Week 21 - Hobbies

     

Stamp Collecting

My mother was a stamp collector. When I was young, she got my siblings and I started on collecting stamps. My mother was a working mother, and she didn't spend much time on her stamp collection. Papa Reppel would buy her nice expensive stamps for her collection. She would put them in the desk. Later after she retired she worked her collection. Before I moved to Florida in 1985, I went to several local stamp shows with my mom.

My stamp collection is rather like my mom's was when I was young. It has been years since I placed any stamps in an album or organized my collection, but I seem unable to stop my practice of putting stamps aside for my collection.When I go to the post office to buy stamps, I also look for a attractive multi-design collection and buy enough to use for mailing and to keep some for my collection. The stamps below are the most recent ones I bought for my collection. I have 2 stamps on the otherside to use before these get put back with the "collection" stamps.

Sewing

When I was around 6th grade, my school required all girls to take home economics. In this class we spent half the year learning to cook and half the year learning to sew. I took to sewing and was soon making nearly all my own clothes. When I was about 8th grade, my mother bought me a singer sewing machine for my birthday. I had this machine for years before it finally gave up the ghost and I had to replace it.

When I moved to Ocala in 1994, I didn't have a place to keep my machine out. Out to sight, out of mind. I basically didn't sew for years. When I retired in January 2012, I wanted to start working on some crafts. So I carved out a space in my laundry room and started doing craft projects and a few sewing projects. My first project was a bag that I made using an old pillow case for the lining. My next project was making a purse from an old pair of blue jeans. Here are pictures of the final product.

Christmas Ornaments

One of my favorite crafts is making Christmas ornaments for my family and friends. I have made them on and off for many years. I like making them because they are inexpensive enough that I can make one for everyone, Aunts, Siblings, Nieces & Nephew, and Friends. Here are a few of my favorites from over the years.