down on daisy lane 

win a Christmas stocking

This is the first edition of down on daisy lane. I strive to educate as well as entertain. Please let me know how I am doing and make any suggestions. Love, Daisy

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Introducing the Joey Pouch! I needed a discreet place to hide a few "essentials" at my desk and could not find one in the stores I liked. I had a drawer full of stuff - spot remover, sewing kit, handi-wipes, deodorant, nail polish, "feminine items," asprin, clippers and many others. Anyone who knows me, knows I hate a messy desk. My solution - I just made what I needed. Miss Kitty, my best friend, suggested I call it the Joey pouch because it could carry every thing a mother needed. Get yours today. They are great for the desk, car, beach bag, unexpected overnight stays, children and babies. Special requests are always welcome!

One thing from the past that I adore is the old quilts and linens. Mrs. Miller, a family friend and pretend grandmother, made me a quilt before I was born. It had a yellow background with a star burst pattern and was the last handmade quilt she made. My mother kept that quilt safely put away in an old trunk until I moved to my first apartment. I felt like such an adult when she presented me with that quilt. I had finally made it.

Mrs. Miller died when I was in my 20's but I will always remember the days of picking strawberries in her garden for jam, her old dog Bullet, her gentle hugs, and the quilt she lovingly made while saying a prayer over each hand sewn stitch.

Quilting History

The image of colonial women quilting by the fire at night is a popular myth. In truth, quilts and quilting were fairly rare until the early 1800's. Colonial women were too busy for creative pursuits and manufactured cloth was hard to come by and very expensive. Only the rich and those who had house keepers were able to do quilting. One type of quilt that was popular was the broderie perse. This involved using small bits of fine European fabrics to make appliqués that were then sewn on to everyday fabrics in a pattern.

After the 1840's the industrial revolution made manufactured fabric more available and the bits and pieces were saved to be sewn into decorative coverlets. In the 1920's and 30's there was a revival of interest in quilting. The quilting bees of our grandmother's times became popular. In order to promote their product during the depression, new quilting patterns were offered in magazines, on the back of batting packages, and in newspapers. Sears sponsored a quilting contest for the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. Over 24,000 quilts were submitted.

Dresden plate pattern                                  Information from: http://www.historyofquilts.com

So why use the quilts that women worked so hard on

for house hold accessories?

Well, let's face it. Today's homeowners are looking for new ways to display their family heirlooms. They don't want to throw out their linens but they have nowhere to store it.

Quilting's popularity has fluctuated greatly the last 100 years; however, these beauties continue to live in memories and homes. Unfortunately they have often been sent to the backs of closets, the attic or basement, or hidden away in a trunk. As the older generation passes away and estate sales send quilts to live with non-family members, the quilts are losing their place in family history.

daisy lane designs saves the best of these antique estate pieces. New heirlooms are created to keep the memories alive.

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So have a great Labor Day and if you see my Nanny wish her a happy, happy 93rd birthday!

Love from down on daisy lane