Aunt Ida's Handmade Potholders

  As my mother is an avid writer and "compiler" of information I recently asked if she might consider writing something for my blog. Not only did she graciously consent, but she sent me a bunch of stories to use as well!
  This story is about Aunt Ida's potholders- a treasured staple in our kitchen for as long as I can remember.

 

The following was written for us by my mother:   

 

"Aunt Ida was born in the early 1900's.  She had 6 sisters, including my mother, and 2 brothers.  She turned out to be the maiden aunt who stayed home and eventually looked after Mother. "

  "Aunt Ida worked in a factory for Stanley Works.  She always had to be busy.  She couldn't sit still, except to watch her Boston Red Sox Baseball Games. "

  "She sewed, embroidered, canned food, made jellies and relishes.  But her staring role was making pot holders out of scraps of material left over from her many sewing projects."
  "I found one pot holder where she patched together the same patterned material, so she could make one more pot holder. She wasted nothing"

  
  "She passed away about 5 years ago and I still have many pot holders that she made.  I will not be using those pot holders as they are vintage prints and are so colorful and they remind me of Aunt Ida."

~Thanks Mom for the blog and for sharing some of these cool potholders with me!

"It's Always Summer Somewhere..."

  Being that part of my business is selling vintage clothing AND I live in Florida, the recent passing of Lilly Pulitzer was of some interest to me. A story about how her clothing line came about caught my eye. Apparently a series of tiny  events brought her to the design fame that she ultimately enjoyed. 

  Starting out in Farmington, Connecticut, Lilly clothes the illustrious Jackie O in a kitchen curtain! Following that we find her suffering from severe depression, moving to sunny Florida to cure it and finally landing in a roadside orange juice stand selling juice from the family grove in order to occupy her time. And then... BAM!... a clothing line is born! 

   Lilly's shift dresses were in bright colors and born of the need to hide the citrus stains to her clothing. Next thing you know... the Kennedy's are wearing them as well as all the finest Palm Beach socialites. I find that  kind of ironic. Socialites wearing work clothes designed to hide stains.

  Anyhow- in summary- it just goes to show that even the "best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray"... and success abounds as the result! Thanks for the cool clothes Lilly and I am sure you are right..."It's always summer somewhere". Enjoy your eternal summertime, but you will be missed.