About Easter

It is a very gray and cold Holy Saturday which will warm up soon when I begin to make Gramma Elsie's homemade dinner rolls and Hot Cross buns made with black currents, just like Gramma used.  No citron ... candied fruit that we used exclusively for our Christmas Fruitcake.

While Easter was held in my home for many years, I am now a guest who brings something to add to the table.  Each year it is homemade dinner rolls and this year I will add the Hot Cross buns that were the most consistent treat at Easter dinner at Gramma Elsie's. 
It is brightening outside, it is time to begin this wonderful warm fragrant and delicious tradition!

Spring Sewing Bug

Over the course of the winter "me and my 1966 Viking Huskvagna sewing machine" mended clothes, shortened pants and curtains.  Just about all I have done in recent years, alter and mend! Strangely, these mundane tasks I take so for granted and going with friends to a fabric store to pick out accessories rekindled my desire to sew clothing for myself.

So Friday morning I bought the most amazing irridescent blue silk to make a tunic to wear over my basic black older than the hills still perfectly good dress for my upcoming "spring flings."  And wouldn't you just know it, my Viking  for the first time in 44 years needs to go to the repair shop for something other than a good cleaning and basic adjustment.  It winds bobbins but it refuses to sew!

So, I took out my "older" antique sewing machne.  It is a portable Singer in a round topped wooden case and operates when the "sewing arm" is attached to the right front of the machine. A light press of the knee sets it in purring  motion sewing straight even beautiful stitches which is all I need to make the tunic and most of the time all I need to mend, hem, alter clothing and curtains.

Today the pattern is trimmed and pressed, the bobbin is wound and I am ready to create real clothes again!  It is a gorgeous spring morning with people walking and jogging while birds whisk by my den window.  A perfect day to sew!  It is also Palm Sunday, Wuthering Heights Opera at the Ordway and tonight a Seder meal with friends.  This joyful project will be created during Holy Week - in the evening - and it is good.

Next Sunday is Easter and I will wear the tunic and once again celebrate that this side of my creative self is back in gear ... sure am glad I have the old Singer for back-up!

About antiques



My antique rocker

 Yup, I have two of these amazing rockers in my living room along with an 1800s camel backed upholstered and mahogany sofa.  Lovely and "sweet." But they no longer serve my needs in the way they have for the past twenty years.  My grandchildren are growing up, no babies to rock and the "grands" no longer find the rockers fun - the sofa was once a parlor piece - used only on special occasions.  These days I need solid and serviceable.

The time has come to update my living room furniture with perhaps a hide-a-bed sofa and a couple of upholstered chairs.  The "family trunk" must stay as well as my mom's primitive hutch.  Because of its size it too is in the living room, it is really too large for my small dining room.

I also have a late 1800's drop leaf country school table in my upstairs office.  For a time it was my dining room table - now it proudly holds my copier/printer.  I open one 30" drop leaf when I have paper work to do.  That is NOW! Tax time is here and I cannot put it off another day.  It is really quite wonderful taking up only 15 x 40 inches of the floor space most of the time - 75 inches when both leaves are up.  It too is ready to move on so I can get a small desk where I can work on my lap top, write notes and do paperwork.  I have an antique walnut doctors chair that was used at the Mayo Clinic years and years ago that will be perfect to use with the desk.  The printer, telephone and wireless router will move to an inexpensive side stand that hold office supplies.

Now all I have to do is figure out how I can sell these wonderful antique pieces.  The first "expert buyer" arrived yesterday - commented on the beauty and exquisite condition of these pieces - but declined to buy - yup the market is "flat."  I may just need to use all these pieces a little longer...or I may need to do more research and keep calling until I find the right buyer!   Just thinkin' about calling until I find the right buyer...