Made With Love

quilt with embroidered designs

quilt with cross stitch

beadwork and assorted tools

hooked rug with tool

Home made crafts were the order of the day before it became commonplace to purchase special tokens for family and friends. Many creative people carry on this tradition today. Early crafts were fashioned from whatever was available. Collecting natural materials was a common activity of women and children. Feathers, seeds and even hair were often materials of choice for creative design. Shells were used when they were accessible. The Middleville and District Museum has a collection of homemade crafts lovingly made for friends and family members. Practical items like socks and mittens kept family members warm and comfortable. Hooked rugs and quilts were projects undertaken by many. Wreaths made of seeds, shells and hair were often made to commemorate or celebrate a loved one. Some of these wreaths were preserved in shadow boxes and the Museum has examples that have survived from the late 1800's on display. 
The sentiment of a handmade gift endures today as a testament of love for family and friends. 

fan made with feathers

home made patterns

picture frame made with thread

picture frame made with birch bark

seed wreath made in 1878 by Janet Thomas Middleton

seed and cotton wreath made in March 1879 by Mary Ann Scott Robertson