Tea's Hope Chest

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Keeper of Memories~

In the Winter when it is cold and dreary outside,warm and comfortable in the home,is a wonderful time in one's life to "Preserve some memories~
Buttons have always been a great treasure to collect for me.
Many old dresses,blouses, hold such dear memories of mama, granny, things they wore,and you remember when you got a warm hug.
Nothing like a "hug" from mama or granny~
The old hunp back trunk holding Vintage linens, a place that holds "memories".
An old crochet piece is a prefect thing to sew treasured buttons onto.
These precious old buttons will not go into the button jar,
Delicate old buttons they do not make anymore..an old brown button from mama's coat
a vintage brooch,a tiny dolly, treasures of the past. we are the keeper of the past, we need to preserve every memory~
Another day for Preserving The Memories~ These old leather boots.watch to see what these old boots become.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Vintage Trims~

Vintage makes my heart flutter, out of style gowns and dresses of my hubbys granny, she was a member of Eastern Star for over 50 years, they wore long gowns with lots of fancy trims, while going through grannys closet, I found many items that were out of date/style, But still had some gorgeous recycleable trims. I cut the actual cuffs off the gown, beautiful old pearl ball buttons adorn the cuffs
An example of the cuffs

These cuffs will be pretty as a cuff bracelet.
The rolled rose is off the shoulder of the gown, will be used on another project I have in mind.
Love the ball pearls, the cuff just need a liitle sewing at the cut edge, and will be so pretty, the pearl buttons have a sweet loop closure.
A treasure from grannys closet..her Vintage Mink Coat/cape.
Grannys Doll..

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Farmhouse White Bread

Looking out my kitchen window, watching a baby doe and her mama, licking on a salt block LaMarr nailed to a old post,the day is cold and wet from all the rain we have had this year. The kitchen warm and cozy, the aroma of fresh bread baking,
Crusty farmhouse white bread ,crusty on the outside, warm an soft inside..
Warm honey butter lavished on hot bread
Recipe Farmhouse White Bread
Ingredients
1-pack dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1- tablespoon sugar
1 2/3- cups warm water (100° to 110°)
2- tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
4 3/4- cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2- teaspoons salt
pinch of baking soda
pinch of baking powder
Cooking spray
Preparation Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl
let stand 5 minutes.
Stir in butter.
Spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
Add 4 1/4 cups flour -baking powder, baking soda and salt to yeast mixture;
stir until blended.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour,
little at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray,

turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts,
1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; let rest 5 minutes.
Place dough, in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until loaf is browned


NOTE~Leftover bread ..If there is any left) will be made into Bread pudding

Thursday, January 17, 2013

My quiet place,my sewing room,

My quiet place,my sewing room, I just love to sit in my rocking chair and fold fabrics sort sewing materials, at times. Peaceful and rewarding room, a place to let the mind rest. What is it about "Old Things" that makes the heart flutter? And era gone by, pieces of the heart stored away, Our grandmothers and mothers beleived in saving for a "rainy day" as my granny said many times. Now as I sit in the floor going through a Old hump back cedar chest filled with Vintage crochet. what better way to spend a rainy day, and remember a "time long gone~ With all the recycling/upcycling.( and I am guilty of just that) all the treasures that was once stored away in old cedar chests will be gone forever,
Vintage fabrics I will someday make a treasure with,maybe smile~
I am a collector of vintage fabrics/trims/laces and buttons.
My mother and granny stored old buttons in tins,my sewing room has an array of tins filled with buttons, threads still attached, as they would cut the buttons off discarded clothing, then use the old fabric to piece a quilt together, Everything was recycled, No waste
My sewing room could have been a real disaster a couple of months ago we had a bad storm, high winds, damage to our roof, Of all rooms to have damage it was my sewing room, where a section of drain pipe had been blown off the eaves. The roofers must have overlooked a section, because the rain leaked over my craft table, I did not notice the leak for a few days, being my sewing room is not a room I venture into every day. When I became aware of the leak, it had damaged the ceiling, and all the items on my work table.
LaMarr decided to cut a section from the ceiling, create a cedar wood section to hold a retractable light for better lighting for my crafting. While he was repairing the ceiling , he ask if I would like to have a wood floor. instead of the carpet. I had always had a problem with a chair in this area, Now I do not have to worry about wear and tear on the carpet. And I hate those "ugly" plastic covers for floor protection under chairs.
I have to pause now. It's snowing and I would like to take a walk and taste the snowflakes..smile~

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Mason Jar Lid Pin Cushion~

In the works a mason jar with the pin cushion on top of the jar, using the jar to hold threads,and sewing needs
.
I created this pin cushion using a mason jar lid. Fairly simple to create. The baby shoes did not fit any of my dolls.. and I thought I do not want to add them to a drawer hidden away. The ideal of a baby shoe pin cushion came to mind~
Pin cushion using a mason jar lid.
I glued the mason jar lid and ring together,
using a cotton stuffing I made a ball,
covered the ball of stuffing with a plain muslin cotton fabric,
to give the pin cushion some weight...
I added kitty litter to a baggie.
(using a rubber band to secure)..
I hot glued the baggie to inside of the mason jar lid,
hot glue the cotton ball to the mason jar lid, securing all the edges of the fabric covered ball to the mason ring,
You now have a pin cushin to cover, starting at the bottom,
cover the ring and lid with a batting,
sewing and securing the batting in place,
covering the whole lid,ring and ball of cotton,
I added crochet pieces to my pin cushion, sewing extra snippets to the pin cushion
Sweet little baby shoe, recycled into a vintage pin cushion, while on one of my resale/junkin trips, I found a pair of tiny cotton cloth baby shoes, At the time I was thinking, maybe the shoes would fit one of my dolls. I sat the shoes in my sewing room, by chance next to a vintage pin cushion I had made
I added filler to the botton for stability,
added vintage trims,silk roses, vintage doilies.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Jelly Roll Quilt

Dragged out the crate with my Jelly Roll Quilt pieces...need to get this set together to quilt in the cold months ahead,
Jellyroll Quilt, time to work on it a bit, I had sat it back to work on another project, Time to It is overcast today,spent time in my sewing room,
coordinating my fabrics,setting together a
apple jelly roll quilt,I would like to have
the jellyroll quilt top finished,
Wintertime I will have the quilt on the old
pull down quilt frame, quilting was taught
to me by my mother and grandmother,
I can remeember my granny (Iva Marie,
with a basket of colored threads,
a bar of soap,with needles sticking in the soap bar.
She said... ("the soap made the needles sharp") smile~.
She had an old apron that held her old fashion needle threader,
her glasses,and butterscotch candies, we sat
for hours quilting,not a word was said.
Back to my quilt,(memories,they sure can
bring back the good times) a fabric here,
an old wooden bobbin case granny carried
all her life.I will treasure grannys things forever.
The fabrics I choose for theAutumn Apple Jelly Roll Quilt was a fun project, I love to go the the fabric store,
choosing the fabrics sometimes can be the most fun,
then as you piece the quilt it takes on a life of its own..


Coordinating Apple Fabrics .