Summer Splendor and Attic Treasure

Hello, my blogging buddies! How is June treating you so far? With the cool weather we've been having here in western Pennsylvania the past week, you would never know that summer is only two weeks away! I don't remember a June ever starting off this way... But, I've been attempting to hurry summer along--with some summery stitching, at least!

A while back, my generous friend Kathy, over at "Kathy's Sit and Stitch" blog offered to send me the adorable LHN Summer Splendor chart after she had finished it. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed stitching a piece this much. Every little motif is just so summery--the chirping birds, the tiny cottage with its white picket fence, the luscious-looking strawberry patch. And how about the weeping willow tree--doesn't it looks like the perfect place under which to sit and delve into an intriguing new book? This will be my very first addition to my June bowl of smalls with the theme of...drum-roll please--strawberries!!



"Summer Splendor" is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen with the suggested overdyed threads. I kept the finish quite simple due to all the little motifs and just applied thin strips of white lace and attached some square shell buttons in each corner. The little pillow is backed with the floral fabric shown in the background.


In keeping with the spirit of giving and generosity that is so common in our stitching community, I want to offer this "Summer Splendor" design to a fellow blogger. Please leave a note specifically stating that you are interested in the drawing for this chart in your comments. The only requirements are:

1. Please have an active blog
2. Please agree to stitch it promptly
3. Please pass it along to a fellow
stitcher via a drawing on your blog
4. Please post your finish and the history of
where the chart has traveled (with a link to the post of each stitcher's finish) like this:

1. Kathy at "Kathy's Sit and Stitch"
2. Carol at "Stitching Dreams"

My other finish is a little pillow sent as a RAK to my friend, Brenda. This freebie from 123 Citrouille is available by clicking here. I stitched this one over one on 28 ct. cream evenweave with overdyed threads so it is quite small. Instead of ric-rac, I stitched a little zig-zag between the fabric and the design with a bit of the brown thread used in the basket. I've never tried that before, but like the look of it. I included a Chessie & Me chart and a pretty skein of patriotic floss along with the pillow and Brenda seems very happy with her surprise...


Kindness begets kindness and my sweet friend, Elia, sent me this beautiful heart all the way from Spain. Elia won one of my giveaways last month and we have become friends despite the ocean that separates us! I just love the design (from Blackbird Designs "For My Friend" booklet) and she also included a sweet scissor fob with the word "Amor" on it. And look at the miniature scissor charm she tied on to the ribbon--adorable! ¡Me encantan tus regalos, Elia, mi amiga! Muchisimas gracias por ellos y por tu amistad preciosa! (I love your gifts, Elia, my friend. Many thanks for them and for your precious friendship). If you aren't familiar with Elia's blog--please stop by and say "hola"...


Most of my regular readers know that my childhood home has been sold and my siblings, husband, middle son, and I headed up to New York a few weeks ago to clean out the attic and basement (most of the living space had been tackled over previous months)...It was probably the hottest weekend of the year so far--closing in on 90 degrees! And, yes, I ended up on attic duty. Now this is a huge attic on top of a five-bedroom 1906 era house. They sure don't build them like that anymore! What a workout; I must have made 100 trips up and down two flights of stairs throughout the day. I have never felt sweat pouring down my face like that in my life. But, the attic is now emptied, as is the basement, and things are set up in my parents' barn for an estate sale next weekend.

I wanted to share some of the goodies that came home with me from that cleaning weekend. I chose the sentimental things--nothing of much value except for the memories they invoke. I asked my mom if I could take Grandma's vintage Singer sewing machine--and she said yes! I just love the pretty Bentwood dome case it came in, complete with its own little key to open it up. The cord is pretty frayed so I'm afraid to try it out...perhaps I should get a new cord made. Does anyone have any experience with cleaning and refurbishing these old machines?

Grandma's old Singer

Vintage Singer "Model 99" sewing machine from 1929!

Look at the engraving on the silver endpiece!
They sure don't make them like that any longer.

We aren't sure where this old print came from--it may have belonged to my great-uncle. Anyway, I thought the chubby babies crying for world peace were so charming. I did a bit of research on this old drawing and found it was from the talented hands of Charles H. Twelvetrees (1888-1948). He was famous in the early 20th century for his drawings and postcards of chubby cheeked children. This particular work is dated 1915...

Charles Twelvetrees print circa 1915
Unfortunately, the peace that these babies
cried for almost a century ago still eludes us...

These four glass bottles were found in a cupboard in the basement so I brought them home to add to my collection. The smaller two on the left were filled with alcohol--a long-forgotten Christmas gift from days gone by. They are shaped like a pear and a strawberry--so cute! (No, I didn't drink the questionable looking alcohol--down the sink it went!). They'll be perfect for displaying summer blooms in the coming months...

Pretty glass bottles

OK--this poor Santa is "slightly" ragged looking--even a bit scary. He definitely looks like he's seen better days, but, oh, does he bring back memories. As grown-ups, my brother and I would always get into playful arguments about who he actually belonged to. When I discovered Santa in an box of old Christmas decorations, I gleefully announced to my brother: "Ha ha--he's mine now!!" He laughed good-naturedly and Santa was carefully placed in my car to travel to his new home in Pennsylvania.

A much-loved Santa

Earlier this year, my mom had passed on some of my grandmother's sewing things to me since I am the only stitcher in the family. When I first told her what us stitchers use flower frogs for (displaying our collection of scissors for you non-stitching readers!), she was a bit horrified, but after realizing that it would actually be used and not just end up sitting in a cupboard collecting dust, she relented and gave me the most beautiful amber-colored glass flower frog. I think it is one of the prettiest I've seen!

Grandma's amber flower frog

...and filled with scissors.
I'm not a scissor collector like many
of you, but I've received a few fobs and
pretty scissors from stitching friends.

When mom asked if I would like Grandma's sewing basket and thimble, I was especially touched. I can still remember the basket sitting in Grandma's home. She was an expert seamstress who could whip up a dress in no time. But, her expertise was in smocking. What I wouldn't give to have one of those precious smocked dresses she made for me when I was a child...When I was a little girl, I always thought this was a Native American basket, but it turns out to be Chinese-made. The little brass decorations on the top have Chinese characters on them along with some pretty glass beads. I'll bet some of you own similar sewing baskets, don't you?

Grandma's double-decker sewing basket

...filled with a rainbow of threads!

My dear grandmother's gold thimble etched with grapevines.
Isn't it beautiful? On the back are her initials.

So, that's it for my "treasures." Oh, but wait just a second--hold on! I do have one final thing to show you... Tucked over in a corner of the nearly emptied attic, way back under the eaves, I spotted a nondescript-looking cardboard box. Scribbled in black marker on the side of the box, I saw the word "BONE." I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be nice if some pretty bone china was inside?"

"But, look, Carol," said my cousin who was there helping, "on the other side of the masking tape is an "S." B-O-N-E-S? Bones? What on earth could be in this box???? Holding my breath, I very carefully removed the tape, pulled back the lid, and lifted a layer of newspaper. What should be staring back at me but...

this

friendly

looking

fellow.

Are you ready?

(Don't peak if you are easily scared...)

BOO!

A skeleton in the attic!

Yes, a grinning skull with an entire box full of bones. It was a full skeleton! Now, you've all heard of the expression "Skeletons in your closet," haven't you? How about skeletons in your attic? Yikes!! In all the time I had played in that attic on rainy days and the hours my sons had spent there while visiting their grandparents, not one of us had ever come across this box. Why was it there, you ask? Well, my dad was a doctor--a surgeon, in fact, and the skeleton was something he had used in medical school when studying anatomy. The yellowed 1950s-era newspaper it was wrapped in was from Buffalo, NY where he was studying to be a doctor. So, what do you do with a full skeleton? Why, you send it home with your little brother who is also a doctor! I wonder if he'll put it together and display it in his office? He was delighted with the find and he so enjoyed tormenting me by waving the skeleton's foot in my face. Some things never change... It was certainly "the find" of the weekend!

I want to welcome my new followers--so glad to have you here! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments--I truly look forward to hearing from each of you. If you ask me a question and want a response, though, please make sure you include your email address. If you post anonymously I have no way to answer you--and I really do try to get back to each of you when at all possible. There are still so many of you who have "no-reply comment" issues. Please, please check your profile and make sure you don't fall in this category. You can learn how to change your settings in this previous post which you can read by clicking here.

I hope you enjoyed your visit today--may your day brings many smiles and laughs along the way. Don't forget to let me know in your comments if you would like to be included in the drawing for "Summer Splendor!" Bye for now...