Sunday, December 9, 2007

A Penguin, A Bag Lady & A Lazy Cookie


The above picture is "A Penguin"! Is it beautiful or what?! My grandson TJ drew this penguin for his Grandma. (The lighter color drawing says "For the Grandma" in TJ writing) I am honored. It hangs on a wall by my desk. He has great detail for a 2 year old. I have a similar picture drawn by his father at almost 4 years old. The hands and feet are drawn the same way. Yesterday he stopped over and came up the stairs saying "I want to look at the Grandma". He has such a way with words! I am truly blessed by this grandchild of mine.

Now I want to introduce the newest bag lady on the block..... Rachel!! On Friday, we cut one bag and completed it, and today we began to assembly line, construct the other 8. We got everything cut and the bag fronts made. Pockets are on the inside of 5 bags and the other 3 are ready to go on. Straps are cut and have the interfacing pressed onto them...all 16! I am still using the same bag pattern provided by Margaret. I feel like I know it well! We just adapted it to be larger and used 1 fabric. I personally like it better with 2 and a 3rd for the lining. Here is the one I made for Charlotte. She uses it for her church bag. It carries her bible, offering and a pen and paper. Rachel's bags are larger and 1 fabric, longer straps (instead of handles) and also she added an inside pocket for a cell phone.Pressing is key to making ANYTHING I think. Ironing is not my favorite thing to do, though without it we would all look a mess. Quilting and sewing would not go as smoothly as it does with a trusty iron at hand!! One of my earliest memories is of my mother ironing. My dad worked nights, 11-7. I was 4 at the most, because I remember the duplex we lived in and we moved from there when I was 4. It was the same place we lived when I got soap in my mouth! My mother ironed everything. She did some strange ironing ritual though....she had a 7-up bottle that had a silver sprinkler cap on the top. I can see it in my mind even now. It looked something like this...
Mom's bottle was taller and had a silver cap. She would sprinkle my dad's shirts and my little dresses and I am sure her own dresses. She would then roll them and stick them in a clear plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator. After my sister and I were tucked in bed and dad had left for work, Mom would spend her nights ironing. We awoke in the morning, all the clothes would be perfectly pressed and hanging in our closet. I do not know the point of the pop bottle or the refrigerated damp clothing rolled so neatly and stacked in their bags, but we ALWAYS had nicely pressed clothes. Did anyone else do this, or have a mother who did this? It is a huge memory for me.

My cold is back with a VENGEANCE!! I have been up for 3 nights with a terrible sore throat, which does not hurt as bad during the day. This morning (my 4th Sunday missing Church because someone was sick) I am feeling beaten. I will rest today. I promise to get the last installment of the Table Topper Tutorial up soon. I planned on baking lots of Christmas cookies, but those will wait. I did manage to get some cookie bars made yesterday. The lazy baker's cookie.... These contain oatmeal, butterscotch chips and chocolate chunks. Very good! So I managed a post with sewing, baking, new treasures and old memories. Have a blessed Lord's Day!!

19 comments:

Belvie said...

What a production line! Nice looking bags.

About the ironing thing. I think I know what you are talking about...so I'm going to post a couple of pictures on my blog in a few minutes. Go see if what I have is what you remember.

Libby said...

Oh my, yes! My mom would 'sprinkle' the clothes . . . one life's mysteryies to my young (probably also about 4) mind. Why? oh why? did Mom take the time to dry the clothes only to turn around and get them wet all over again. Seemed to me she could just roll them up straight out of the washing machine and be way ahead of the game *s*

Sweet P said...

My grandma and mom had bottles just like that one too.

I hope you're feeling better soon.

kcdi said...

I love the drawing! The bags look great too! I'm so sorry you are sick! I do hope you feel better soon.

Anonymous said...

Hi Bren,
I hope you feel better soon. Ironing isn't my favorite thing either. Yes I remember the bottle with the the cap for water when ironing.If I lived close by I would make you chicken noodle soup.
I love the bags.
Hugs,
Elizabeth

SuBee said...

I haven't thought about the sprinkler cap for years - yes, my Mom had one too. I can see the point now behind the sprinkler (no spray bottles back then, or steam irons either?) but I don't get the fridge deal. Maybe to ward off mold or that "off" odor that damp clothes get after awhile.
Thanks for the memory.
BTW - huge hugs & many, many prayers and a few tears for Morgan and her family. So scary.

SarahDee said...

Awww, Bren! I hope you feel better soon! I was sick last week and it was not fun! I love Rachel's bags! You are right, pressing is the KEY to ALL sewing projects! Get well soon!
In God's Hands,
Sarah

P.S. We are Baptist. I would love to find a nice non-denominational Bible church. However, we are in the south and we live in a small town, so they are few and far between. All the churches around here are denominational.

Marilyn Robertson said...

That drawing is adorable! It is a keeper for sure! I remember my mother sprinkling her clothes and putting them in a plastic bag too. Sorry you aren't feeling well - that isn't fun! The bags are looking great - such nice gifts.

Ila K. said...

If you lived in a warm place, you put the damp stuff in the fridge to ward away mildew and mold. We lived in western South Dakota, where it is so dry I was 19 before I even knew what mildew was. We had a similar sprinkler-topped bottle, only it was Squirt, if I recall. It seemed like Mom never left stuff wrapped for too long, or else we just didn't iron as much stuff as others did. Did anyone else have a wringer washing machine as a kid?

Lib said...

Hi Bren,
Nice drawing:o)
Nice production line.I agree about the ironing.
My Mom had coke bottle with the silver sprinkler and put the clothes in the fridge.I haven't thought about that in yrs. Thanks for stirring up those memories.:o)
Hope you feel better.
Blessins', Lib

Angie said...

Sorry you're sick - AGAIN! How aggravating. Guess it's that time of year - AGAIN! :)
My mom ironed as well ... I only remember her doing it with a spray bottle though. I don't mind doing it ... just seems tedious. Feels like I should be doing something else of more importance :) Guess that'll change when I get that sewing machine! ;)
{HUGS} to you and hope you feel better soon!

copperswife said...

Rachel's bags are going to be great!

I'm sure sorry to hear that you are still sick!! I hope a day of rest was all that you needed to set you to right again. I'm praying that the Lord will restore your health.

Rose Johnston said...

Really hope ur feeling better soon!! Love the bags and the production line....TJ what a great drawing!!!
Maddi was thrilled today to receive her letter from Charlotte, this penpal idea has brought smiles to both our girls faces, thnx so much!!! (Cohen wants to send Zac a pic in the next one, hope he enjoys it!!!)

~Niki~ said...

Bren, come join the new blog ring! You can find it listed at the top of my blog http://nikisventures.blogspot.com/
I also started a new top site if you want to join that. :) HUGS. The ring is for quilters. The topsite is for anyone really that creates/crafts. :) Spread the word! we're trying to get more members.

Sue said...

Sorry you're sick again!

I remember my Mom doing that, too. Her sprinkler was a watering can shape with a wide head. She rolled the clothes and put them in a zippered bag and they stayed in the refrigerator until she was ready to iron them.

I'd have to have a bigger fridge! We wear mostly permanent press here, very little ironing (of clothing) is done in our house!

Nancy said...

My Mom did the same thing!! This was before steam irons and permanent press, so the damp, cold clothes straight from the fridge ironed up very nice. My Mom would watch the 3 o'clock Movie and iron away. I still remember that!!

Arden said...

My grandma used to rinse in starch and put the clothing in the "ice box". If she sprinkled it would be just for steam.
I bet they all had slightly different systems for getting all that "pressing" done.
We are just getting over that illness you have. My ears stayed blocked for two weeks. Kinda nice when you have 7 children. lol

Solstitches said...

What a sweet drawing TJ did for you :)
Sorry to hear you are sick Bren and hope you will be feeling better soon
I loved the picture of the bag production line - Rachel has turned into a five star pupil.

Knit-Wit said...

I remember the hours my mother would spend ironing shirts - which is funny because I don't remember my dad wearing them very much. My husband doesn't need a pressed shirt for his job so I only iron on the occasional Sunday when I need a skirt pressed or something.