance unfolds in a wholesome and engaging fashion. Astra is a book I will definitely read again. It was cozy, sweet and pointed to Jesus, which is my favorite kind of Christmas story.

Partners is the story of Dale, a young woman out of a job and alone in an unfriendly city. Trouble seems to meet her at every turn. Utterly despondent and without hope she calls upon God for guidance and help. She is amazed at the answer to her prayer, and the unusual responsibilities that come her way. 

On a stormy evening, a young man that resides at the boarding house where Dale lives discovers a baby left in the vestibule of the boarding house. The poor little baby is covered with snow, blue with cold and terribly sick. Unable to find help in the ladies running the boarding house he seeks help from Dale. From that point forwards they become "partners" in seeking to save the precious little life of the baby he had found. Partners is a lovely story. I was blessed with the story's ultimate theme of God's goodness and guidance in the lives of the characters.

Brentwood: Upon the passing of her adoptive mother, Marjorie discovers a letter describing her history. Much to Marjorie's surprise she discovers that her birth mother is still alive. With Christmas soon approaching Marjorie decides to seek out her birth mother, so she will not have to spend Christmas alone. Marjorie is met with  quite a surprise when she finally finds her mother. Not only does Marjorie have a mother, but she has a father, an identical twin sister and three younger siblings! Her parents are both terribly ill and the entire family is living in poverty. Thankfully, Marjorie's adoptive parents had left her with a small fortune, so when Marjorie discovers the situation her family is in, she is able to help them and bless them with a truly wonderful Christmas! 

 

Brentwood is a story of family, and how a loving family is of more value than any amount of money. It was fun to read the accounts of Marjorie's generosity, and how she was able to forge a true friendship with her stand-offish twin sister. I truly enjoyed this unique Christmas story.

 

As you well know Grace Livingston Hill is my favorite author, and I am so happy that she wrote such a wonderful variety of Christmas books! If you would like to read my previous Grace Livingston Hill Christmas book post here is a link. 

 

Grace Livingston Hill Biographies

Over the years Grace Livingston Hill has been one of my favorite authors. I enjoy collecting vintage copies of her books, and have now read over forty. As much as I enjoy her work, up until a couple of months ago I knew very little about this incredible author. Following a suggestion from my mom (a fellow G.L. Hill fan) I sought out a biography of Grace Livingston Hill. After discovering this list of her biographies I purchased Grace Livingston Hill: Her Story and Her Writings by Jean Karr published in 1948, a year after her death, and Grace Livingston Hill: The Life Story of One of America's Best-Loved Writer's, As Told by Her Grandson by Robert Munce published in 1986. Both biographies were informative and enjoyable to read. I would highly recommend both books to any one interested in learning about the life of Grace Livingston Hill.

 I read Grace Livingston Hill: The Life Story of One of America's Best-Loved Writer's, As Told by Her Grandson by Robert Munce first, and I am glad that I did. This biography offers a more personal look at Mrs. Hill's life. The work begins with a humorous poem Mrs. Hill wrote to her son-in-law for his birthday. I was glad to discover that G.L. Hill had a good sense humor! Robert Munce then related the story surrounding Grace's birth: she was born on Easter Sunday just two days after the assassination of President Lincoln. It was a tumultuous time in the history of our country, and for the Livingston family. G.L. Hill was an only child, raised by two wonderful Christian parents. It was a pleasure for me to catch a glimpse of what life was like in the Livingston home. There was a special closeness in the family and extended family, as they were all united in their love for Jesus.

It was fascinating to discover that G.L. Hill's mother was also a published author. I had learned some time before that her aunt Isabella Alden was a popular author, but never knew that her mother wrote as well. Both aunt and mother encouraged Grace to pursue her skills in writing, and proved wonderful, positive critics of her work.

Mr. Munce's biography shares many wonderful anecdotes of their time spent in Florida, G.L. Hill's first marriage proposal, her work at a local Christian college, how she met her husband Frank Hill and her marriage to Frank Hill. Life was often very difficult for G.L. Hill, for instance losing her husband of seven years and her father in short succession.

Munce also describes her unlikely second marriage (which was a bit of a surprise to me!), the building of her beautiful stone house and her mission work with local immigrants. I loved reading the descriptions of her house! The detailed description of the layout and decor were a real treat to the imagination.

After reading Grace Livingston Hill: The Life Story of One of America's Best-Loved Writer's, As Told by Her Grandson I wished that I could have known Grace Livingston Hill personally. She was a caring, hardworking woman with a heart to share the love of Jesus.

 Grace Livingston Hill: Her Story and Her Writings by Jean Karr focused more on Grace Livingston Hill's career and only briefly touched on her personal life. However I enjoyed reading about how some of her books were inspired. Karr's book also included full page pictures, whereas the pictures in Munce's book were smaller and harder to see.

I was interested to learn how Mrs. Hill's publishers requested that she remove religious themes from her stories, and she staunchly refused to comply with their demands. The resulting conflict forced her to switch publishers, and as a single mom I am sure that was a difficult step of faith to take! However it was inspiring to see how the Lord to care of her family and how Grace Livingston Hill put Jesus first in her writing. Later in her career she received countless letters telling her how her books had encouraged and inspired soldiers wearied and heartsick after the wars. Many were even led to salvation through her books. What a reward for her unwavering steadfastness!

Karr noted that Mrs. Hill did not go to the movies, but did enjoy listening to the radio. One of her favorite programs was the Kate Smith show. I was also interested to learn that two of Grace Livingston Hill's favorite authors were Kathleen Norris and Temple Bailey, since they happen to be two authors I also enjoy.

To close I thought I would share a couple paragraphs from Grace Livingston Hill: Her Story and Her Writings by Jean Karr.

"She (Mrs.Hill) was always busy- cooking, cleaning, tending the lawn and working in the garden, and sewing for two little girls who were growing very fast. She made all their clothing for them, and there was always the task of letting out seams and lengthening little dresses to make them last a while longer.

As Margaret and Ruth approached school age, their busy mother determined not to send them to school at once, but gave them lessons at home, in the way her parents had taught her as a child. So in between the routine duties of the household, there were classes in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, geography, history, and arithmetic. Mrs. Hill was evidently as good a teacher as she was a housekeeper. She continued to teach the two girls until Margaret was eleven years old and Ruth was eight, at which time they entered the public school." (Page 63)

"Grace Livingston Hill died at the age of eighty-two, on February 23, 1947. Her life span had begun in the troubled Civil War days immediately following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and ended during the period of international confusion and distrust that came as an aftermath of the second great World War and the discovery of the atomic bomb. It was a long way to come, from the days of the horse-and-buggy trips with her minister father to the days of atomic energy and stratoshere flights. It had been in general, a satisfying life, but the world of the 1940's was one in which she didn't feel at home, one which she willingly departed." (page 113)

I hope you have enjoyed this look at these two biographies. They are a wonderful addition to my Grace Livingston Hill book collection. I was touched and inspired by this incredible lady's talent, imagination, fortitude and love for the Lord!

The Workbasket Magazine

Many years ago while visiting a favorite local antique shop I discovered two old crafting magazines called The Workbasket. Both issues were from the early 1950's and I enjoyed reading the articles about forming a ladies club, creating beautiful tatted doilies, knitting mittens, etc. A couple of years later I found a collection of several Workbasket magazines on Ebay, all from the 1940's. I spent many pleasant evenings looking through each issue.

For me some of the most enjoyable pages are the advertisements! They sold quite a variety of items ranging from craft kits, sewing patterns, clothes, tombstones and baby alligators! The thought of mail ordering a baby alligator always made my sisters and I laugh.

 The recipes were always interesting too. Many issues are themed to the month of publication. The issue above features "harvest" themed recipes for the autumn. The Instant Postum ad was also a favorite. That expression in the first picture; just from drinking a cup of coffee! : )

 Surprisingly enough I have never actually tried any of the featured recipes or craft projects. I guess I prefer to use modern patterns, and some of the patterns are just a little too whimsical for me.

 This egg warmer for example.... cute, but not quite worth the time. Maybe someday I might try crocheting a doily pattern from The Workbasket.

 The pages above share some ideas for a flower themed ladies club meeting. This particular issue was published in January of 1949. I always enjoyed the "Flower Story" game.

Flower Story

Can you figure out the names of the flowers suggested by the following questions? It is interesting to have partners for this game. Choose partners by having a number of seed catalog flowers pasted on cardboard, then cut these in half. Each guest is given one half of each flower and is told to find the matching half of the flower; then these two people are partners to play the game. Each couple is given a written copy of the following story and the first to fill out the form is given a prize.

1. The girl's name and color of her hair? (Marigold)
2. Her nationality and her appearance? (American Beauty)
3. The color of her eyes? (Violet)
4. Her chum's first name and color of her eyes? (Brown-eyed Susan)
5. Her brother's name and adjective that describes her? (Sweet William)
6. How did the girl's admirers surround her? (Phlox)
7.What did they think she was? (A Daisy)
8. Her lover's name and what he wrote with? (John Quill-Jonquil)
9.What did he do when he proposed? (Aster)
10.What minister married them? (Jack-in-the-pulpit)
11.What did she wear in her hair? (Bridal-Wreath)
12. What music was played during the ceremony? (Narcissus)
13. What did she say when she went away? (Forget-me-not)
14. With what did she punish her children? (Lady Slipper)
15. What was the length of their happiness? (Everlasting)

I like the idea of hosting a flower themed party in the winter. It seems like a nice way to think spring and keep hope alive!

I hope you have enjoyed this peek into the pages of The Workbasket. From a quick look on-line it seems that old issues are readily available on Etsy and Ebay. They are fun and sometimes silly, but definitely a sweet glimpse of a bygone day.

Vintage Pincushion Chair

A few years ago I purchased this adorable little pincushion rocking chair while shopping at a local antique store with my mom. We were thrilled with the unique find, since we are both seamstresses. I had never seen anything quite like it before. But I had hopes of updating the little chair and making it something extra special, all my own. : )

Here is what the little chair looked like when I purchased it. I am not sure of the age, but I think it may have been made in the 1940's due to the fabric.

It is very handy as it has pegs to hold six spools of thread. The back and seat of the chair are just perfect for pins and needles. It felt like the back and seat may have been filled with walnut shells or something else with an unusual texture. I read once that walnut shells help keep needles sharp.

There is a slot in the chair back made for a pair of scissors. It truly is the perfect pincushion for hand sewing! I can have my thread, scissors, pins and needles all in one spot that I can carry with me.

The fabric I used to recover the cushions is very special to me. It is one of the fabrics my mom used to sew my sisters and I dresses when we were little girls. It has always been one of my favorite prints. I had fun crocheting a miniature doily for the chair. When I was growing up my mom and grandma would often place doilies on the backs of chairs. I thought it would be the perfect finishing touch.

Nan's 1940s Wrap Apron

This past winter my Nan (paternal grandmother) had to leave her home and move to an assisted living facility. At that time my dad and uncle offered my sisters and I the opportunity to have a keepsake from her home. Instantly I remembered this apron.

Throughout my childhood and teen years my sisters and I would sometimes spend the weekend with Nan. We had wonderful times going on picnics, visiting the lake and going for long walks. One time during our teen years we decided to clean Nan's house while we visited. As we started to clean Nan went down stairs to her basement and soon brought up aprons for each of us to wear while cleaning. I have always loved aprons and I remember being impressed with the clever design of this wrap apron. It was unlike any other apron I had seen.

This truly is a practical apron design. One tie pulls through a slot on one side and then ties in the back. Your entire outfit remains protected, even the back.

Soon after receiving Nan's apron I began to do a little research and discovered that this apron style was popular in England during World War II. This made sense since Nan is from England and was in her late teens/early 20's during World War II.

Over the years Nan has many times shared with us her experiences of being a young woman throughout the war years. The second in a family of four girls and one boy, Nan worked for Burberry's sewing coats while her older sister was in the RAF during the war years. One story Nan would tell us was how she would collect the scraps of lining fabric at the end of her work day and take them home. She made a tea cozy from the scraps, appliqueing a picture of a cottage and rising sun to the tea cozy. I wish I could have seen it!

Nan has many fond memories of evenings spent with her family. Her mum, sisters and herself would knit or sew while visiting. She also shared stories of her early years of marriage and my dad as a little baby. I remember Nan recounting the deep contentment and satisfaction she felt while knitting a sweater for my dad as she sat beside the fire, and dad was in his bassinet. I have a picture of my dad as a toddler wearing a coat Nan sewed for him.

I am grateful for the many sweet memories I have of spending time with my Nan. At this time she is 94 and her memory is poor, she has a very hard time remembering any of her family.

Here is a picture of Nan taken sometime in the 1940's. Wasn't she beautiful? Nan moved to America in the 1960's when my dad was a little boy. It was a difficult transition to make; she has always spoke of England as home.

P.S. I have made a copy of Nan's apron and it is currently for sale in my shop here.

The Patch of Blue and Popovers

Yesterday afternoon I finished reading The Patch of Blue by Grace Livingston Hill. It was a delightful story set during the Great Depression. A wealthy family loses everything and has to learn to live with very little. The oldest son finds this change in life very difficult, but throughout the story we watch him grow and learn the importance of relying on God.

Grace Livingston Hill is one of my favorite authors. I love her descriptions of family and home life. I thought it might be fun to share a couple of paragraphs from The Patch of Blue, as well as, one of my favorite recipes.

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"They had a cheery supper that night in spite of the simple fare. The mother was resurrecting all her old recipes, plain wholesome food, cheaply bought and deriving its savory taste and smell from the old deftness in seasoning, the trick of long cooking, the careful preparation. Perhaps because of its very difference from what they had been eating for years, its simplicity rather charmed the family. Bean soup made with tomatoes, potatoes and celery tops, a "mess of pottage" the mother called it; brown bread; baked apples and cream; even bread pudding with a dash of chocolate to make it tasty; hash! Yes, they loved it, Mother's hash. That was different. Mother could make hash taste like stuffed turkey."

"They sat down to dinner as if it were a picnic. Somehow it didn't seem so mournful, after all, as he had expected. Chris thought he would always remember his father's first blessing at the little golden oak table with mother's coarsest table cloth upon it, and the old dishes that had been used mostly in the kitchen at the other house. It was:

'Father, we remember that Thy Son had not where to lay His head at times when He was upon the earth. We thank Thee for this comfortable quiet home that Thou hast given us, and for this evening meal. Make us to show forth Thy glory by the strength of it. Amen.'

Chris was very quiet and thoughtful during the meal, jumping up to get a pitcher of water, and replenish the popovers from the pan in the warming oven, to save his mother and sister."

The Patch of Blue Grace Livingston Hill
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One of our favorite additions to a meal of soup is popovers! They are also a lovely addition to tea when served hot from the oven with butter and homemade jam. I even serve them with a pot roast dinner in place of Yorkshire pudding.

Popovers :

2 eggs 
1 cup milk
1 cup flour 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 tbsp melted butter

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees with popover pan in oven.
2. Beat eggs, add milk together. Add in melted butter.
3. Sift flour and salt together and add it to the wet ingredients. Beat until smooth.
4. Once oven is pre-heated, remove hot pan from oven, grease muffin tins with cooking spray, and fill 2/3 full.
5. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.

 

Sleeve Ironing Boards and a Pincushion

 Some time ago I shared the story of my vintage sleeve ironing board. Since then Adam has witnessed just how much I use my sleeve ironing board, and was inspired to try making one. It turned out so nicely he decided to make another.

A sleeve ironing board is extremely handy when sewing baby clothes, doll clothes and for pressing hard to reach seams, such as a sleeve seams. Over the years I have learned that ironing is a very important part of sewing and has a great impact on the outcome of the finished garment.

  Both sleeve boards are available to purchase through my Etsy shop. The sleeve board pictured above is available through this listing, while the board with the unbleached muslin cover is available here.

  I had just enough of the calico left to sew a matching pincushion. When my mom and I first started our business my mom made several pincushions in this style. They were always a well loved item. The size is very convenient for a number of pins and needles.

  The pincushion is embellished with hand embroidered rose bullions and leaves.

McCall's 1105

Back in June I shared with you the beautiful collection of vintage apron patterns I found at an estate sale. Finally I have found the time to share some pictures of the first aprons I sewed using my favorite apron pattern from that collection!

"Slimming Apron for Stout Women" is the caption printed on this apron package. I have to agree the style is very flattering. The bodice features vertical darts and a slightly curved waist line. The option to add bias trim or ric-rac to this curved seam adds extra waist definition.

When my mom first saw the pattern package she exclaimed "This reminds me of an apron my great grandma wore!". One of my customers said the same thing when she purchased an apron I sewed from this pattern. I love how aprons evoke so many happy memories of grandmothers and days gone by.

I was so happy to discover that all of the original pieces were included, and it went together quite easily. Sometime vintage patterns can prove to be a puzzle since directions are minimal.

McCall's 1105 has definitely made it's way into my little box of favorite apron patterns I will use time and again. In fact I already have three more cut-out just waiting to be sewn up!