Stitching Fun

Coloring Fun - Cake 1, originally uploaded by Glen Mullaly.

I came across these on Flickr today and thought "tea towels!"
The caption from the Flickr owner reads: "Illustration from the "Coloring Fun" feature "Let's Bake a Cake", Humpty Dumpty's magazine January 1958. Illustrated by Dave Lyons.
Print these on plain white stock and Crayola your brains out!"

...so I think he wouldn't mind us stitching them either?

Crochet time: a "shoulderette" to make

shoulderette, originally uploaded by drewzel.

I might have to re-scan the picture as it hasn't come out very well, it's a rather lovely crocheted shrug. If you click on "original" on the Flickr page, the instructions are clear and easy to read.

Bluebird and roses

...but not whiskers on kittens. Soon it will be Winter in Australia, stitchy friends, and I'm starting to feel it...I'm bolstering myself with lashings of craft books, cups of tea and the comfort of the couch. So my apologies for my absence of late. But you know what always cheers me up? Wee birdies! So here's some more.
These little birds originally came from a mail order advertisement in a newspaper, and happily, whoever originally ordered the pattern kept the newspaper clipping:

" Simple embroidery" from "our new and exciting Needlework book for 1956!"
"So simple, a child could do these embroidery stitches!" "Dozens of other designs to order, all easy, fascinating hand-work!"
You know, I'm willing to part with my 25 cents for my copy of "this wonderful book" right now!

Alas, I think I'd get a "Dear Crazy Person" reply to my letter, if indeed The Daily Review is still at that address in New York. In the meantime, let's enjoy the birdies and rosies and whiskers on kittens...

[click on the picture for a printable size]

What cheers you up, by the way? Leave me a comment on this post by the end of the week (Friday that is), and I'll pick someone at random for a stitchy pressie suprise!

Chic lady

Yesterday I hit my favourite thrift store for a browse while we were waiting for Mr Stitchy's prescriptions from the chemist next door. And I almost walked past this pair of napkins/placemats and a bigger table runner. Not handstiched, from the look of the back of the work, but still adorable nevertheless:


I thought you would agree, my stitchy friends, so I'll scan her tonight and tweak it until I get a transfer pattern for you to use.
Update: here she is, hopefully you can use her:

Vintage doiley

vintage doiley, originally uploaded by drewzel.

Semco design 140 on a 7" round doiley. Part of me doesn't want to stitch it, as I do like it as is, with the old instructions attached...but then, I can't just collect things for the sake of it. I'm not really into that, things should be used for their purpose rather than hoarded.
Anyway...Semco are still going strong, and I'd say this one is from the 50's or early 60's as the price is still marked 3/6 (Australia went decimal in 1966). My mother had lots of doileys in this style that she'd made - Dolly Varden seemed to be her favourite! This design is called "Margaret".

Chickens!

Yesterday I posted some "new" patterns I'd recently received on my Flickr stream, which prompted Karen (aka Miss Retro Modern) to share some of hers with me.
Here's my favourite of her transfers, chickens!

Flutterbys

Also from English "Needlework" magazine (published by Weldons) are some pretty flutterbys to stitch.
I won't bother putting up the instructions, as they recommend the butterflys worked as a border on a tray cloth using eyelet embroidery and buttonhole stitch.



Interestingly, notice the "beau bag"? It reminds me of the cover of the last Adorn magazine.

Budgies budgies budgies!

I think everyone knows what a budgie is? In the USA I think people refer to them as "parakeets" or "lovebirds". This English Needlework magazine thought everyone should sew budgies on everything in 1958.








Click on the image for a giant photo to read text. I've also left the transfers really big, so if you'd like to sew them, I'd recommend clicking for the bigger picture, and then saving the image to your computer, then use your photo editing or graphics program to tinker with it until it's the size you like.

Sorry if the images are a bit crappy, I'm using my camera until I can sort a scanner out.