…….literally! I have been trying to shake a cold over the past week and a few days ago it turned into laryngitis! Very frustrating not being able to speak….. thankfully my voice is on its way back and has gone from a whisper to a croak. As a result there hasn’t been much craft going on around here.
My project today was to restore and preserve my Grandmothers CWA cookbook (1970 ed) which has been well used over the years, and is filled with lots of handwritten recipes nestled between the pages. Unfortunately the spine was badly damaged, so I repaired it with some book binding tape from Riot. I then made up a dust jacket out of hand made Mulberry paper using a tutorial I found here. Now it is nicely protected but you can still remove the cover to see the original book.
In the before picture it is sitting on top one of my Grandmothers cross stitched aprons.
It looks great now it has been recovered. It is resting on top of a crocheted milk jug cover that my Grandmother made for me many years ago. I would like to cover up a set of books in this way as they make a lovely display in our living room.
I have often coveted charm packs but was unconvinced of just how useful 5 inch squares of fabric would be. I recently purchased a set of Farmers Market squares and have found them useful for a range of little projects that I am making for a magazine. There were a few squares that Sarah particularly loved so I have put four of the charms to good use in making this pincushion for her which is a variation on the one found here. I am pretty sure that I have seen one like this on one of the blogs I read but can’t recall which one. If it was yours feel free to let me know and I will post a link!
Lastly I wanted to thank a few people who have been kind enough to bestow awards on Sarah and I over the past couple of weeks. So sorry for the delay in acknowledging you all! If you aren’t familiar with their blogs – you should make yourself a nice cup of tea and sit down and check them out!!
Vickie, 2 Sisters and Me
- “2 sisters and a Mom who like to make stuff and collect stuff” – very inspirational!
Lisa, Bon Souvenir
- “sewing and baking the way my mother taught me”. Makes gorgeous clothes for herself and her daughter.
Kellie, Don’t Look Now
- the best quilt eye candy around! Kellie makes the most stunning quilts for her children and is a master at planning childrens birthday parties.
Bec, Oh Sew Busy
- Sews and homeschools her 5 children. It is amazing what this lady can achieve!
Julia, Marmalade Kiss
- lots of cool sewing projects and reflections on life in “search of creativity, art, passion, and laughter”
Posted by Lisa
Oh no – I hope you get your voice back very soon. Its very frustrating not being able to talk!!
I love your CWA book cover. It makes a treasured book look even more special. And the pin cushion is lovely.
love the book i have often thought of joining our very small CWA group of ladies.but until i have a spare hour i really can’t fit it in.the ladies always have their christmas lunch with us thou and they bring along their own christmas puddings.they save a piece for me which is always sweet.
I can’t imagine not being able to talk. Hope the voice is back soon.
Hello Sarah, I have given you the “I love your Blog” award. Go to my blog to see! And now give it to 7 blogs you enjoy.
Thank you for the link! That book looks wonderful .. and I am intregued by the notes and handwritten recipies inside .. Hope your cold gets better soon! Off to check out those other links now x
I looove your pin cushion!
what a beautiful recipe book…with all those special notes inside too.
Hope you get better soon!
Hope you feel better soon. That book brings back some nice memories. It looks good in its new cover.
Hope you are on the mend. Your grandmas cookbook looks good with it’s new cover-it is certainly well loved. That pincushion is gorgeous.
Hope you feel better soon! Laryngitis is a pain especially when you need to be heard!
Get well soon, sarah. Good job on the heirloom recipe book restoration. Happy weekend 🙂
Hi Lisa & Sarah –
Sarah – loved the baking in the last post – I am sure that your Father’s day went well with all those yummy treats
Lisa – what a marvelous book – treasured memories – My grandmother was a CWA member and when she passed away I keep her favourite mixing bowl and wooden spoon.
I hope your feeling better my family would love me to have laryngitis…..I remember that cook book and those aprons….love the stamp on the cover “for home and country”
Lovely fabric in the pin cushion
Get well soon! Could you tell me what CWA stands for?
The book cover and lace are lovely.
Mary
I’m a sucker for pincushions and just love that one. Awhile ago I restored my old cook book so it didn’t become a casualty.
ly pincushion fabrics. I maybe a bit thick here but what is it that is sitting ontop of your Mother’s cookbook? It looks like a water lily. I hope you feel better soon too.
What a great way to save your Grandmother’s book! Your awards are very well deserved!!!!! I hope you are feeling better. Mine have also gathered all of the germs just in time for the holidays!
Oh no! I hope you are better! I have tried that once too….and hated it!
That pincushion is great! So beautiful. I am in need of all new sewing aids (which I do every year or so) and that has inspired me completely!
Hello, I enjoy reading your blog. Have you seen the latest edition of the CWA cookbook. Some really yummy recipes in it. It is more of a coffee table style book. Hope you are feeling well soon. Have a great weekend.
Bev C
lucys1@bigpond.com
Hi Lisa
I got the flu & lost my voice last weekend too. I have just got home from a conference in Perth to find my DS has the Chicken Pox – Yay!
Take Care
Janelle xx
PS The CWA cookbook is a wonderful, I got mine for my 18th birthday 😉
Sorry that you were sick…
What a treasure your grandmother’s cookbook is!
No voice stinks! Drink lots of tea with honey and no whispering!! Hopefully you are feeling better soon!!
I hope you start to feel better this week! The pin cushion is pretty and I love the cookbook cover. It’s great that you have your grandmother’s cookbook. How special! I love the way you decorated it and how you’re cherishing her memory with it!
Its not fun when there is sickness in the house. I love the idea of the CWA. A group of women who band together, share, talk, teach and support. I agree that your grandmothers copy of one of their wonderful books should be preserved. Especially if it has notes in her own hand throughout. What a lovely thing to do. The pin cushion is lovely. Everyone needs a pincushion to love and use! Jen
My mom used to be a librarian and covered all of our hardcover books in such a manner. I love that and the books do look amazing on a shelf 🙂 I love the pincushion, such a jolly fabric.
Hope that you voice returns to you quickly – oh I think that I would die without a voice (i am such a catterbox!)
Love the cover for the old book – the CWA is a good book isn’t it!
I hope you are feeling better. The book looks great and can’t wait to hear more about your magazine project!
I hope you are on the mend now, it is frustrating isn’t it; and makes you really appreciate good health.
Your book cover looks great!
Thankyou so much for the thankyou, I am so touched that you took the time to comment about my blog!
Bec xxx
sorry you’re unwell! but that book looks great! my friend elizabeth also just started a project of going through her grandmother’s cook book!
Hello Sarah, don;t forget to pass on the “I love you blog” award!Download teh picture from by blog.
Surely your voice is well now! I hope.
Loved your family treasures! I also have some to show soon (I think I am definitively back…)
Sorry to hear you’ve been unwell and I hope you’re fully recovered soon.
You did a great job on the book and I love the pincushion too!
That is a lovely pin cushion! I’ll have to make one soon. My scrap bin is overflowing!
Hope you’re feeling better! Love the recipe book – it looks so pretty and fresh.
Kris
Love the pincushion! The fabrics are beautiful.
Hi, Lisa! Hope by now you are feeling much better and on the mend…and able to speak again! :o) We’re just back from holiday, so it’s great to finally see you here and what’s been happening. Love the CWA book…And the juicy colors & fabrics of the pincushion are fantastic! Congrats on your awards–well done! Happy Days ((HUGS))
It’s great you got the grandma book project going…
When I was in my early 20’s my mum wrote a cookbook (with pictures, an index, all kinds of stories) for my sister and me and it’s also a family treasure.
Oooh, I hope you’re feeling better soon. I love the pincushion — very pretty fabrics!
Lisa – UGH the dreaded Laryngitis!!
I am very, extremely (practically on intimate terms) with this dastardly ailment. I know exactly how you feel and I hope you get better soon. I will tell you that something that I drink during these times is the following:
Russian Refresher:
1 Cup Countrytime Lemonade (Powder)
1 Cup Tang (Powder)
1 tsp ground Cloves.
Put 2 heaving Tablespoons into a Mug and add Hot Water. It’s so soothing on the throat!
Hope you are better soon. Thanks for the comments on my Blog about my AUTUMN Blocks in Wheat! 🙂
Hope you are all better soon. My MIL joined the CWA last year, even though she is a city person. Love how you restored the book.
I do hope you feel better soon x
I do hope you are better now. I’m feeling all motherly and worried now because you haven’t posted for a while. Hope all is well 🙂
Ruth xx
I hope you are feeling better. I just love the dust jacket you made for your grandmother’s cook book. I need to do that myself. Great pin cushion too!!
I hope you are feeling better. What a nasty winter it has been for so many.
What a treasured book. Well worth the preservation.
Congrats on all your awards.
hope you are feeling better! charm squares are useful, aren’t they? I have just begun to discover the wonder that they are.