It is winter...still...so the bed gets piled higher and higher with quilts.

I found this jewel...in all the soft 'Peter Rabbit colors'...at the flea market last weekend....


...along with this one....


and, as they were purchased together...the dealer made us a bit of a deal. I was simply ecstatic to find such treasures in one fell swoop!

This is a close up of the Dresden Plate...


I cannot tell you how long I have 'longed' for quilts with these soft colors, from years gone by. Those old fabrics and patterns call to my heart.

The other thing that has called to my heart for as long as I can remember, are soft ancient handkersniffs...as Mrs. Tiggy Winkle refers to them....and I am very particular about which ones I choose.  Many of you remember the story of the handkersniff that became Eliza's kerchief..(those who are new to my blog can scroll through archives to April '11 "meet the newest little residents at Grammy's House" and catch up with us, here:)  Well, I have saved the remainder of the sniff in my sewing basket, and then in the "portfolio" box I carried to the Publisher...


containing all of Eliza's tiny effects...


...and then, the other day, as I was perusing around blog land...this wonderful land I have come to love...
I found a new kindred, sewing handkerchief patches onto her linen blouse. The lightbulb atop my head, went off and sounded the alarm in my heart!  Julie Whitmore, whose blog is named juliewhitmorepottery...is a genius in my book! Please visit her and see what I mean. Her pottery with hedgehogs, as precious as Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, one of our dearest friends around this cottage...will have you bewitched. Her hollyhocks, forget-me-nots, foxes, and such are charming beyond imagination.
After a sleepless night, I awoke to plan my sewing project. I found a linen blouse I had owned for ages...so if it was a total failure, no major loss. But if it turned out well, it would be the sweetest article of clothing, ever.

I pod in my lap, to the side, and sewing materials, hanky patches cut, quilting thread in needle, I began...


I had never even attempted a button hole stitch, but Julie demonstrated hers...so I learned...


My heart patch was a little wide and squatty...but it did look awfully sweet with the Rose quilting thread.  I was on my way...

I was attempting to situate my pieces on my blouse as Julie had, but I just had to add an extra heart...


The hanky trimmed in pink, was found at the gardening shop in town, in her "vintage linens" basket...I raided it, of course!

These patches will be added next...


At this point...enter, stage right, little grandson Xavier, who has come to spend the weekend. All sewing comes to a halt, as he wants his Grammy to sit with him in the sun room as he rewaxes on the wicker daybed, feeding teeny bites of biscuit to teeny little Scout....


After catching up on his day at school, learning that Mrs. V had come to visit, wearing vegetable pants:)
I was able to resume my stitching...

I wanted you to see this beautiful spool of quilting thread, alongside my old tomato pincushion...

The green felt leaves are held on by the pins..poor old thing...and the pink ribbon would be sweet attached somewhere on the blouse. I'll have to do some experimenting.

So just one patch left...


Here's one last look at a button hole stitch, in case you're wanting to learn, as well...


The project was finally complete...


and we were off to bed....little boys don't think they're tired, but Grammys and Big Daddys know better.

This morning, I awoke to find a little boy had been playing in the kitchen...with Patty Patty and Tara Squirrel and Eliza and his cars and the teaset...only a little fella knows what this is all about...


Tara Squirrel came out to play at Patty Patty's home, when she heard all the buzz about Grammy's little books....Squirrel Nutkin, even though he is quite the rascal, is her hero...


Maybe you remember her from a post last spring, (Patty Patty and Tara Squirrel's Baking Day..April '11)...she and Patty Patty made thumbprint cookies in the old black cookstove....There, you will find Tara's story.

She is a little red squirrel, who like Squirrel Nutkin and his cousins, are becoming quite scarce...I read that on the bottom of my new Emma Bridgewater Red Squirrel mug.

Here, they are enjoying a tiny tea party...


Our day began, after coffee of course, and I commenced stitching on another project....a very old, very worn, soft linen pillowslip, with tears...the hanky scraps used as patches would be adorable.

I had left the tomato pin cushion in the living room, so I had Xavier fetch one I had purchased at the Bella Rustica Barn Sale last fall...


Isn't it darling?...an icecream dish with a hanky and a sparkly bird ornament.

This is the project completed...


Ms. Julie, I can never thank you enough for planting seeds of inspiration. I can't wait for the flea market next month...I'll be making a bee-line for the booth with hundreds of these dear old friends.

There is just something about those colors and patterns.... I even have a handkerchief portfolio for my greeting cards...


...it holds the newest set of recipe cards I just completed, along with the instruction booklet pages for Eliza's Mouse Making Kit...soon to be printed..


The "portfolio" came from victoriantradingco.com and held 16 vintage look handkerchiefs. The mouse making kit will contain one or two of them..
Here, you can see some of the work I'm doing on my little kit, a wooden box, which will have paintings of Eliza affixed...

Of course, Scout is my big helper...she insists on making her nest right in the very middle of my lap, to ensure that all work is difficult for me to manage...but look how sweet she looks. Who could ever fuss at this little bundle of preciousness?

Xavier has played hard and helped Big Daddy bring in groceries, so as a treat, he receives a bowl of fresh strawberries...


and rewaxes on the quilt on the wicker daybed...there's just something about those colors and patterns and soft old fabric...