Sanctuary

Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing
There is a field...
I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass
The world is too full to talk about. —Rumi

Vintage Thursday: An Oklahoma gift

Cluny lace
The name Cluny is given to the kind of lace of which the design is based on ancient bobbin lace preserved at the Cluny Museum (Musée de Cluny) in Paris. The lace has certain distinct characteristics. The ground is made of plaited bars or brides. The solid parts are constructed of whole stitch, half stitch or whole stitch and twist. The designs are mostly geometric. For decoration, small picots and point d'esprit are used. Cluny lace was developed during the second half of the 19th century, inspired by lace samples originally worked during the 16th century. It was usually worked in coarse linen threads and used to trim household items, such as table and bed linens. Cluny is a coarse strong fabric still made by hand in France, Belgium, and China. Its name is derived from the Cluny Museum of Medieval Arts and Crafts in Paris. It is also made by machine. Heavy linen thread is used, and the design is so open that the product is light and pleasing. ( www.lace-tapestries.com )














This is such a treat to show all of you on Vintage Thursday. A new friend named Helen from Oklahoma ( aka: Reddirt Woman ) emailed me a few weeks ago and asked if I would be interested in a piece of Cluny lace that she had. She thought that I would appreciate it because I love vintage lace and "pretty things". I didn't know what Cluny lace was but I said "Yes" and she sent me this lovely doiley. Photos do not do this lace justice. This doiley is exquisite!
If you read the information at the top you will see that this is a very different kind of lace that came from France( and Helen's envelope says "South Belgium" too ). The envelope says that missionaries took this kind of lace to China before Communism and it was called Chinese Bobbin Lace. If you click on the photo you will be able to see that each thread is crocheted with other threads before it was make into this doiley and that the center and the butterfly body are multiple threads, built up and given a convexed, three dimentional quality to those places. I have never done any crocheted lace work so this seems magical to me.

What a nice gift this was, Helen. Thank you so much. It will be taken good care of and treasured.

Please go to Colorado Lady, who hosts Vintage Thingies Thurdays, and see other wonderful vintage goodies.

And she made Bread Pudding for Dessert

This bread pudding turned out really good. I used this recipe I have had for years. It was in a magazine and an ad for Sun Maid Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread. I don't add the extra raisins and I use three eggs. I also add a teaspoon of grated orange rine and 1/4 teasp. of pumpkin pie spice. I use half & half instead of milk. I also press the bread pieces with a fork after I pour the milk and egg mixture on top of it to make sure the bread is completely soaked. You don't want dry bread pieces in your pudding.

The wildflowers were a pretty background for the recipe but I didn't think anyone could see the ingredients so I did a close up too.

It's all gone and it was really good. The Prospector, Sis and I finished it off. Try it, with cream or half & half...., or vanilla ice cream. Hmmm good!

California Dreamin'

The luttuce is loving this mild weather and the goats wish that the fence would magically disappear.

The Fig tree has new leaves on it and everything is heavy with the anticipation of Spring.

Squeeky is not sitting on everyone elses eggs anymore. She is producing her own little white ones.

Old dog Maggie and the pupster are enjoying the warm porch.
Annibel is learning to live in the garage and seems to like being outside since she was bannished from the guest bedroom.
We saw a beautiful big fox yesterday, drinking from the water container across the driveway.
My sister is here for a few days . We took a long walk last night and picked wildflowers.
The prospector got new and stronger reading glasses today.
I'm baking(what else when Sis is here) BREAD PUDDING. The house is filled with the fragrance of raisens, vanilla and cinnamon.

Everyone is taking a nap...., quiet now. Don't wake this peaceful moment....