A Stitch in Time

In my browsing travels, I came across the site of Exceedingly Curious, and loved what was there. [I've added the link to my sidebar.] Lots of lovely scans of an Ingalls embroidery transfer catalogue from 1886, all beautifully scanned and shared for all of us stitchers. There's animals and children, flowers galore, and monograms. Such sharing warms the cockles, it does.
Here's one I found appealing, I thought this would look lovely on a needlecase:

Good Morning!

Here's another charming design from Exceedingly Curious, a "good morning" pillowcase.
I've tried to flip the picture so that the lettering is backwards and traceable, please let me know if I need to amend it to make it useful.


Click on picture to view full size and print.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas!, originally uploaded by drewzel.

I hope you give and receive lots of fun stitchy gifts! Happy Holidays!

Lambs, flowers and chickens

60s pattern 2, originally uploaded by drewzel.

This is from an English magazine called 'Woman's Own' of about 1965 or so. I particularly like the little birdie on the blossoms.

60s pattern 1, originally uploaded by drewzel.

6 Dutch girls for kitchen linens

Oh, this poor transfer packet, someone's ripped the middle of the cover right off it. Tut tut. However, the sheet inside is uncut, but slightly water damaged. Sweet little Dutch girls doing chores for your towels. What I like about these ones, is that in most of them, she's being helped by a little kitten. So I've picked the one of the girl cooking which you can see in the right hand corner.

Click here to view all sizes and print a copy out. I've tried to tidy it up with the Microsoft Paint program, it's still a little messy, but clear enough to stitch. Mmm chicken.

Deer doiley

deer doiley detail, originally uploaded by drewzel.

It probably comes as no surprise to you that I have a little collection of vintage linen. My mother always had doileys everywhere when I was growing up, she was very fond of the traced linen kits of the 50's. So I find it hard to pass any by when thrift shopping. My criteria is usually that it's well made and an attractive design, or that can be unpicked and re-stitched.

I found this one while thrift shopping yesterday. It has an identical deer motif at each end, and I'd say by the style and colours, was made in the 1930's. Its showing it's age somewhat, but I'm hoping with an good clean and press, it will come up beautifully. I think it's quite charming.

Zodiac signs

zodiac signs, originally uploaded by drewzel.

Just a quick one, this sheet from 1965 was in amongst some older ones I got off e-bay.com.au recently. I thought the zodiac signs might be handy for you stitchers out there.

Pattern for place mats

I found this in an old issue of the Modern Priscilla magazine (July 1928), and I think it's charming. I've photographed it as best I could and I plan on trying to enlarge it so that I can make a pattern big enough to trace.

The text says:

Embroider it in three shades of green as suggested in the picture or in three
shades of blue as planned by the designer. The effect with either
color against the shiny white cloth is delightfully cool and with edges blanket
stitched and finished with a crochet edging is all there is to it.
The complete set consists of one 18 inch centerpiece, four 12 x 17
inch napkins, and four 18 inch napkins, stamped on pure white linen finish Art Cotton.

Superior Kittens

Ask any kitteh and they'll tell you they're superior. Obviously the pattern company agreed, for they featured kitty images on teacups in this set of transfers. Unfortunately, 3 of mine are missing, but the rest are unused. Stitch your kitty on a teacup today!
The printable pics are in my Flickr photoset.

Revenge of the Lobster

Just thought I'd share a pic of the set of hankies I stitched, featuring a design from Floresita's pattern - McCall's 1166 (blogged here). I love lobsters (!) but not to eat, so this pattern really appealed, as crazy as it is, because I think dropping live lobsters into boiling water is needlessly cruel. Go lobster, go!

Confused

mystery pattern, originally uploaded by drewzel.

I'm a bit baffled...I got this transfer sheet in a vintage lot from e-bay and it didn' t come with a cover. Reading here makes me think it's an Aunt Martha's pattern set because of the number, but looking here has got me all confused because the fish'n'chips, ham'n'eggs etc also appear on an Vogart design 259 - Smart Slogans.
Anyone got any suggestions?

For fun and service!

scary potholder thing, originally uploaded by drewzel.

I put this pic up on Flickr the other day, saying that I thought these crafts were quite ugly. But "pet potholder" has a fan, and I guess the "shoebox carry all" would be quite cute in a nice fabric. Here it is for your viewing pleasure. After Christmas, I might attempt a shoebox carry all...another one for the project list.
What do you think of these two?

Knit Your Own!

From 'Woman and Home' August 1945:




Click on the top pic to read the instructions.

Felt and Fashionable

From The Modern Priscilla 1929 - shame they aren't in colour. {click on the picture to see a readable size.}

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".

Little red hen

little red hen, originally uploaded by drewzel.

From Home Arts 1937.

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.

Felt brooches

From 'My Home' magazine, 1946.

My transfer pattern collection

I did have this list in the sidebar, but it's messiness was irking me. So here it is:

Aunt Martha's
3021* - Dutch motifs
3036* - lovely pillowslips
3243 - Bruno the bear
3375 -Old Testament
3376 - New Testament
3606 - kitten tea towels
3607 - linen attractions
3621- floral applique, embroidery
3728 - baskets, birds and flowers (no envelope)
3733* - kitten motifs
3740 - ducky ducks
3775 - merry modern mushrooms
3801 - kitchen pot holders
3875 - Miss Kitty Kat
3879 - puppy tales
3922 - bird houses
3955 - three kittens
3994 - fruit'n veggie pup
3997 - java break
9192 - animated Vegetable Tea Towels
9631 - four floral motifs
9773* - love in bloom, animals
9883 - cute animal potholders (no envelope)



Simplicity
4047 - 6 different motifs for sheets, pillow cases & towels
4492 - floral pot holder appliques (no envelope)
5211 - flora designs for sheets & pillowcases
7169* - dainty cross stitch bandings
7223 - Scalloped borders & corners
7274 - cross stitch borders & corners
7346 - combination cross-stitch florals
7349* - doilies & napkin motifs

Superior
120 - 6 dutch girls for towels & kitchen linens
127* - 6 kitchen motifs
140^ - 7 kitten motifs for kitchen towels and linens
142^ - 7 motifs for days of the week towels (cross stitch kittens)
154* - 40 motifs for linens & lingerie
166 - 12 motifs for cloths/scarfs/linens
181- 30 floral motifs

Unknown
Unknown - Brownie Tea Towels (AMs?)
Unknown - butterfly vanity set (numo transfer)
Unknown - Curtain, Floral & Children's designs (AMs?)
Unknown - December birthday picture, possibly AMs or WB
Unknown - Dutch couple tea towels (AMs?)
Unknown - Dutch picture, Topsy & Eva dolls (numo transfer)
Unknown - luncheon cloth & towel motifs (AMs?)
Unknown - small transfer sheet with animals & chickens (staple holes - possibly WB?)
Unknown - stencil designs, clothes pin apron (AMs?)
Unknown - Tie Motifs & Bedroom Ensemble (AMs?)
Unknown - Marked only "tri chem -3" - baby jacket, borders
Unknown - morning glory & rose designs for cutwork (green ink)
Unknown 2-9589 - Monograms, Fish & Fowl Guest towels
Unknown "serial no. 2006" - pillowcase designs, his/hers, old fashioned woman in rose arbour (possibly Walker's)
Unknown 68 - alphabet, florals, birds, religous crosses (in Workbasket mailing envelope)
Unknown 68 - baby bib, clown day of week quilt/tea towels (in Workbasket mailing envelope) Unknown 70 (Workbasket?)- toaster cover, sampler, Xmas tree skirt
Unknown 71 - LeRoy Lion toy, rodeo design, mittens (in Workbasket mailing envelope)
Unknown 79 - tulips, wild horse design (in Workbasket mailing envelope)
Unknown - in same Workbasket envelope with 68-79 - "free surprise gift" horoscope signs
Unknown 82 (Workbasket?)
Unknown 89 (Workbasket?)
Unknown 92 (Workbasket?)
Unknown 565 - 3 bird motifs
Unknown 9006B (reissue of Vogart 259?)
Unknown 9814 - pot and pan holders, kitchen designs in cross stitch (AM's?)
Unknown C924 - gnomes, vanities (numo transfer) (possibly WorkBasket Sept 1937)
Unknown 3275 - nursery rhyme quilt blocks

Vogart
133 - South of the Border

102 - Gay kittens & puppies for every use
106 - Mexican Motifs for kitchen and breakfast nook

108 - Three popular and easy-to-do designs for pillowcases

109 - Three novelty designs to applique and embroider on cases etc (American Thread Co. packaging)
110 - (no envelope)

113 -
115 - Easy to do lazy daisy designs (no envelope)

116 - A handsome "petit point" pattern for large cloths, scarfs, etc

128 - Bright, cheerful, new florals for three pairs of cases
129 - A great variety of sparkling new patterns for every use
135 - hope chest pillow case designs
147 - graceful motifs for your best pillowcases (in very poor condition)

163 - Nine novel pot holders to crochet and embroider
186* - colourful musical motifs for kitchens
188 - 14 lovely patterns for guest towels
178* - 7 lucky kittens
195* - 15 animated kitchen friends (I now have the full set of these)
187^ - new & exciting ribbon motifs for pillow cases
190* - monograms
193^ - Peacock crochet & embroidery combinations for the home
200^ - popular cross stitch patterns
201^ - daisy baskets to decorate your linens
202^ - colourful & graceful butterflies for every use
209* - graceful cross stitch patterns
211 - cross stitch fruit
215 - A flower a day for your kitchen

221 - an exciting new way to personalize your linens
229* - personalised florals for 4 pairs of lovely cases
231^ - happy fruits to decorate kitchen & dinette items
240 - kittens and puppies (& 1970's re-issue of same "charming designs for youngsters")
251* - Mama duck and ducklings for a kitchen ensemble (no envelope)
253^ - motifs for scarfs & vanity sets to match cases in #128

254 - these gay fruits used with #211 make a complete "dinette ensemble"
255^ - graceful swans for scarves, cloths, pillows
257 - kittens "mums" and violets for 3 pairs of cases
265* - 12 dreams for your dream home
269* - "modern modes" designs for tubing, cases
279^ - 3 graceful motifs for your best pillowcases
280^ - Charm & grace in three motifs for cases, linens
282* - today & tomorrow's modern kitchen motifs (no envelope)
285 - dainty motifs (no envelope)

624 - five assorted cross stitch borders and four florals for gingham
625* - pet poodles for the kitchen
631* - flowers & fruits in modern baskets
645* - bear chef's menu on kitchen towels
673 - 12 honeymoon motifs
646^ - rooster dinette set
674 - calla lillies, roses and butterfly baskets (reissue of 243) - no envelope
662 - 10 adorable cuddly bear motifs to lighten your kitchen chores
678 - Happy fruits to decorate kitchen and dinette items (reissue of 231)
694^ - playful kittens
696^ - 7 busy little kittens
699 - colourful roosters
703 - 3 delightful designs bring colorful beauty to the bedroom (reissue of 617)
704 - our feathered friends
705 - 30 amusing easy to do motifs with toddler appeal
706 - graceful kittens and florals for bedroom beauty (reissue of 626)
716* - traditional charm for kitchen & dinette
717 - mexican motifs for kitchen & breakfast nook (reissue of 106 & 607)
725* - nine colourful designs for gay kitchen decoration (reissue of 127 & 277)
Vogart Colour - FP1002 (3 kittens)
Vogart Colour -FP0202 (Dutch people)
Vogart Colour 10 - children and pets
Vogart Colour FP200 - knitting & kittens
Vogart Textilprints 57 - Fruit


Workbasket
2-910
2-920
2-925
2-926
2-927
2-932
2-934
2-936
2-939
2-943 Mexican luncheon cloth, morning glories.
2-946 November 1948 - Christmas motifs, stuffed dog & tea towel dog designs
April 1968 - early American designs/small animals
July 1967 - Kitchen samplers
late 1960's - Old Macdonald's farm




Other
McCall's 699 - Applique designs for Bath Mat and Seat cover

McCall's 1130 - Wild Roses in Cross Stitch
McCall's 1512 - Two Cross-stitch rose designs for pillowcases or sheets
McCall's 1880 - Six Musical Motifs for Towels
Monarch M205 - Dainty Gretchen Dutch girls DOW (don't they know Gretchen is not a Dutch name?)
Tri-Chem 5A - Boys and Girls items
Walker's 705 - Playful kitten & Scottie designs for an attractive kitchen
Walker's 736 - Floral patterns & butterflies for your bed linens
Walker's 942 - Playful kitten and pup
Weldon's 24630 - Budgies
Weldon's 24770 - Butterflies

Notes:
If there's a link, I have posted the pattern and shared a design or two.
^ = uncut sheet
* = some transfers missing from set
AMs = Aunt Martha's
WB = The Workbasket

My completed projects

A list with links to my Flickr pics of completed projects, to show y'all that I'm not just all Britchin' I do some Stitchin' too!

Baking girl teatowel (Vogart 195)
Baking kitten teatowel (Vogart 219)
Dapper tomato placemat (Vogart 127)
Donkey redwork patch (Vogart 133)
Dutch people doiley (Vogart Textilprints)
Hen placemat
Kitty in shoe pillowcase (Vogart)
Kitty in underwear teatowel (Vogart 102)
Kitty redwork teatowel (unknown)
Lobster hankies (McCalls 1166)
Mrs. Pillowcase (Vogart 135)
Pin up girl with mirror patch (Vogart 138)
Rooster pillowcase (Workbasket)
Sewing rooster tea towel (Vogart 699)
Sleepy girls pillowcase (Vogart 269)
Sweet dreams pillowcase (Simplicity 4047)