Pennies And More Pennies

Oh My!
Good morning sweet friends!
A big thank you to everyone for all of your suggestions.
I decided to do the shawl idea
formy last dollie and will show once completed.

I have always said that our foremothers 

from the 1800's 

were the most mighty able-bodied woman.

A few years back I featured this rug 

in one of my blog posts.

After seeing this antique penny rug that was

a room sized one at our favorite museum;

Greenfield Village,

I remain steadfast that our foremothers

were amazing!!!

Can you imagine sewing all of these pennies together?

Enough to make a full size rug?

A M A Z I N G

Look at the detail in these penny blocks.

To gorgeous to lay on a floor...don't you think?

But yet it was inside a home at one time.

Imagine how long it would have taken

to make this. 

Just these four pennies I cut out took me an hour to sew.

I say it again,

our foremothers were 
A M A Z I N G!

I love penny rugs, but alas I do not have the ambition,

nor the time to make a room size penny rug.
Plus Bob would have mud all over it the first night
it was on the floor. LOL

Last week I made this sweet little penny pillow.
I am on the kick of making pennies again.
Bought more wool to make a runner.

I had already made this black dollie years ago.
You see Lauren, Julie and Peggy...
Rugs and Pugs (Lauren)
My Primitive Heart (Julie)
A Primitive Plot (Peggy)
she is sporting a red wool heart...
so I really did not want to add another heart
to my latest one.
But a 
B I G
thank you for the idea.
You all were reading my mind...just a few years earlier.
The heart was made into a necklace with dried raisins.

This dollie is a bit smaller than my latest one.

Now my penny pillow looks good by her.

Don't you think?

However, my next black dollie that I am 

currently drawing out will have

some kind of heart, crude patch & even pearly teeth!

Plus I will let you all decide on her name.

All great suggestions you all made!

Thank you!

Through the woods and along the big river 
I head off to work.
Whats in store for you today?
Janice

My Love Of Black Dollies

I have loved black dollies since I was a child.

Growing up as a child I had an Aunt Jemima doll.

I did not think of myself as being racist...

I loved my black doll...so much that it ended up in rags,

just like my stuffed pink and yellow bunny.

I was a tomboy as a child, 

so my black dollie was the only doll I played with. 

Today I still love black dolls and bunnies!

Now let me tell you a bit of history of these dolls.

Black dolls are considered the first true handmade

dolls in America as they were all hand sewn,

one a kind dolls made from no longer used clothing.

I hate to use this word slave, 

but it was the slaves who created these

W O N D E R F U L

dolls that I consider works of art!

It was the only toy their own children could have.

So sad...so very sad.

The first black dolls were Topsy Turvy.

One side was a white doll, the other a black doll.

They were made by mammies for the white children

who they took care of as slaves.

White children were mostly cared for by their mammies,

therefore they wanted a doll to represent them.

In order to please their masters, they made the 

Topsy Turvy doll.

Ever since the one time I saw an antique

Black Dollie at the Greenfield Village museum,

I have wanted one.

But alas a true antique black doll is worth

thousands of dollars...something even this

antique dealer wishes she could get her hands on.

I was once again perusing these dollies on Pinterest,

and decided to make another one for myself.

I tried to be as primitive as I could with my stitches.

Made her dress a plain grungy brown check.

Her scarf a red grungy print.

However I keep looking at her every night after work,

and I think her dress needs a little more OOMPF.

So please if you have any suggestion, please let me know.

Well today will be a mix of freezing rain to rain.

Have to leave early for work now.

But it soon will be the weekend!

WOOHOO!

Any plans for your weekend?

Black Dollie Blessings To All!

Janice

Red Bedroom 2

Well the weekend went by lickety split.
Cannot believe it is Tuesday already.

So as promised, the rest of our red bedroom.

The picture next to my rug is an amish one.

The other one is the Lord's Prayer stitched as a sampler.

I bought it at auction many moons ago.

Our headboard is a quilt rack.

A very large pillow done in an early tick fabric.

I have to be honest...this is not on the bed every day.

This secret is between us.

Do you see the lump in the bottom right?

My other pillows at the foot of our bed.

A close up of my pictures.

Another teddy in the basket.

Red flannel sheets keep us snug at night!

One of the side tables.

Crutches leaning against the headboard.

Red hanging cabinet we purchased in Ohio.
The board next to cabinet is a mirror we are saving
for our candy store.

Other side table with pitchers and lamp.

Brown cabinet with my other rug hanging sbove.

I had kept my feather tree up for Valentine's.
I had wanted to add my cranberry garland, but forgot.

Remember that lump in our bed.

Ace was not happy with me that I revealed it was him.

My third side table.

Decked out with flowers in red, creamy pink,
with dried hydrangeas from my garden.

I did forget to show you my red curtains.
Will have to show in another post.

Post Valentine Blessings To All!
Janice

Red Bedroom

WOOHOO
It's the 
WEEKEND!
Plus I have Monday off so
WOOT WOOT!

For the love month this year,

I also decked our bedroom in red.

The red/green checked blanket is one of my

Linsey Woolsey ones. 

I NEVER put them on the bed,

Because my kitties would lay on them...

and they are very delicate.

Don't want them ruined.

I so love my raw wool hanging...
sometimes I put it in my large basket,
but for now its hanging. 

I also hung up a few of my red quilts.
AAH...red...the color of love.
I know my friend Julie from 
My Primitive Heart
would agree!

Just came back from breakfast.
We usually don't eat breakfast,
however today we treated FIL.
He was glad to see me.
We caught up and had a great meal.

Then I went and got my car washed....
it looked black instead of gray, LOL
Then it was the grocery stop.
Tonight's dinner will be homemade pizza
and beer of course.
Bob will be bringing home some new kind.
We like to try different craft beers.
What are you planning for dinner tonight?

Oh, before I forget...
will show more of our red bedroom next week.

Red Bedroom Blessings To All!
Janice

February CupboardScape

Happy Valentine's Day all!

Hope your day is filled with love and joy.
I just had to make this month's Cupboardscape
a Valentine theme.
Hope you enjoy.

My second Valentine tree was a simple one.
I made hearts from pink and red chenille stems
I found at Hobby Lobby.
Do you notice the red transferware platter in the back?

Searched Pinterest for some 

kitty valentines, and printed them on white cardstock.

I paid $5.00 to create this tree.

however I made the dollie years ago.

I added my red pantry box to the side of this display.
Placed a faux cornbread on top with three blackened
beeswax hearts.

A simple cheap tree.

I love making bald dollies....
they make me smile!
We could all use a smile.
Jacky from Dicky Bird's Nest blog
reminded me the other day that we all need to smile.
Thank you Jacky for this reminder. 

Since I am so ready for Spring,

I added my faux lavender in my galvanized French pitcher,

which is atop my three legged milk stool.

If you click on the pictures to enlarge,
you can see the garland above is a red/white stripe ribbon
that I just added to some greens.
Just a simple Valentine display in the hope
that it made you smile today.

Do you have any plans for Valentine's?
Bob and I do not celebrate this holiday.
However we will be taking our daughter out for
a birthday dinner one day this weekend.
She loves pasta, so I believe a trip to
Olive Garden will be the restaurant we go to.

St. Valentine Blessings To All!
Janice

Love Displays

It's Monday already.
Glad you enjoyed my last post with
edgar Allan Poe's poem to his love,

With Valentine's Day just around the corner,
I wanted to show you a few of my
Love Displays. 

Be My Valentine was purchased online.

I so love black dollies....

Sketched a few more to make down the road.

I was gifted the Memories pillow by a friend a long time ago.

The dollie on the right was a pattern from

Black Cat Primitives. 

I made this wool penny pillow a few years back.

Time to take down the remainder 

of the Christmas greens now.

Then start bringing out the Spring decor.

Are you starting to bring out your Spring decor?

Flowers?

Bunnies?

Chicks?

All of the above or something else?

Love Display Blessings To All!

Janice

Love Tree

Good morning sweet friends.
Well another Friday is upon us.
We are expecting significant snow today,
so am working from home.

I saw my second eagle of the season yesterday.
They are so cool!

Today I would like to feature
Edgar Allan Poe's valentine poem to the love of his life...
who was not his wife.
The name of Poe's valentine was hidden in this poem.
The back story on this is that Poe met his love
while she was separated from her husband.
The couple never admitted anything was going on,
nor did they ever wed.
Here is the poem.

For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,
Brightly expressive as the twins of Loeda,
Shall find her own sweet name, that, nestling lies
Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.
Search narrowly the lines!- they hold a treasure
Divine- a tailsman- an amulet
That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure
The words- the syllables! Do not forget
The trivialest point, or you may lose your labor!
And yet there is in this no Gordian knot
Which one might not undo without a sabre,
If one could merely comprehend the plot.
Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering
Eyes scintillating soul, there lie perdus
Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing
Of poets, by poets- as the name is a poet's, too.
Its letters, although naturally lying
Like the knight Pinto- Mendez Fernando-
Still form a synonym for Truth. - Cease trying!
You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can.

I have highlighted the letters for you that were the clues
to this riddle of a poem for his sweet Valentine.
Her name was
Frances Sargent Osgood
She was a fellow American female poet.

Our local cafe/ restaurant called the Raven
is everything Edgar Allan Poe.

All of the coffee, sandwiches and soups 
are named after his poems.
It was here that I just learned about this poem,
So I wanted to share with you all.

Now more of my Valentine love tree.

I kept my peppermint bundles,
added some hearts.

Added a few early 3D Valentine's.

Silver mercury garland.

A finished tree.

For all to see!

Well off to sign into work.
I did my grocery shopping last night,
as we are expecting snow every day this weekend...
so that means I can work on...
you guessed.
B U N N I E S!
What will you be doing this weekend?

Love Tree Blessings To All!
Janice