There have been an up-side-downsy past few days here, and I missed posting on One Flower Wednesday because of it! Thank goodness Wednesday comes once a week and I can show off my lovely creation next time around! I spent the first few days of the week worrying about my sister-in-law in the hospital and spending time with her there while she recovered fro a serious bout of a fluid filled lung caused by pneumonia. After which I would return home and crash. Thankfully Mr. Confessions is a doll and looked after Little Miss during this time. This is also the reason for no flower on Wednesday.
However, all that being said, I am excited to share some wonderful items that graced my doorstep and mailbox in the meantime. I love to get mail! I'm sure most of you have figured this out already, especially since I am a part of Postcrossing, the free, online postcard-lovers club. And what's more wonderful than non-bill related postcard mail - fabric! My dearest friend had twin girls in January and I am planning to make matching quilts with different backings in order to tell whose is whose.
I also have a little quilty charity project on the side to make Eye Spy quilts for donation to the children's hospital in the city, so whenever I find darling, hard-to-pass-up, eye-catching novelty prints, I usually end up bringing home (or ordering) a half yard or more. The three fabrics on the left are for the charity quilts while the light background on the upper right is an 1800's shirting for my "collection" and the aqua coloured fabric in front is from one of Moda's newest lines called "Flora" to go with a fat eighth bundle I have in my stash for border fabric.
I also received a rare and coveted gift from my Mom. My great aunt was heavy into our family heritage that originates on that side of our tree to Scotland and England. Through her research she was given two rare and wonderful pieces of needlework created by our young ancestors. This is the first piece of the two. Mom felt is safer to ship them separately, so the second will arrive at some point on the future.
You can see some of the detail in the closer photos as well as how old this piece is. I have to go and look into the family tree records to see how Helen is related, but cousin or aunt comes to mind from the stories I have heard over the years about the two stitched pieces. This one is 160 years old this year. WOW! What at treasure to have in my possession. I will have to look into getting it appraised and find out the best method of preservation.
The last piece I'd like to share is for purely selfish reasons... In 2000 I graduated from university and was given my $40,000 piece of paper to say so. It has been 12 years since it's been in my possession and I am happy to now welcome it home! Possibly a rather ridiculous item to announce to the world, but I'm allowed to be a little proud of my hard work and this very expensive piece of paper!
Make sure you all visit my giveaway if you haven't done so already. It's still open for entry until Sunday the 12th! As well, if you haven't made a decision on what you'd like to work on in 2012 to get some UFOs finished, you're welcome to still sign up and join us over at Finish-It-First.
Heather
7 comments:
To have such a wonderful old sampler is one thing, but that it was made by one of your forebears is even more special. It is quite amazing that it has survived for so long in reasonably good condition! It would be nice to have it displayed in your home so you can enjoy it everyday!!!
You are so lucky to have the old samplers .... what treasures!
We have a bit in common, for sure. I too have a family sampler in my possession. I have to get it out, but I'm certain it's from the year 1783. It came over from somewhere near the Rhine River Valley, in Germany and has been in our family ever since. We had it appraised and considered having it archival- preserved. We took it to Minneapolis to a historical institute and after learning it would cost $2,000 to $3,000, we opted not to do it. I too graduated from university in 2000! I was 47 years old at the time. For six years, I worked full time while attending college, graduating with a journalism degree that I have used mostly to write articles for various quilting magazines, and several quilting books. Lovely knowing we have such similarities!
The fabrics are wonderful, but I am SO jealous of the stitch sampler. That is such a treasure for you to be guardian of until you pass it along to the next generation. And the diploma is a wonderful thing - frame it and hang it in a prominent place. =)
AND thank you for adding the follow by mail! I have signed up, so you'll be coming right to my mailbox now and I won't miss anything!
What a fun post! You should be proud of that "expensive piece of paper" lol
The cross stitch piece is so great that you now own.
What a wonderful sampler and such a treasure from your family history. I was at the store today and looking at kids prints, so many fun ones, I want to do charity quilts too, so need to get some practice in and get some made. This week I am busy making a quilt for my sister who will be having surgery for cancer, so that comes first.
Debbie
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