Monday, June 22, 2009

Presents for MEEEEEEE!!!

I just got the most wonderful package from Mrs. Mac!



Have you ever seen Swedish embroidery? It's usually done on blankets or on huck kitchen towels. Mrs. Mac did this towel when she was in SECOND GRADE. For those of you not familiar with the American school system, that would be when she was about SEVEN YEARS OLD.



Take a closer look! Click on the image to see it better.


The coolest thing about Swedish embroidery is that it is invisible from the back. It's all worked on the front, picking up just the top layer of threads. I am always amazed by it. But knowing how little Mrs. Mac was when she did this work just floors me. I sure didn't have the patience to do this kind of handwork at 7! In fact I don't have it now.

Mrs. Mac sent me all these goodies because the towel doesn't go with her kitchen colors and never will. She included those wonderful red and green crocheted dishcloths. I love crocheted dishcloths! I resolve to use these, as tempting as it is to just keep and admire them. By the way, the colors are perfect in MY kitchen. I think I need to add a towel rack at eye level so I can admire them while working at the sink.


Those interesting looking fabric packages in the first photo are homemade soaps, each with its own slice of loofah. The rectangular one is guest soap and the round one is "gardening soap," with an abrasive in it to scrub the dirt from your fingers after you weed. They scented the whole package beautifully. Plus I get to add the squares of fabric to some interesting project or another.


Next was this vintage Folkwear pattern for sweet prairie style dresses for little girls. Mrs. Mac's little girls are all grown up, and it was so nice of her to pass this along to me. Folkwear patterns are excellent.


And lastly, here are three little Wade Pottery critters. Red Rose Tea critters, if I'm not mistaken. Aren't they precious? They are going straight into the type tray with all of Lil Miss A's Wade circus figures that she doesn't actually know belong to her. (Maybe I should tell her. I was under orders not to let her have them when she was too little to take care of them; she's old enough now.)

8 comments:

Connie said...

Great stuff; however, I do believe that those dishclothes are knitted and not crocheted.

Maria Stahl said...

You're probably right. I do so little with yarn I wouldn't know. :o)

Shallowsister said...

I've never seen Swedish embroidery before; it is stunning!

Connie said...

Actually, they're knitted in the middle and the borders are crocheted. I looked again.

Susan Holt Simpson said...

Wow! That was fun! Sure admire that embroidery,

s

Mrs. Mac said...

I was wondering when you'd be getting the package. I forgot all about the little 'pets' tucked in there for Miss A. Please post a pic of the goodies in your kitchen :) ... and for sure, use the dish cloths ... after a few washings, they are at their best. I'm glad you like the Swedish embroidery. It really was simple to make ... but now I'd need a magnifying glass or bifocals to make another one for sure!!! :)

Terry said...

oh boy.. a present for you?
i would like to rephrase this and say that you are a present for us!!
it will be so nice to have a sister from iowa!
our diane has family in iowa and so do i..!
oh! so nice and iowa is like the prairies of canada, eh?
welcome dear sister..love terry

Deb said...

Wow --what an awesome gift! Something Mrs. Mac made when she was only seven?!...I can't picture my Olivia (just turned seven last Thursday) EVER having the patience to work that embroidery. It's simply beautiful!!

I'm looking forward to getting to know you better! Welcome to our Sisterhood!