A New Craft ??????

Imagine my surprise this morning when , on the front page of one of the sections of the Houston Chronicle, I found an article that describes in detail how to make a felt Christmas ornament - complete with a "Sewing Primer" which describes in detail how to do a blanket stitch!!!



Duh -- hello folks! Where have you been for the last fifty plus years? My son, (I won't tell his age but he draws social security if that tells you anything) saids "Mom, we used to make those in grade school!"

Makes me wonder how many other things folks don't remember - like my sweet mother-in-law and my grandmother Jordan ("Ma") sitting in their rocking chairs crocheting and discussing the events of the day. And the beautiful handmade pieces they created - doilies, baby blankets, tableccloths and bedspreads - yes, I sais bedspreads!

Or my mom with her embroidery needle flying to work bautiful designs om dish towels, pillow cases, or dresser scarfs - these memories are locked in securely in my mind....And what about quilting - first piecing the blocks, then setting them together and putting them into the frames io quilt.

First the frames had to be let down from the ceiling where they were suspended
with binders twine. Then the lining had to be put in, actually sewed to the frame in large overcasting stitches. Then the batting had to be placed ever so carefully over the lining. In even my Granny's later years, batting could be bought by the yard or by the roll. Long before this, it was corded into bats about 6'" by4".
Imagine making enough of these to cover a bed size quilt lining!! Not to mention actually quilting the quilt, which involved stitching through all 3 layers with small stitches - p
referabl.y 10 to 13 stitches per inch. Now THERE was a craft to write home about!!

Speaking of "writing home", I have a letter from my Granny to her parents . Mr. and Mrs S. C. Hager, dated March 8, 1912. And I quote, "Well Mama. I have 9 sweet little chicks. They are shure pretty. I had 10 and the hog tuned the coop over and killed one , and broke up one hen that would have hatched next week, I was shure mad." This letter bore the complete address
of mr S. C Hager, Corn Hill, Texas and the postage was 2 cents. My, my, how times change!!

Enough "til next time - - - Nanny





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