Welcome to My Red Cape. Long ago in another time my husband Jack and I lived in a little old red house. It was the stuff of dreams to us for the few years that we were there. I live there still a number of hours every day in imagination, with old dolls and paintings and fabrics and feather trees. I draw inspiration and happiness from the memories of that space in time and share some of it here with friends who remember how to step with Alice through the looking glass and take delight in whimsies and antiquities. ~Edyth O’Neill

Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 out




Our trip to Maine was a highlight of our year for me. I look back on hopes I had for the year at it's beginning, and foremost was Jack's health as he battles cancer. We are blessed with new medication and so can plan future time together. After that biggie, I promised myself I would concentrate on painting more, and have done that! It is a rich pleasure, a celebration of the beauty God has spread before us. (And a plea for it's preservation.) I also hoped I would at last work on my silver jewelry and mend some and make some to replace lost pieces. That happened too! What did not happen was the loss of at least 10 pounds. Sorry about that! So with these thoughts, I am planning to do more in the next year, about organizing and mending doll clothes and bodies, and of course still spend serious study time on art. I put dolls very much on a back burner in 2011, as I find it hard to ride more than one hobby horse at a time with concentration. I seem to do one thing at a time. I wish each of my friends good luck as we all try to balance our needs and interests. Consider how fortunate we are to have too many interests and never have to face being bored! With 3 great grandchildren now as well as lots of grands, Jack and I have full lives indeed. Happy New year everyone! E

Answering a question in comments, yes this photo was made at Ogunquit.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Aunt Beulah's chocolates recipe

Within our family, called Aunt BuBu's choclolates. This is the easiest and best chocolate candy we know. Only four ingredients to gather:
I pound, now 4 boxes of Baker's semi sweet chocolate squares, one can of eagle brand sweetened condensed milk, almost 2 cups of pecons broken up, and a good dash of salt, not too much.
Cut the chocolate up fine so it will melt easily in a saucepan over on the stove. Add milk, and dash of salt. Stirring constantly with a plastic spatula or such that keeps it from sticking, melt the milk and salt and chocolate, stirring quickly till smooth. Then add pecons and very quickly dab it out on an aluminum foil covered surface like my big drawing board. It will start to set up immediately, so two pair of hands are good at this stage. Then we carry the board full of candy to a cooler unused part of the house and leave it a couple of hours to finish setting up. Store in a covered glass jar or tin, and do not refrigerate. Will last well up to 2 weeks so is a good mailer. Let me know how it comes out for you! Edyth

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Papier mache dolls mostly

























































These are not mine, but are from another doll family. Note the artist made Father Christmas figure. This woodland Santa is very gnome like. His head is formed of paper clay I believe. As always I hope you will click on each picture to see it larger. E

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.























































































































































































The punch bowl has a favorite simple combination, of one part Asti Spumonti one part white grape juice, one part Canada Dry Gingerale. You can leave out the Asti for a nice family drink. I put the ice in a side bowl so as not to dilute the punch. Chill the rest before hand.

Thank you for the nice comments several of you have left. The blue transfer print Staffordshire and the large Staffordshire cows were part of Jack's Mother's collection. The blue and white Delft in the red corner cupboard is something Jack and I have collected over time.

The fireplace is covered by our wide screen TV. The fire here is a DVD of a flickering fire, It was almost too much for our camera, I won't picture this again.








Fall Color in December



It is fall in my back yard finally in mid December. Inside it is nearly Christmas, with the proper cooking and decorating going on and music playing to help all that! E

Monday, December 5, 2011

Note cards from my art work









Among the projects I am in the middle of, are a half drawn apron pattern for dolls, and a pile of note cards I am printing and cutting and packaging to sell. This year I have some from my fraktur drawings, some from my Pemaquid Light house painting, as well as the the set of little 18th century wooden dolls.

I can't believe how the dining room table looks! We are in the midst of Christmas decorating, with all the beautiful fruit and greenery bought some years back from County Gatherings in San Antonio. We put this up everywhere and then closer to Christmas I add in gorgeous magnolia leaves from the yard, Magnolia Grandiflora and Little Gem Magnolias. We brought them through the hottest driest summer in my life time, by carrying bath water and kitchen rinse water in buckets ouside to the thirsty trees. We are grateful for an inch and a tenth of rain this last week end. It was general and much of Texas got it, some more some less. Hope those friends nearby all got part of this Blessing! Edyth

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Doll quilts from Marian































Fine small quilts like these are every bit as much art as a painting to hang on the wall. Beautiful, thank you for sharing. The Bears paw is a favorite for me.

The first quit I ever made was a full size bear's paw in red calico. This was in 1952. I underestimated the amount I woud need and by the time I was done piecing several months later, the fabric was all sold from the retailer in the rural West Texas town of Comanche. I went to the store and asked the proprietor about getting more. She contacted others who she rememberd very well having bought that fabric, and two brought in their scraps for me!!! Try that now!! I did not feel I could quilt my first top, lacking space, ability etc, so I took it to a woman in Pottsville who was recomended in my church, and she did a nice job of quilting it by the piece, for an incredble $9. I had to furnish the thread. Then I got it back and bound it myself. My daughter Beth has the quilt now, not a machine stitch in it. E

Monday, November 21, 2011

Australian book request

Hello Marian in Australia! Thank you for writing about the Pockets and Rollups book. I am sorry I cannot manage the extra forms and hassle of mailing outside continental USA. I am almost 81 and am taking some things easier in order to do other things still. I will have to add that to the blog note about the book. My error, I apologize.

Perhaps I can scan the Pockets book to pdf and make it available that way also. It has many antique doll quilts, just your thing! We lost all of the dolls but one pictured in that book when our beloved red Cape burned down in 2005. All of the antique textiles in the book were lost without exception. The photo and text pages will be great on pdf files. It is the pattern sheets that I am concerned to get just right

About Rugs for my Red Cape, I have only a few Rug books left in hard copy, like 20 or fewer, and my daughter has some in her closet too so in case of fire they would not all be gone. I have many grandchildren and already 3 great grands, and am keeping these last books for future needs, so the book is out of print and no more are to be had except the pdf’s. The pictures on a good computer screen are so much more vivid than on a printed page.

I’ll bet your doll quilts are beautiful. Send Dixie and me both a few photos. And you will love one of her dolls! Congratulations on that choice.
Have a Great Day. Edyth

Post Script, Now an answer from Marian in Australia!

Dear Edyth,
I would like to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving..it’s a very special time to be surrounded by those you love.
I also wanted to let you know that I purchased your Rug book pdf last night and it’s a delight to behold, a real treasure..thank you!!
Warm Regards...Marian xo

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Lovely Doll Quilts: Antique and New






















































Charming small antique quilts made just for dolls are treasured collectibles in their own right. Old ones are quite pricey, but some lovely ones are made today. Here is a group of doll quilts from Three Texas Collections. Many were made by friend Martha. The large wax doll is quilting on a precious top from tiny old civil war age squares. At her feet are little rugs made by Martha.










































To see more articles on making antique doll quilts, visit Maida .http://www.maidatoday.com/



A glorious link for more doll size quilts! These are true art. http://collectorwithaneedle.blogspot.com/

Monday, November 7, 2011

November starts the Holidays for us














Hello to the many friends who are readers here. Thank you for the emails and comments you share with me. Jack and I will be part of a large family group at Granddaughter Sarah's house for the Thanksgiving meal, but Pumpkins and wreaths are in place in our own home also. We have already made pumpkin pies and nut bread several times, as well as having laid in a supply of pecans from the new crop. We live fully in today, but I cannot help remembering Thanksgiving in our beloved Red Cape at the farm a few years ago. Look back with me in these pictures.


These are images from my book "Rugs for my Red Cape" which I am working with to create a down loadable e book. Wish me luck on that! Warmly, Edyth

Friday, November 4, 2011

A Day for making Art in Fredericksburg TX






















































































Artists are Brian Grimm ~ Jerry Ricketson ~ Sara Winters in the courtyard at Whistle Pik Gallery. A gorgeous day! E

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