A Small Act of Thoughtfulness

Being that it is a very special day, this entry is dedicated to my darling Grandma Doris who really got my creative juices going when I was just a tadpole. She was always knitting, cooking, crocheting doilies, baking, sewing barbie clothes, kneading, or embroidering kitchen towels. I really do attribute my love of working with my hands to her. She was a gentle, kind and very loving grandmother.

Grandma loved bridge and often played with her friends, hosting simple gatherings at her home. I was fortunate enough, a few years ago, to come across a small collection of some of Grandma's homemade bridge cards.

Looking for some ideas for a thank you the other day, I took a closer look at these gems.


My favorite theme, which she used quite often, was the peasant girl. Using scraps from her sewing box, she'd carefully shape out a bonnet and dress and glue them to the card. Using crochet flowers or drawn free-hand, a small bouquet was added. Sometimes she'd add a bit of lace to give her a petticoat. My favorite were the shoes and grass...always drawn from markers or pencils she'd have on hand.

I love thinking of her sitting down at her dining table, taking the time to make these sweet cards for each of her friends.
This next batch I grouped together demonstrates her flair for detail. The mice are a favorite; made from a simple thumbprint. The yellow flower is actually a small collection of shells layered in a circle to create the petals. The card at the bottom left of this picture is little glued balls of embroidery thread and leaves sewn into the card.

What a treasure to have been a friend that could take these home! With that thought in mind, I came up with my own present day version to give as a gift to a friend.

I started with some beautiful blank cards from Crane & Co. Using my sewing machine, I sewed a simple triangle for her dress onto the card. I stitched a little ric-rac to embellish. I hot glued a simple felt bonnet on her head. At the bottom of my notions box, I found two simple, die-cut tulips to glue on. I continued by free-handing the simple stem and leaves, a little lace on her bonnet and finished by putting her shoes on.

I think she'd say I cut a few corners, but Grandma Doris would have been pleased it was used to think of someone else.

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