Old Steamer Trunks, Bunnys, and Sachets of Cloves

Three little girls and a boy all sit atop the trunk at the bottom of an Oak Sleigh Bed.

Yes, I do love "vintage" things, and old steamer trunks are just one more thing!  I have had a very old one for a number of years and I keep sewing things stored in it. It is so old it is made of wood with the remains of leather straps.   Recently I realized that after living here in this place I love for more than 30 years I have either too much "stuff" or too little room!

I like the smell of whole cloves and use them as sachets in drawers and closets.  They are said to repel moths too.

Alas I have been gifted another steamer trunk and have today washed it, laced it with little bags of whole cloves, and filled it with blankets.

I think some of the vintage hand embroidery might go nicely here.

The top tray is still intact so I didn't fill it so full as to inhibit it's closing.  Actually there was just enough room for all of the things I needed to store.  It was perfect.

And, it made a lovely perch for most of my collection of hand made rabbits.  The grandchildren do like to play with them.  If I am so blessed to live long enough perhaps I will then have Great Grandchildren who will enjoy them.....

Momma bunny and her doll.

My largest bunny did not fit but she sits with her very own baby doll to keep her company.  Over the years I have repaired a bit and sewn on new eyes but that goes along with children loving them.

A bitter sweet note.  All of these  bunny's were hand made and sewn by "Grandma Powell" otherwise known as Martha Jean Powell, the Mother of my first husband, the late Eddie Wade who passed with cancer at age 45.  This last bunny and her little doll she worked as she sat with him in his last days.  She once told me this bunny and her doll were stained with her tears as she sat sewing.  So we love all of them.  It is the least that we can do.

Four Fabric Easter Bunnys all done.

Being Grandma is absolutly the best job I have ever had. You know, I always knew it would be. Well anyway the 4 bunnies are all done. Pink for my girls and blue for my boys. What fun for me.

I remember when I thought other things were so important. Well the are not. Just family and friends, God and country. That is about it.

Still SEWING. Tote Bags and Cuddlie Bunny.

This week I have had my granddaughters and I have been sewing. Don't think I cooked much outside of a few sandwiches that didn't amount to much.

So anyway I finished two "Potato Bags" for my best friend Diane for her two kids. She loves the way the potato fluffs and is so much better than the traditional microwaved potato. So, there is one on the way for Jennie and one for Daniel and Meredeth.

Charlie, a good friend of my husband's has a little girl and he promised them one of the super soft and cuddly bunnies I make out of his old long johns. He tears them out under the arms and you can only fix them so many times and there is nothing left to catch on to anymore. They have by that time been washed so many times they achieve a wonderful softness that really is nice for cuddle toys.

What is really fun on the bunny's is to use a little piece of white fur and sew it on the bunny bottom for his cute little bunny tail!!

I just get my scissors and away they go!! Before you know it a new bunny is born.

Then I got busy on a tote bag. I am having so much fun doing the quilting myself by machine. The first one I ever made 18 years ago was like that but then I had some pre-quilted fabric pieces I used for the next several dozen I made. So it is fun all over again to quilt a bit.

This one is very spring like. The exterior is a blue background with crisp white flowers and yellow centers. I used blue grosgrain ribbon and sewed a narrower bright butter yellow grosgrain ribbon in the center of the blue for the handle straps. Then I used a very soft light blue tiny plaid as the backing and interior of the bag and just channel quilted it at 2" intervals. It was indeed fun.