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vintage finds.

My dear cousin, OB, convinced me to go yard sailing and antique shopping with her during a break at the retreat this past weekend.  And I’m so glad I did, because New Freedom, PA really has some lovely ones.  We went to a handful of good ones, and only one not so good one.  OB walked away with a fantastic antique rocking chair and a 100 year old quilt.  Below are some photos of things I saw and loved!

a pillow cover.  I so need to learn this technique!  I would love it on a quilt!

a shelf displaying some lovely mixing bowls.

a pretty cookbook and a braided mat.

we saw the most delicate vintage teacups and bowls.  loved them!

some vintage flour feed sacks. one can never have too many of these.

I so wanted this huge braided rug. don’t think I’ve ever seen one this big!

a wall of beautiful historical kitchen artifacts.

I absolutely love this low chair [high chair]!!!  the woven cloth seat is too cute.  greg’s uncles in texas are fantastic carpenters and woodworkers.  I need to ask his uncle cliff to craft one of these for little Dhara!  : )

looks like a sweet read for mama + daughter while laying under a weeping willow.

celtic plate.

some sweet girl’s clothes in soft white cotton.

I, on the other hand, walked away with a bag full of pieced vintage quilt squares.  Yup, you got that right — quilt squares that are ready to be made into a quilt.  I’m guessing they are at least 50 years old if not older.  Can’t wait to begin this project, which will probably end up being a new quilt for Dhara.

And because of her love for vintage cookbooks, OB treated me to a really fun old school 1932 cookbook.  I just love the way they wrote back then!  So informal and pleasant to read.  Can’t wait to try some of these recipes out.

“the goodly cucumber”

I love the space available for writing in your own recipes and notes.

who knew?!?

and lastly, a sweet little recipe for dahl soup.  I need to sew myself a small muslin bag for the celery seeds.

baby smith handmade #1.

I’ve been meaning to post photos of Baby Smith Handmade projects, but got so wrapped up in preparing for baby, that I’ve not had time to put the finishing touches on these projects.  But this past weekend’s blizzard was a much needed time to spend on completing them.

Project #1:  Scalloped Quilted Blanket.

This blanket is oh, so cozy.  Two pieces of thin flannel sewed together to make a baby blanket that could work for all seasons.  I loved the striping on the fabric — it reminds me of the 70’s for some reason.  The quilting really makes this simple blanket into something special, I think.  And to top it off, back in September, Greg gifted me with my own custom-made susie mey clothing labels for finishing my Berean coursework on time!  Crafted and woven in Great Britain, these labels are so fantastic — they make sewing much more fun because you get to personalize what you’ve made.  I’ve always wanted to start my own children’s line…maybe one day I’ll get the chance.

What is Baby Smith Handmade?

patchwork quilt.

I’ve been, oh, so patiently waiting for this Pottery Barn quilt to go on sale!  It’s such a darling quilt.  I came across it while Ohio Becky was showing me the firefly quilt she got for her own daughters.  The hodgepodge of vintage colors and designs are what I like best in quilts.  It’s simple, but still quite detailed in it’s quilting.  It’s the kind of quilt I’m always drawn to in antique stores.  “This quilt is a modern take on the ancient wedding-ring quilt pattern, originally created in the fourth century, which features two interlocking rings and is known for its romantic connotation.”

While it was originally created for a wedding quilt design, it’s the kind of quilt that reminds me of family — mothers or grandmothers quilting for their children or grandchildren.  Sometimes this sort of quilt reminds me of The Underground Railroad.  Other times it reminds me of a quaint old house far out in the country surrounded by gardens, ancient trees, and an old iron-wrought fence.  Or, it could be that this quilt was designed for fall nights under the covers, drinking freshly simmered hot apple cider and reading tales of how Mrs. Pigglewiggle deals with naughty children.  It’s the kind of quilt I’d like to make history with my children.  : )

potterybarnquilt

the tina quilt.

So we’re back, safe and sound, in Maryland.  So much to do organization-wise.  I feel like everything I own is in one mumble-jumbled mess in the basement.  This summer will be the time to organize to my heart’s content.  Maybe I’ll get rid of stuff.  Maybe I’ll even have a garage sale.  I’ve never had one of those, but they seem like a nice way to get the neighbors out and about.

Before Tina’s baby was born, Tina and I went to Hobby Lobby for a little gal’s outing.  (Sidenote: I absolutely LOVE Hobby Lobby!!!  I wish we had one here on the east coast!  It’s incredible because it has everything you could imagine related to all things crafty ALL under one roof.)  So while in the store, I surprised Tina with the idea for my baby shower gift to her — a baby quilt.  So we spent the afternoon picking out fabrics that we liked for her little baby boy.  And so, that is what inspired the Tina Quilt…

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