Another Quilt

This one is my brother's (the first one is posted here).

The back (larger image):

Close-up of the quilting:

The whole quilt (larger image):

A close-up view (larger image):

Another close-up (larger image):

 

Detail:

 

Knowledge of the Human Body and of the Laws of Health is Essential

There is no really efficacious mode of preparing a woman to take a rational care of the health of a family, except by communicating that knowledge in regard to the construction of the body and the laws of health which is the basis of the medical profession. Not that a woman should undertake the minute and extensive investigation requisite for a physician; but she should gain a general knowledge of first principles, as a guide to her judgment in emergencies when she can rely on no other aid.

American Woman's Home: or, Principles of Domestic Science; Being a Guide to the Formation and Maintenance of Economical, Healthful, Beautiful, and Christian Homes, chapter 7, Catherine E. Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

My Precious Quilt

My great-grandmother (my mother's father's mother) made each of her three great-grandchildren a quilt. This one is mine.

It is hand emroidered and hand-pieced. After completing three such quilts she didn't feel up to hand-quilting them. My father's mother offered to back them and quilt them for us (I think some other relatives helped). I like that our quilts are the work of both sides of our family!

Here's the back of the quilt, which shows the hand quilting (larger image):

This is the whole quilt (larger image):

A close-up view (larger image):

Another close-up (larger image):

A bit of detail:

ETA: I posted pictures of my brother's quilt here.

To labor with the hands

It has ever been assumed that the learned, the rich, and the powerful are not to labor with the hands, as Christ did, and as Paul did when he would "not eat any man's bread for naught, but wrought with labor, not because we have not power "[to live without hand-work,]" but to make ourselves an example."(2 Thess. 3.)

Instead of this, manual labor has been made dishonorable and unrefined by being forced on the ignorant and poor. Especially has the most important of all hand-labor, that which sustains the family, been thus disgraced; so that to nurse young children, and provide the food of a family by labor, is deemed the lowest of all positions in honor and profit, and the last resort of poverty.

American Woman's Home: or, Principles of Domestic Science; Being a Guide to the Formation and Maintenance of Economical, Healthful, Beautiful, and Christian Homes, chapter 1, Catherine E. Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

The Role of the Cook

The person who decides what shall be the food and drink of a family, and the modes of its preparation, is the one who decides, to a greater or less extent, what shall be the health of that family. It is the opinion of most medical men, that intemperance in eating is one of the most fruitful of all causes of disease and death. If this be so, the woman who wisely adapts the food and cooking of her family to the laws of health removes one of the greatest risks which threatens the lives of those under her care.

American Woman's Home: or, Principles of Domestic Science; Being a Guide to the Formation and Maintenance of Economical, Healthful, Beautiful, and Christian Homes, chapter 9, Catherine E. Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

No goals this week!

Posting my goals has helped me but I'm not going to do it this week. I still have goals but I'm not posting them. I hope (which, in a way, is a goal!) to concentrate on getting a few other posts up which may be more valuable to my readers. I'm not sure how many blog posts ( I have three blogs!) I can manage in one week but based on my past experience it's not that many. So, I'd better cut out the goals posts if I want to do anything else!

Sewing Goals for This Week (11/8/09) UPDATED

#1 Lavender baby dress: test button holes, button holes, buttons
#2 Baby jumper: test button holes, button holes, buttons
#3 Anything I feel like. I need a break from "must do now" sewing, yet I still need to get things done.

I've canceled the green baby dress. I will make it some day, since it is cut out, but it may or may not be for this baby!

What's coming up in the future: darning socks, Sense and Sensibility's Regency Gown (a lot more interesting than darning socks, don't you think?), Christmas gifts, a variety of mending jobs, t-shirts and tops.

All done! I hope to have some pictures of the baby out fit soon. The mama loved it.

Organization Goals for this week (11/8/09) Updated

#1 Sort through two shelves of wire shelving unit. See if I can get rid of some stuff.

What? No #2? Nope! I really could stand to have ten organization goals each week but I just don't have time right now. One is better than nothing ~ so much better. My home improvement goals really are organization goals too, especially the first two. It's hard to be organized in an unfinished house! That's not sufficient excuse and it is not the cause of all my organization problems, but it certainly is a big factor. Someday I hope to have a place to hang my robe so that it's not just draped over something. Draping is not really an ideal storage method and I would like to eliminate it!

Weeeeeel . . . I ended up doing the whole shelving unit plus all the clothing drawers in another unit! It was much easier than I thought it would be. Sometimes things are. I ended up with four empty shelves in the shelving unit, two of which I have filled up with other things.

Home Improvement Goals for this week (11/8/09) UPDATED

Just so you know, I live in an unfinished house. I'm going to be talking to the resident carpenters this week about some much needed improvements.

#1: Mention closet, especially the drawers. I need it finished!
#2: Mention under sink cabinet. I need better storage, plus it's ugly under there.
#3: Mention hole in shower. No, I didn't throw a fit in the shower! The hole has been there all along. We poked it hauling the thing in. DearFather suggested we install a soapdish/shower organizer thing there and I wasn't about to say "No, throw this [cheap, from a salvage place] one away and buy me a new one"! I would, however, like to get it fixed. It makes it hard to clean the shower.

That was easy. Talking usually is!

Housekeeping Goals for this week (11/8/09) UPDATED

#1 Continue on the tub and shower. I now have this scubby-sponge thing that works GREAT. It still takes a little scrubbing (but it's not like I expect the stuff to come off just because I looked at it!) but it is so much easier and faster. I have a shiny shower! In spots ~ but it's getting there. I may even finish by the end of the month, then it will just be maintenance.

#2 Clean a section of my bathroom wall. I actually did this last week, although I forgot to post my housekeeping goals.

I made wonderful progress on both of these! I did several sections of the bathroom wall.

Organization Goals for This Week (11/1/09) UPDATED

As many things as I would like to do, I think I had better stick with one simple goal: pack the pitchers away. I have so many other projects going that have real deadlines!

Done! :-)

Sewing Goals for This Week (11/1/09) UPDATED

#1 Lavender Baby Dress
> Attach the yoke to the skirt (which I did yesterday).
> Sew the side seams and finish them (which I also did yesterday).
> Finish the sleeves, including putting them in.
> Mark the button holes, practice button holes, and make the button holes.

#2 Jumper
> Prepare the skirt pieces.
>  Sew the yoke together.

#3 Green Baby Dress
>  Prepare the skirt pieces
>  Cut the sleeve bindings (if I haven't done so already).
>  Prepare the skirt placket and the back skirt piece.
> Sew gathering sitches on sleeves and skirt pieces.

Okay . . . I didn't do exactly what I intended to but it worked and I'm pleased!

#1 Everything is done except the button holes and buttons. It's even hemmed.

#2 All done except the buttons and button holes. Wow! It's cute, too.

#3 I didn't get anything done on this last week.

Sewing Goals for This Week (10/25/09) UPDATED

#1 The Bohemian Skirt. Because, really, this is ridiculous.

#2 The Baby Dress, etc. (I have to have it finished by Nov. 15th)

Half the week is gone (almost) so I don't expect to get a lot more done except what of last week's goals I finished up yesterday. Still, I'd like to: 

Finish preparing the lavender skirt pieces. 

Do the skirt placket

Decide how to do the sleeves. Make binding if I need to. 

Finish preparing the green skirt pieces. 

That should keep me busy!

Okay . . . believe it or not, I finished the Bohemian Skirt!!!!! Yay!

The Baby Dress . . . . I prepared the skirt pieces. . . I think that's all I did last week (!). No, maybe I did the skirt placket last week too.

Organization Goals for this week (10/25/09) UPDATED

#1 This goal from last week, or at least part of it:

#1 I have to old glass syrup pitchers and another bottle in my bedroom floor. They are from my grandmother. Now, really, that's not a good place for them. I'd like to put them in my hope chest. The problem is, I think only two of them are mine and one is DearMother's. I just don't know which two are mine (I think the vinegar bottle is mine). My goal is to find out which syrup pitcher belongs to me, remove all three to the kitchen, wash all three, and then return my two to my bedroom and pack them away in my hope chest.

#2 Figure out some way to remember my goals (before Thursday).

Goal #2 I completed early last week (before I posted my goals, in fact!). As for #1, the pitchers are still drying in the kitchen, so I guess I got it half done.

Housekeeping Goals for This Week (10/25/09) UPDATED

Just the shower and the sink.

I think I will sink if I attempt any other goals this week. I have lots of things to do. For one thing I'm putting new patterns in my store and my scanner program has not yet decided to work (as usual). Bless it's little heart (although it really doesn't seem to have one). The scanner was free and I'm so thankful for it but ARRRRRGGHHH!!!!

Oh! I just love making progress! I finished the sink last week, except for some deposits around the faucet which will have to be a separate project because they did not want to come off using this method. The tub and shower are coming along nicely, although slowly.

Needle Work Show!

The first ever Needle Work Show Retail is coming! It's an online needle work show for consumers where you can visit "booths" of many retailers around the world who sell needlework related products. Some will be selling right from their booths!

The dates are November 5th through 8th. I'll be there as an exhibitor. Stop by!