Hope Chest: Packed Up and Ready to Travel

Hi everyone. This has been an extra hard two weeks! I've been scouring closets and making a huge mess. I've been trying to gather up all of Miss Abigail's hope chest to take it to Arizona where Abigail and Jacob will live for the next couple of years. Abigail is getting married on Saturday! I can't wait. But it has been so emotional for me to see this project come to an end.

Actually, it may not end, haha. I am going to throw away all my kitchen towels and make new ones for myself. And new bath towels! And maybe a quilt for our bed. So there are still some posts planned for the future, but I'm not sure where I will go with the blog. We will have to see. I certainly have had a lot of thoughts about hope chests and am still excited to discuss the subject.

But...here is a picture of the pile of stuff. The actual hope chest is on the other side of the room, waiting to go into the back of the truck, but you can still see the auxiliary hope "chest of drawers." There is the stuff from her closet too and from under the bed, haha. She will have some sorting to do. What an exciting time - the culmination of an 18 year project!

When Money is Scarce

When money is plenty this is a man's world. When money is scarce it is a woman's world. When all else seems to have failed, the woman's instinct comes in. She gets the job. That is the reason why, in spite of all that happens, we continue to have a world. - Ladies Home Journal, Oct 1932

I wonder if you agree with this quote. Of course things have changed enormously since 1932 and I am watching my children as they share responsibilities within their marriages. Each is a partner to the other and their individual contributions are enormous. I do think though that some women have an instinct when it comes to creating a home on a strict budget. It might have been learned however. I wonder if this instinct still survives.

Economists in the news are predicting a new, frugal future for many Americans. In 2008, during the last major recession, many Americans were fearful that economic conditions would linger and a wave of thriftiness made discount chain stores, thrift stores and dollar stores way more popular than they had been previously. This frugality has continued and, in recent years, there is a resurgence in learning homemaking skills including mending, of all things. Craft channels and cooking channels on YouTube flourish. Young women, particularly, have learned how to sew and embroider, cook and make their own cleaning products and entertain more at home.

Teaching Miss Abigail homemaking skills has been a big part of what I have called the "hidden hope chest." When I look at the list of skills I created many years ago (which you can see if you scroll down the sidebar) I'm pleased at how accomplished she has become in all of these topics. She is honestly an amazing young woman. Yes, I admit to being completely biased. We worked at this for so long and some skills have necessarily been put aside when she left home to focus on other priorities. But I can see that she continues to learn new things that will bless her family in the years to come. For instance, this semester she enrolled in both a musical conducting course and an emergency first aid course and was chatting to me recently about what she was learning. Sadly, she won't receive credit for the first aid course as the hands-on aspect could not continue when the classes shut down, but much of the knowledge is in her hands now. I'm grateful for that.

The current pandemic has already revealed both the weaknesses in our personal preparation for at home stability and the strength of our ability to be creative and frugal. Let's hope we all have the traditional instinct to create a comforting home in spite of loss and struggle.

Using Cloth Napkins - my thoughts

Cloth napkins are one of life's little luxuries, like a pretty placemat or a tablecloth on a bare table. I want Miss Abigail to have at least a few cloth napkins in her hope chest. Many people don't take the trouble to dress the table for everyday. Holidays, birthdays and recognizing special milestones are usually an occasion for setting a special table, but everyday meals are overlooked most of the time. But I would like to argue that even the most humble of dinners can be made a little more special by using a pretty cloth napkin.

Cloth napkins were used regularly until the middle of the last century when paper napkins, which require no washing or ironing, became more popular. It was and is an affordable convenience and, like so many other things, it saved time. Most people now don't own cloth napkins, though some are using cloth napkins as a more ecological choice. But many people don't use any napkins at all. Many eat on the go or at the kitchen counter, and it's just too easy to reach for the paper towels if a napkin is necessary.

It's actually pretty easy to collect and use cloth napkins, especially if you liberate yourself from the traditional fussiness of using them. The notion that they belong at a fancy dinner party or that your grandmother would be shocked at the stains or wrinkles honestly need not apply in our day and time. Bright patterns or dark colors can hide the stains and ironing just reinforces the fussiness belief. Choose an soft, aged fabric and leave them rumpled. This has a casual appeal that is just right for an everyday meal. Have enough that you can just add them to your regular laundry. You can sew them yourself or buy them secondhand at antique stores or thrift stores.

I would like to assert that when we come together for a meal, a cloth napkin can elevate that time and make it more special. It doesn't have to seem fancy or be uncomfortable. It's just a little thing that can create a bigger moment and make life a little more beautiful.

Thinking about Hope

I am thinking about hope today. Preparation and hope go hand in hand. Whatever the outcome of this COVID-19 virus situation, there is always hope for the future. Early this morning, as I was organizing myself to truly finish up the physical hope chest for Abigail, I was reminded again of why I did this. Honestly, you may be assured that I have been questioned many times about the usefulness of such a thing.

This is a quote from a post waaaaay back in May of 2014.


"I know people wonder why I am doing this. People ask me if I don't trust that Abigail will receive any wedding gifts and I laugh and say that I am hopeful that she will. But, who knows when she might get married and what those gifts might be and sometimes they can be pretty random. This is my gift - and along the way I hope I am teaching her to look ahead, to value creating a home, to develop skills, to be creative and to "prepare every needful thing."  Taking responsibility to prepare for a future need is simple wisdom. None of us knows what the future holds and if Abigail's need is not as great as the preparation, she will have an excess to share."

Today I am thinking that preparation is always a good thing...

Thoughtful Thursday: The Emotional Benefits of Crafting

I've known for some years that crafting helps me emotionally. I don't think I've ever mentioned on this blog that I've struggled with depression and anxiety in my life. It started with postpartum depression when I had my first baby and just never went away entirely. Thankfully, it seems to come and go in long cycles, so I do get something of a break off and on, but it has been a regular struggle. I've learned how to manage depression better as I mature, but whatever eases my soul and calms my anxious mind is a blessing and crafting has been like a miracle to me.

Although I may not have talked about my depression, I have talked about my need for creativity. Some time ago I wrote in this post: "My mother is the single most important creative influence in my life. She expressed her artistry constantly in our home. She always had some music playing -beautiful, rapturous music, like Rachmaninoff, that just made my soul soar. All the pretty things around me were the work of her hands. Things like the painted kitchen cupboards, my hand-sewn dresses, the living room drapes, the watercolors on the wall, the artful arrangement of knick-knacks on the lamp table, the flower garden and even the molded Jello were all the result of her constant effort to bring beauty into our lives. She always had a project of some kind going and one project just bubbled constantly into the next. With such an example, I could not help but be creative myself!

We all live a life of which beauty is a part. While we are all not named as artists, each of us responds in some way to that which is beautiful. Many of us see a necessity of keeping beauty around us. Vibrant color, fascinating form and designs, exciting textures and patterns seem to fill some part of our soul. In my mind an artist is simply one who makes beauty visible (and certainly audible or tactile) and thereby holds onto the beautiful for a little longer"  I still feel this way and crafting is the vehicle by which I can make beauty visible

pages from my art journal

Crafting actually does even more for me than satisfy my creative urges. Scientists are beginning to understand the benefits of meditation and are coming to recognize that many crafting activities mimic the meditative process. Crafting is now a regular part of occupational and behavioral therapy. I know that I thoroughly enjoy when I reach the "zen" stage of crocheting or spinning wool. I love the slip of fiber between my fingers and the repetitive movement of my hands. It just calms me. My husband is a scientist and frequently needs to solve problems. He taught himself to knit because he wanted hand-made woolen socks, but he tells me that he keeps doing it because it helps him think through tough problems. When a meditative activity combines with a cognitive activity, such as counting and following a pattern at the same time, you've struck mental gold. It is really good for the brain.

Mihaly Csikszentmilhalyi is a behavior psychologist whose studies focus on the "positive" human strengths of optimism, creativity, and intrinsic motivation. Anyone who has been depressed understands how important these functions are and struggles to maintain them. In an October 2008 TED Talk, Professor Csikszentmilhalyi describes something he calls "flow" -- that short intense period of time when we are so involved with something that we lose track of time. We are simply absorbed in the creative process. The professor says that during this time of creative flow, our mind feels as though it is involved in something important and that we are living more fully. This is the key to happiness, he says. I think I agree. Apparently the Buddhist monks, and others who practice and teach meditation, have known this for ages. The trick, of course, is to hit the flow at an appropriate time, and not when the family is waiting for supper!

Crafting also helps my depression when it gives me small successes. Many small successes add up to a feeling of empowerment to face larger challenges. I remember when I learned to crochet lace with thread. I really was proud of myself. To be able to create something so beautiful is a wonderful feeling. To be able to repeat the creation again and again and share it with others (and get their positive feedback) is a blessing. I still love it when my mother watches me crochet and comments on how beautiful it is. High praise indeed from such an important, talented woman in my life.

pages from my current smash book

Creative meditation and the mind/hand occupation that comes with crafting also offers me a way to self- regulate strong emotion and to cut off irrational thoughts. And it isn't a pharmaceutical drug, thank goodness! A number of years ago I had a particular responsibility that required me to attend meetings where discussions would often leave me soul weary and very cranky. After a time I started taking my crochet with me and weathered the criticism because I found that it would keep me calmer than when I had only a pencil in my hand. I thought better with my hands occupied and I was better able to keep my mouth shut as well. I find, even now, that when I am creating a page in my art journal or working in a scrapbook, crocheting a simple dishcloth, or looking through color cards, my thoughts are always more hopeful and I feel less chaos in my soul.

So, I want to encourage crafting. This is truly part of the reason I write the blog, not only to see my creative process in print, but to share and help others feel the joy of making something wonderful. In addition to Women's History Month, March is also National Crafting Month. And, if that were not enough to celebrate, March is also National Crochet Month, declared so by the Crochet Guild of America. I'm planning to fill the days this month on the blog with thoughts and projects about women, history and all sorts of crafting, particularly crochet. It will be a busy month here, starting tomorrow with a wonderful interview about a hope chest. I hope you will check back often.

Have any of you felt these same emotional benefits of creativity?

Thoughtful Thursday: How to Love Your House

Maybe you've heard people say "I love my house!" Did you ever wonder why? Our society places great value on decorating and remodeling and building equity in our home. People spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to make a home they can love.

I think what we are really looking for is comfort. Comfort is what we really fall in love with. When we enjoy comfort at home, time to relax in rooms that welcome us and work for us, we come to love the house because we love being at home. Comfort is an individual thing, but it is usually small things that bring home comfort.

• a pretty edge on a face cloth
• a favorite chair with a pillow for your back
• souvenir magnets on the fridge
• a fuzzy lap throw to snuggle under
• homemade cookies in a cookie jar
• a handmade picture frame with a photo of far-away family
• a pretty set of sheets that feel just right
• a hand-thrown flower pot your best friend made for you
• somewhere to stash your keys
• a favorite soup simmering on the stove
• a bath towel that is just the right size

This feeling of comfort is the point of the hope chest. When you take a bit of time to prepare ahead those items that you know will bring comfort, you'll fall in love with your house, whatever or wherever it is.

Thoughtful Thursday: Defining Hope

Anyone who thinks about a hope chest as much as I do necessarily thinks about the concept of hope. Hope is a feeling that something desired can be had or will happen. Hope is not a wish for something, but rather the rising anticipation of an upcoming event or situation. Hope is a vision more than simply a dream. It is ambition more than desire. It is belief. It is conscious. It means taking steps to assist the outcome. Hope is a synonym for faith.

Hope Chest Planning Book

In a recent post I mentioned that I have a hope chest planning book. I am a list maker. I sometimes don't follow the list because I'm also creative and change plans at the drop of a hat, but I love to make lists and I love to cross things off a list. So this ordinary composition book is where I've kept all my plans for Miss Abigail's hope chest.

This is the inside front cover. Some years ago, I made a list of categories for items in a hope chest. You can find the list on the side-bar of this blog. I also have a list of categories for skills that I hope Miss Abigail will learn. I think we are making pretty good progress!

 

On the pages inside I have a list of items that I want to make for each kitchen set, planned table linens, bed linens and bath linens. Plus lists for other specialized sets, like a first aid kit, sewing basket and supplies (done - yay!), craft tools, gardening and canning tools, practical books, family history records / scrapbooks and holiday decorations. For example, I want to make a picnic set with a picnic basket or cooler, a picnic blanket and a picnic recipe book. So there is a list for a picnic set. I haven't gotten to it yet, but it is in the book. I also have a list of special pieces that I want to include; a birthday cake plate, candlesticks, a bread cloth, a piece of petrified wood (I won't go into the reason, LOL), a framed picture of Jesus Christ, a Sabbath cookbook and menu book, etc.

I also keep pictures of ideas that I find in magazines and on Pinterest. I'm not a digital person, so I print these out and paste them in my book. I record my own ideas and designs. Trying to illustrate them is often a challenge. I sometimes write recipes or household tips here because the book is a handy place to keep them.

I paste things in. I draw patterns. I keep published patterns stuffed in pockets and taped between pages. I copy out crochet patterns and record those that I design myself. The book is just an all-purpose place to keep my thoughts and ideas of anything related to the hope chest. I also have written inspirational quotes to keep me going.

I'm not sure why these pictures are appearing vertical - sorry!

This inside back cover has a master list again. Just more specific ideas of items that I want to include in the hope chest. So there it is - my hope chest planning / stuff book. I hope it inspires you to make a few lists too.

 

A Peek Inside: Aunt Bertha's Kitchen Set

Will there be items in her hope chest that Miss Abigail will never use? Probably.

I have a large and loving family. There were six aunts that lived close by as I grew up. These aunts were wonderful models of homemaking skills and I learned a lot from each of them. Three of the aunts are still living and are very elderly. Around the time of my birthday, a few years ago now, I picked up a package in the mail. It was from my Aunt Bertha. Inside the package were these wonderful hotpads and the embellished dishtowel, along with a note that told me how much she loved me and appreciated all of our shared experiences.

My Aunt Bertha is a very talented woman and I've never been able to use the gift as she intended that I should. I will perhaps one day, but in the meantime, I just like to get them out and look at them and remember my lovely aunt. There are a couple of things that I made for my own hope chest that I never used. I get as much pleasure out of their prettiness and the effort it took to make them as I would in using them. But even as I say that, I hope that Miss Abigail will use the things I am making. I'm making LOTS, just to ensure that she will have enough to use. There are enough that some could be gifted as my sweet aunt did, and some leftover for grandchildren. I'm sure that there will be things that Abigail will only bring out for special occasions and maybe one of two that she will just save to look at. But I hope she will use and reuse and wear out most of her hope chest.

One of my favorite activities, on a lazy afternoon, is to go to antique stores and poke around. I am always drawn to the linens. There are piles of wonderful hand crafted linens to sort through. I always wonder about why they were made and love to guess whether the crafter made them for a hope chest. I like to see signs of them being used. I think it sad when I come upon a perfect, unused pair of pillowcases or tablecloth or monogrammed napkins. There is such a lot of work involved to have the item remain unused and stored away in the dark of a chest or drawer.

Do any of you have items that you acquired for your home and yet have never used? Do you think it a shame, as I do? When do we reach the point of allowing ourselves to use our beautiful things? I really do try and hope you do as well.

BTW, the dishtowel is embellished with a simple fabric border along with the pretty peaches iron-on transfer. My aunt also used the ever-popular single-crochet diagonal pattern for the hot pads. Just google it (single-crochet diagonal hot pads) for lots of directions and tutorials.

Celebrating "Inspire Your Heart With Art" Day

I had not heard of this minor holiday before this year. It causes me to think about all the ways art and creativity have blessed my life. My mother is the single most important creative influence in my life. She expressed her artistry constantly in our home. She always had some music playing -beautiful, rapturous music, like Rachmaninoff, that just made my soul soar. All the pretty things around me were the work of her hands. Things like the painted kitchen cupboards, my hand-sewn dresses, the living room drapes, the watercolors on the wall, the artful arrangement of knick-knacks on the lamp table, the flower garden and even the molded Jello were all the result of her constant effort to bring beauty into our lives. She always had a project of some kind going and one project just bubbled constantly into the next. With such an example, I could not help but be creative myself!

We all live a life of which beauty is a part. While we are all not named as artists, each of us responds in some way to that which is beautiful. Many of us see a necessity of keeping beauty around us. Vibrant color, fascinating form and designs, exciting textures and patterns seem to fill some part of our soul. In my mind an artist is simply one who makes beauty visible (and certainly audible or tactile) and thereby holds onto the beautiful for a little longer.

I became aware of "Inspire Your Heart With Art" Day when a reader associated with an artist named Patience Brewster invited me to consider some way in which I could celebrate this day and encourage others to bring art more fully into their daily lives. Of course I went immediately to the Patience Brewster site and was tickled to view her pages of whimsical ornaments and figurines - and wouldn't you know, she even has some designs embroidered on tea towels!

So I am responding to the invitation by posting a picture of the sweatshirt I recently remodeled. I think it turned out pretty cute. I wanted to bring a little bit of color and warmth into the middle of winter. I created a tutorial and posted it over on our Hyer Homestead blog. I am celebrating today by listening to some rapturous music and thinking of my mom while I paint some recycled glass jars meant for the pantry we are creating in our laundry room. I know that so many of you all are creative and artistic because I stalk your blogs and find inspiration in what you are doing. So, join the celebration! Think about how you can bring art, even ordinary, homey art more fully into your life. You never know who you will inspire.

Link- A Free Emboidery Pattern - Limited Time

 by Clementine Pattern Co.



A week or so ago I read a lovely post entitiled Cultivating the Fruits of the Spirit: Love at Raising Homemakers. This post is the first in a series that Robin, who is a regular contributor at Raising Homemakers, will write over the next several months and I'm now looking forward to each post! I was struck by Robin's question if I stopped to think about what my family would look like in five years, perhaps because Hannah just recently asked me what I expected to be doing in five years time. I'm currently so busy that I hardly have time to project my thoughts at all, but after reading Robin's post, I recognize that there is more I can do to cultivate the spirit of love in my relationship with Miss Abigail. Five or six years is about the length of time I have left before Abigail should be ready to leave home. I think she knows that I love her, in fact, I'm absolutely sure that she does. But because of the frantic pace we sometimes chase, I don't always "recognize and anticipate the frustrations that provoke you to unloving responses." In fact, my sweet Abigail often takes the brunt of my frustration, even and especially when I am trying so hard to teach and train her. What a wretch I am! Robin offers five gentle suggestions that I think will help me, if I can apply them. So, I thank her for that --and for the lovely embroidery pattern that she and her daughters have designed as a reminder. Please don't miss the post link, which includes a limited time offer for this free pattern from Clementine Patterns Co. Robin promises a free pattern for each of the articles in her series. What a lovely thing to look forward too!

A Special Easter Egg

Eggs! You stumble around and over them at Easter time. My little family will color them tomorrow and I miss the times our older boys hid colored eggs for Abigail to search for. I need to do something special for Easter, I thought, for the blog. Could I find a beautiful picture, somehow compose and share my tender and personal testimony of Jesus Christ? How could I possibly explain how much I treasure His grace, His blessings, His watchcare and help...

I've mentioned before how much I enjoy Michele's blog, Simply Scaife Family Farm. I was recently mining gems in the depths of her labels, when I read her post about One Tiny Gift. I knew I wanted to share it with those that I love this weekend. This is my testimony as well, that small efforts combine to bring about the purpose of God. That Jesus Christ loves and appreciates all who bring even one tiny gift, to make His kingdom -even the world, better and brighter. Thank you, Michele for such a lovely reminder of this truth. A Blessed Easter to all of you.

A Memory - Thankfully Retrieved

I am so frustrated that memories seem to leak out of my brain faster than I can make them!  I was astonished recently by a lost memory that I am very glad to retrieve. I’m writing it down because I don’t want to lose it again. Miss Abigail and I were crocheting together, making the jar ribbons for the pantry. Abigail said to me, “Mom, when you first taught me to crochet, you read to me.” Well, I was a little startled that I couldn’t remember that since it was only three or maybe four years ago, but I do remember now that I’ve been reminded. She was in the 4-H crochet project and the easiest item was still quite beyond her skill and it took her a long time to do it. I tried to make the time pass a little more pleasantly by reading aloud while she crocheted. This actually should stand out in her memory because I don’t much care for reading out loud. Maybe I just conveniently forget that I don’t read to her as often as I should. But the memory that I was struggling to retrieve was different altogether.

When Abigail first made the comment I thought she said “sang to me.” I doubtfully replied, “What song did I sing?” She laughed and repeated the comment. Then she said, “I do remember, when I was very little, you used to sing me a song. Something about my nose.” That remark brought back such a rush of feeling, because I had sung a very special little song  when she was very, very young. I made it up. Abigail’s Song, I called it. It was just one of those sort of tuneless ditties that you murmur when your baby is fussy and you are trying to distract them. I sang it while I nursed her or when I got her dressed. But I couldn’t remember the words or the tune. Abigail couldn’t really remember it and it wasn’t the kind of song you sing if you think people are paying too much attention. But memories are a mother's treasure. I really, really wanted to remember it and I fussed about it all day long. Finally, late in the evening, the memory came back at last. I used to sing:

I love Abigail, I love Abigail, she’s my special, special girl.

I love her eyes, I love her ears, I love her cute little nose.

I love her cheeks, I love her hands, I love her down to her toes.

Then I would repeat it with some different body parts, like knees or elbows or hair or whatever until she was dressed and happy again. Well, I’m satisfied now. Thank you, Jesus. This memory has made my heart happy.

Just a Thought...

This thought really helped me today and I'm very, very grateful to this sweet blogger who posted the reminder some time ago. I've been stirred up and frustrated, ever since Tuesday, when I was in a minor car accident in Santa Fe.  A young girl, driving without a license, ran into the back of my car while I was stopped at a light. She had not taken the time to clean the ice from her windshield and apparently couldn't see well enough to stop. She actually couldn't see anything at all and I can't imagine how she had come so far down the road! Anyway, these things happen and they just disrupt our lives. Now I have to deal with insurance adjusters and car body shops and being without a car at Christmas time.  But I am thankful to be on my feet and because I am believing in a loving Heavenly Father, I am reminded that I am in His hands. I just wanted to pass the thought along and express my hope you all are having a good day!

No Time To Wait...

“There is no time to wait ... only time to prepare.”

I read this anonymous quote and think it applies perfectly to thoughts of a hope chest. Scriptures consistently teach us lessons concerning preparation. Joseph’s provision for Egypt literally saved the house of Israel. The book of Proverbs has many references to the time of preparation. Consider Proverbs 6:9-11. “How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest” And your poverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man.” Proverbs 6:6-8 teaches us to “Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest.”

Sometimes we neglect to prepare simply because we don’t recognize the necessity. In years of plenty, it may be hard to imagine a time of need. Those who lack nothing in their growing years can hardly see or understand what poverty may feel like. It is easy to imagine that good things will just continue to come, not fully realizing who will have to provide them. And what things are really necessary, after all? I think it is important for our children to think about these things, and to take a little time to prepare for and provide for their future.

Time is an interesting perception. As adults, we never seem to have enough. So many people tell me, “I don’t have time to sew.” (Or embroider, or cross-stitch, or even cook!) I recognize that people are busy. I understand that our lives are demanding. But that is just the point I’m pondering lately. There is always a natural time given for preparation. God has seen to this in creation. It seems to me that we need to identify that period of time and use it wisely to furnish for the time when that preparation will be needful. It is a certain fact that when the time of need has come, the time for preparation will have passed.

A young wife may learn, when the first Christmas arrives right on schedule, that there is no time to make the linens for the special holiday table she so wants to set. Because the budget is tight, she will have to settle for whatever she can find at the dollar store. A young mother will certainly discover that her child’s first birthday will quickly come, with no time to stitch that hand-made birthday banner she thought would make the occasion so special. “Well, I’ll make it for next year,” she will declare, and perhaps she will find the time.

If home and family joys are important to you, “There is no time to wait ...only time to prepare.”  A hope chest is certainly one way to deliberately consider the future and to take the time to provide for it.


Shared on  Prairie Flower Farm Wednesday Link-up: Building Our Homes Together With Jesus

Fancywork

I am intrigued by the term “fancywork.” Throughout history, and certainly since the cottage industry replaced the European guilds of the middle ages, women have had many sewing tasks. A woman’s hands were busy, first in making the fabric and then sewing it into clothing and household linen.

Of course, in England, until relatively recently, there was a class division of labor. This applied to sewing as well. Aristocratic women did not sew their own clothing. They employed servants to do this work, or commissioned their gowns from modistes or dressmakers. The wealthiest women could patronize a couturier or fashion designer. At most, these higher class women may have been involved in constructing or embellishing their underclothing. In America, this was less so. Even into the early 1900's, with the exception of the lucky some who maintained servants, most American women were sewing clothing for the family at home. Many members of the household were busy at this work.

Fancywork was the opposite of this routine household sewing. Fancywork describes that bit of extra embellishment that was added to garments, linen or other household goods. It might represent embroidery, needlepoint, crocheted or knitted trim and lace, netting, beadwork, or some other kind of needlework. It may include doilies, cushions, macrame, and other items made to adorn the parlor or bedroom.

I am intrigued by the term “fancywork” partly because of antique publications of patterns and projects that were produced from the mid to late 1800's and through the turn of the century. Such publications were directed at young ladies and women of the middle and upper-classes. These women, presumably had the time to devote to making and embellishing items that were, shall we say, more impractical or sentimental in nature. Lower-class women did not engage in fancywork, I assume, because they were too busy with other things, like employed work to feed themselves or their children. Hmmmm. There is an image that stands a bit on it’s modern head. After spending a couple of hours, early this morning, trying an antique pattern of crocheted lace, I guess I can presume that I am not a lower-class woman.

Of course, circumstances changed, even in the drawing rooms of the rich and privileged. In this new century, I am touched by examples of the fancywork of ordinary women found on ordinary things. Every time I visit my favorite antiques mall, I wonder at what I find. From embroidered household linens to embellished clothing, hats and even shoes. The internet is filled with marvelous modern examples of uncommonly beautiful fancywork. Women have always loved to be surrounded by beauty; to do fancywork. It keeps us from being “lower-class.” ;o)

The Hidden Hope Chest

Preparing a hope chest is all about skill. It is learning to be skillful at those things that will make a comfortable home. In our present society, few people seem to recognize the work that goes into making a home. It seems that even fewer embrace that work as something they would willingly do for others. Many see the various tasks of homemaking merely as chores, to be hurried through in the corners of their spare time. But I think people still long for a home that is something more than just sufficient, adequate or acceptable. I think if people were really honest, they would rather their home be snug, contented, relaxed, cozy or even, --well, homey.

So, if a hope chest is more than a collection of linens and tableware, how can I train Miss Abigail in the art of making a home? Well, first of all I have to make our home, her home, more than just sufficient so that she recognizes what a home is all about. She needs to have homemaking skills modeled for her. That task has always been mine. (Sigh) There is still so much room for my own improvement and I often fear that I am not that great of a model. But, I have a strong desire, a passion, actually, and, I think that one can identify some basic skills and then set out to learn them.

It is baffling to me that many of these traditional, home-building skills are simply left to chance, as if they can be easily learned later, if ever they might be needed. Many young women of my acquaintance seem to think that, when the time comes, they can just consult the high-end home magazines and watch the so-called home divas sprinkle glitter on birthday banners. As long as they sign up for the wedding registry at the Pottery Barn, they will enjoy the comforts of home. But they don’t know what to do for dinner beyond reaching inside the freezer case at the grocery store or telephoning for pizza delivery. Clothing is given away because of a stain or a ripped hem. I want to help Miss Abigail recognize basic skills, learn and practice them.

I also want to help Miss Abigail develop attitudes that will enable her to be a willing homemaker. Somehow, I have to help guide and train her heart. There is no one-size fits all circumstances way to make and keep a home, but keeping house is part of that long tradition that recognizes the important needs of people to be well-fed, well-clothed, sheltered comfortably, and even to be nurtured. Someone needs to accept that task and it needs to be a deliberate choice. I accept that we don’t always have a choice about the amount of time we devote to it, but, I do believe that the desires of our heart are manifest in the fruit of our hands.

Our Heavenly Father takes these needs very seriously and much scripture is devoted to images and types of our Father as the provider of these homely needs. One of my favorite images in scripture is of a little bird who finds the perfect home in the house of God.

“How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.” (Psalm 84:1-4)

This kind of homey comfort, such a refuge where a mother might lay her young, does not happen with slap-dash effort on the part of the householder. Beside capable hands, a willing heart is a most critical component of the hope chest.

So, some of what you see in this blog will be about learning and modeling skills. I hope you won’t mind a little of this, in addition to embroidery patterns and sewing projects. I think of it as the hidden hope chest.

Everyday Beauty

Once you fall in love with the idea of making a home, you find infinite pleasure in making it suitable, comfortable and even beautiful.  But, too often we put away our beautiful things because, well, they are too beautiful. “This is too nice to use for just everyday,” we say. We’ll save it for the holidays or when guests come to visit, and content ourselves with the plain and practical for everyday.  But our home is the space that encircles both our body and our spirit. It ought to be beautiful. No matter where we live, even in a temporary situation, a home is something we can create with the currency of beauty.

Why should you use a dishrag when you can easily use a dishcloth? Why should you use a dust rag when you can easily use a dust cloth? Truly, it is just as easy to use a towel that has, in some way, been made beautiful as it is to use a plain one, or one that is worn out or ugly. Of course, my home is more than those physical objects that surround me, but I find that my happiness is greater when I see, use, and enjoy everyday things that are beautiful. My everyday attitude is much improved.

Lest you get the wrong impression, I’ve used my share of rags, plastic cups and worn out blankets. But, I’m becoming wiser to my own happiness. It doesn’t take much to add a little beauty to everyday things. It does take a deliberate choice to actually use them.

If you own a pair of plain (white or printed) pillowcases, I challenge you to pull them out and use the following tutorial to add some simple, everyday beauty to your home.

Materials: Besides the pillowcases, you need a package of rick-rack trim, 6-ply cotton embroidery thread, two small embellishments, and a needle.

Measure the rick-rack trim, cut and pin it around the hem of the pillowcase.

Measure a length of thread three times the width of the pillowcase and cut. Use all 6 plys and thread the needle. Knot the thread.

Fold a bit under the end of the trim and bring the needle up in the corner. Make a tacking stitch. Do this on both the top and bottom edge.

Bring the needle up at the inside edge of the trim.

Take a small stitch, within the inside edge of the rick-rack trim. Take another stitch on the inside edge diagonal to your other stitch. Stitch, back and forth, within the inside edges of the rick-rack trim all the way across. The thread lays across the trim, tacking it securely to the pillowcase.

Work these small stitches in each wave across the length of the trim. Make the stitch smooth and snug, but don’t pull too tightly or the fabric will pucker.

When you come to the end of the trim, take another small tacking stitch on the top edge to secure the end and make it neat.

Tack down the bottom edge as well, and tie off the thread securely.

Sew on the embellishment. A ribbon rose, a button, or an applique would also make a cute decoration.

You are finished. Now use them. You’ll feel like a queen!

A Hope Chest Philosophy

A longing for home is one of the deepest, most fundamental desires of the human soul. For as long as humans have sought shelter, we have also sought to make that shelter more comfortable and even beautiful. In spite of modern rhetoric regarding the role of women, and the pressure exerted by our society to offer our daughters the opportunity to be whatever they might dream of being, hope for a happy, comfortable home is a value that should not be discarded as old-fashioned.

Creating a home that fulfills such a deep, emotional need takes conscious thought and deliberate effort. In the midst of everyday pressures and modern influence, such desire and effort might be postponed or even discarded in favor of other choices. Sadly, if there is a lack of time and a lack of positive commitment to homemaking tasks, there may also be a parallel lack in the emotional comfort of a home. Many, many people simply make do with much less than would be comfortable, let alone pleasant or delightful.

The hope chest represents that deliberate choice to prepare, even ahead of time, a comforting home. It is a physical act that reflects a desire to provide for the future. But, preparing for the future is also a traditional value that has too often been discarded by an immature attitude that believes all good things will come to us as needed. Surely, the wedding guests will provide gifts! Surely, whatever is lacking can be found at the department store, in Grandma’s basement or even the thrift store. This may, indeed, be the case for some young women, but a hope chest is more than the physical items that are stored inside. Beyond the collection of recipes and cookware is the mastery of their use. Behind the careful embroidery on the pillowcases is the recognition that beauty adds cheer and satisfaction to our life. From the woven potholders and knitted dishcloths to the crocheted lace and patchwork quilts, a hope chest simply reveals hands that are trained to do things. And, behind the preparing and collecting is the satisfaction of having what you desire, instead of making do with what is available.

We don’t always know what our future holds. But some kind of home will be part of it. You can make it what you want it to be; what you hope it will be. That is the purpose of a hope chest.

A Hope Chest Gift

This is a younger Abigail on Christmas morning with an extra special hope chest gift from her brother. In the coming years, I know absolutely that she will come to treasure the gift more and more.

I'm so pleased that she has an actual place to collect things. I always wanted a cedar chest. In my community, a cedar chest was the traditional gift for girls who graduated from high school, but my parents just couldn't afford one for me. One of the most tender conversations I ever had with my father was on the night of my high school graduation. He came to me and tried explain why I shouldn't expect to receive a cedar chest. Of course I really had only hoped. I actually understood the situation without his explanation, but I have a sweet memory of my father's wish to give me what I wanted, even if it could not be done. And so, as soon as Abigail was reasonably old enough to start learning about a hope chest, I started looking for one. I understand the position my parents were in, cedar chests are really expensive!

Our son Cameron took a woodworking class in college and needed a project. Cameron knew that I wanted a hope chest for Abigail and he offered to make it for her. Of course I was thrilled. My only requirement was that it be made from pine. He took some real hits in the class from his instructor and others who were sure that I wanted cedar in there somewhere and a nicer wood like oak or something. But I knew what I wanted and Abigail wasn't old enough to have an opinion.

So why did I want pine? Because I plan on helping Abigail fill her hope chest completely. I know it will be heavy. When she moves from apartment to apartment in those early married years, I can promise that Abigail's future husband will not want to lift and carry an oak chest filled to the brim with linens and other hope chest paraphernalia! Pine is the lightest wood. I know it is soft and gets dinged and battered more easily, but I like pine, and I think it is sturdy enough. Poor Cameron had to keep explaining to his teacher that he really wasn't just cheap!

I also didn't want cedar in the chest. Cedar isn't actually a great idea for use in a hope chest. It does work to repel bugs in wool fiber, but it also yellows and actually deteriorates fabric over time and it can be lethal to photographs. The scent is very strong. We can add cedar panels in the bottom if we ever want to have cedar, or use loose cedar in sachets. I wanted to have the option of NOT having the negative effects of cedar. Pine is a wood with resins that repel bugs also, it is just not as strong as cedar.

I think Cameron made a wonderful chest. He followed my instructions to a T. It is big enough, but not too big. He put in a nice hinge that holds the lid open. He left it unfinished because I asked him to. This hope chest was as much a gift for me as it was for Abigail and I am so thankful that I have such a thoughtful, talented son.