Sharing Saturday, My Grandmother's Crochet Pattern, mini doll coat

After I had posted my grandmother's mending bag last Sunday, I remembered her doll coat pattern I found in a sewing box as well. She used to make doll coats for my dolls with this pattern and I would get so excited. She lived with us for quite a few years and I was always so pleased to have her with us. I thought the way she made a sample and attached a card with her directions was such a great idea and the tag reminded me of all the scrapbooking tags that are popular. I included a crocheted doll coat I made to display is a room box under the Christmas tree, it is about halfscale. I was thinking of her pattern when I made it but didn't have the design quite right so I was really pleased to find her actual sample.

Here is the pattern, which could be adapted to minis if you can understand it.
Make a chain of 56 and that makes 13 points. 12 rows, 3 for each sleeve, 3 for back and 2 for each front.

I'm excited....we have been invited to go to a Steampunk picnic at Beacon Hill park tomorrow afternoon. It should be quite Victorian with cucumber sandwiches and croquet.

Sharing Sunday, My Grandmother's Sewing Bag

 

I know, this is a very unusual photo!! When I was going through my sewing room trying desperately to organize it, I came across my grandmother's old sewing bag. I had kept it as it was because I loved my grandmother and thought it was fun just to keep everything as she had left it. Now, since I'm in a simplifying my life and clearing away mode, I dumped all of the tangled odds and ends on the table and was going to toss out much of it as garbage. 

Suddenly I felt very bad and if I had lived through the depression as my grandmother did or if I was really environmental, as I always claim to be, I would be trying to make good use of everything. I did think everything made a lovely design for a photo. The bag appears to be from the 1920's because of the design. Everything is really quite beautiful as individual items. My grandmother always wore a girdle; since she was from Scotland she could pronounce girdle so much better than I can. Loved the girdle clip odds and ends, very handy if one breaks, lots of elastic bits and a few pearly buttons. The top left corner shows scraps of dress fabric and it is really a raggety piece, really don't know what she might have done with that piece, wish I could ask her. There was a real treasure of my grandfather's initial stamp A T made of metal and he used it to stamp his initials into his beautiful inlaid wooden pieces.

Today is not the day I will get rid of most of these odds and ends, I'm going to put them all back in the bag and wait for another day.