I brought out an old project from my stack of cardboard boxes, and I’m having a lot of fun appliquéing these simple designs on 6″ denim squares I saved from our old jeans. I used a light fusible (one you can hand stitch through) to apply the pieces, then blanket stitched them with three strands…
Lots of newspapers from the 1920s-1930s included activities for children: stories, coloring pages, paper dolls, how-tos, puzzles and games. Many papers devoted a page every week, and some even had whole sections specifically for children. I loved this kind of stuff when I was a kid in the 1950s, but my mother either purchased coloring/activity…
Here are three transfer sets from the 1923 Standard Designer catalog. The images in the catalog are minuscule compared to the actual transfer sizes, but I have tried to scan them at a large enough resolution to make them usable. Fortunately, the designs are fairly simple. It’s cute the way they arrange the different motifs in each…
The Nancy Page column was syndicated in many national newspapers during the 1930s. Six of these quilting patterns were published full-size, although with only one quarter of the pattern to save space. I put the pieces together to show you the completed design, but the eight original patterns are below, which might be easier to print…
These designs are from a 1923 Standard Designer Needlework Catalog, and the originals in the book are tiny — about an inch high. Fortunately, the printing is pretty good, so I scanned them at very high resolution and was then able to clean them up. The catalog has lots more patterns, including some really cute…
Two aprons this time — one for you, and one for a friend. I wanted to get these done early because I’m going to be busy next month. The giveaway will be open until April 1st, so leave a comment below if you’re interested. Probably nobody but me would look at this vintage chintz fabric…
This is Butterick 10202, and I don’t know what year it was published, but it’s pretty darn old. I love anthropomorphic animals, but inanimate objects are even better. My favorites in this group are the brush family, the senior silverware, the plate parade, and the clothespins. I really need to stitch some of these on towels or an…
I hope you’re not too bored with these patterns. I’ve become a little obsessed with all the beautiful designs I’ve found in vintage newspapers. The images below are basket motifs from 1910 – 1915 (okay…one is more like a ribbon, but still . . . pretty cute). I love the last one — it’s buttercups.
As a little break from quilting the String Star quilt, I decided to make a small quilt with some vintage plaid blocks I purchased last year from Oodles and Oodles. Each block was composed of just two triangles sewn together. I know the triangles were taken from a salesmen sample book because the plaids were all slightly different,…
Less than two weeks until Spring! Seattle has been unusually sunny for the past several days, and the cherry trees are blooming like crazy. It reminded me of these old cherry designs, so as soon as I got home I cleaned up the images to share. Maybe those of you who are stuck indoors with snow storms might like to stitch…
Did you think I’d forgotten? No way . . . I’ve just been busy quilting, and it was hard to stop. For the March giveaway I have a half apron with a deep hem, big pockets, and long ties that will fit anyone. When I saw this fabric I thought that fat little bird would look cute…
Something quilty coming soon — I promise. Until then, here are some sweet initials designed by Sarah Hale Hunter, and published in the Portsmouth Daily Times in the early 1900s. Below the alphabets are six designs meant for use with initials. Additional designs and one more set of initials can be found in an earlier post. Click images to enlarge.
My second favorite article to embroider, after quilts, is pillowcases. Although I’ve stitched lots of them for gifts, I have never made any for myself, and I hope to correct that situation soon. For each set I always use two different designs, and a similar color palette. If I tried to make two matching pillowcases,…
“Think hard about who is the very nicest person you know, and then plan to send this valentine.” Here is a valentine activity from a 1924 Montana newspaper, The Billings Gazette. I have cleaned and re-sized the image, and you should be able to print the outside and inside of the valentine on letter-sized paper — card stock for the…
First I want to show you some of the vintage quilting stencils from my collection. This wonderful group was sent to me by Gina Bailey (doecdoe on Instagram). The stencils were traced and cut from what looks a lot like the cardboard that used to come folded inside my dad’s laundered shirts. When we were young,…