Searching for simplicity in a less than simple world.

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I have always craved a simpler time, a simpler life. I was literally addicted to Little House on the Prairie. I owned the book set and read them more times than I can count. I also own the entire series on DVD and have watched it since I was little. I also grew up on and still watch The Walton's. I wished for such a simple life, but didn't want to go through the struggles per say. I just wished women could sit and sew and talk. I longed for a quiet life of simplicity. I'm completely sure I romanticized all of it, but there you have it. Growing up I liked doing traditional things with my Grammy, Mama and mom. I learned to sew, embroider, smock, bead etc.

As I came into adulthood and became a mom of 4, I still longed for that simple life. I developed the traditional arts I had been taught as a child and made use of them in daily life. It always gave me pleasure to make something and see the finished results of my labor. To this day I notice a “trend” in most of the things I do, create and think about doing! I always gravitate back to a traditional method. 

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For example:

I have a nice sewing machine, but prefer to hand sew. I know you can buy chocolate icing and boxed cake mixes, but make my mother in law’s homemade chocolate cake and icing for my hubby. Yes you can buy cards that are adorable, but I like to print or stamp my own. Yes emails are fast and a perfectly acceptable form of communication, but nothing beats receiving a note or letter via the Postal Service. Yes I could buy a machine hemstitch piece to embroider, but I enjoyed teaching myself hemstitching and work to perfect it. I love traditional things! I always have.

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 Some fond memories, as a child, were homemade pizza dough and fresh baked bread. Mom making our Easter dresses EVERY year! Seeing my parents work side by side painting, building and gardening. When they were first married it was due to financial reasons they had to teach themselves these things, but even after dad started to make a good living they continued to do it themselves. There is something very satisfying and therapeutic about doing something traditionally. My mother in law is a weaver. I find that fascinating and would love to live closer to her so she could teach me, alas that isn’t going to happen. My sister in law cross stitches beautifully as do members of my family. On both sides (my husband’s and mine) there are creative people that cherish hand made items and the time and energy they take to make. 

There are many blogs that are “stitching” sites or "quilling" sites etc. I have lacked a focus for my blog. I say how I feel sometimes. I show a tutorial sometimes. I have thought about all the women over the years that I had the pleasure to teach crafts of all sorts. Heirloom sewing, English smocking, painting, woodworking, gardening, quilling, stamping, scherensnitte and so much more. Moving so many times has allowed me to meet women all over the coast and share skills they didn’t know beforehand. I think from now on, even if I don’t have step by step tutorials, I am going to share with you a little of my life, yes, but mostly focus on simplicity in life and cherishing the traditions and lost arts. I’d love feedback from anyone who is reading (Are you there?) to get a sense as to whether that is something anyone is interested in? What is candle wicking and how the heck do you do it? My blog will show you! What do you all think?

Until next time Dear Reader,

Chatty Cathy