Red Cross Stitch Project Completed! Pearls and Lace Thursday #143

  It is finally finished!!
(see Wilma??)

I worked and worked and it's finally done.  As soon as I clipped the last thread, I took it to the ironing board and ironed it flat.  And then the fun began!

As a lover of vintage sewing items, I have a lot of things in my craft space that I can choose from.  But some of my very favorites are trims and buttons (as you know if you've seen much of my blog!).  

I got things off the shelves, pulled items out of drawers, took my sewing boxes off the desk, and this is what I used.  The different shades of reds just make me happy.  I love red.  Of course I love most colors!

(don't ask me about aqua though...)

The sampler is known as the Beaumont, and I ordered the chart a few years ago and started it.  I know, it takes me while to finish things!

Just because I was confused about why samplers from this era didn't have certain letters in their alphabets, I will mention this:  The letters I, and W were left out many times because of the redundancy of the stitches...

in other words, the J could be copied to be an I, and the V used to make a W.  

Above, the original chart has other initials.  My husband thought it would be neat to have my own initials as the maker of this one.  I humored him...and added the G for him to the chart as well!

The initials tape is French laundry tape used to identify clothing sent to the laundries.

Just gorgeous!

And because of the red theme, I had to add my lovely trims still in their own original packaging!

I hope you enjoyed seeing my reds.  

I am delighted to be finished with this sampler and will be getting it framed soon.

And before I get going with the party, I'd like to say a huge welcome to my newest followers!!!

I'm always so excited to make new friends!

As of today, we are in the middle of a cold spell (as most of you are).  We got down to 29 last night!!

But, the chimney sweep is coming any minute now and we will have a nice fire in the fireplace in a matter of a few hours.  I always love the smell of a wood fire, and am looking forward to the first fire of the season.  

So, it's time for the party!  Feel free to add your lovely post to the link below.  Just add the url code from your post to the link and go by and visit the others!  I will be hopping over to visit each of you!

Lots of hugs to you!

Blessings,

Doni

Pearls and Lace #142 Blue Toile Pearls and Lace

Well, I did something that I thought I would never be able to do.  And it worked.  So far.

I updated my Internet Explorer Version 8 to Google Chrome.

Now you think, what?  She did that NOW??

I know it's been a while since it came out and I've been kicking against making the change for a year.

But I finally had enough of it.  So here I am....a Chrome user....for the moment.
(side note: it's working so far this week and I THINK I like it!!).

At least I can place my cursor while I compose my blog post!!

So, on another note, how about some Pearls and Lace??
Warning...lots of pictures!

 There are some very lovely people out there, and I have been honored to be a giveaway winner numerous times.  Below is a gorgeous dish I won from Maureen at http://www.victorianstudio.com/
It is such a sweet dish and a lovely addition to my work space!!  Thank you so much Maureen!!

I also found this lovely cup some time last year.  I so hope to find some matching pieces!

On a side note...does anyone know where I can find the fabric I have displayed behind the pictures below?

It has a blue background with brown flowers.

These sepia photos are really interesting to me.  The one of the two ladies is just so typical of the era.  And the one below is something that I look at and study and wonder about.  I can almost think of a story that would depict the scene!  You might want to click on it to enlarge it so you can see the people.

I've played with the settings on my camera and tried a number of different ways to photograph my laces.  Some are better than others.  I tried to get some pretty closeups below, but well, let's just say, I'm still learning!

 Can you see the lace trim with the airplane on it??  I LOVE IT!!

Below is the card I made that shows all the examples of lace-making tapes and turtles (yes, turtles).  I love love love the big ones on the left!!

Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.  I am so glad it's not something I have to do to 'keep' myself all my life.  God does it, and He does it through faith.  Remember though that faith is a gift from HIM...not something we muster up in ourselves.  If you wonder about your faith, ask Him to give you faith to believe in His Son, Jesus, as the only sacrifice able to save us from our sin.  Long years ago I remember when someone told me that when Jesus died on the cross there was a reason for it.  I grew up learning about Jesus, but never realizing that He died on the cross to atone for MY sin.  And that HE ALONE is the way to heaven made me quickly respond in belief.  I am so grateful to God for giving me faith to believe!!

Thank y'all so much for your input and wisdom!!  I asked you to tell me your thoughts and you did.  With that said, I am changing the Pearls and Lace Thursday party to only be once a month, around the middle of the month.  I hope that you will join me and share your own pretties with us!  I adore blogging and sharing thing with you, and love it when you show us what you've blogged about.  Please add the url code from your post to the link below!  And please NO Halloween themes.

Blessings to you!

Doni

Wedding Lace

So, how do I get my groove back?? 

I've Pinned, I've blogged, I've played with all my goodies, but I'm still feeling grooveless.

Just not getting back into the excitement of blogging again.

I wanted to show y'all a few more pictures of this gorgeous wedding bib that I have displayed on one of my dress forms. It is probably one of the best pieces I own! And I've loved looking at it and dreaming about its history. I know for a fact that it was worn as the front piece for a wedding. The piece came in the original box and has been lovingly cared for. 



I think I have finally decided to change the way I host Pearls and Lace Thursday. I still want to blog and share some pretties with you, but I don't think I am going to be hosting the Pearls and Lace Thursday parties every week any more. I think I might just host it once a month instead. With that decision made, I will hopefully feel less like I HAVE to blog and more like I WANT to blog!! 

Would y'all please give me your honest opinions and let me know what you think?? I don't want to make an issue of it, but I think it's time I relax the pressure on myself!! 

Let me be sure and tell you all that I LOVE to share my pretties with you and I LOVE to have you come by and visit me. In fact, I have been so blessed this last year with so many lovely people visiting and following and leaving comments and sharing their posts that I have been overwhelmed! I have made some lovely friendships and hope that I have been an inspiration to each of you. I'm not quitting, just gearing down a bit. I hope that you all will be blessed! 

Lots of hugs to you! Blessings, Doni 

Pearls and Lace Thursday #141 Baby Dresses in the Morning Sun

The sun is gorgeous shining into my east window.  I have hung some dear old baby dresses over the curtains and love how the sun shines through them.  The transparant quality and lightness of the material is so pretty.  And then the tiny tucks and stitches...just so sweet!

/

This crocheted dress above was one I found with an old wedding dress tucked into a cedar chest at an estate sale last year.  It was such a prize to find!!  Now to find a sweet set of baby clothes hangars to use to display!  Always looking for something!

Would you like to join me for Pearls and Lace Thursday??  The link is below. I was so excited last week to be back blogging, and there were so many of you who joined me!  Even after a huge break!  Thank you for coming by and sharing your posts with us!!

I hope you each have a lovely COOL week!!

Blessings,

Doni



Pearls and Lace Thursday With Embroidered White Handkerchiefs

Antique White Embroidered Handkerchiefs

These little lovelies are some of my prized collection from my Grossmutter.  The various embroidered initials are delicately formed and beautiful even after many many years.  What do you think?

Now I don't really love to iron, and only hear about those of you who love doing so few and far between, but when I had my ironing board out I thought I'm going to iron up these handkerchiefs and see what they look like. I really loved doing it! and am happy with the results. They are so pretty. Are y'all ready to join me again for Pearls and Lace Thursday?

Just add the url code from your post to the link below and join me for this week's Pearls and Lace Thursday party. I am excited to be back and blogging again! And all of you who have come by over the summer to join me as followers I wish you each a huge welcome!

Blessings, Doni

Waking Up From a Summer Hibernation!

Waking up from a long hibernation!

That is from hibernating all summer!  But it's Fall now, and the weather here in Texas has FINALLY cooled down!  I'm so happy now!  And awake.  At least for now.  You see weather here can still be hot in the middle of December....yes, December.  When I was in college I remember wearing SHORTS to my finals in December, getting in the car to travel home, and hitting the cold front on the way home (to the Dallas area from the Houston area).  The temps dropped about 50 degrees, and that was the end of those shorts!

But, now that summer is over and Fall is here, it's time for me to get back to posting and hosting!

I will be hosting Pearls and Lace Thursday again starting this week!!!

Get your posts ready and I will have mine ready to post mid-week. 

I have really missed y'all!!  I still Pinned a lot this summer, and I also poked around visiting y'all's (can I do that with those apostrophes??) blogs.  You have been busy!!  AND, I have a lot of new followers!!! Welcome to all of you!!

So, I have a few pictures I'd like to share today just to get back into the swing of things.

Friends are few and far between, and I do mean FAR between, but they can feel so close sometimes.  Email and blogs and cell phones now bring those far away people close to home.  It used to be said that the world is getting smaller (meaning distance isn't what it used to be to travel or connect), and I see it getting smaller almost daily.  This year I have made some wonderful friends through blogging, and I am very thankful for all of their input and support, prayers and fun.

One special friend sent me this lovely Limoges powder jar that she and her sweet daughters picked out for me.  I was elated!  And I showed the jar on my craft room reveal post.  But I wanted to show it again and thank Beverly again for such a lovely gift.  Many thanks to you Beverly for your gift and your friendship!

Blessings, Doni

A Look At Some Lovelies

Hello to you all!!  I am so excited about the comments y'all left me about my craft room!!  Thank you each so much for taking the time to let me know what you thought!  I thoroughly enjoyed getting it ready for you!

If you are looking for the post of my craft room, I have it on the sidebar at the top of the page.  And a huge welcome to my newest followers as well!!

This week I have been engrossed in trying to put together another post using the lace making pieces of trim and braid that I love.  I'm always on the lookout and I recently came across a few more and added them to my collection and would like to share them with you.

This little pair of black embroidery scissors has been hiding from me for the last few years.  I have wanted to find them so bad so that I could use them in my blog pictures!  I had to unload the top shelf of one of the 4 closets that I have stored my hoards of items in to finally locate them.  They weren't actually lost, just hiding from me...

I think there's something so nostalgic about the packages.  Perhaps they were stored in a box or a drawer someplace for years.  Probably so because they are in great condition.  These examples were never used.

I love the texture and the aged coloring, even the bits of rust spotted here and there add to the beauty.

 

This particular example is one of the latest.  It took me 2 days to iron and lightly starch each medallion!!

I'm not usually so careful about my laces, but this braid was stretched out so much that you couldn't tell what it was!  I think it turned out beautifully!  And trying to find a way to store it was hard.  But a handy roll of crochet thread made for a perfect place to keep it crisp and pristine.

 

I have more to share, but I'll wait for another post for those pics.  I hope you love seeing these trims and braids.  I think I'm hooked.  I can never have enough!!

And oh my oh my, have y'all seen the new Victoria magazine with the linens and monograms all throughout????  I clutched it tightly, um, saw it tonight at Walmart totally by accident and it just flipped itself into my cart.  What was I to do????

I hope you are all having a lovely July.  Here in Texas we are experiencing some of the coolest, yes coolest temperatures in the last 70 years for July!!  It's been wonderful!  But back to the 100's this coming week.

Blessings,

Doni