tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119917632012-01-16T13:22:13.894-05:00Musings on art, the hunt for vintage treasures, crafting with those treasures, business in general, and life in the country with garden pics and recipes, too. Welcome to my life!janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.comBlogger6011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-35715318004213846752012-01-03T15:10:00.000-05:002012-01-03T15:10:13.734-05:00

Wow, 2012 already. Happy New Year! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I've seriously neglected updating my blogs this past couple of months. The reason is that I've started to take on more freelance graphic design work and I'm having trouble balancing all the things I need to do in a day. Blogging, sadly, has slipped down the list. I would love to sit in my studio all day sewing and

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-78913689526171030382011-11-16T11:11:00.001-05:002011-11-16T11:13:35.265-05:00

By now, you probably all know that I love vintage buttons; I certainly write about them enough on this blog. You probably also know that I sell them on my website. That came about because I was buying so many mixed lots of buttons on Ebay. I'd see a bunch in the group that I loved and knew I could use in my work and also plenty that I knew wouldn't work. What to do with all the extras? Just

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-44827149102762779412011-11-11T12:57:00.000-05:002011-11-11T12:57:47.449-05:00

Don't forget the Abington Community Library Holiday Marketplace tomorrow. I'm heading over to set up my table in a couple of hours—I love that they let us do it ahead of time—much less stressful! I'll have my whole line of products available except for pillows. They take up so much space (you'd be surprised how quickly you can fill up a 6-foot-long table) and usually don't sell well at craft

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-40516049714355733752011-11-01T12:50:00.000-04:002011-11-01T12:50:31.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I delivered a bunch of Primrose Design products to a local shop in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. And I'm happy to announce that, starting today and continuing though the months of November and December, you can purchase most of my line at The Green Leaf Organics. Shop owner Celeste Gorton had some extra space to fill so invited a few local vendors to display their wares for the

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-19454320841782251122011-10-31T07:57:00.000-04:002011-10-31T07:57:36.676-04:00

...walking in a winter (um, Halloween?) wonderland... I never thought I'd be posting that I shoveled snow the day before Halloween but this is what my house looked like on Sunday morning. About 7 inches when all was said and done. It did warm up later and most of it melted, but it's freezing cold this morning and very icy in places. I hope this isn't a sign of the kind of winter we're going to

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-6599914704740157932011-10-11T12:04:00.000-04:002011-10-11T12:04:10.817-04:00

The title of this post is also the variety of morning glory this is. The color is really a bit deeper and prettier—hard to capture digitally. And it only appears for one day; on the second they turn purple (see that shriveled up flower at the top left of the picture). I planted these in June and they're just starting to come into full flower now. In October, and after we've had frost two

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-34481045939209458842011-10-08T13:31:00.000-04:002011-10-08T13:31:25.580-04:00

Don't you just love this fabric? I spotted it on eBay and thought it would be perfect for the pot holders I seem to be making a lot of these days. The color palate is pretty simple—just yellow, white, red, and green on black—but it has a surprising variety of vegetables. Yellow squash, tomatoes, green peppers, corn, radishes, beets, peas, and even artichokes. That's a vegetable you don't see

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-4178793240565741262011-09-27T10:47:00.000-04:002011-09-27T10:47:03.355-04:00

There's a scene at the end of the pilot episode of the new ABC show Pan Am with a little girl watching the stewardesses walking down the runway and boarding the plane. One turns back and catches the little girl's eye and makes her smile. I was that little girl. The thought of being an airline stewardess (and no, they were not called flight attendants back then) seemed exciting and romantic, a way

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-54760903921644510282011-09-23T15:09:00.002-04:002011-09-23T15:20:19.954-04:00

You might ask where I've been all this time, but I've just discovered treasuries on Etsy. I mean, I knew what they were and I've looked at some and even been featured on a few. But I never made one myself. It's incredibly addicting! In case you don't know how it works, you curate a collection of Etsy items based on a theme of your choosing (the one shown above was the color apple green),

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-24749604127751462672011-09-17T08:45:00.000-04:002011-09-17T08:45:47.264-04:00

You know it's fall when your thoughts turn to soup when planning dinner. It's been very cold here—38 degrees yesterday morning—so soup sounded like the perfect thing to warm us up. One of my favorite go-to soups is this white bean one from The Silver Palate Cookbook. It involves some chopping of ingredients but isn't too time-consuming if you substitute canned beans for the dried. I'm usually

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-56750882607524291182011-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:002011-09-14T08:00:06.646-04:00

Although I haven't had very good luck this summer with flea markets, I am still finding great stuff on Ebay and in local shops. Like this cute little table/shelf—not sure what to call it—that I found for $28 at an antique store in Milford, Pennsylvania. It has shelves but it also has handles on top like a bed tray. It came with a simple coat of white and I'm using the leftover paint from my

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-76885294027398513482011-09-10T09:17:00.001-04:002011-09-10T09:27:55.034-04:00

Who doesn't love puppies, or any small animals for that matter? I especially love the cute embroidered kind that you find on vintage linens. Actually, all of these began as stamped-for-embroidery projects. I'm happy to create pillows from already embroidered linens but it's so much easier to be able to chose thread colors to coordinate with fabrics you love! I've used primary colors for the

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-73945296322891885642011-08-09T14:26:00.000-04:002011-08-09T14:26:22.928-04:00

I'm loving these new fabric-covered buttons from Blumenthal Lansing. They're called Fabric Sensations and are new at Joann Fabrics. Very large in size, like a coat button—the black and gray are 38mm or 1-1/2" and the floral are 34mm or 1-3/8". I bought out these two styles, although I have no idea how I'm going to use them yet. Since when did that ever stop me? They're a bit expensive at

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-65247982554143845762011-08-08T08:26:00.000-04:002011-08-08T08:26:15.054-04:00

You're probably wondering why I haven't reported back about my flea market trip last month. It's because the day was a huge disappointment and I hate even thinking about it. I budgeted a certain amount for the trip and barely spent any of it. Maybe it's because this textile-linen-button theme market always falls over the July 4th weekend. There were very few vendors (really, who wants to sit all

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-78298232847366740052011-07-14T09:26:00.000-04:002011-07-14T09:26:42.187-04:00

...against the woodchucks who've taken up residence in my yard. First they ate the last picking of peas, then they munched the tops of my baby lettuces, and now they've moved on to the beans. At least with those, they're eating the leaves and not the beans themselves. I almost wish they'd eat some of the cucumbers. I picked about 4 dozen of them last night. I've been making my mom's cucumber

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-81084965665751833252011-07-01T11:59:00.006-04:002011-07-01T11:59:00.667-04:00

This holiday weekend, take 20% off your order total with discount code SUNFLOWER. Sale starts on Friday at noon and ends Monday at midnight. The shop is fully stocked with great handmade goodies and lots of vintage, too. So, get shopping! On Saturday I'll be at the Shupps Grove textiles-linens-buttons theme flea market so all orders will ship on Tuesday, July 5. If I find lots of great stuff,

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-7758520472834204502011-07-01T08:28:00.001-04:002011-07-01T08:30:09.683-04:00

My sister-in-law, when she first saw these, said they looked like little cakes. Just don't try to eat them! They're so fun to make, although not quite as easy as they look. Not only do you have to find good color combinations but the buttons themselves need to stack together well. They are glued but it helps if they stack easily without wobbling first. And it helps to have a tool to clip the

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-68654791315229562842011-06-27T22:29:00.000-04:002011-06-27T22:29:21.420-04:00

You'd think, with all the products I got ready for the local shop opening, I'd be able to take some time off this week. I really intended to try. But already I can see it's not going to happen. I spent most of yesterday weeding the vegetable garden - amazing what a week of rain can do - and picked the last of the strawberries. Today I did laundry and mowed the lawn. And worked on the sachet

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-70535726333833327342011-06-22T08:24:00.002-04:002011-07-01T08:31:33.602-04:00

I've been so busy with this co-op shop that I'm joining hence the lack of blogging lately. I met the owner at the craft show I did at Keystone College in April and she asked me to join. And she found a space and got it all together (well, almost ... we're still getting set up). I'll be selling almost my full line of products and some vintage things, too. The grand opening is this coming Saturday

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-4689103216631695782011-05-26T13:58:00.000-04:002011-05-26T13:58:56.888-04:00

Wow, first let me apologize for being away so long. I was just getting back into the groove of posting every few days, too. And then I got busy and, well, you know how it is. There's been so much to do outdoors to get ready for summer. I've been washing the floor tiles of my screened porch today—a hot job because it's more than 80 degrees and very humid. Not fun! I've also been in talks with the

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-2671971646904473632011-05-04T10:08:00.000-04:002011-05-04T10:08:47.359-04:00

I mowed our lawn for the first time on Sunday—a fitting way to spend the first day of May. It seems early but the grass was so thick in places that I had trouble getting the mower over it. And we've started some work in the vegetable garden, although only the cool weather veggies have been planted so far. Although it's been unusually warm this year, this is northeastern Pennsylvania and putting

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-51310442927148908212011-04-25T10:06:00.000-04:002011-04-25T10:06:14.940-04:00

Just a little heads up that I'm in the process of switching web hosts today so my website might be a little wonky, or not visible to some people for a few hours. I'm doing this to save about $200 annually—definitely worth a few hassles! But I do apologize if you're experiencing any problems during the switch.

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-90873552645570859642011-04-21T09:35:00.000-04:002011-04-21T09:35:30.985-04:00

Yesterday I was a vendor at Keystone College's first Green Vendor Fair, part of their Earth Week activities. I was an art student at Keystone many years ago (when it was still a two-year school) and it was great to be back on campus and reminisce about the time I spent there. Great small school and art program, lots of personal attention; my friends and I still talk about how our years there

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-87818203982640041612011-04-14T09:16:00.001-04:002011-04-21T09:42:24.162-04:00

I realize this isn't the best photo. It was starting to get dark and he'd just knocked over our bird feeders. We were more concerned with getting him out of our yard than taking a picture. Right when I snapped this he was on the move—over the wall and across the road. Apparently he doubled back because our neighbors (behind us and up the hill) called a short while later and told us he was after

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-6347699138377739702011-04-06T12:21:00.000-04:002011-04-06T12:21:45.847-04:00

I've been searching forever (OK, at least a year) for a small bookcase that's 16-18 inches wide that I can use upstairs, either next to the bed or in the hallway outside the bedroom. Yes, we have too many books and our downstairs shelves are overflowing. It really holds quite a lot for being so small! Surprisingly hard to find. But I did last Saturday at the antique mall. It's very simple,

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-76308424568719892932011-03-31T08:53:00.000-04:002011-03-31T08:53:31.131-04:00

Mark your calendars for April 20th. I'll be a vendor at Keystone College's Green Sustainable Local Vendor Fair taking place at the Hibbard Campus Center from 11am to 3 pm. Lots of great vendors including Green Being, The Green Leaf Organics, and The Fanciful Fox. And music by local band Rogue Chimp from 12-2pm. I won't be selling my whole line, just things made from vintage fabric and recycled

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-23161627329549370462011-03-28T10:05:00.001-04:002011-03-28T10:07:48.834-04:00

Each time I go treasure hunting, there seems to be a theme for the day based on the kinds of things I find. Sometimes I find lots of vintage handkerchiefs, and call it a hanky day. Other times it's a button day. Saturday was a fabric day and, I must say, it's about time I had one of those. I've used up so many of my vintage fabrics this winter making products for Primrose, and I'm kind of sick

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-53522519203747144382011-03-27T11:50:00.000-04:002011-03-27T11:50:34.718-04:00

I spent yesterday treasure hunting in Quakertown, Pennsylvania and it was a whirlwind trip because I went to four different antique malls and shops. Exhausting but I figured, since I'd driven an hour and a half, I might as well do as much as I could while there. I found some great stuff but I'm still processing everything (logging in prices and info for future reference, soaking and washing

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-70105131664553171502011-03-26T07:47:00.000-04:002011-03-26T07:47:06.406-04:00

I knew someone in college who had no sense of smell (the condition is called anosmia), and hence no sense of taste either, since the two are intertwined. I can't imagine what that must be like. Some of our best memories are often tied up with scents (and tastes). I can't tell you how many times I've smelled something and it took me right back to my childhood. Maybe it was a whiff of perfume and

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-74606542244456272682011-03-23T09:16:00.000-04:002011-03-23T09:16:18.447-04:00

Um, wasn't it the first day of spring on Sunday? Shouldn't I be showing photos of daffodils? I would if they weren't buried under six inches of white. Make that 8 to 10 inches by later today. Welcome to spring in northeastern Pennsylvania - always full of surprises :)

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-70943205296374408762011-03-22T07:21:00.000-04:002011-03-22T07:21:07.345-04:00

Nikki Hung, events coordinator for BUST magazine's Craftacular and Food Fair, taking place this year in SoHo, NYC on May 21st, asked me to spread the word that they're looking for craft vendors and are accepting applications until April 15. You can find more info here. And, I'm sure they want attendees for the event, too, so mark your calendars. There will be 100+ unique craft vendors and food

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-82148104527651052682011-03-21T09:33:00.001-04:002011-03-21T09:53:11.539-04:00

When I heard that Pantone's choice for color of the year was Honeysuckle, I immediately thought of the honeysuckle vine that climbed the lattice of my grandmother's porch. And was expecting a pretty yellow, not the dark pink that they chose to represent the color. That's the problem, I guess, with naming something after a flower that has 180 species (and presumably 180 different colors). I

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-8196265528199580352011-02-11T09:49:00.001-05:002011-02-11T09:49:52.519-05:00

Since I'm doing a giveaway to celebrate the holiday (see previous post—it's not too late), I might as well have a sale, too! The art I used for this is taken from a vintage valentine's card from the 1930s; you can see it here. I removed the hand-lettered type from underneath to make space for my own text. Interesting that peddling is not the correct spelling for the context of the card; it

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-73335622321575482102011-02-10T10:50:00.001-05:002011-02-11T17:17:30.768-05:00

***The giveaway is now closed to comments—and the winner is Mom Wald's Place! Thanks everyone for commenting and participating.*** It's been forever since I've sponsored a giveaway and Valentine's Day seems an appropriate time to have one, especially if it's for one of my heart-shaped sachets! Vintage pink cotton with vintage white eyelet layered over the top and a row of tiny pink buttons.

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-35745905257203489662011-01-28T12:46:00.000-05:002011-01-28T12:46:05.629-05:00

I never ate macaroni and cheese when I was growing up. My father didn't like it so my mother never made it. So, I don't have any history with cooking it. Like some of those things you learned to make when you were young and you don't need a recipe anymore. I could make pizza dough or my sponge cake (for strawberry shortcake) in my sleep :) I found a recipe for Horn and Hardart's famous macaroni

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-53101316879087705512011-01-14T13:50:00.000-05:002011-01-14T13:50:48.988-05:00

or, why water and laptops don't mix. Two days into the new year and I'm working on the coffee table because it's cold upstairs in my studio. My cats get into a fight and my glass of water went flying. I thought I'd grabbed my laptop in time but some water must have gotten into the vents. First the shift keys stopped working, then the power button. I dropped the computer off at the local Macintosh

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-39078741306827305182010-12-30T11:30:00.000-05:002010-12-30T11:30:19.454-05:00

I don't know where this holiday season went - or this entire year for that matter - I just know that it happened much too quickly. We spent a quiet Christmas at home, much needed after the last minute rush of orders and post office runs, gift wrapping, tree decorating, and cookie baking. We're going out to dinner with friends tonight with drinks and gift exchange at our house beforehand. A nice

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-39672876235744383082010-12-13T12:07:00.000-05:002010-12-13T12:07:27.724-05:00

This will be my last gift idea post since my cutoff date for holiday shipping is Wednesday. That's not to say that, if you order later and I ship Priority, that it won't get there in time for Christmas. But, I've had two packages arrive this past week and both took exactly five days, and that was with Priority shipping. So, I think they're running a bit slow this year. I have some great vintage

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-57140501144629933272010-12-09T12:49:00.000-05:002010-12-09T12:49:53.333-05:00

I have several vintage purses and bags in the Accessories section of my website that might be the perfect thing for the vintage-loving fashionista or collector of vintage accessories on your shopping list. The first two are black with multicolored faux needlepoint and gold-toned metal hardware. Black Tapestry Purse, $9 Faux Needlepoint Purse, $18 The second two feature beading. The white on

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-15915887069996249412010-12-07T19:04:00.000-05:002010-12-07T19:04:28.746-05:00

For the student on your list, how about a pretty notebook cover? These come with a marbled composition notebook tucked inside, and when they fill that up with class notes, they can slip out the old book and add a new one. It ties closed so they can fill it with loose papers and notes and it will all stay together. Covered Notebook, $20 A key fob always comes in handy and these make great

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-1184091679950132242010-12-05T10:07:00.000-05:002010-12-05T10:07:10.362-05:00

My website has gotten so big that many people don't know that I sell all sorts of vintage things in addition to my handcrafted items. One of those items are vintage pattern books for knitting and crochet. There are books for beginning knitters, and books with patterns that are advanced enough for experienced knitters. Everything from sweaters for babies to socks and mittens for adults. Vintage

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-49693652946881208732010-12-03T10:27:00.000-05:002010-12-03T10:27:44.062-05:00

I thought I'd do a few posts with gift ideas from my shop, and while I was thinking of ideas, realized that I have an awful lot of things for people who like to cook. Maybe it's because I do, too! I'm making stock today from the leftover turkey we had a few days ago (we went to a friend's house for Thanksgiving but made our own turkey afterward) and making decisions about which Christmas cookies

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-25941170831549674612010-11-29T17:55:00.000-05:002010-11-29T17:55:22.948-05:00

Or perhaps that should be accessories of a fabric? New this holiday in the Primrose Design shop are matching sets of accessories—all from the same fabric and made with coordinating buttons, zippers, and webbing. I made these at the request of a shop owner, but realized that it made perfect sense because customers often buy two items in the same fabric to give together as gifts. I just

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-33590930874149996162010-11-15T10:10:00.000-05:002010-11-15T10:10:39.594-05:00

The Christmas issue of Amy Powers' Inspired Ideas is out and you can view it here. There's a Primrose Design project for an embellished holiday apron on pages 144-147. Once again, I'm honored to be included among such illustrious crafters as Charlotte Lyons, Jenny B. Harris, and Mary Engelbreit! It truly is a gorgeous magazine and I was thrilled to be asked to contribute!

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-91457164398198218852010-11-08T19:50:00.001-05:002010-11-15T10:11:14.945-05:00

I know most of my blog readers aren't local but, if you are, please stop by and say hello. This event is a great opportunity to both support the library and get some of your holiday shopping done (and wrapped!). There's a bake sale and you can even listen to live jazz from 1-3. Hope to see you there.

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-13301848193938890172010-11-04T09:12:00.000-04:002010-11-04T09:12:15.323-04:00

Last Saturday we drove about 2 hours to an antique mall, one we've been to before with mixed results. As you know, hunting for vintage treasure is one part hard work and another part luck. No amount of hunting will turn up something that isn't there. But, this time, I got lucky! When I first spotted the two bags of fabric scraps I thought "1940s". I didn't even examine them that carefully—they

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-84639097294283698552010-11-01T15:29:00.000-04:002010-11-01T15:29:40.189-04:00

I absolutely love vintage children's illustration. There's something about the lack of color (or use of limited color, called two-color printing) and emphasis on beautiful black and white line work that is charming. So, I'm always picking up children's books while searching for vintage textiles. The Billy and Frisky Stories follow the adventures of Billy Rabbit and Frisky Squirrel, two animal

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-35649172919157779592010-10-29T15:13:00.000-04:002010-10-29T15:13:04.617-04:00

I actually think adults celebrating Halloween is kind of silly; at least the sudden emphasis on Halloween decorating in shelter magazines is a bit over the top. I never look forward to the October issues any more. But, that's just me. And it is a holiday so a good reason to have a sale. This sale is for the Primrose Design website only and you have to spend more than $10. I'll be away on

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-5466136787695448822010-10-27T12:50:00.003-04:002010-10-27T12:55:41.626-04:00

I don't know why I always forget to take photos at my shows—I guess I'm too busy with other things. These were taken as I was closing down and finally remembered that I hadn't taken any. Key fobs on my vintage carousel rack The show went pretty well. It was a gorgeous day and I'm surprised that more people weren't out and about. But I did make a few sales, including a pillow! And I did need to

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-23184605189018587562010-10-19T09:40:00.001-04:002010-10-22T20:06:23.362-04:00

I hope you'll join me this Saturday at a special Primrose Design trunk show at Hello Bluebird in West Reading, Pennsylvania—if you live close enough, that is. It's part of Handmade Harvest and I'll be there from 12 to 5 pm with lots of new pillows and more goodies from my entire line, including a few things that are not currently sold in the shop (key fobs and vintage button hairpins). There

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-56811613410748997502010-10-04T10:54:00.000-04:002010-10-04T10:54:48.064-04:00

I spent Friday night and most of Saturday traveling around the Phoenixville and Skippack areas of southeastern Pennsylvania. Friday night just happened to be Phoenixville's First Friday event but was also their yearly Octoberfest so all the shops were open late, the restaurants were full, the bars were hopping. Not quite my kind of scene but that's OK—it was fun. We ate dinner at a newish bistro

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-54872083883261649282010-09-16T10:57:00.000-04:002010-09-16T10:57:12.179-04:00

I'd like to direct you to a new online publication called Amy Powers' Inspired Ideas—it's truly gorgeous. You may know Amy already from her Inspire Co. blog and you'll probably recognize many, if not all, of the contributors. I didn't actually contribute a project but I did donate one of my embroidery patterns for use in Piper Wise's article about adding color to embroidery (page 26-28). And I

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-41793803939626569692010-09-11T09:45:00.000-04:002010-09-11T09:45:34.835-04:00

A few days after we said goodbye to Little Bear another cat appeared at our door. It seems that our area is a prime dumping ground for unwanted cats. It's not too far from the city and it looks more country than it actually is. And everyone knows that cats can fend for themselves in the wild, right? Even ones who've been fixed and declawed and have never hunted a day in their lives. Don't get

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-6695048977128428252010-09-07T17:22:00.001-04:002010-09-07T17:23:22.176-04:00

I had plans to do some sewing today - there's a pile of tissue cozies and mini wallets on my work table that really need to get finished. But, it seems that I never got out of the kitchen. Although our vegetable garden is winding down we're still on overload with tomatoes and beets. Really, I got sick of looking at them all piled up on the counters and table. So, the beets got roasted in the oven

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-41150520848478428792010-09-02T09:53:00.000-04:002010-09-02T09:53:59.183-04:00

Last week I delivered a new batch of products to Green Being in Scranton—a few pillows (including the cute dog pillow shown here), lots of tissue cozies, mini wallets, pot holders, and some of the new key fobs. Just in time for the new Marywood and University of Scranton students arriving to start classes. And just in time for First Friday on Friday night! First Friday art walks are held on

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-84631249626398041432010-08-20T14:03:00.000-04:002010-08-20T14:03:29.658-04:00

My computer class is finally over so I'm now able to devote all my time to sewing and restocking my website and retail accounts! I've just added six new covered notebooks to the website—lots of crazy floral combinations and my favorite polka dots. I'll add more in a couple of weeks but most of the ones I just completed are already spoken for. I'm also introducing a new product - vintage fabric

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-67663652296020906292010-08-10T09:58:00.000-04:002010-08-10T09:58:15.028-04:00

Thanks for all your kind words about Little Bear. It hasn't quite sunk in that she's gone because I still look for her, then remember that I'm not going to find her. She had a habit of taking off for periods of time - a few days sometimes - we said she'd gone walkabout. Last weekend's show went OK - not great, but I did sell some things. It was really more of a church bazaar with one tent of

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-35766026669673259732010-08-06T11:32:00.000-04:002010-08-06T11:32:18.512-04:00

I've mentioned at least once over the past year and a half that we've been feeding a stray cat. I named her Little Bear because we do have black bears here, and she looked like a miniature version of one. My husband called her Waddles because she did get kind of fat after a while. What was I going to do—let her starve? She showed up one day last spring and decided to stay. I patiently picked

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-82684487950341408272010-07-31T20:43:00.001-04:002010-07-31T21:00:58.256-04:00

I'm participating in the 18th Annual Our Lady of Snows/Church of St. Benedict Country Bazaar next weekend and I've been sewing, organizing, and tagging items like crazy. I'll drop off my things on Thursday afternoon and the show will take place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from 6 to 11pm. It's located on the grounds of St. Benedict's outside of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, in case

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-59722699301711431602010-07-20T17:13:00.000-04:002010-07-20T17:13:09.443-04:00

L is for Lawn, the fabric that's used for my favorite vintage handkerchiefs. The name is derived from "Laon", the city in France known for it's production of lawn, and it's a lightweight, sheer, and slightly crisp cotton that is usually white but can also be dyed or printed. It was used a lot for blouses, dresses, nightgowns, children's clothing, and handkerchiefs.  I particularly like the

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-16653238744495844802010-07-12T08:44:00.000-04:002010-07-12T08:44:51.525-04:00

Last but not least are vintage buttons! I wasn't necessarily looking for buttons on this trip because I have so many already but I couldn't turn down a bargain. And many of these are the 7/8" and 1" sizes that I use for tissue cozies. I don't know why that size is so hard to find or maybe it's just that I use so many :) I love this Ultra Kraft pierced flower design! And these Lansing double

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-5885484778115143622010-07-11T09:15:00.000-04:002010-07-11T09:15:54.099-04:00

Today I have a bunch of quilt-related things. I found a bag of these diamond-shaped quilt blocks and I'm not sure how I'll use them—as they were intended or for the fabric. I love the center bottom one and wish I had yards and yards of it! I also found a bag of larger square blocks (about 4 inches) that were mostly three colorways of the same plaid. I think I like the red-pink-beige one best

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-6774330587762734892010-07-09T08:19:00.000-04:002010-07-09T08:19:03.157-04:00

I've been using more vintage fabric lately - some shops request only that - so one of the things on my list this past weekend was fabric. And I found some pretty ones, including a batch of already-cut quilt blocks that I'll show in another post. This burgundy floral has the appearance of feedsack but is actually yardage — almost 6 yards worth! I love the print on this. From a distance it

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-45068863695796465252010-07-08T10:37:00.000-04:002010-07-08T10:37:10.145-04:00

Still hot but I'm tired of whining about it. We're closing up the house during the day to keep the cool inside, and eating cold suppers on the porch late after the sun has gone down. It gets cool enough to sleep at night, thank god. I thought I'd start showing some of my flea market finds from last weekend - that's what you're really here for :) First up are pillowcases... This is a pair of

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-66577573137516019312010-07-06T09:45:00.000-04:002010-07-06T09:45:41.062-04:00

You know when it's so hot that the thought of eating anything makes you feel a bit nauseous? That's what it's been like here the past few days. In the 90s with not a hint of movement in the air. It's going to be like this for the rest of the week but with high humidity, too. Great (said with sarcasm). Our house does not have air-conditioning and that's usually OK. It didn't used to get this hot

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-15665109078025351792010-07-02T11:11:00.001-04:002010-07-06T09:21:51.029-04:00

I guess everyone's July 4th weekend is busy (at least those of you in the States, that is)—mine is no exception. Tomorrow is the flea market trip and we've been invited to our neighbor's barbecue/fireworks extravaganza later in the evening. On Sunday my friend Jenny is coming to visit with her little boy and I'm serving brunch. So, today I'm taking a break from sewing to clean my house and do

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-45718677391975929252010-07-01T17:41:00.000-04:002010-07-01T17:41:56.490-04:00

The other day someone asked me how I can part with my creations, that they're too pretty to sell. It happens a lot when you first start out making things. You fall in love with your own work and have trouble when it's time to send it on its way. You get over that pretty quickly, simply because you run out of space to keep it all. And the materials used to make them. Ask any quilter or sewer about

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-25876916893088095412010-06-28T11:27:00.000-04:002010-06-28T11:27:47.857-04:00

"Me and Jenny goes together like peas and carrots" —Forest Gump I've run out of linens with food themes to cut up for pot holders, so I've started embroidering my own fruit and veggie motifs. The two designs shown here are both from a vintage apron I found last summer. There was also a yellow squash on the apron but I've yet to find any fabric that goes with that :) Patterns for all

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-82906788146117552742010-06-24T13:11:00.000-04:002010-06-24T13:11:20.971-04:00

Remember that catalog mailing I mentioned? Well, I'm excited to tell you that you can now buy Primrose Design products at VIX Emporium in West Philadelphia! Located in the Cedar Park neighborhood, this shop is housed in the former 1940s J.M. Grumbine Millinery (cool original woodwork and architectural details) and features handmade items from more than 200 independent artisans and craftspeople.

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-1164303967418959932010-06-12T11:10:00.001-04:002010-06-12T11:11:24.420-04:00

My friend Melody popped in to my last post to ask what's up and if I'm OK. I am OK, just very busy. I had to see a specialist about my continuing knee problem, which is not serious but will take a long time to heal. So, I wasn't able to function very well for a week or so while resting it. Having to hang out in bed for days sounds like it might be fun but definitely isn't. You can only read so

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-70067921346786721862010-06-03T13:36:00.004-04:002010-06-03T13:39:00.278-04:00

The garden is just exploding with flowers. Everything seems to be blooming early this year and very abundantly, too. Pink peonies, which were tightly closed buds yesterday, were in full flower today (it was warm last night and that may have helped). The inside of a perennial poppy. The pollen coating the stamens is purplish-black in color—it looks like velvet. A unopened poppy with the

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-9389240994012392042010-05-27T09:59:00.000-04:002010-05-27T09:59:08.642-04:00

I'm having such a hard time lately coming up with subjects to blog about. Business in general hasn't been that great so I don't have spare cash to shop with and I haven't been doing much visiting of flea markets and yard sales as a result. I'll hopefully still have great finds to show you once the season officially starts but maybe not as much as in past years. I have been working a lot outdoors

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-73814818021204461092010-05-20T09:46:00.000-04:002010-05-20T09:46:19.453-04:00

G is for Grapes. Appliqued and embroidered ones that is. I don't collect grapes but seem to have lots of fruit-themed needlework and fabrics and I couldn't think of anything else for G! And H is for Handkerchiefs, of course. I have tons of pretty ones and I've posted several on my Flickr page (click on any of the photos shown here to get there and to access larger versions of these pictures

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-89306080176150947702010-05-17T09:37:00.000-04:002010-05-17T09:37:13.433-04:00

Please excuse my lack of blogging lately. I've been so busy with gardening and outdoor stuff (weeding...lots of weeding), cleaning my screened porch to get it ready for summer, and working, of course. The pot holders are finally listed on the website and don't worry if you fall in love with the citrus one that's already sold. I have more of all the fabrics I used so can make another set, or

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-3350060999464179652010-05-11T10:12:00.001-04:002010-05-11T10:14:26.223-04:00

I spent most of yesterday going through the plastic buttons on my website. I hate to remove buttons, even if they've been listed for a while, because someone always comes along to buy them eventually. But, I now have such a backlog of buttons that are photographed and ready to go that I really had to make space for them. So, I removed some of the ordinary ones (black, white, shirt-type) and added

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-83332695560894516362010-05-09T12:25:00.001-04:002010-05-09T12:26:26.652-04:00

Marion Crawford Lipp Moir (1931-1998) with my father and me! I think this may have been taken when I was christened in the spring of 1958 not on Mother's Day but it's a sweet photo to mark the day today. Happy Mother's Day!

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-43282196181598380822010-05-06T11:46:00.000-04:002010-05-06T11:46:01.033-04:00

I'm driving to West Reading tomorrow to deliver a carload of products to Hello Bluebird. Lots of pillows, small accessories, and the new pot holders that I've been hinting about for the past few weeks. In spite of sewing machine problems due to the thickness and issues with the materials I used, I finally got them done and am happy with the results. See for yourself... They're a great way to

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-88647139189973272892010-04-19T09:04:00.000-04:002010-04-19T09:04:28.283-04:00

Mother's Day is just around the corner, so it's time for a sale! Take 20% off your order total by entering coupon code MOM when you check out. I have several pretty pillows listed but lots of smaller items, too—the lavender sachets make particularly great gifts for Mom!

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-34546561395401817652010-04-19T08:00:00.002-04:002010-04-19T09:26:11.336-04:00

Feedsacks. I'll show you a few of my favorites but will also extend an invitation to visit the Flickr Feedsacks group that I moderate. There are currently 34 members who have posted 859 photos and there are some gorgeous ones! Join us if you like. And be sure to read my interview with Sharon Stark from Sharon's Antiques: Vintage Fabrics for some history and more info about them. Join us

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-82668824973888603002010-04-18T10:29:00.001-04:002010-04-18T12:07:28.423-04:00

My parents read to me a lot when I was a child and books were always present in our house. We belonged to book clubs at school, went to the library (or Bookmobile) every week, and you could often find me with my nose in a book most days during the summer. Some of my favorite stories, including the one I'm including here, are from a set of books my father had as a child. Called Book Trails, and

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-14602466250901620232010-04-14T09:32:00.000-04:002010-04-14T09:32:54.155-04:00

Thanks, everyone, for leaving thoughtful and supportive comments on my last post. It's nice to know that my peeps have my back :) The one thing you can say about living in a democracy is that not everyone is going to be happy with what results. You may be against health care reform. I may not be happy about my tax dollars going to fund unnecessary wars. That's the way it goes. The fact that we

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-17196066930078657322010-04-12T09:45:00.000-04:002010-04-12T09:45:28.254-04:00

In the five years I've been blogging I've noticed something. It's a tendency, when you find someone with similar interests, to identify with that writer and to believe that you have more in common than your love of crafts. Maybe you think they share the same religious beliefs, or political ones, or whatever. You only know about people what they choose to reveal so maybe that's true. But more

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-63328868505704201182010-04-07T11:52:00.001-04:002010-04-12T08:57:42.731-04:00

I'm so glad that I broke down and bought a laptop because I can sit on my porch and work—just like I'm doing now. I have a pile of embroidery projects to finish and a blog post to write, and it's a really gorgeous day—almost 80 degrees. The woods behind my house are full of the sounds of birds. It's like an orchestra and it's fun to try to identify which birds are calling. Some sites I like

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-67294289392044114942010-04-05T12:07:00.003-04:002010-04-09T11:42:01.680-04:00

Borrowed from Small Town Mom because I haven't done a meme in ages and I can't think of much to write about today :) 1. Do you like bleu cheese? Yuck...no 2. Have you ever smoked? No 3. Do you own a gun? Yes, and I'm a pretty good shot, too 4. Favorite type of food? Love Mexican, and Vietnamese 5. Favorite type of music? A little bit of everything. Right now I'm listening to a lot of jazz and

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-61163497497752575402010-04-01T09:26:00.000-04:002010-04-01T09:26:01.979-04:00

I buy a lot of this type of handkerchief for use in my lavender sachets. I like to layer them under a printed or embroidered hanky because just one never seems like enough. I'm always impressed at the amount of work that went into their creation. I don't crochet myself and I don't know anyone who does tatting or hairpin lace these days (if I did I'd ask them to teach me). But, if you'd like to

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-87410408792997384262010-03-22T09:25:00.001-04:002010-03-22T09:31:49.046-04:00

Cats, of course! I love all kinds of embroidery but I always seem to be drawn to ones with cats and kittens. Yes, they're kind of sweet, but cats are very playful so lend themselves to all sorts of situations. Playing with yarn, jumping rope, fishing in goldfish bowls—you get the picture. Here are some things from my collection: Embroidered quilt block Vintage stamped-for-embroidery tea towel

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-80978509433877151852010-03-20T09:45:00.001-04:002010-03-20T09:46:54.588-04:00

In four years of blogging, I don't think I've ever talked about one of my favorite hobbies—family history or genealogy. That may be because it's an on-again, off-again thing with me. I work very hard on it for a couple of years, reach a dead-end, and put it away again for a while. I recently got involved again when my husband's cousin contacted me about their parents' trees. I reactivated my

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-46104033759830619582010-03-16T14:03:00.000-04:002010-03-16T14:03:34.984-04:00

So, are you all eating corned beef and cabbage tomorrow? With a very Irish last name like McCaffrey (and O'Malley and Kelly on my side of the family) you can guess that my answer is yes. I'm actually not that crazy about the taste of corned beef but it's once a year and I do love all the vegetables that go with the traditional boiled dinner. I like to cook the onions and cabbage together but

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-44510225340186787332010-03-07T10:38:00.000-05:002010-03-07T10:38:12.181-05:00

It was nearly 50 degrees here yesterday. We still have plenty of snow—no matter how warm it is there's so much of it to melt and it's going to take a while. Since it was so nice and I've been feeling really cooped up the past few weeks, I made a spontaneous trip to the local antique mall. And came home with a bag full of great stuff. A pair of Mr. and Mrs. embroidered cat pillowcases Two

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-25314626781366273822010-02-26T11:34:00.000-05:002010-02-26T11:34:30.613-05:00

Not! All winter I've listened to friends talk about and viewed photos of their unusual amounts of snow—the snow that piled up all around us but somehow just missed us every time. Not this time. We had about 13 inches when we went to bed last night. And 22 inches this morning. And it's still coming down hard. The barbecue grill has a pointy hat. The snow is just up to the wooden railing on the

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-86023795640331936712010-02-24T09:02:00.003-05:002010-02-24T09:14:03.877-05:00

Continuing the vintage alphabet theme started by Melody of Brown Gingham Creations, this month features the letter B. It will come as no surprise to readers of this blog that, B is for buttons! I've collected them since inheriting my grandmother's sewing basket, I use tons of them in my Primrose Design creations, and I sell them on my website, too (over a thousand so far). I love the ones on

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-53837232179304486692010-02-23T14:36:00.000-05:002010-02-23T14:36:39.978-05:00

Remember the cute sailor duck stamped-for-embroidery quilt block I showed you last summer? I finally got around to embroidering the block and what inspired me to complete it was this extremely cute sailing-themed fabric I found at JoAnn Fabrics last week. Isn't it perfect? For my color choices I picked up ones from the fabric and this worked up so quickly I could hardly believe it. Still

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-58128782643680199542010-02-22T17:37:00.003-05:002010-02-22T17:41:50.894-05:00

I'm not sure that laundry bags are all that popular these days. I don't think I've used one myself since my college days when I had to haul my clothes to the laundromat five blocks away from my apartment. Now I just use an old wicker laundry basket to haul things downstairs to the washer. And one of my cats really likes to ride back upstairs on top of the just-dried warm clothing. But back in

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-61362687285790130142010-02-12T15:04:00.001-05:002010-02-12T15:06:04.825-05:00

I'm sorry for my absence from blogging lately. This winter has been tough on me health wise and I'm trying but often feel like I'm slogging through my days. Getting actual work done is hard enough without talking about it, too. In spite of being spared most of the snow from the recent two blizzards (which seemed to just miss us here in northeastern Pennsylvania), spring can't get here fast

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-83944931653905759532010-02-03T08:56:00.000-05:002010-02-03T08:56:52.047-05:00

A sachet heart for Valentine's Day, that is! Just added to the website are new heart-shaped sachets, all made from vintage eyelet, vintage and new fabrics, and vintage buttons. Perfect for Valentine's Day. If you live near Scranton, PA you'll find more of these at Green Being or near West Reading, PA at Hello Bluebird.

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-66705760115181463682010-01-30T09:55:00.000-05:002010-01-30T09:55:02.234-05:00

About ten years ago I thought I might start making beaded jewelry and I went a little crazy buying beads. What can I say—I had a full-time job, plenty of money, and beads can be really addictive. I even went to a big bead show at a hotel ballroom in New York. Those were the days. Apple coral disk beads But, when I thought about businesses to pursue and looked around at the huge number of

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-65322919015489446232010-01-26T14:20:00.001-05:002010-01-27T07:29:47.396-05:00

I'm forced to take it easy today since my bursitis is acting up again. I've been doing some repainting—the first step of the bedroom redecorating project—and all the up and down motion of getting on and off the step ladder has stressed my hip once again. Sigh... it's hell getting old. I promised to tell you about this project anyway so now is as good a time as any. I've moved my studio into the

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-53158663607936785062010-01-20T18:07:00.003-05:002010-01-22T10:52:11.689-05:00

Over on her blog, Brown Gingham Creations (music warning), Melody had a fun suggestion. Once a month, on a Wednesday, she's going to do an alphabet-related post—starting with A, of course, and show something from her vintage collections. Aprons this time. She's asked others to join her and also post something related to A, then B, then C (as the weeks go on). My first thought was to show aprons

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-24862445506517142192010-01-19T07:26:00.000-05:002010-01-19T07:26:42.255-05:00

I'm the proud recipient of a T-Party Kindred Spirit Award! Susan has been bestowing this award for several years and this is how she explains the reason behind it: "As part of this cozy blogging community...I have come across many people to whom I have similar interests; so much so that I consider them kindred spirits. They are the kind of folks that, if they lived around the corner, I would ask

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11991763.post-69731766692694685112010-01-18T08:50:00.001-05:002010-01-18T08:52:48.292-05:00

Just listed on my website is another batch of vintage Buttons by Schwanda glass buttons made in Western Germany. Lots of cool and unusual designs and I have more than one card of some designs available. It's always hard to find multiples of vintage buttons, so I always grab them when I find them in my travels! At first glance it looks like tiny rhinestones surround the green center but it's

janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13373382919479493215noreply@blogger.com1