When speaking of those boxes a couple of months ago I said I was hoping for them to be filled with beautiful vintage buttons... and indeed, they will. Have been.
I knew you all would love Paula's gorgeous green buttons I have posted to my flickr account yesterday... they are really precious. As are those lovely haberdasheries Alison indulged me with about a month ago (remember this?)... those wooden spools... all carefully chosen, all so beautiful. Alison also sent some vintage bias tape, gorgeous pins and delicate vintage buttons.... lucky boxes, happy me.
See that girl in the picture?
It is my paternal grandmother, 1916, age 15.
My grandmother must have been a busy crafter at some time in her life, I guess, because there were tablecloths and a Gobelin tapestry I do remember very well. I know she did crochet, needlepoint and embroidery but I never actually saw her crafting. It must have happened before I was old enough to really recognize what was happening around me.
I recall inheriting her embroidery thread treasure box and her oh so tiny crochet hooks.
Unfortunately I have no clue where those hooks went in the course of the years, I would love to use them today.
larger image here
The hamster wheel / wallflower#2, made because I had to let my hands do something instead of do nothing just because I could not think of what to do first... Now that it appears I found my way into crochet after having been trying for so long, I felt following in my grandmother's footsteps would be the obvious thing to do.
Making this doily was fun and recreation, just what I hoped for. Besides, I like the result and have now an impression of the time and patience that went into my grandmother's lacework. Or restlessness, who knows.
The pattern came from a book, which is full of hidden beauties, well hidden beauties, some photos actually are looking quite hideous, but if you think away loud coloured shiny satin and imagine natural linen... The instructions for various kinds of handicrafts such as knitting, needlepoint, cross stitch or crochet are essential and easy to follow. Of course, the book is in German... hat jemand ausser mir dieses Buch? Mal was draus gemacht?
Still I don't know on whose blog I came across the matcha cake, but I have a link to the recipe I used, it's here.
Have a good day!