This time I waited until I had two new rows to post. Pretty soon the quilt will become more squarish and I’ll be able to fit it into one photo. Probably everyone is getting tired of looking at this quilt, but at some point in the near future I am going to run out of…
For hand embroiderers, here is a great idea for transferring embroidery patterns to your fabrics. First of all, let me just say that this was my idea. However, my husband, Gordon, actually made it for me. I had been using our glass coffee table and putting a light under it, but this light box is…
Here are more patterns from the 1948 Simplicity catalog. The pattern suggestions for using these motifs include luncheon cloths and tray cloths. I’m not completely sure what these are — I thought maybe luncheon cloths were sort of smallish tablecloths because I remember some cute embroidered tablecloths we had when I was a girl. They…
This is such a cute book and I think the drawings are perfect for embroidery. The book is very tall, and includes a colored picture at the top of each page suggesting how you should paint your picture. It seems strange to me now, but when I was young I had a very “stay in…
My daughter, Emily, likes all things navy — especially anchors — so last year I started collecting navy-related vintage fabrics on ebay to make a tote bag for her. I found a couple of cute vintage twill fabrics and a feedsack piece that were perfect for the shell, straps and pocket. I purchased new fabric…
You may recognize this quilt which appears on the cover of the book, American Quilt Classics, from the collection of Patricia Cox. I copied almost everything about the Cox quilt except the quilting pattern. This is one of the first projects I started when I began to quilt again, and the fabrics I used are…
These are some of the wonderful vintage triangle pieces I purchased on ebay last year. There were three sizes of triangles — this is about a third of the pinks in the medium size (2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 4 1/4″). These were obviously swatches removed from salesman sample books, because some of them…
Here are more of the cute motifs from the 1948 Simplicity catalog — for use on rompers, frocks, playsuits and pinafores, just to name a few. They’re so sweet and remind me of the little embroideries in some of the new Japanese books.
Row 3 is done — only 8 more rows and 44 embroidered squares to go. Although I love the wool, this is probably the most difficult fabric I’ve ever used for embroidery. I have to draw the design freehand since it’s on thick, black fabric, and because the wool is a bit fuzzy, it’s impossible…
These little table squares are really quick and fun to make. I had a box of vintage 3″ squares which included quite a few old shirting fabrics — not enough to make a quilt, but just right for a tablecloth. After cutting them into triangles, I started playing with the arrangement. In the end, I…
This quilt was finished in 1975 and I didn’t make another quilt until 1995 (one started, but none finished). The pattern is very different from the scrap quilts I make now. The quilt has seen lots of wear — it’s pretty thin and the black print with the little roses is faded. I like the…
I’m excited about this project — it’s a nice change from my usual vintage cottons. The wool is very nice to work with, but no hand quilting on this project — it’s way too thick and many of the squares are a bit fuzzy. I am planning to tie it with yarn and back it…
Every Easter I am reminded of all the beautiful dresses my mother made for me and my sisters. These three dresses are definitely the ones I remember most, because they are just so fabulous. In the photo we are perched on our giant living room chair — left to right, Mary, Sally and Martha. We…
The stitching of the verses was finished a while ago, but I just got around to taking photos. The Old Woman in the Shoe verse got a little jammed up, but I wanted to include the part where she whips them all soundly. There are several “nice” versions of the Old Woman in the Shoe…
These are more little animals from an old Workbasket transfer sheet which came stapled to the inside of the magazine. Originally there were these little bits that were on the other side of the staples, but often they will be missing when you find a group of these old transfers. Most of the time these…