Christmas Hearts by Cindy

Photo by Cindy

 

Clair Mends a Childhood Quilt

My mother must have made this quilt for me some time in the 1940s, as I remember it being on my bed when I was quite small. Over the years it had gotten worn and was mended by some clumsy hand stitching (probably mine when I was a teenager). When the quilt was too far gone for further use, it was put away in a cedar chest, where it lay folded for decades. 

This is what much of it looked like:

After much thought (years and years of thought!) I finally decided I was brave enough to try to save what was salvageable. I cut off the two sides that were in the worst shape, added binding to the cut edges, and then took out the awkward old hand stitched mending. This made all the tears and worn spots visible and ready to be dealt with. 

Next, I used fusible interfacing, cut into tiny pieces and inserted into large rips and into small places where the fabric was worn. It was painstaking work, just perfect for this terrible pandemic year. When a piece of interfacing was set in place--sometimes with tweezers-- between the two layers of ancient fabric, I used a damp pressing cloth and a steam iron to fuse the three layers together. Tiny scissors trimmed away stray threads. 

And here it is: Faded, worn, and somewhat smaller than it used to be--but it is hanging where I can see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night, just the way I remember seeing it when I was a child. 

 

Clair Repurposes Handknit Socks

These Fair Isle socks were a lot of work to make but a pleasure to wear. When the heels wore out, something had to be done. Parts were snipped off...

...and some ribbing was added. From worn socks to cozy wrist warmers!

Memorize the Kitchener Stitch

 I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but every time I need to do some grafting with the Kitchener stitch I have to look up the process. This video by Lorilee Beltman will make a big difference to us all! I first saw it on Modern Daily Knitting here. 

Watch this video and you'll be a Kitchener expert. 

Cindy's Latest Dolls

Photos by Cindy

 

Elva and Clair's Quilt

From Clair: Long after my mother Elva died, I found some appliqued and embroidered squares that she had made around 1935. They had been tucked away in her cedar chest and overlooked for a very long time. My mother was in her 20s when she made the squares; I put them together when in my mid-70s. It's a partially posthumous quilt, therefore, that was 85 years in the making!

Some Finished Projects: Clair

Baby sweaters and hats for the Syrian refugee camp in Jordan