Too soon old, too late smart.....

I sat with Jack one evening lately and remarked on the swift pasage of time.. it is amazing how fast the time seems to stream by. He looked thoughtful for a moment and said "It works like a fishing reel, as you get nearer to the end of the line, the reel has to turn faster and faster to put out the same amount of string." I live with a most interesting man. E

Have wings, will fly

"The larger feather tree in my bed room will stay up long after Christmas. The three little angels here are new this year, Jack is really good at estate sales and tag sales. He got these three little delights in a $2 box. We did not know we had them till we got home and opened it all. They were without hair, so I gave two of them wisps of blond mohair for top knots, and we made the third one auburn haired. I am most fond of that little red head.

"The cloth Santa doll sits under our living room tree, He is 36 inches tall including his hoodie, and is one of 36 I made in the 1980's. His quilted ears and quilted beard are applied. He is a fully dressed doll under his Santa coat, with shirt and suspenders. They had 3 different beard shapes and several colors of coats and other clothing, bags etc, so were not alike. He is my original.
The dolls have a small feather tree in one of the glass cases. It is the first Christmas the linen head doll has been part of our doll family. Before I bought her at Withington's doll auction in October, I understand she had been packed in a drawer for years and years.

We are making pumpkin bread and chocolates and refreshing our green decorations today. I love the look of lots of magnolia leaves on cupboards and on the mantel. They hold for about 9 or 10 days at most in a heated house. We usually cut three times for a Christmas season.

Christmas for me has to include the music.. yesterday listening to "Christmas with Pavarotti" the tears rolled down my cheeks. I feel so grateful that my life overlapped the time of this artist and that technology enables me to hear him and sad that this great man is gone, all at the same time. Blessings to each of you,

And All Through the House...click to view larger

Doll Shower Continues

Friend Jan in Fredericsburg brought two little vintage dolls, a boy and a girl, they have been together for many years and bring joy where ever they travel. The third little doll in the white apron came from unknown angels. They are off now on a ride in a priority box, and should reach their destination by Friday Dec 17th. E

Christmas party, lovely

Being with the antique collector's group I have been part of for so many years is a recurring joy. So true that we can make new friends, but we cannot make old friends! A Christmas party with 18 of us in attendance at Barbara's home helped get the season really under way. The first thing we were treated to was a stunning punch bowl arrangement, with a ring of gorgeous stone fruit around a bowl full of bourbon slush. This icy delight was like a slurpy for grown ups, or a soft bourbon snow cone. May Santa bring something so nice to you too! Lunch was a green salad and a large mug of hot bean and cheese and celery soup, and a pretty helping of bread pudding to follow. Barbara's Christmas collection is awesome, and her lovely old naive paintings are every where. The deer painting is an almost life size head.

After the luncheon, two friends stopped by our house to see how Jack and I have decorated so far. We do not have a large number of Christmas collectibles, so we go in for more wreaths and greenery, and of course our trees.
Here are some photos to share from the party yesterday. Warmly, Edyth

Another package to go today!

Today I am packing a vintage doll from Helen in Weatherford, another vintage doll, a boy, from Ann in Fredericksburg, the doll I finished over the weekend, And another marvelous doll quilt, this one from Lori in MI. Lori that is the best looking pink on the back, is it still available so that I may purchase some of it for doll clothing? I would love it in pink, or brown.. if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, my mama always said.

A doll shower is beginning.

Thank all of you who have responded with a doll and in other ways. The group photo represents a package sent to our honoree on Friday. They are even more wonderful in person! The little doll size Log Cabin Quilt is the work of talented quilter friend Martha. Awesome! One of these dolls came all the way from Nebraska. Be sure to click on the photos to see them larger. I made a simple dress for my little cloth girl today, the doll just loves the color! I hope to mail a second package of a few dolls early in the week. Warmly, Edyth

Women power! An opportunity to help our sister!

Dear Friends, This email below is from a quilting friend who is no longer able to get out and about much. Is there any way we can give her a shower of black rag dolls, a beautiful Christmas project? She has always been a textile person with good taste and tiny stitches and a good woman who once helped many others. For privacy you may ship them to me and I will forward them? I can stitch up something and send! Will picture that! If more come I will picture them here on this blog. Edyth Email follows:

I was goingn to call you, but it's very dark up here i North Texas, and I don,t want to get youout of bed. 'm about ready for a nice,l hot
bath, but don't want to waste that effort til I am reasonably sur \e that I can get to sleep.

I think that I reaally need a confession time. Throwing rocks over the fence would be more satisfying, but might get cajught, evem if we do bvaaaack up to a vacant lot!! That is a real p;lus.

I have been yearning for a black rag doll. Since I can't drive anywhere, and even though I watch the sky in case one should happen
to falll in my yard , but no luck so far. f my nerves weren 't so frazzled I could make one as a last resort. There's no need to blow my
blood pressure our the roof over it. At least that is what I keep telling myself, and there certainly isn't anyone around here that cares.

I'm fast getting bey;ond beyond being able to think or see what 'm doling (I yhinkF) so I might as well go on to bed. I still want a black
rag doll, period. I'm getting old, fast and I don't need any more reason!!!!!!11So there.

Do you think should get a hot bath and call it quits! I thought it was 9i.30, but it is onlyh 7:30. I know how to fix that ___don't
look at my watch anymore.. I'm still okay, because no one from from South Presa has tried to pick me up yet!!! OOps, I think
that someon mayh be pulling into my drivesway. I'm sure it will all get better her. Go aheaad - reassure me!!!!!!! ove, (name)

Lillian's lovely blue staffordshire

Lillian's lovely blue staffordshire glows a rich saphire color in our dining room. Almost forty years ago I met Lillian O'Neill in Ft Worth where we were both living in the same neighborhood, and both collected Blue Staffordshire. She was a collector, an artist and a lovely woman, I could not have guessed that in time she would become my mother in law. She had such an eye for beauty! One of the jewels we have now from her collection is this tiny child's tea cup and saucer. The scene is that of cows and a milk maid. It is thin and delicate and early, perhaps 1825 or 30.

Dear Rose Ellen, Thank you for a beautiful picture of Panther pond woods
dusted lightly with snow this morning. I can see it in my mind's eye. We
had our first real frost last night, Jack covered the tomatoes lightly with
a blanket, will have to see if they made it. There are still a lot of green
tomatoes not large enough to pick.

Fall is bright and pretty for us this year. Part of our family will have
Thanksgiving lunch with Granddaughter Sarah and her family. My Jack will
cook the Turkey here and carry it with us. We will take 4 pies and my
brother in Austin will come with Hyde Park fudge cake, a famous treat from
an Austin bakery. We will also have friends and family in and out here at
home with plenty of pies and tea. Jack's Pecan pie is much celebrated!

A Connecticut friend sent a box of bittersweet branches last month, they are
decorating our breakfast room. I have faux berries in wreaths and
candle wreaths for the dining room and more on the front porch with a
pumpkin. We have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Christmas decorating will replace it all this next Friday! Already I am
enjoying the CD's of Christmas music. And the dolls have put their
Christmas tree up this week, a precious old feather tree with ornaments
carefully collected back since we moved. Happy Thanksgiving to you and
yours. Warmly, Edyth
Please click on the photos to make them larger

I hear Christmas is coming

Doll making friends Elaine and Martha came to Fredericksburg Sunday for a visit. While we had pumpkin nut bread and tea in the kitchen, the dolls had a party of their own in the dining room. Look how many dolls Elaine has made and finished since the last visit a few months back! The red bed is one I got at the Withington Auction in October, Martha made a precious quilt for it that just fits!

The Belsnickle in a blue coat is one I made in 1986, he lives with my daughter Beth. I enjoy him because he is a doll not just a figure. When it is not Christmas season, he can take off his coat and show off neat little every day clothes. His beard is quilted as are his applied ears. He is a cloth doll with oil painted face and hair.

At our house, I always get a feather tree up for the dolls before our main tree. I started that today, Monday. Old dolls look their best at Christmas around a tree, or at least nearby.

Maybe you know what Flash mobs are, here is a video of something wonderful created by a flash mob technique. My friend Virginia sent it to me, she is a bit my senior and is always on the cutting edge of technology, with what her husband described as the fastest double click in the West!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU&feature=player_embedded

A doll auction in New Hampshire

Jack did not want to stay in New England for the doll auction, so I attended with my friend Dixie Redmond. It was a great time for renewed friendships with dealers Jack and I used to buy from, and also to meet new people. It was a wild full hard 4 days, to fly up and back and ship the dolls home and attend the three auctions! I had a smashingly good time!

Two of the dolls were bought from individuals selling in that hotel, part of a "Doll Show" sactioned by Withington's. The best doll, the pressed cloth head one was won at the auction, as were 2 lots of nice clothing for my largest dolls and a dear little red rope bed in doll size. I sat between 2 friends and we all 3 were bidding on the Izannah Walker dolls! I did not win one, but I did get to sit beside two of them and loved them! Those are molded cloth heads, cousins to the molded cloth head doll I did bring home, as well as to several others in the large offering.
The wax head child with the interesting body is a Motschmann type, from about 1865. The pressed cloth head may date about the same or a little earlier. The large glass eyed paper mache doll made by Andreas Voit is 36 inches tall and wears childrens clothing. She is much older than the other two. I bought the red print dress for her. She loves it! I have promised to restore her worn out leather arms as best I can.
Click all photos to see them larger.