Jenny Joins the Family's Traditional Needle Arts

First Post of the Day

First, auction mystery solved thanks to reader Carrie who reminded me that one of the Saturday and Sunday raffle models are included in the BreyerFest auction. Now the Math works! Thanks, Carrie!

I come from a family strong in the needle arts, a tradition that goes back generations on both my mother's and my father's side. My sister Leslie sews and does beautiful hand embroidery work. I sew near daily and embroider both by hand and by machine. 

Then there was our mother, she who did all that plus knitting, something none of us ever learned. (Although I tried. FAIL!)

Our mother designing and sketching a new page for a quiet book in 2010.

The finished design - she also did all the coloring. (I NEVER would have thought to add yellow to the palm tree's trunk!)

She knitted this scarf for another page. 

With Lisa and Jessica, all of them wearing clothing that she had made for a living history event in Kankakee, Illinois.

When our mother passed away in 2016, most of her sewing things went to Leslie and me since we'd always had the interest. Jenny has never had any interest in sewing, embroidering, knitting, or any other needle or fiber arts. None. (She's not horsey, either. Can she REALLY be my sister??? Haha!)

But somehow, Jenny ended up with some embroidering kits that were our mother's, and when she retired last December, she opened up one of those and dove right into embroidery. Just like that.

She did NOT start with a beginner's project - she jumped right in with a tablecloth that is long enough to fit my fully opened dining room table. Thousands and thousands and thousands of stitches!

And by golly, it's the end of June and she's almost done. Just in time for the annual 4th of July family bocce tournament held at her own home.

A week ago she texted Leslie and me with one word ("Nooooooo!!") and this picture.

"I was cutting the thread and my scissors slipped. I accidentally cut the fabric of the tablecloth!"

I could not blame her for being upset - a first time embroiderer who'd tackled a massive project and worked for hours and hours, was finally at the very end, and then that happens? I agree - noooooo!

Leslie and I were both very sympathetic but honestly, I could not see the cut in the photo and told her that.

She pointed it out so I could see it better. It was very small, at most just a half inch clip into the fabric. And that was good news.

I knew then that I could fix it, and told Jenny that, if she could get the tablecloth to me soon, I would repair it, send it back to her, and she'd have time to do the final embroidery work before the 4th of July.

Her relief was palpable.

When the tablecloth arrived, I could not find the hole. I looked and looked, comparing each embroidered part to the photo. It took me a half an hour before I found it. (More good news; it was that small.)

I cut a one inch square from the cotton I use to make 18th century chemises, ironed the cut area that needed repairing, and then put some double faced bonding fabric between the cotton square and the back of the tablecloth. Several passes with the iron, and the square was securely bonded to the tablecloth and holding the edges of the cut shut.

Jenny will be able to embroider those five last stitches without problem, and then, if she wishes, she can gently peel back the cotton square and trim it close to the embroidery work. Easy peasy.

I've already sent the tablecloth back to her and she is anxious to get back to work and have it ready for the 4th of July.

I can't wait to see her first finished embroidery project when it is out on the buffet table for lunch. It's going to be beautiful in all its 4th of July glory. Well done, Jenny! I am so proud of you!

Stay 'tooned!

Feast Saturday - A Fun Frenzy

Saturday morning I was up early as usual to let the dogs out, feed them, and get dressed for the Feast. 

To my delight, the Hunters' Moon was still visible and very beautiful. It was also quite chilly - I could see my breath in the early morning air.

When I arrived at the grounds, the sun was rising over the Wabash and there was a bit of fog in the air. I parked in the participants' parking lot, close to my tent but still a very long walk for me.

After last year's debacle where 45 mph winds had blasted through Ouiatenon, toppling some of my tent poles and blowing items inside the tent down, I was a little nervous as to what I'd find. But this year, no winds had blown through.  

However, the tent canvas had swelled with the dew and I could not get the tent clips open. I was struggling with them when Casey Samson walked by, saw that I needed help, and with another man I did not know, opened my tent for me. Thank you, gentlemen! 

I simplified my set up big time this year - the focus was clothing, blackened beeswax ornaments, maple cakes, and sleeve buttons. 

I still have several of Frannie's lovely wool toques and some pin pillows that I also brought, but after those are sold, there won't be any more.

I really liked the simplified look, and even got comments from customers who said they liked how "clean and simple" my tent was. (Translation: they could find things easily.)

As always, my sister, Jenny, came up from Indianapolis to enjoy the Feast.

That's her on the left at a very early Feast (1972, I think) and she has been coming almost every year since then.

Leslie's newest love since retiring as Feast Manager is cheesemaking, so she came as a milkmaid and taught a cheesemaking seminar Saturday afternoon.

She asked me to make her a milkmaid outfit and sent me some pictures as examples. While I miss her beautiful riding habits, I am pleased with how the milkmaid clothing turned out.

Saturday was a very busy day. Lisa had a migraine so I was on my own. Having said that, people came by and asked if I needed anything all day long. (Thank you, all! And Lisa, you were missed!)

I sold, and sold, and sold, and SOLD. This woman came back the very next day to show me how her new trade shirt looked with her other period clothing.

I had record sales by the end of the day. (I was also record-tired, Hah!)

Look at this beautiful pin ball this teenage girl made!

Everything was hand stitched by her. She was so proud of it, and rightly so. It is lovely. (Pin balls, like pin pillows, were early pincushions that were strung from a ribbon and hung from a woman's apron strings.)

Another young woman had inherited her grandmother's stash of hand crocheted table covers. She wrapped one around her shoulders and secured it with a pearl brooch.

As someone who has a linen closet full of my Grandma Honeywell's crocheted table covers, this clever idea caught my eye. Isn't that pretty?

I had five boxes of maple cakes and before the end of the day I had nervously opened the fourth box and begun restocking my candy jars. Would I have enough to get through Sunday? I hoped so.

Throughout the day, the sweet Scouts at the Beignet booth across from me kept bringing me free beignets and free duck tenders. 

An all-girl Scout troop, the "Beignet Girls" worked hard all weekend to earn money for their Scouting activities. The lines at their tent stretched well beyond three or four tent lengths - their food was worth waiting for.

I'd turn around, and there would be a young woman, big smile on her face, and some warm beignets or duck tenders in her hands for me. I'd send back some maple cakes and we enjoyed sharing our wares all weekend long. Thank you Scout troop 619 of Russiaville, Indiana!

A quick visit with Audrey and her youngest son at the end of the day.

This post is getting long so I am stopping for the day. There is more to come soon. (I know many of you want to know about the table that caught fire and the young man who "didn't die" as he put it.)

Stay 'tooned!

The 2025 Isenbarger Family Bocce Tournament

Second Post of the Day

This year we had our biggest tournament ever with 20 hopefuls vying for the coveted Bocce trophy.

Who would be taking it home this year? There were a lot of past Bocce champions present,

including Aunt Sarah who not only was a tournament champion, but when the Ten Year Champions Tournament was held in 2023, it was she who beat all the past champions, too! (How about that beautiful rosette from it that she's sporting?)

Always held at Martins' Fields in Indy, Aunt Jenny promised this year to have the pitch ready to go. Except she forgot to move the bird bath, which left a gaping hole on the pitch. Thinking quickly, we covered it with a piece of plywood.

Before the tournament begins, we eat a pot luck lunch of chips, dips, Texas Sheet Cake, ice cream, and a few slider sandwiches and salads that some of the healthier attendees provide. (Jenny, Curt, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle.)

A rumor was going around that magic would be used by some of the participants who may have bribed the cheerleaders to use their Harry Potter wands for some extra help.

Interesting that two of those cheerleaders (and their wands) helped with drawing up the rounds. Hmmmm.

I ended up with a bye the first round - it worked! Thanks, magicians!

Lunch demolished, we headed out to the pitch, eagerly anticipating our turn to trash talk and aim for the pallino.

Boompa wore a recent gift from Lisa - a hat with two fans embedded in the brim. BreyerFest attendees take note - it worked really well!

A couple of cheerleaders still working on their lunch.

Another two keeping Henry company.

Time to begin! Head steward and line judge Curt gave some instructions and read the first pairings.

And then, per tradition since this is a sporting event, we sang the national anthem.

With a surprise appearance by the Blue Angels! What a highlight for us all! 

And the tournament began with Champion of Champions Sarah knocking her dad right out of the competition.

The atmosphere was so electric that Eric and Trinity could not remain in their chairs. (Or was that because some cheerleaders had slipped into them?)

I was pitted against fellow horsewoman, Ellen, and it was close - see how our balls are paired together?

But in the end, Ellen bested me and I was done for the year and not going to make the podium. (Note to self: next year, order ribbons to tenth place. Or maybe fifteenth. Maybe I will make the podium then.)

Champion of Champions Sarah was bested by a magical cheerleader. 

And 2023 and 2024 winner Leslie lost to Nancy who had pinned her past ribbons to her tunic for good luck. (It worked. Nancy ultimately came in fourth.)

Todd had sent a text a few days before the tournament, telling us all to just stay home as he was going to win it all this year.

But, when he came up against Lisa (last year's second place winner, losing only by a smidge) down he went.

Poor Rick had to go against one of the Blue Angels.

Just look at Cole's form! But perhaps it was the long drive from Nashville to Indy, Henry in the backseat, that proved to be too much for Cole, and Rick took him out.

Line judge and steward Kyle had the misfortune of being pitted against cheerleader and magician Susie.

He gave it his all

but in the end, Susie took the round.

Lisa beat Todd; would she beat his daughter, her niece, too?

Yep! In the end, she was closer to the pallino than Trin.

Curt was busy tracking rounds

and pointing out where the pallino was, 

but he also was competing. (Here his brother is pointing out where the pallino now was. Whoa, that's a long toss to make!)

Unfortunately, Ellen won the round. He was now out of the competition.

After beating her Uncle Kyle, Susie was paired against her mother in the next round.

This time, her mama bested her and moved on to the winners' rounds to determine final placings.

Nancy has another ribbon to wear next year.

She lost to Emily who placed third. Nina was second...

And Lisa won the blue ribbon and trophy!

The 2025 Bocce Tournament winners on the podium.

We also had a round of applause for our cheerleaders and magicians,

and our Blue Angels, line judges, and stewards. (Lisa isn't excited at all, is she?)

If I can ever pry that trophy out of her hands, I'll add the 2025 disk with her name on it to the chain. 

Key word, "if," right? LOL

More things to share tomorrow, so stay 'tooned!