Meet the girls! We had two extra passengers on our return trip from Cali and I am delighted to welcome them to my art room. The girl on the left still needs to be attached to the stand and adjusted, assuming the waist will crank to a MIDDLE-age dimension! The girl on the right (what a hussy!) had to be carefully packed so as to not moon anyone out the side window or send the State Patrol in hot pursuit on the way home .
She is modeling a beautiful new red cardigan sweater my MIL made and kindly gifted to me, along with "the girls". The two stands in front of them will be stored away in the attic until my dreams come true and I take on a space at an antique mall.
This beautiful Sugar Pine stands next to my MIL's deck. Some of you know we spent this past week visiting her in California's gold country - Amador County. She is preparing to downsize to a smaller property. We checked out the potential new locations and offered encouragement.
She is retired but has a large home studio filled with her current projects and the remaining inventory from her long career as proprietor of Lisa's Yarn Shop in downtown Jackson, California. If you knit or do needlework be sure to check out the destash in her Etsy shop,
MagicWithYarns.
I filled a little pot I had on hand with the very long needles that covered the ground under the Sugar Pine. I need to buy some Spanish Moss to tuck in around the edges. The closet box on the right came from her studio. Who needs California Closets when you can have an "atomic age" closet!
Warm, handmade, wool vests to keep me warm this winter.
She grows delicious oranges. These won't be ripe until January but they are already plump with promise of what is to come.
This beautiful Firethorn (Pyracantha) grows next to the front gate in her white picket fence.
Have you ever tasted a Prickly Pear?
These plants are higher than my head and the fruits are pear-sized, indeed. The fruit is dark red and delicious, once you get to it.
She gave me a shoebox filled with dozens of these little crochet pieces. They were gifted to her by a woman in her 90s who said that her mother made them. They are more than 100 years old.
We sorted and admired and concluded they were samples she made as she worked out her crochet patterns. These need to be used in a very special project. I am thinking of a fabric sampler book. Opinions, please... do you think I should wash them or leave them showing their age?
Leaving this beautiful country home is not an easy decision for her but I feel confident she is making a good choice and what her new home lacks in garden charm will be more than made up for in more time for friends and new adventures!
I did make one quick stop at an antique mall during the visit and I got a big new box of buttons just before we left plus I have nearly finished a project that has been sitting on my desk for months. Time to get back to my regularly scheduled programming!
13 comments:
Wow! Welcome to your new ladies! 'Swooning over your wonderful gift of crocheted pieces! And,get this, I used to have stuff in a craft coop in Jackson! My aunt and uncle used to live in Valley Springs so I would go visit them once/a month and stock my booth. (It was short-lived though -- the lady closed and left many of us hanging but at least I got my stuff back!) This would have been ca. 1992-93ish. I do love that little town, but haven't been in a long, long time. Memories!
Wow, what a load of goodies you brought home. I'm in love with those crocheted beauties and think I might just be leaving them alone. Your girls are so much fun and I'm happy to hear they covered up on the drive home...they don't need to be causing any accidents. Jackson is always a fun town to explore.
Look at all your goodies!! Those doilies and crocheted samplers are stunning!! I think making a book would be such a great idea! Even framing them, would be pretty! I like showing the age on them, so I wouldn't wash these. Can't wait to see what you do!! xo Heather
the crochet pieces are so wonderful--and I, too, vote to leave them as is. They are so, so special!
That Pyracantha is breathtaking. Yes, it will be hard to leave her country home, but a new adventure in life will be so stimulating and full of new possibilities for your MIL. Best wishes to her.
I'm so glad you're back! I was really hoping you would come home with goodies to share with us, but I never imagined they would be so fun and lovely! I hope you MIL transitions easily to her new home.
I vote for leaving the crochet pieces as is. They've earned their antiqueness!
What about a doily garland like i made a few years back? The doilies are not damaged at all as you simply tat in place..
Hard to leave a beloved long term home no matter how nice the new destination..
Lovely post Kathy. I too would leave them. I recently picked up some lovely old lace which was a very dark yellow. I soaked and cleaned and it came out white - which I liked less. You know what they say on the Antique Road Show - don't mess with the patina! LOL
Driving in the carpool lane with those extra passengers! Glad it was a productive visit. Love the tour of the yard...always amazes me how different climates have such a different range of plants and blooming times. I just feel soggy and wet and mushy here with fall.
Can you just imagine how wonderful it would be to have that kind of great stuff in the yard...Yum. I just saw a crochet project where the placed them in a frame and backed them with velvet. It was beautiful...best to you...smiles..Renee
Feeling a tiny bit homesick reading about the gold country... :-) and I love your two lifesize 'souvenirs'! As far as the crochet pieces go, I vote to leave them as they are. Seems like their patina is part of their long history. xo
First - I want to say I so hope your dream comes true and you can get a space at the antique shop! And I hope it is sooner rather than later.
I vote to keep the doilies as is - they are absolutely beautiful!
Sounds like a great trip in many ways, and with fabulous souvenirs! Unless there was something really terrible going on with the doilies, I probably wouldn't wash them either.
Nice that you got a good visit with your MIL. Sweet of her to gift you so many treasures. I would leave the samples as is...show their age. When I lived in Alabama we used those long pine needles as garden mulch!
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