It is Time for a Change, Summertime!

"Aren't daisies the friendliest flowers?"  

Why yes, yes they are Kathleen Kelly, especially when they are on vintage Pyrex.

Can you name that movie?

It's sunny, it's yellow, and it is in the shop.  Yes, you heard that right.  There are items in the shop!

The name of my shop has changed from "Mom Wald's Place" to "Mary Wald's Place" at Etsy.

In fact, my old blog, has changed to Mary Wald's Place, also.  That is where I will be from now on posting vintage goodies and handmade fun.  The web address for that if you do not want to use the link is; marywaldsplace.blogspot.com.  

How many of you noticed that has been the newest watermark on my photos?  Sneaky, sneaky.

I am so excited.  This is so much fun!  I already have another summery goody to share.  Here is a hint the designer has a "V" and a "B" in their name.  

Thanks for joining me, I cannot wait to see you there! 

Walk With Me

Johnson Creek Bridge Link Park Trail

I need to apologize to my friends and family who have wondered if I disappeared. I flew up to Wisconsin to get our son. We took a road trip back to Texas, and once we got here we have been so busy I have not updated these wonderful folks on how we are doing. 

 Hey, we made it!

"Pallid Spiny Soft-Shelled Turtles" Hey Dad, wait up!

Here in Blogland you did not know I was gone, because I wrote up some posts to publish while I was gone. I am such a sneaky dog.

Good Ol' "Painted Turtle"

A big THANK YOU out to the folks who let us stay with them, and blessed our socks off. 

 "Dear S" let our son stay with them, so he could finish out his senior year in Wisconsin, Wow! 

 "Dear N" shared her grandmother's embroidered quilt with me, and sent me home with fresh Rosemary. 

 I know, no photos! Tsk, tsk, tsk. 

 "Dear D" and crew got us all rested up for the trip back.

 Those of you who showered us with hugs and good wishes a big virtual hug back to you.

Why does this turtle have moss on his shell? That cannot be healthy.
Can you see the fish?

It is crazy getting another young man settled into our Texas place. Furniture, and job hunting, and goofing off, woohoo!

"White Egret"  These guys are all over the place, even Dallas.
Dear J this one is for you.

Little Miss has started joining me on my morning walk.

Morning light over the creek.  Definitely not the desert.

We have a set of three parks near us which are really two joined by a "linear" park that is a narrow strip alongside a highway through a nature reserve. It is nicely done with signs, benches, and bubblers. What an ingenious way to keep the wildlife safe while still letting people enjoy it. My knee loves the smooth pavement, and there are loads of bicyclists, joggers, and dog walkers enjoying it also.

Over a dozen different wildflowers are blooming in the prairie portion right now.
This grass is "blooming" with dew.

It is our little bit of peace and quiet before our home really starts hopping.

The second bridge goes over a wetland area that feels like a different world.

This post is also for those folks who think we moved to the desert. See, we have woods, wetlands, and prairie. 

 They are even all in this one trail! 

This tree is even bigger than our Weeping Willow in Wisconsin.
Go ahead and say that five times really fast!

A little beforehand notice, I will be switching back to my previous blog. In the next post I will be sharing a direct link and fun vintage goodie.

Thank You All, Love and Hugs!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vintage Tins Making Themselves at Home

I was in the mood for some vintage color, and did I ever get it.  I was able to find not just one, but five vintage English tins.

Three of them have already found homes.  Us girls get to keep two of them.  Our bathroom has the sink area separate from the stool and tub, so we call it our "beauty counter".

Why grab your cotton balls out of a bag when you can have a fabulous Wedgwood inspired vintage tin hold them?

Grab these and an old movie, and you are all set for the perfect manicure.  

Unless you are a teenager.  Then you need glitter, but that is an entirely different blog post.  Maybe I will find a disco ball.

Crochet Jar of Many Colors with Clarice

Clarice is getting fancy.  Clarice is the cow, because she has a Clarice Cliff design on her.  If you do not remember Clarice make sure to visit this post about her television appearance.

Hubby took me out in February, and I had cheese cake with a Mardi Gras theme.  Now she looks a bit Indian with the mini Mardi Gras beads.

You see crochet jar covers all over the crochet websites, so I had to make one of my own.  It is our change jar.  These three cheer up the other end of our kitchen window counter. What is a kitchen without a bit of whimsy?

Emerald Crest Fenton Compote is a Dream Come True

An Emerald Crest Compote by Fenton.  I have been wanting a piece of Emerald Crest for ages.  It looks like

ribbon candy!

There is a little monochromatic decorating going on.  It was not planned, and a little goes a  long way.  No one can tell green is one of my favorite colors. 

Now I just need to fill it with candy.  Oooh, maybe pastel green butter mints.  

Crochet Blue Bird of Happiness

I crocheted a Blue Bird of Happiness for a sweet gal.  

A pair of trendy dish towels from Target provided the color scheme for some birdie crochet.

It was fun to try some new patterns.  This fellow and the owl came from Ravelry.  It is a great source for inspiration and patterns, but I warn you it is highly addictive.

I should show Mom this fellow.  She had an owl collection when we were kids that she shudders to think about now.

Did you notice the extra bits of embroidery?  Fun, fun, fun!  What have YOU been making?

Egyptian Hankies by Mary Lewis - Yes Way!

I promised you first peek at the designer hankies I found last month.  See that designer name under the Egyptian Cat?  These are two Mary Lewis Egyptian Mosaic Hankies.  Two colorways!

Does anyone remember those Doublemint Gum adds?  "Double the Fun"!  Hello Nerfertiti.

I tried to find more information on the designer,  Mary Lewis, but there was not much to be had online.  If any of you know of a source let me know please.  

Maybe we can find our what inspired her fabulous Egyption theme done Roman style.  Did she watch "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor?  Now I am in the mood to watch it.  The costumes alone are worth watching.

Who gets to pick these colors?  That is a job I would love.  

This pair will be in the shop soon.  Here is a little birdie to let you know that I changed the name of my shop.  Instead of Mom Wald's Place it is now Mary Wald's Place.  

Change is Good!

Thank YOU

Thank YOU for visiting!  

I apologize to all of my faithful online friends and to new visitors.  The dreaded Word Verification has been turned on for my blog, because the spammers finally found me.

Thank YOU for your understanding!

Hazel Atlas Apple at Home

It is almost summer, not autumn, but I found a lovely yellow apple.  It is the salad bowl size from the Hazel Atlas Apple Line.  You might remember the pattern from my place a few years ago.

It is already proving its usefulness by keeping my pencil from rolling off of the table.  I don't believe I have shared that draw.  For years folks have been suggesting that I publish embroidery patterns.  Maybe that can be a new Texas adventure.  Until then my apple and I will just keep having fun.

Quilted Tea Cup Hot Pads and a Bit of Vintage Fun

This pair of tea cup hot pads was for Mom.  The flower fabric reminds me of the drifts of roadside wildflowers here in the Texas area.  The blossoms are wrong, but the colors and airiness are right.  One of the nightgowns I recently made is of this fabric, and is trimmed with the orange bias tape that is on the handles.

What I really want to share with you today is this wonderful vintage hanky.  It is amazing, because the edge is applied.  For those of you who do not sew, that means another layer of fabric was added on top, and the edges were folded back to be sewn down with the teeny, tiniest stitches imaginable.

  Adding the shapes in the corners is simply mind boggling.  It would be very had for me to do all four corners to match.  The petals on the flowers are so very, very tiny!  I could embroider them easily, but never have I attempted applique that small.  Have you?

Do you want to know a secret?  This one year break from my shop to get us settled here in Texas is driving me bonkers.  The plan was made for good reasons, and it is working really well.  It is just that this absence of constantly finding and funning with vintage goodies is driving me nuts.

Before I open up again I need to check the Texas small business laws, find a good venue for hunting down vintage goodies in Texas, and possibly change the name of the shop.  

I am going to let myself do some small stuff, so that I do not go completely insane.  The Texas Ware Sun Plate is listed, because I decided I want more blue where I was going to put it.  Last week I did find some fabulous designer hankies for the shop.  I will share them with you as soon as they are laundered.

I guess when you really love something, you just cannot stop doing it.  What would be unable to stop doing?

Quilted Coffee Cup Pot Holders

Too Busy To Blog.  I know, it's unbelievable!

Projects have been multiplying around here like bunnies.  I am so busy crafting and sewing, that I am forgetting to share them.  These coffee cups were "put on the shelf", at least their photos were, in order to wait for Mother's Day to pass.  We would not want to ruin any surprises.

That's right, you guessed it.  They are hot pads with handy handles for hanging.  Go ahead, say that five times really fast.

You might recognize the fabric from the baby quilt in April.  When fabrics are this yummy I want to use up every bit.  This colorful pair were for a gal whose cheerful outlook and positive attitude brighten any day.

Most quilted hot pad patterns you find have edges bound with bias tape.  I wanted to slip the handles in the edge though, so I turned them like a pillow case, and slid the double layer of heat resistant batting in afterwards.

Those of you who quilt will know what this is.  I love these miniature patchwork squares in the seams on the reverse side of pieced fabric.  They are like the little tiny wildflowers that hide in the grass.

I have also sewn three new nightgowns trying three different patterns.  For the first time I made a purchased, printed pattern item that actually fits!  There is way too much fun going on here in Texas.

May Basket Pouch with Crochet and Quilting

A Tisket a Tasket, a Green and Yellow Basket!

Each corner of this crocheted doily has a real little bitty May Basket to last all year long.

This is one of the few scraps I brought to Texas.  It was definitely worth the trip and the wait.  

Blue Bonnets as Far as the Eye Can See

Blue Bonnets have become my favorite wildflower. Queen Anne's Lace has been my favorite for years, but I cannot resist these beauties.

I have been wanting to see fields of Blue Bonnets, so Hubby being the nice guy he is, took Little Miss and I to the Ennis Blue Bonnet Festival. It is a nice little town with a charming museum in the old train depot. What is really great though, are the surrounding fields of Blue Bonnets in the spring.

Folks said that Indian Paintbrush flowers and Blue Bonnets were made for each other, and they were absolutely right.

Just the other day I found two Texas wildflower books at the library. Now I can find out what these little purple charmers are.

I love cows! We felt so at home with the cows, the old train depot museum, and the polka festival.

Mama Cow is not amused. What are those birds? Aunt J will know!

It was good to just take the day off, and meander around the countryside. I can honestly say that I do not miss driving through it every day, but it sure is nice to visit.

Crocheted Trim Means I Really Love this Kid

Crocheted trim on blankets is one of those projects that need to be labeled "looks simple, but takes forever".  

I know of five different ways to attach crocheted trim to a fabric project, and I tried two new ones on these receiving blankets.  The paisley one used an embroidered chain stitch foundation, and the cat one used a crochet chain stitch foundation.  I think to really figure out which I like better it would be best to test them on thinner fabric like a cotton pillowcase or napkin.  The nice plush flannel made it a lot more work.  The next time I do a thicker fabric I am going to sew the crocheted trim on after it is made, which is one of the five techniques I mentioned.

It was worth the effort though!  

Won't You Be My Neighbor? Llama neighbor that is.

The Dallas area is full of surprises.  Where else can you cross over the six lane highway by your house and have a llama ranch next to a school?

The ranch was obviously here first, because it is on both sides of the large road we live on.  This fellow is definitely the "alpha male", or female.  (Hey, I am too busy trying to get a good photo without blocking traffic in order to find out.)

He is busy strutting his stuff by the fence while everyone else lounges under the trees.  Being the boss is definitely not all it is cracked up to be.

On a homier note.  Did you notice I mentioned another baby project?  It is in the post, but I have to wait until my sister gets it before I can show you, my blogging peeps.  

I feel like the llama stalking my email to see word that it arrived in Utah.  Pace back and forth, back and forth...