After almost 7 years, my blog theme was very out-of-date, and the same theme was no longer available. My son spent hours transferring my blog to a new theme, and now I have been revisiting all my older posts to tweak the images where the formatting changed a bit. The categories on the sidebar will be…
Here are some sweet butterfly designs from a newspaper article titled “Of Interest To Every Woman” edited by Martha Westover. The designs took up almost an entire page, included some duplicate butterflies, and were meant to be transferred directly from newsprint to fabric using the following method. Dissolve a half teaspoonful of washing powder or a…
Since it was discovered that blankets should no longer be used to cover baby in her crib, she needs cozy sleepwear for cool nights. Bunting is back, baby! Mother Goose Quiltie Pattern #9 Bye, Baby Bunting, Daddy’s gone a hunting, For to get a ribbit’s skin, To wrap the Baby Bunting in. Baby Bunting is…
According to Wikipedia: A tuffet, pouffe or hassock is a piece of furniture used as a footstool or low seat. It is distinguished from a stool in that it is completely covered in cloth so that no legs are visible, and is essentially a large hard cushion that may have an internal wooden frame to…
Dyspeptic — now that’s a word you don’t hear much anymore, and certainly not one you would normally read in an article intended for children. It does seem to be a good description of Mr. Sprat, however, since it means irritability brought on by indigestion. I think I would be irritable, too, if I never…
It’s interesting that Ruby McKim decided to use the third verse of the Simple Simon rhyme for this quilt. She also used it a decade later in her Rhyme Land quilt (pattern available here). Many children are probably familiar with the first two verses, having to do with the Pie Man, but this verse is less well known….
How about a nice Workbasket eagle to stitch for our Independence Day here in the USA. More vintage patriotic transfers are available in earlier posts here and here. Congratulations to the winners of The Stencil Company feather templates. Sue Mickie Sandra D Robin I will be contacting you for your mailing address. The stencil packages will…
Here’s a little project for my mother-in-law’s upcoming 86th birthday. It’s easy and fun to do, and reminds me of stitching sewing cards when I was little. Select an Alphabet I used an old Leisure Arts booklet (20 Backstitch Alphabets, Mini Series #2). You could also use a font. These instructions are for working with…
It’s interesting to read the little comments under each nursery rhyme. The author must have been either Ruby Short McKim or a McKim Studios employee, because I’ve found the same text in several different newspapers. Of course the comments are old-fashioned, and some are a little odd — maybe due to the recently introduced “scientific” theory of raising children. Mother…
It took six months to complete the quilting, but the String Star quilt is finally done. I’m very pleased with the feather quilting, and it was such fun to stitch that I’m a little sorry it’s done. Two Stencil Company templates were used in the plain spaces (10″ feather square and 5″ feather wreath), while the string stars…
Mother Goose Quiltie #4 Old King Cole was a merry old soul, And a merry old soul was he; He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl, And he called for his fiddlers three. Everyone loves Old King Cole. He is so jolly and fat and not like other kings at all….
I’m really excited that several readers are stitching along with me — Patty and Robin are making their blocks 6″, while Cathy is following the original instructions, and making her blocks 10″. Here is Mother Goose Quiltie #3 Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water; Jack fell down and…
This was one of my favorite nursery rhymes when I was little (and still is). I loved imagining living in a shoe with all those siblings, and I always enjoyed looking at the variety of ways the illustrators interpreted the shoe house. I know there are people who have a problem with this particular rhyme,…
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle published this McKim series in their children’s section, The Junior Eagle. I hadn’t realized they were originally meant to be made by children, and I love that the Eagle went beyond just publishing the patterns, and sponsored a contest for the little quilt-makers (prizes listed below). Today we have a drawing…
A package arrived from Margaret today, and you can imagine how excited I was to open these cute presents. First, the adorable quilt — such a great pattern and colors with those little pinwheels and cute striped border, and look at that amazing quilting. And there was more — cool pins to hold thread spools and bobbins together, and…