Work of Many Hands

Several years ago, maybe 15, I was really into rose afghans.  I still like them and to this date have made several for others but never one for myself.  I would like to have one but each time I start one I think---I think so and so would like this and when it is finished, I send it away.  Maybe some day I will have mine but not quite yet.  This one belongs to my second daughter, Sarah.  Kim chose to have hers with pinks and purples.  I think the pattern was lost when we moved into this house but I borrow the girl's and sit and count the stitches out and after the first block, it all comes back.  Anyway, this is something I made.    

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Look who came to live at our house!  My daughter made this Turkey and gave it to me yesterday at our Spinning Guild meeting.  He is made of plastic canvas and his arms and legs move so you can pose it.  Just in time for Thanksgiving.  He measures 19 inches long and about a foot wide so no little decoration.  She did a great job of making him.  She had a pattern but changed it to suit her vision better and he is colorful, cheerful and will make all of us smile to look at him.  Thank you, Kim, for your creativeness and for adding to our family Thanksgiving decorations! Nov. 22, 2011. :)

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You know how you become interested in something and you start buying the tools to do that interest?  Well, that was me.  In this photo, on the right is a spinning wheel,  a Norwegian Double Table with a built in Lazy Kate to hold the bobbins.  To the left a Reeler.  The wheel spins beautifully.  It is quite large and I needed a space to hold it when I am not using it.  Also it has lots of tiny pieces and when my granddaughters were little, I was afraid little fingers would break them so up on the shelf it always goes when I am not using it.  This wheel was made just for me by a very talented man from Proctor, MN.  I have had it about 20 years now.  The reeler is not an item I have used but it was hand made by another Duluth crafter from an old style pattern.  It is much older than the spinning wheel.  More very talented works of many hands! 

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Back when I was still a teenager, I began collecting sunbonnets.  This is a few of the ones I have.  There are some that are over 100 years old, there are some that are fairly new and they have come from several states.  Not all of them are in this photo but I couldn't fit anymore in and have them show up real well.  I don't know what it would be like to wear one of these all the time but it was part of a woman and girl's every day clothing probably until the 1930's in rural areas. 

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These are pattern samples made anywhere from 60 to 80 years ago by either my Grandmother or her Mother.  One of my cousins has been sharing some of Grandma's treasures with me.  I have several more sample patterns made by various family members.  I didn't know what they were for a long time but now that I do, I understand why they made them.  I think my Grandmother, her Sisters and their Mother made and exchanged them.  Anyway, I think they are interesting and I am enjoying them.

My Grandmother crocheted the dress for a doll such as this back in the 1940's.  I don't know who it was  intended for but I have had it since I was married, 38 years ago.  The doll belonged to someone else too and the dress fit perfectly.  I think they must be about the same age.

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I love the big bowl and pitures.  My 2nd sister made this for me when she was really into ceramics about 30 years ago.  She made several for different family members.  This is huge.  It would hold about 2 gallons of water if I were to put water into it.  Can you imagine how heavy that would be?   Another treasure hand made for me! 

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These little chickens are fun for the kids.  They are egg cozys and place card favors.  two of them are stuffed and the name card is pinned to the side.  The other two you put the boiled egg (Easter Egg) inside and set them on the plates for Easter Breakfast.  The white one in the front is crocheted and the rest are knitted.  The white and orange cozys were from my Mom when my kids were little.  The others came from a lady at a flea market a couple years ago when I was trying to buy a nesting hen candy dish.  The lady said she would throw them in for free if I would buy the candy dish.  No problem.  The grandkids liked them.

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This little stool/bench was a Christmas gift from some friends.  Our friend, Don, loves woodworking but uses old pre-electric tools to do everything.  He has a lot of talent and I wish I could show you some of the beautiful pieces he and his wife have made.  It is like stepping back in time.  When I said he made this, the only thing he didn't do was the covering on the seat.  His wife found this wool fabric which matched the colors of our livingroom at the time.  Don cut the tree, sawed the lumber, used a tool to pound out the dowel pins and every tool he used was something that would have been used a hundred or more years ago.  As I have said before, I do appreciate the "WORK OF MANY HANDS"

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This is the first counted cross stitch project I have ever worked on.  At the time, we were raising Belgian Draft Horses and I thought it would be neat to have this sampler.  It came from a book one of my sister's had and I borrowed.  I thought it was fun to do this sampler and it turned out pretty good.

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This photo is old--------yep, old.  It was taken 18 years ago.  My brother came for a visit and said he wanted a photo of me with all my spinning toys.  I have 3 spinning wheels, a Picker, a DrumcCarder, a Lazy Kate, a basket of raw wool and a basket of yarn all spun up.  All these tools were hand made and most were made for me.  This is a soothing craft and I am glad it is something I am able to do. 

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I don't know why but the photos I added of the counted cross stitch pieces that my daughter made vanished off this page.  I will add them again because they are mine and I like them.  My daughter, Kim, does a great job with counted cross stitch and made these for me for various gifts.

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My eldest sister made this table cloth doily.  It is 4 feet in diameter and in the pineapple pattern.  She does beautiful work and I really like how it dresses up our kitchen.  I am not sure how long I have had this pretty table cloth doily but I am pretty sure it has been at least 20 years.

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This cupboard was made for us, by a man my husband met before we were married.  Mr. Issacson was a cabinent maker by trade, and my husband worked for a lumber company and sometimes Mr. Puff-n-Stuff would go with him to help on a job.  We were married in November and for our first Christmas he gave us this beautiful Maple cupboard.  He said he just wanted us to have something special from him.  When our babies came along, he made them little tables and benches and a toy box.  He has been gone from this life for many years now but the pieces of furniture he made for us almost 40 years ago are still special reminders of a kindly elderly man from our past.  I want to mention the ceramic Christmas Tree is another hand made piece.  My 2nd sister made it for me in the early 1970's.  We have it sitting out every Christmas and I think of Bonnie.

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My eldest sister for a time was really interested in making door stops.  I think everyone in the family received a chicken or a doll or something she thought they might like in a door stop.  The first one she made me was stolen!  Can you believe having someone come over and steal a chicken door stop? I received a second one from my sister shortly after that.  Isn't it fun to see what people are interested in crafting?  I happen to like chickens and have received several chicken door stops from 2 other people.  I remember as a kid, our Bible School craft project was door stops.  The girls made dolls and the boys something else.  We took little plastic dolls from the dime store and dressed them however we wanted.  Then we had a coffee can which we had placed a heavy rock in the bottom and filled the rest of the way to the top with plaster  paris and put the doll into the wet plaster up to it's waist.  When it set up, we had a door stop with a long skirt.   

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Back about 20 years ago, I was always drawing stars and giving them faces.  I had a big piece of paper and it was filled with smiling stars.  I kept telling myself that some day, I would make one from cloth.  I never got around to it but was still drawing stars with faces.  We had gone to an antique and stuff store and we were walking thru this packed pole barn and there hanging from a big china cupboard were some stars, just like what I kept drawing.  I was so excited.  I know, it is a simple little object maybe 6 or 7 inches long but this one stood out to me.  It even was signed by the maker,  "Lorri"  I had to buy it.  I laid my $6 down on the counter and carried the star out to our car and it has hung in my kitchen in 2 houses now.  My name is Lori, not Lorri but I love this little piece of someone else's imagination.  It had received a tea bath when it was made to make it look old and it is very rustic.  There were others made in a crazy quilt style out of wool but the pieces were to big and just didn't appeal to me but this one I like.

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For Christmas, 1977, my Father-in-law made all kinds of wooden toys for his grandchildren.  These two pull toy horses were made for my youngest daughter and my son who were very little babies.  I wanted to keep these horses safe and from getting hurt but Grandpa said they were for the kids and if they got broken, he would fix them.  Our oldest daughter received a wooden wheelbarrow and our other daughter received a little wooden wagon that Grandpa made.  The next year he made the girls a set of doll bunk beds and our son a wooden train.  I have the horses here but the other toys are with their owners all grown up.  These horses have broken parts and I have them.  Just need to get them all put back together.  

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When my husband and I moved into our new house 6 years ago, my cousin in the Seattle area sent this stained glass sun catcher.  Isn't it beautiful?  It is about 10" in diameter and most of the time hangs in my kitchen where the morning sun comes thru the glass door.  I love the rainbows it fills the kitchen with and it makes me smile.  She does beautiful work, very carefully crafted and all the silver  and soder are so smooth and perfectly joined.  It has little glass balls around it so there is texture to the piece besides color.  Best of all, it looks like a giant snowflake.  Ok, I know at this time of year, we all want spring flowers and grass but I do love snowflakes too!  

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Can you guess what these are made of?  Tea balls and beads.  My sister out west sent them to me.  She has some hanging in her closets, laundry rooms and other areas that need some freshening up.  They are filled with different kinds of good smelling stuff, lavender, rose petals, dryer sheets and other ideas.  They can be as different and creative as the maker wishes.  I think you could add them to a christmas tree too.

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These are aprons from 3 generations of my family.  I made the green and pink one when I was about 14 years old.  It is the one and only cross-stitch gingham apron I have made.  My Mom made the yellow with the purple and yellow pansys and my Grandmother made the gray  and pink snowflake one.  My Mom and Grandmother made this kind of aprons a lot.  I think the gray one was made in the 1950's or 60's and the yellow one was made in the early 1980's and I did the green one in the 1960's.  I look at them and remember my Mom working on her aprons or quilt blocks.  They are warm memories of a wonderful Mom! 

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Mr. Puff-n-Stuff has always loved chaps!  At one time he wanted to be a cowboy and we raised Quarter Horses and then his interests changed to Belgian Draft Horses but he still wanted some "Woolies" so we bought some sheep hides from a friend and took them to a harness maker friend and told him what was wanted.  He told us, "No Problem"! Quoted us a price and we came home happy.  Almost 3 years went by and no chaps.  We had forgotten about them.  One day we got a call that the chaps were ready but the price had gone up----------a lot!  We took the 2 hour drive over to the harness maker and there they were in all their glory!  He told us the story of how the chaps traveled around the country before coming back to Minnesota and why it took so long.  Most wooley chaps are made from Angora or other hair producing goats and these were sheep.  The wool is heavier, thicker and so are the hides.  They were cut in one state, sent to someone who stitched the leather in another state, sent to yet another state to have the belt portion made and fitted and then back here for the finishing touches.  These things weigh about 20 pounds.  Then we had word from a couple of the people who had a hand in making them that they wanted to buy them and what they were worth.  LOTS more than we had imagined.  No, Mr. Puff-n-Stuff didn't sell them.  He will never wear them as they are heavy and hard to walk in.  It makes for a fun story when he tells people tho. 

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I made this basket.  It is huge, about the size of a laundry basket.  I have it displayed on a cupboard right now with flowers inside it and small baskets around it.  Kim made one like this.  Hers is a bit deeper than mine.

This first basket on the left is Kim's Tote basket which is narrower and taller than mine which is on the far right. I stained mine with a dark oak stain after this picture was taken.  The basket in the middle is Kim's clothes pin basket.  I didn't go to this class.  We both made Jelly baskets too.  I don't have pictures of them yet.     

My daughter, Kim, and I took some basket making classes and I was so impressed with the finished products!  We did it!  We made baskets that are functionable and beautiful andf had a really great time learning how.  I did fine but was pretty slow.  I made 3 different baskets and Kim has made a few more.  What do you think?  Well, of course we did great!  Well I think so anyway. 

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I had a big kiln for firing pottery and ceramics but had never used it.  I know a couple in town who have a shop of great pottery pieces and was in need of a kiln so I told them they could have mine if they came and got it.  They did come and said the kiln was next to new.  I was thrilled it would have a new home and I would have space where it and all of it's stuff sat.  They gave me this wonderful hand thrown basket which I keep on my coffee table.  It lends itself to decorations for every season and holiday.  The basket is from the table top to the top of the handle, 18".  It is 17" wide and 20" long.  Here you can see my Easter eggs which are mostly hand made too.  I have 2 wooden eggs, 2 mable eggs, and maybe 20 pottery and ceramic eggs.  Sometimes it holds flowers, sometimes fall leaves and sometimes it is empty and just as beautiful.  Thank you my friends from Lumberg Pottery!  The tatted doily beneath the basket was made by my husband's grandmother back in the 1960's.  I would love to learn to tat!

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Six years ago, my 10 year old niece wanted to make me something.  She knew I made dolls and had other dolls that are hand made.  By herself, she created this family.  I knitted a doll for her in exchange.  I was so impressed that first she wanted to make me something and then that she made not one but four dolls to add to my little collection.  Now she is a teenager and on to sports and her friends and I still think these dolls are just great!  Thank you, Anna! 

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There is a TV channel that says find something good in the world.  Here again is the work of a very talented hand.  My cousin, Bobbie, is fantastic with leather craft.  She designs and crafts such amazing pieces.  These belts were made for Mr. Puff-n-Stuff and me a couple years ago and they fit great---something happened and they no longer fit.  I don't want to say we gained weight but the truth is---we did.  These belts have our names across the back.  The horses look just like some we raised here.  I do so appreciate everyone's talents and hard work! 

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My youngest brother has been making small wood working projects since he was a teenager.  These two benches were made for me by him about 1991.  The blue one with the pink swans and pink lid were stained the country colors.  The other one he left the finish up to me and I chose to stain and varnish in an oak stain and glossy finish.  I can't tell you which I like better as I love both of them.  The seat is a lid and below is storage space for all kinds of treasures.  I am always amazed by everyone's talents and impressed at the same time.  Every hand made gift I have received from someone holds a place dear in my heart.  The makers were thinking of me when they made their craft.  How much better than that can it get? 

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These are 2 needle socks.  I have made 4 needle socks and tube socks but learned on the 2 needle pattern and have made hundreds of pairs.  My kids must have piles and so do my grandkids.  Here it is nice to have warm heavy socks in the winter.  I had never made myself any until last Christmas when I made them for the whole family.

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Aren't these two tables cute?  They were a gift to my daughter by a friend of hers.  The rectangle table is 12" wide, 23" long and 23" high.  The round table is 14" in diameter and 27" high.  The lady that gave them to my daughter told her that her husband had made them for her over 50 years ago.  She had collected buttons since she was a young lady and her husband picked out buttons that he liked and built the shadow box table tops for the buttons and then covered them with plexi-glass to protect the buttons.  She was going into a nursing home and wanted to give them to someone that would treasure them as she had all those years.  It is really fun to see the tables and pick out buttons that I have or have seen that are like those in the tables.  People are so talented and creative.  

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These two doilies were made by my Maternal Grandmother, Ida Sandoz Ohlsen.  The first one she made in 1921 while she awaited the birth of her second child.  It is linen embroidered in a pale gold and then she crocheted the lace edging.  She gave this doily to my mother back in the early 1960's.  The second doily she made for me in 1968 for my "hope chest" which she began for me when I was a young girl.  Over the years she would send doilies, aprons and pin coushions for the hope chest, all made with love by her for me.  I have quite a few crocheted items from her.  When she was a little girl, her mother taught her and her sisters to sew, knit, crochet, tat and many other kinds of needlework.  Mostly she loved to crochet.  Her hands would go a mile a minute and sometimes she seemed to never look at her work.  I loved watching her work.



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In the fall of 1981, I was in town and passed the health food store and saw the owner spinning with a drop spindle and I was caught!  I went inside and just watched until she stopped and pulled out another spindle and gave it to me.  Shortly I was spinning a fine yarn and enjoying it so much.  I went back several times and then one day she said that a friend of hers was making Spinning Wheels.  He had purchased a pattern from Clems and Clems and did I want a wheel too.  Sure!  So  two weeks later we were in her little store and another lady came in to work with us.  We learned in short order and I have been spinning every since.  Mr. Hufford, the man who made the wheels has long since passed on and I remember the lady who got me started only as "Phyllis from the Health Food Store!"  She moved away that winter and I never saw nor heard from her again but I so appreciate what she did for me.

I have spun mountains of yarn on this wheel and I think of Mr. Hufford and Phyllis.  Here is my "Hufford Wheel 30 years later.  Still spinning a fine yarn.

My Great Grandmother Sandoz made a crocheted bedspread from this pattern in the 1880's in Switzerland and brought it to America with her in 1889 when she came here to marry my Great Grandfather.  Her 3 daughters all made bedapreads from this same pattern and my Great Aunt Myrt Petersen made a sample square in 1977, for me, hoping I would make a spread too.  I haven't yet but some day, who knows.  I think it is really pretty and a full spread would be beautiful.

  

 This doll was hand carved for me by my sister-in-law, Peggy in 1975.  I found a pattern and had it for years before showing her.  She did a wonderful job of carving and painting.  The doll is 17 1/2" tall with completely movable joints.  How cool is this! 

About 20 years ago, my eldest sister wanted to try making dolls.  She loves babies and baby dolls were a natural for her.  These are two Byelo babies she made when she was first starting out.  Since these dolls, she has made several hundred dolls and has entered them into a lot of west coast doll shows where she has received top honors several times.  I have 10 dolls that she has made and each one is wonderful.

My sister in law made this doll for me some time ago.  I just love it.  It is a Godey Lady Doll with all the ruffles and trimmings.  I just love it.  She is so talented and artistic.  The doll is made of a  muslin body and the hair is made of embroidery floss.  The shoes have little seed beads for ilets.  The doll is about 9 inches tall and a real favorite of mine.

Godey Lady Doll

Godey Lady Doll

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Grandma Schoonover's Doily

My Dad's mother made this doily over 60 years ago.  It was made well before I came onto the scene but my Mom always told me that Grandma made them for her grandchildren and she kept this one for me  and when I moved away from home, my Mom gave it to me with the story of how she made one for each of my siblings to remember her by.  I was 6 years old when my Grandma passed away so it is nice to have a treasure made by her meant for me even if I wasn't thought of when she made it.  It is made of cotton thread and is 9 inches square.