Photos of my Grandmom

My grandmom Hazel Rachel Redrow Baker passed away on 5/23/11 at the age of 96. She was born in Woodbury Heights NJ and then lived in Deptford NJ for most of the rest of her life. She married Samuel Baker in 1934 and they had 3 children. They lived in their Deptford home for 68 years, until my grandpop's death in 2003. She attended the New Sharon Methodist Church for over 80 years.
I was very lucky to have lived 35 years of my life with my Grandparents living right behind me on the next street. They were very sweet, good old fashion people. They worked hard and were very devoted to their family and their church.


Below are some old photos that I scanned to be used in a Memorial Board at her funeral.

Grandmom, left, with a friend in the 1930s

Below, Grandmom & Grandpop's 25th anniversary. My Dad, looking cool in a striped jacket, his sister Doris and baby sister Joan. My Dad's sisters were born 20 years apart.

Below is Grandmom in the chair with cousin Asa Redrow.

Below is the house in Woodbury Height where Grandmom was born. The house still stands at the bottom of Chestnut Hill.

Happy little Grandmom

Baby Grandmom with her parents and her sisters Edna and Gertrude.

Grandmom and Gladys in the flowers.

Harlow & Boris taking a walking in Strathmere 5/12/11

Harlow and Boris love going for walks in Strathmere. They get so excited at home and during the ride there, that they are usually tired and out of breath by the time that we get to Strathmere. We just take a short walk around a few streets on The Point.








And here is Boris in front of the house -

An awesome 1930s dress for me!

Last week I bid on and won this fab dress. The seller described it as 1940s/50s, but it's actually 1930s. It's a pale yellow linen with dark blue lattice woven fabric on the shoulders and the pockets. Big dark blue barrel buttons. It was a super bargain at $12.50!  There are still some good buys to be had on ebay, it just takes a lot of searching and finger-crossing.

I guess that it went cheap because it was decsribed as having large watermark stains and only 32 inch hips. I took a chance on the hips because the bust was listed as 36 and the waist was 30, and I hoped that the hips were actually bigger than 32 inches (plus I could sell it if it was too small for me) But I got my 38 inch hips into the dress, yay!  The water stains came right out in a light Biz soak (see sellers, put out a little effort to clean your clothing first, think how much this could have sold for if it had been cleaned for the listing)
The dress is awesome. It's a little sheer though, so I have to find the perfect slip to go under it. The belt doesn't go with it, it was the closet match that I had on hand for the photo.

Vintage textile lust

I love vintage fabrics and linens, and I have a bunch of pieces displayed for my own enjoyment around my office. Here is a peek at some of them.
First, I have a huge Victorian laundry drying rack that's 4 sections and about 6 feet tall. I have it covered with this quilt top in one section and some barkcloth on the 3 other sections. It functions as a great room divider between my computer and the stock area of Dandelion Vintage.
Below is a closer view of the quilt top. I love feedsack fabric, but then who doesn't?



Below is kind of a full shot of the drying rack with the quilt and the barkcloth, along with some of my dress forms.

I love this barkcloth, I bought it on ebay about 10 years ago for about $40. I have 3 big pieces of yardage, each is probably 5 yards long. Plus 2 shorter panels. My plan is to make curtains for Strathmere with it. There will be sheers in the livingroom in the Summer and these will be nice bright curtains for Winter.

Next is a great piece of border fabric, probably 1920s or older. I bought it at the Columbus flea market about 9-10 years ago. Briefly used as curtains in my diningroom, now they hang on a shorter drying rack which displays smaller pieces of my fabrics.

Here is one of my embroidered ladies. This is a dresser scarf. Love it. You can never have too many embroidered ladies. I love the black heart on the back of her shoulder.

These are a hankie, a silk scarf and a peachy velvet dresser scarf. Pretties.

I also collect vintage boudoir pillows, mostly ones with embroidered ladies on them, also ones made from yo-yos and petals of fabric scraps and pretty laces.

Here is my fabulous and very heavy chaise lounge, it's in front of the shorter drying rack and my other fabrics. On the chaise is a huge green silk 1920-30s drape. Only one drape, and it's starting to split in spots so it can never be hung, but it's perfect over the top of the chaise. My pillows are on the chaise too, along with a Bates spread.

More pretty ladies -