Tag Archive: crochet

Pattern Books from the 1970s and 1980s

We have reached the end of the great collection of pattern books that I picked up in an online auction.  Handwritten notes clipped into these books show that the original owners, Minnie and… Continue reading

Decorator Dreams from the 1940s

As I wrote last month, I am cataloging a box full of vintage needlework books and patterns that I bought at an auction. To review the history of this crafty family, in 1917,… Continue reading

Souvenirs from the Middle East, 1961

As I was scrolling through the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Open Access collection, I saw a little bag very similar to one I have.  It came to me through my husband’s family, but… Continue reading

A Hidden Family Treasure!

Here’s a little family history:  my great-grandmother Grace had four daughters, and they all embroidered pillowcases, and then crocheted lace edgings for them.  (They made lots of other things too, like dresser scarves,… Continue reading

Not Your Granny’s Sheep

The Austin Zoo is not your typical city zoo.  Its animals are mostly rescues and retirees — acquired from people who discovered that their exotic pets were too much to handle, from research… Continue reading

We Interrupt Spring Cleaning…

As I have mentioned before, after our daughters grew up and moved out, my husband and I downsized from our typical suburban home, into a cottage that his family had built on their… Continue reading

Flurry of Fabulous Finds

My focus for February was supposed to be Finish It Up, but instead it has morphed into Find Fantastic Objects. I just had a lovely visit from my mom, sister, and 4-year-old great-nephew. … Continue reading

My 100th Post!

It wasn’t long after I started blogging that I found the wonderful blog, the Dancing Professor, and one of the first posts I read there asked, “Who are you writing for?” I thought… Continue reading

Frilly Foundations

Well, it’s Labor Day – time to put away those summer whites.  Here are four fabulous cotton undergarments that were stored away a century ago and never retrieved for use. These two petticoats… Continue reading