Old is New Again

“All the trees are losing their leaves, and not one of them is worried.” Donald Miller Facebook post October 16, 2012

My Grandmother had beautiful handmade linens, lace, and doilies.  She used them on the backs and arms of her couch and chairs.  She put them under lamps and special knick knacks.  They accented her china hutch shelves and lined her silver, tea tray.  All those years ago, Grandma carried fine linen handkerchiefs with intricate crochet, knit, or netted borders with her initial done in hand embroidery.  

Items just like those from long ago are now readily available in baskets at the thrift store.  Most of them are in less-than-perfect condition with random stains, loose threads hanging from partially frayed edges, or actual holes in the fabric.   

I always rummage through those baskets, and several pieces find their way home with me.  They are added to a crazy big collection.  

What to do with these imperfect treasures?  A wave of inspiration hit me one afternoon and I started cutting, stitching, and combining bits and pieces.  I could trim around the stains, cut off the loose threads and stitch over the frayed edges.  Fun new junk journal covers emerged from the worn and tattered treasures.  Even the smallest pieces found their way onto the pages of the books. Old is new again became part of my life.

As I created, I kept thinking about how seasons change and everything starts over.  The blossoms of spring fade, the green leaves of summer turn to reds, yellows, oranges, and browns, and then the branches are bare for a few months.  Finding new life for the old, worn, and discarded makes me happy.  It was then the idea for Seasonal Details became a reality.

Now the best part . . . I will be putting together themed kits from my stash. Each month (or so), there will be a limited number posted in the Seasonal Details store. These kits can be used for junk journals like I made, or slow-stitch rolls, scrapbook pages, or even cards. The idea is that each person who purchases a kit will post a comment with a photo of their unique creation. Please check out the current listing and join the “Old is New Again” challenge. Challenge #1 is titled “Happy.”

Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Denise