Handmade Joy

Sometimes when I look at the busy technological world around us, I begin to hope that handmade and handcrafted are not disappearing from our lives. As humans I think that we need that close contact with beautiful items that are one-of-a-kind and made with care, quality, joy, love, and by the touch of a hand. It is a great happiness to live in a surrounding with handwrought items.

I am blessed to see handmades everywhere as I look about our home. For example, I love this quilt that my grandmother, my father's mother who hailed from the Ozarks in Arkansas (a place famous for people who can quilt), hand-pieced and quilted in the 1920's. 

Grandma's Double Wedding Ring Pattern Quilt

She used even the smallest of pieces of fabric that she had available from flour sacks to pieces of leftover dress goods, and combined them with small amounts of purchased broadcloth to fashion this beautiful and warm blanket of memories. Her small, even stitches have a story that goes with them from one of my aunts, - "She was very particular about her stitches. We used to help her quilt in the day, but in the evening, after we had gone to bed, she would pick out all of our stitching and redo it 'correctly' ". The quilt can't help but bring a smile whenever we admire it displayed on our wall.

Certainly utility can be accomplished by a purchased factory-made blanket, but nothing is better than the warmth of a handmade, whether purchased from an handmade artist or made by the giver themselves. How pleasant it is to receive a one-of-a-kind piece, crafted, painted, knitted, crocheted, woven or sewn for you by an individual who has joy in making the item!

So, we wish you the Joy of Handmade in your life today and pray that there is someone making precious things and memories for you by hand.

                                           Handmade Gallery

My Husband's Hand-Turned Mesquite Burl Vase on My Mother's Log Cabin Quilt

Grandmother's (my mothers side) Crocheted Afghan

My Denim Hat, Youngest Daughter's Crocheted Scarf

Mother-in-law's Embroidery

Aunt's Knit Personalized Socks

Great Aunt's Sewn Christmas Sock

My Baby Doll in Great-great Grandpa's Child's Rocker

Oldest Daughter's Cross Stitch Paper Doll

Oldest Daughters' Counted Cross Stitch Proverbs

My Mom's Tatting

              

Sister's Painting

Friend's Painting of a McCall, Idaho Meadow

5 yr old Grand daughter's Handsewn Pillow

Friend's Beautiful Hand-thrown Pottery

Grandpa's Wood Pieces and Daughter's Photo