My Favorite Homemaking Book

Apparently, I enjoy READING about Housekeeping a lot more than I enjoy DOING the actual chores...and I'm fine with that.

Amy Barickman put together a really wonderful book, Vintage Notions. She was inspired by Mary Brooks Pickens, who founded The Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences in Scranton, Pennsylania. The story of that woman is INCREDIBLE...and I loved, loved, loved, learning about her, and Amy's inspiration. I wrote about it for the Schmetz magazine, Inspired To Sew, and you can read that story here:

 http://issuu.com/schmetzneedles/docs/its-jan15?e=10258703/10710996


Amy collected publications, newsletters, and writings from The Woman’s Institute, which was active between 1916 and 1934, and she says, "Combing through the aged pages of these wonderfully illustrated and beautifully written publications, I realized that they were still relevant today and provided a blueprint for a simple, fulfilling life.

Researching and writing Vintage Notions has been an odyssey for me. And while my endless hunting for great vintage material will never stop, I understand the drive behind it now in a way I did not before I encountered the work of Mary Brooks Picken. It seems that all along, part of me was searching for the answers that Mary and her work provided. Her work shows that dignity, joy, and meaning can be derived from the home arts. Mary has become a beacon for me, both personally and professionally, and I want to share some of her light with you."

Vintage Notions chapters are the months of the year. And I love the rhythm of the seasons. February is inspired by hearts...In the winter months, there will be coat patterns and soup recipes. In the spring, it's time to deep clean the carpets...and restyle your porch. In September, Mary tells us how to best preserve our fruits and vegetables.

March opens with this thought:

Cheerfulness is much more to be desired than riches.  Those who possess it have something riches cannot buy -- a great possession because it creates goodwill and makes for real happiness. -- Mary Brooks Picken.

Amy did a terrific job with Vintage Notions.  Every page is a work of art -- with beautiful illustrations, interesting sewing patterns, intriguing recipes, good advice (do you know how to do a salt rub after your bath?)...

It is a book about making a home for the people you love...and can there be anything more important than that??

 Click here to buy Vintage Notions now

I Paint Everything. Just Because I can...

Getting Frankie was the best thing I did for myself last year. But, in the beginning, it was touch and go...

Did I tell you that John didn't speak to me for two weeks? Well -- you know how that's going, right?

OF COURSE John is Frankie's favorite. He follows him everywhere...and they are great buddies.

Having a dog in the house is wonderful company. And it's great to have a living, breathing thing in your life that totally adores you. Frankie believes I am wonderful, and he likes everything about me.

He listens when I talk, often tilting his head to make sure he's getting every word. And there is never any judgement.

Frankie admires all my creative endeavors...

And you know how much I love PAINTING unlikely things...

Rooms, doors, houses, furniture, suitcases, purses, shoes....

Even my washer and dryer!!

So, what are the chances I'm going to let THIS be Frankie's permanent crate??

When I brought Frankie home, he was a little pipsqueak...and had a very small crate, which he quickly outgrew. There was a second crate. But this final crate (found at a thrift shop for $5)...will be his permanent home. He loves it. I made a custom cushion (t-shirt cover) for inside...and it's his happy place...

Of course, Lilly will help...

You can't do anything WRONG...

If you don't like how it's turning out -- you just paint over it...

It takes days...one layer has to dry, then you add another

The detail work is done with a permanent marker

A coat of Mod Podge when you're finished

WELCOME TO MY WORLD, Frankie!!

My New Purse

yes, yes, yes, I LOVE FINDING purses at thrift shops. Then, I take them home, add a cross body strap, some outside pockets, and REMAKE IT UNTIL IT'S PERFECT...

This purse met a lot of my criteria.  Lightweight fabric, it already had two great outside pockets (one for my phone, another one for my keys)

The strap is all wrong (must be cross body and adjustable)...but THAT can easily be changed.

I found this sturdy belt...yep, that'll work...

I forgot to take a picture of the back side of the purse.  Which USED to be plain tan....completely devoid of personality or style...

Frankie took one look at my purse and said, "you are so talented, I wish you would paint my crate...."

OMG...WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!

Circle of Friends

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the story of this quilt...

When Mary found it, folded on a high shelf in a second hand store...it had been there for over a year.

I wonder how many people might have looked at this quilt during that year, and considered buying it? Maybe the cheap red yarn tie-job is the reason everybody else took a pass. But I looked right past that...knowing they could easily be replaced.

The original maker had also chosen to use the red yarn to do a bold running stitch around the edge...ugh...

One day, when Carrie was here cleaning (I love MONDAYS) ...I sat down at my sewing machine and did this. Every place there was a red tie, I added a little white embroidered heart...

After each heart, I cut out the tie....

And I also stitched around the edge, before pulling the red yarn out completely...

I removed A LOT OF RED YARN...

The more I looked at this quilt, the more amazed I was by the incredible piecing job.  Sooo many prints...and it reminded me of another vintage quilt. Almost 20 years ago.  Is that possible??

In 1996, my friend Marion came to Iowa for the first time, and during a treasure hunt at a local antique mall, she bought a vintage quilt with these soft old-fashioned chicken feed sack prints...there was so much yellow in that quilt...and she and I are both suckers for anything yellow...

I found this quilt on January 23.  Marion's birthday is January 31. She's in Florida for the winter. HEY -- IT'S MUCH EASIER TO SEND THINGS TO FLORIDA than to Canada!!

Happy Birthday, Marion!! (your dress matches the quilt!)

Mary found it. I bought it, and took the red yarn out. Then I shipped it to Marion (the quilt cost $37, and the shipping was $23...lol). Marion washed it...

The Splendid Sampler™

Dear Sewing Friends,

I am working on an interview with Pat Sloan (for Inspired To Sew magazine) -- and she told me about a new project she recently launched with her friend Jane Davidson.

Here's the deal:

The Splendid Sampler™ is an internet sew-a-long... http://www.thesplendidsampler.com/

• 83 fabric designers have created specific blocks that feature different quilting techniques. (paper piecing, fused applique, etc.).
• The blocks will be released each week, and are FREE to participants until March 2017. (at that time, they'll use the designs to publish a book).
• You can use whatever fabric you like.
• There will be pictures on their Facebook page, etc.

I love the idea of learning many quilt techniques -- one block at a time -- it seems like digestible learning. I also like the idea that there will be two new blocks every week, and I can pick and choose which blocks I make.  It's also great that you can use any fabric -- what a terrific way to use up your stash!!

I love Mary's new line of fabric, and she gifted me with a nice bundle of fat quarters during her recent visit.  I LOVE THE COLORS, and Mary's designs, so I'm going to start with that (and I have ordered more).

I asked my sewing buddies if they were interested in joining the sew-along...Even though we'd all be receiving the same patterns, it would be interesting to see how different our blocks turn out.

It will be fun to feature the Sew Along in my blog, and on the Schmetz Facebook page. Depending on how it all turns out, when it's finished, it may be an issue of the Inspired To sew magazine.

So, IF YOU WANT TO DO The Splendid Sampler™ SEW-ALONG...just check out their website, or their Facebook page.

OF COURSE you can use your own stash of quilt fabric. But if you want to use Mary's fabric, go take a look at her new line...maybe your local fabric store...or Missouri Star Quilt Company.

WONDERFUL IDEA, PAT SLOAN AND JOAN DAVIDSON...I am excited about learning so many new quilt techniques.

Pat Sloan's new line of fabric, The Sweet Life,  is also pictured on the Missouri Star Website -- click on this link

Hey -- maybe it's not too late for me. I could still become a quilter. IT COULD HAPPEN!!

Especially with A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS...

C'MON...JOIN US...The Splendid Sampler™ progress reports will be my new regular Wednesday blog posts...

Laundromat

This post was supposed to go up on Monday...but, you know how it goes...the best made plans and all that. sorry for the little glitch.

Since Christmas, I have made FOUR RAGGED EDGE QUILTS. (Sooner or later, you'll hear about each one of them.)

My sister Ronda told me there is so much thread and fuzz from the ragged edges that it's a good idea to do the first official washing in one of those large commercial washers.

AT A LAUNDROMAT...

No problem. There is a sweet laundromat in a nearby small town (Eldridge). Lily has never been to a laundromat -- so I thought this would be a new experience.

We had the whole place to ourselves...Lilly was doing cartwheels...

Although watching the clothes go round and round was kinda interesting....I DO ALWAYS BRING some Grandma Game...

My childhood favorite...Old Maid...

Lilly won three hands....

Nowadays, I ALWAYS carry this game...(Thanks, Linda)...BANANAGRAMS...

After an hour in the dryer, I hung the quilt up...because I wanted it to be COMPLETELY DRY before I folded it.

We were in no big hurry....and, frankly, there was no place I'd rather be...

The best thing about kids is their natural ability to turn any job into a game.

Good Luck, Ryan!!

During our Pa. visit last fall, we witnessed the BEST GIFT I EVER HEARD OF...Denny Keefer's three boys gave him a completely restored pick-up truck.

Not just any pick up truck. This is an exact replica of 'Denny's very first truck.  He had it all tricked-out, and this was the vehicle he and Kathy used on their first date...

Their oldest son grew up hearing his parents' love story. A chapter in that story is that when Denny Jr. was born, the truck had to be sold to pay the bills. And Denny Jr. looked for years to find this truck...the right year, the right color...

They sold that first truck over 40 years ago...but it was for a very good cause.

And they raised three boys, who became pretty amazing men (Denny Jr., Danny and Ryan).  So it all worked out exactly the way it was supposed to.

When Ross moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he had a job in a strange city, a U-Haul, and no place to live.  Kathy said he could stay with them until he figured things out...and after just a few days, the Keefer house felt like home.  Kathy even made his chocolate cake with peanut butter icing for his birthday that year...And he STILL raves about her cooking!!

Even though that was eight years ago, Ryan still acts surprised whenever Kathy bakes a pie...saying, "what? Is Ross coming for a visit?"

Ryan's beautiful wife, Leslie, with their oldest son, Owen.

Ryan's house -- which he renovated, board by board, brick by brick...

Yep. These are good people...salt of the earth...and I am so lucky they are a part of my life.  It is my most fervent hope that someday, one of the Keefers will come west to IOWA so we can return some of their hospitality.

But today -- this post is for Ryan.  A broken neck is a life threatening condition and that surgery was terrifying.  Your Iowa family is happy that you are recovering and making new life plans... 

As painful and difficult as this has all been,  I think there's a good chance that one day you'll look back and understand this wisdom...

Most days, you can't tell you good luck from your bad...

GOOD luck with your new business!!

The Best Food in AMERICA!!

I am an Iowa girl, born and raised. But I've got to say, when it comes to really DELICIOUS FOOD -- I know enough to go EAST, my friend -- GO EAST..

Even though, as a girl, I lived in a county surrounded by pig farmers -- I had to move to Pennsylvania to discover this...

A true Pennsylvania delicacy -- Fried Scrapple.

It's hard to believe I was 22 years old before I ate my first Shoo-fly pie!!

Again, only available in Pennsylvania...Tastykakes...I miss them every day.

And I miss the people, too. Hey -- maybe the food is so delicious because of the people we're eating with, EH?

AND WHO IS MAKING all those delicious pies?? THAT'S RIGHT. Kathy Keefer. Best cook in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. (according to Ross, who was their long-term houseguest when he moved to Harrisburg)...

Kathy and I have a lot in common. Last year, we both did this...

Kathy's Hazel...

My Frankie...

There is more to the story...

John's 1950 American Flyer

I know -- it's February and I'M STILL BLOGGING ABOUT CHRISTMAS.

Hey -- you should just be thanking your lucky stars that I didn't spend the last two months writing about the Iowa Caucuses...

I can't even promise this is my LAST Christmas 2015 post...I may decide we need a little jingle in July...

Every family has their favorite holiday traditions.  In the Farro house, John's 1950 American Flyer Train set has always been a very important part of our Christmas.   It was the best Christmas gift he ever received...and it has always been part of our sons' Christmas. 

But, each year, it gets more difficult for John to make his vintage childhood train work.  He polishes the tracks...the transformer is worn out, so he takes it apart, cleans it,  spends hours trying to make it run.  Every year, he predicts this will be the train's LAST YEAR....

But this year was really something special. 

Because Warren, (who was 3 on January 1) -- is CRAZY ABOUT CHOO CHOO TRAINS.  His favorite thing in the world is building his railroad tracks from room to room...and he has buckets of Thomas Trains...

There may be families out there this Christmas who had more gifts, a bigger ham, a more elaborate tree, or fancier ornaments...but nobody had a better moment than this...