Knitting, Crocheting, Sewing . . . those are just some of the crafts that were done when I was growing up. Do you remember saving popsicle sticks? We had a lot of crafts with those – making all sorts of things. In Girl Scouts, we made candles using ice cubes and hot wax.
My maternal
grandmother made rugs out of wool – I believe they were hooked. They lasted a long time! We also made rugs out of plastic bread bags.
Grandma
also crocheted doilies. I still have
some. Mom also crocheted them. I learned
how to crochet but not the fine stuff.
I did purses, scarves, etc. They
also made afghans – especially the granny squares.
Quilting
was another big craft. Mom is still busy
with quilting – although she is starting to give it up as it is hard to do the hand
quilting. I have a few quilts that she
made. I also have one or two that was
made by my grandmother.
Embroidery
was another craft that I learned. Had
lots of floss and patterns from my grandmother.
I still have them. Although, I
don’t have as much time for it. I’ve
done some variations of embroidery like crewel embroidery, counted cross-stitch,
and latch hooking (rugs/wall hangings).
Almost all of my clothes were home-made. I learned how to sew and made some of my own clothes. Modeled them too for 4-H. Haven’t sewn clothes in a long time. Although, I recently made an upcycled apron out of a button-up shirt. Mom made the one in
this photo.
Enough of the hand crafts . . . my
dad’s favorite hobby was model railroading.
He built some of his own cars as well as his layout. Home-made buildings and trees. Then he advanced to a little larger train –
and built a couple of those cars as well.
Dad also built other things – like a retaining wall, picnic tables, and who knows what. Papa (his dad) also built things out of wood. Like doll beds and a vanity.