I went to the local Thrift Store to donate some stoneware dishes and glasses and to check out material for throws, napkins and table runners (in preparation for my Christmas sewing/gift blitz). I wasn't finding the "find". Sometimes, I know kinda what I want, but it is a "know it when I see it" experience. I collected a couple of baskets for a whopping price of 50 cents and asked the proprietress if she had anything that would make throws, napkins, table runners. She got a glee in her eye and said, "Wait." She came back with a kitchen size garbage bag laden with new Christmas themed material remnants. I asked, "How much?" and she asked, "For the whole bag?" I said, "Yes." And, she said, "Ten dollars." I gave her the $10.00 dollar bill in my wallet. I only had $12.00 left after my basket purchase.
Go shopping with an open mind, meaning, what it looks like isn't necessarily what it's gonna be. Just have fun.
Stories, recipes, country living on the creek bank, preserving a simpler way of life.
Hey, you found me....And Welcome
Thank you for visiting “Cabin by the Creek” The creek is “Teges Creek”. The land it sits on is part of the original track of land settled by Adoniram Allen, back in the early 1800’s. He set up a mill a couple of miles up river from the cabin. As an Allen descendant, I am proud of my heritage. That heritage includes my physical genealogy as well as the history and culture which make me, well, me.
The mountain culture has long taken a beating over the stereotypical accumulated “junk”. Pictures printed in magazines and scenes viewed on television make us look like we are just too lazy to clean up and throw away the junk. There are several reasons for the junk. One of the reasons is the self-sustaining tradition that has everything to do with our geography, history and culture. Nothing got thrown away. Clay County folks were recycling 200 years before recycling became cool. That tradition still exists in the form of crafts.
Back in the day, going to the store meant traveling 25 miles in a wagon. Purchasing “Brought on” items was limited. Only the most needed items that couldn’t be made at home were bought ready made. Most everything could be and was recycled into something needed. The artistry and craftsmanship was born from the individual pride worked into handmade items.
My grandfather’s whittled. They searched out perfect pieces of cedar. I never did know what that ‘perfect’ was, other than it was about 12 to 18 inches long and small enough in width to hold comfortably in one hand. Sometimes I think they competed as to who could cast the finest curled shavings. My grandmothers took the shavings stuffed them in cheese cloth, gauze, or lace packets, creating closet and drawer sachets. Cedar is a natural insect deterrent.
“Cabin by the Creek” is my way of preserving a bit of that culture and tradition in the 21st Century. Crafted items are recycled from something else; with materials I happen to have at hand. The items are meant to be used. No two are exactly alike. My skill level is limited and thus my crafted items are simple. My grandmother Allen made ‘Postage Stamp’ quilts with a needle and thread (not sewing machine). Each quilt piece was the size of a stamp. After the third one, she even said “No more.” She was in her 80’s, at the time.
Examples of the tradition continuing into this century include a set of dinner napkins I made. I needed a set of good ‘white’ napkins to go with my good dinnerware (purchased at Wal-mart). I had an old white bed skirt with lace edging that had been allocated to the linen drawer. I took the skirting and made 8 new dinner napkins complete with lace edging.
Better yet, I hope I’ve given you ideas on which to ponder, specifically to your family heritage and heirlooms.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
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