Pretty, Vintage Hankies All In A Row...

I had been reading a post over at Marydon's blog, Feedsack Fantasy and Blushing Rose Boutique, when she told her readers about a product called Vintage Textile Soak. Well, I'm a sucker for a great endorsement, and Marydon sold me on the stuff, so I went right to the source and ordered some. (You can link to Marydon's blog here to read her recommendation for Vintage Textile Soak.)

It arrived and of course, I had to try it right away! (Even the packaging was beautiful!) I used the Soak to launder my vintage hankies (and a few other things) - Marydon was right, girlfriends! You should see how it works on your fine unmentionables! (Are you seeing that I'm excited about this stuff from the exclamation points?)

So now that they're all cleaned and pressed, I'd like to share my vintage hankies with you. These hankies belonged to my Handsome's mom, grandmother and aunt. These women all did the needlework that appears on them. I'm proud to have been related to a long line of needleworkers. I used a few to embellish Shaker sewing boxes for my daughters-in-law. I carry these hankies to weddings and special occasions, because (of course) you'd never use them for anything but wiping away a happy tear or drying a child's eyes.

You can see that these beauties were embellished in shadow stitching, crewelwork, whitework and the teeniest, tiniest, most perfect stitches. I know I'll add to this collection some day, but these will always be my favorites.

Remember, comments = entries in my 100th Post Giveaway! Click here for details.

A Violet Valentine For You...

Celebrating my 100th Post - and the outpouring of support for me - has made me more than grateful these days!

I have a small collection of vintage postcards and sewing cards. I'll be sharing them with you in the coming days. Feel free to click on the image for a larger version that you can download and use however you'd like.

Just my small way of saying "Thank you" to all of you...and to let you know with this first card that I am so honored that you've chosen to spend a little time each day with me. Hugs of gratitude to each and every one of you!

The 100th Post Giveaway will continue until next Friday, so you can click here and write a comment there for an entry in the drawing. You can write a comment for new posts each day for additional entries, and if you become a "follower" (in my left sidebar), you'll get two more entries. Finally, if you have a blog and link to my giveaway (click here for the link url), then you'll receive yet another entry!

Good luck to all of you. I hope you like my little gift to you today. If you use if in a project, please let me know. I'd love to share it with the whole gang for you!

Oh, I almost forgot! If we get to 100 followers by the time I do the drawings next Friday, I'll add another giveaway gift! I promise it will be something wonderful.

Today Is My 100th Post!...

Today is the day! I can scarcely believe that I've posted one hundred messages to you since I first started my blog in March. Time sure flies! In celebration of this auspicious day, I have selected items from previous posts to offer as giveaway gifts to three of my Brynwood Needleworks readers.

Do you want to see the gifts first, or do you want me to tell you how you can enter to win one? OK, I'll show you what I've selected to give away first! (I know, you're doing a little happy dance, aren't you?) Drumroll, please. (Handsome is sitting here with his favorite snare drum, just to help me announce my gifts!)

Giveaway Gift One
This gift includes items from the fragrance line that I wrote about here.

Philosophy produces their "Grace" line in two or three different fragrances (Pure Grace, Amazing Grace, etc.), and the one I love is Pure Grace. When I wrote about it in my original post, I said that in addition to smelling so fresh and light, I also liked the messages that the company prints on some of their containers. In this set, you will find Pure Grace Perfumed Buffing Wash (to which I've added a white tulle bow and one of my handmade birds nests); a tube of Perfumed Body Butter (who doesn't LOVE butter?); and a roll of twill tape with the word "Blessings" repeated over and over its 4 ft. length. I love what's written on the bottle of buffing wash:

" pure grace is the sweet breath of God, the soft green grass that lies still against a child's back, the whispers of the words i love you, the quiet and the solitude, the prayer that is always answered with "i will guide you home" rather than yes or no, the heart that makes forgiveness its soul passion, the spirit that drapes itself in humility, the mind that exercises free will while surrendering to divine outcome, the person who takes their hands off the wheel, closes their eyes and says "you drive and I'll enjoy the ride".

All of these items will arrive in a beautiful box decorated with birds, eggs and butterflies.

Giveaway Gift Two

I wrote about the Brynwood Lazy Daisy Tea Towel here and more recently, the Silk Ribbon Shaker Pincushion appeared here. Both of these items, handcrafted by me, are part of this giveaway gift. In addition, I'm including a pair of snips with large-holed handles to make them easy to use, and attached to that is one of my handcrafted Scissors Fobs that I wrote about here. I sell the fobs in my Etsy store. This one has pretty crystals and a pewter spool of thread to "pretty up" the scissors. Also included is a small purse-size tube of Aveda hand cream. Everything is packaged in a tiny hat box - a smaller version of the one that I used to pack up my granddaughter's birthday crown.

Giveaway Gift Three

My third gift set features the Birds Nest Button Jar that I wrote about here. I started by making the birds nest and added a silky ribbon to the jar lid (so that you can still remove the lid without removing the embellishments). I then attached it to a Longaberger Basket-patterned jar. I've even included some buttons in the jar to add to your own collection! You can read the original post for the rest of the details. To this I've added one of my duplicate vintage pincushions. This one is a sweet owl...a bit "loved", but so sweet. Both will arrive nestled in a beautiful box decorated with birds, eggs and butterflies.

You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them so you can see more of the details.

Now, be truthful...Wouldn't you love to own one of these giveaway gift sets? I hope so! So, let me tell you how to get your name in the drawing.

• If you're a "follower" of my blog - your name and/or image appears in my "followers" list - you automatically have TWO entries in the giveaway. If you're not already a follower, you can become a follower now and you will receive your TWO entries.
• If you write a comment IN THIS POST ONLY, your name will be entered an additional ONE time. Multiple posts here will not earn you multiple entries, though. I'd love to hear which gift you like the best and why.
• If you write a comment IN MY UPCOMING POSTS, your name will be entered an additional one time per day. REMINDER: Be sure to sign your posts so that I know who to credit with an entry!!!
  
• If you have a blog and post a link to my giveaway, you will earn another ONE entry in the giveaway. (Please be sure to let me know you've done this, so I can give you credit!)
  

I will draw the winning names NEXT FRIDAY, August 14th.

• The First Name I draw will have First pick from the gifts.
• The Second Name drawn will have Second pick from the gifts.
• Of course, the Third Name will be the recipient of the final gift available.

I hope you're as excited about this as I am!

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has stopped in to read my musings. You motivate me to be my best so that I can share the best of me with you. God blesses my life daily with my wonderful Handsome husband and our family. You honor me when you stop in to read what I've written to share just with you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.