Best Fabrics

Years ago, I took a quilting seminar from a wonderful teacher
and shop owner named Mary Ellen Hopkins.  To give you a sense of her,
her first book was called,

The It's Okay If You Sit On My Quilt Book

or you might know her Connecting Up Series

NannysDrawers

I had brought all the required materials, including a wide range of fabrics
from which I could select to do my project.  Probably looked something like

this neat fabric at LadyFaceQuilts

Mary Ellen got us started and while people were busy working, she wandered around the
room, checking to see if anyone needed help and looking at all the
fabrics. When she got to my work table, I had most of my project
pieces cut and still several pieces of fabric untouched.  She picked
up one piece - it was my most favorite of all.  She commented on how
beautiful it was and noticed I hadn't cut into it for the project.  I
told her something like I was saving it for a special occasion before
I could bring myself to cut it up.  its quiet  has the type -

Mary Ellen started to laugh and said to me: "ALWAYS use your most beautiful fabrics first.  You love them and they should be in your projects.  If you don't use them, after
you are gone, someone will buy them at a yard sale and cut them up for
Halloween costumes."  I realized how right she was. Now I fill my
quilt projects with my best fabrics.

The Memory Continues

One day I went to town, to the toy store, carrying my dollar, saved from coins in my little piggy bank, which I had figured out how to rob without having to break.  I couldn't bear the thought of smashing the ceramic figurine as I had once seen my brother do. So that day, I proudly carried my dollar into the shop and presented it to the kind man who owned the store. 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89119960/lefton-piggy-bank-b35

From junkinjane

Part of the mystery of the surprise ball was the joy of being able to select which ball you would take from the wire cage holding the many beckoning globes. I was a person quite partial to the color green, but the ball that spoke to me that day was a lovely, soft, pink color. I reached in for it, selected it, held it and admired it while I felt the heft of it in my small hands. And then carefully carried it home where I could sit and safely unwrap its bounty.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90154844/surprise-ball-large-pink  

from

RubyDarlingDog

I remember a small "jeweled" ring with a band one could squeeze together or pry open to fit almost any sized finger. And a very small, dark blue whistle with a piercingly high squeal.  But the treasure was the last gift waiting at the very center of the ball. Not much larger than a good-sized pea, it was a clear glass ball with a thin gold band around its circumference. And inside was one tiny sand-colored granule. Attached to the band, was a miniature gold page with the words: "If ye have the faith of a seed of mustard."

http://www.etsy.com/listing/105275349/faith-as-small-as-a-mustard-seedantique

from aperfectpeace

MEMORIES AND VINTAGE

My Etsy shop is full of lovely vintage items as are many other Etsy shops, as you will see in the links, and lately I started to think about why I am so drawn to the old and sometimes less than perfect objects. It may be the connection it gives to younger times and more carefree days.  I invited a life-long friend to share her thoughts about vintage things and past memories and this is the beginning of her story:

"When I was young, maybe 6, I came upon a treasure in the local toy store. The store was filled with wonderful and exciting treats.  Magic tricks and dolls and board games and books...."

http://www.etsy.com/listing/100532655/party-magician-1940s-vintage-magic-games?ref=usr_faveitems
from TheIDconnection

http://www.etsy.com/listing/104229192/vintage-ideal-tonibetsy-doll-cute?ref=usr_faveitems
from dolloves

http://www.etsy.com/listing/104585043/vintage-wizard-of-oz-board-game?ref=usr_faveitems
from ThingsYoullLoveNLife

"... Baseball gloves and science experiments in boxes complete with detailed instructions. Silly putty (in colored plastic eggs) and slinkies and packets filled with metal jacks and a small soft rubber ball. There were many shelves filled with lots and lots of stuffed animals. And for a dollar, you could get a surprise ball - yards and yards of crepe paper wound up to be about the size of a grapefruit..."

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83475470/favor-size-surprise-ball-multi-streamer  
from ReverieAndFancies

"As you unrolled the long, thin strips of ruffly paper, several little gifts fell out of the wrapping and dropped into your fingers.  You could stop unrolling at the sign of a gift, to marvel at your luck (or grumble at the stupidity of the item). Or you could unravel the paper ball as fast as possible to pile up all the little toys and trinkets, only to examine each of them in detail after the ball had released its whole trove and dissolved into a long pile of stretched and torn colored paper..."

http://www.etsy.com/listing/110360473/15-feet-of-ruffled-crepe-paper-streamers
from CharmiosHandmade