Memories to Heirlooms

I had three enviromentally friendly dishwashing detergents that didn't work so I decided to buy three more to see if I could find one that did!   (I am not sponsored or connected to any of these companies. )

Here the results of my research.

The dishes were not getting clean.  This is spaghetti sauce with chesse washed with Ecos.  Also the three products I had, Ecos, Nature's Promise and 7th generation consistently did not clean cinnamon off my breackfast bowls. (I use a lot of cinnamon.) 

All were:

• plant based
• No phosphates
• no chlorine
• no sulfates except 
  • droops -contains alkyl (C10-16) a sugar based compond that is biodegratable​​

dropps is what I will use from here on out and I am willing to pay a bit more because:

• my dishes are clean
• there is no waste
• ​they are PETA Certified Crulety-Free
• they off set 100% of their carbon emissions from shipping
• ​they sell a sampler so you can try it out
• they are very responsive customer questions

Although Mrs. Myers and Ecover both performed well they both had recycable issues and although they are Leaping Bunny Certified, Johnson & Johnson is not.

3 drops of dish soap (I used Method dish soap and very small drops)
1 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
cost- 5¢/load
Results- Dishes got clean but a residue was left on metal surfaces.

Penn Medicine/Lancaster General Hospital is looking for facemasks and other donations.  They are supplying instructions and materials to make them while supply lasts.  Here is the email I recieved.

Dear Friend,
Thank you for your generous offer to make masks to help protect our community during the COVID-19 outbreak. The willingness of so many to step up and offer support to our patients and staff has been truly overwhelming.
Special mask-making fabric and instructions are now available for pickup (while supplies last) at our Donation & Materials Center at Clipper Magazine Stadium, 650 N. Prince Street, Lancaster, every day from 7am-6pm.
How to Pick Up Material and Return Masks
Enter the stadium parking lot off Prince Street and follow directional signs around the rear of the stadium to the staging area off Clay Street. Stay in your car and our team will provide you with a bag of fabric and instructions to prepare small or average-sized masks. When completed, masks should be returned to the Donation & Materials Center in a bag identified by size.
Learn about other items we are accepting at the Donation Center here. 
If you have questions, please email: LGHealthCovidDonations@pennmedicine.upenn.edu. Thank you again for your generosity and support.
 
With appreciation,
 
Brian Burgess
Chief Strategy Officer

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
555 North Duke Street | Lancaster, PA 17604-3555

During WWII, my grandmothers did what they could to help; rolled bandages and lodged soldiers, made food basket for the needy. So when Mom and I heard there was a need to sew facemasks, we jumped at the chance to help. I am sharing what we learned, hoping it helps others who want to take up the cause. 

The Fabric Patch's video is very detailed and clear to any person who sews. Mom is  has used her machine for repairing clothing, but is not a sewer. I found some ways to simplify the process for Mom and me.

Whitney felt that adding this quote her mother had given her would make it perfect and adding her signature was a must.  Clearly she was right since Joanna, one of Annie's girls wrote, “It is the most special gift I have ever received. I love that the ‘Love “Annie’ is in her handwriting- I recognized it instantly."

​Whitney and I collaborated on the Story Starter, which kept in the pocket on the back.

The result was four table runners, one for each of Annie's girls.  She will live in their hearts forever and, now they can always have her at their table as well.

There was quite a bit of fabric leftover, so I helped Whitney think through some projects that she could do with it for the grand and great-grandchildren.  

Want to bring a loved one to your table or back into your home. Contact me so we can talk about it.

Community. It is important to me that shopping locally helps the environment and the local economy, but I also care about local business people and love that they care about me.  ​

Lynn at Rainbow Vison Stained Glass is a fantastic example.  

• She is sincerely interested in my current project and remembers my past projects better than I do! 
• She knows her stock AND my taste, so she is always a fantastic help.
• She is a great teacher, and enthusiastically supports people learning the craft because it is her passion.
• She goes out of her way to help, and I consider her a friend.

Other local business I highly recommend:
Amy Holland Pottery in Litiz PA- Fabulous pottery teacher and beautiful pottery
B&G Lumber in Elizabethtown PA - Custom cut lumber and project support
Hostetter's Hardware, Mount Joy PA - Knowledgeable, friendly people in every department
The Flower Wagon in Lititz PA - Healthy, affordable plants, and family owned

​Meg and four siblings spent three years in Germany because of her father's US Air Force assignment.  In those years, her mother, MomMom, established traditions that lasted through the years and are honored by three generations.  Meg brought me two of the children's capes that the girls wore and asked me to make pillows for each of sisters and brother.  She also wanted to include a cardinal to represent her mother.

​Along with the capes were two hoods, three metal buttons, and two of the fabric pieces that formed the neck closure.  I removed the trim from the edges of the garments to make it easier to incorporate in the design.

There were two moth holes that I fixed by felting them with extra fabric, adding to the longevity of the finished heirloom.
​

​Three of the pillows incorporated a pocket from the cape which aligned perfectly for the use of a metal button and held the Story Starter booklet, which I create for each piece.  The neck tabs were attached to two of these pillows.  The trim at the bottom of the piece mimicked the cape.  The back of each heirloom came from the original lining.

​The front and back of the collar came together to form a lovely oval that framed the cardinal well.  The earpiece of the hood created the pocket on the back.

Meg's kids grew up knowing me as "jeangerdes" and are dear to me.  I have met their cousins and most of their nieces and nephews, so of course, with Meg's permission, I made ornaments for each.  I knew MomMom would look down and be pleased.  I put the child's name on the back of the ornament for the third generation. Each one has a pocket to hold the story of this special ornament.

​Do you have cherished items that are holding stories that need to be shared?  Contact me so we can start stitching them together.

Recently I was asked to make a rainbow welcome quilt for the Akron Zion Luthern Church.  Of course, I was thrilled to help support a mission of making everyone feel safe and incluced.

​My clients provided a quilting design for each column of the rainbow.

​The background of the welcome was quilted all over (stippled) to provide interest and dimension.

The quilt is now a warm welcome to all who enter this Church and their Facebook page!  I hope that soon there will be a day when people wonder why this was necessary.

I love that my talents serve others.  Usually, I collaborate with clients on very personal projects which are meaningful to them and their loved ones.  This project was unique because the quilt sends a message of love to the community.  

Feel free to contact me to get started on a project that is meaningful to you! 

What a coach wants most is to know if they made a difference.  This patch was made up of words or phrases from former players and the coaching staff to honor 40 years of coaching.  They were pieced together to form a design and then embroidered to create a meaningful keepsake that would make a great pillow, bag, or quilt.  Have an outstanding teacher, coach, or scout leader you would like to honor?  Contact me so we can get started.

A former student contacted me to see if I could make two patches for her.  She planned to work with a friend to make a t-shirt quilt from Pappy's clothing and wanted to include a sentimental piece from the handkerchief he always carried. Luckily she also had some birthday cards that he had sent each of his granddaughters with his signature.  I coppied his writting and  hand embroidered this onto his hankerchiefs to form a patch for each girl.

I love being part of such a special gift, no matter how large or small a part I play. Feel free to contact me. I would be happy to work with you on a project that honors a life well lived and comforts those left behind.

The wedding dress' skirt had four lace-lined triangular inserts made of netting that supported a diamond design of pearls. The largest panel formed the back of the shawl, flanked by the two medium inserts to form the sides and front.  We were both pleased with the result and loved how it spoke to the original dress.   

She needed a string of pearls to complete the ensemble. Pearl beads were removed from the dress, strung and tied with silk cord to make the perfect length necklace. She placed the Story Starter Booklet inside and wrapped them for her husband to open while she got dressed the night of the celebration.  

Reworking the gown gave it new life, but the shawl and the pearls are pieces that can be worn on many occasions and passed down.  It is the longevity of these pieces that tell the story of this loving couple, making them instant heirlooms.

Have a cherished dress you want to have transformed into an heirloom(s)?  Contact us so we can get started.