Remember Vogart? Their transfer embroidery and cross stitch patterns can still be found online and at estate sales, thrift stores, and the occasional garage sale.
You'll notice that this Vogart transfer is for an iron-on motif. It is not an embroidery pattern. I found four of these together recently. The back of the package tells me that Vogart issued a set of nine different patterns. I'm guessing the company was attempting to appeal at one point to the non-sewer. The back package shows that the pretty flowers could be ironed onto napkins, tea towels, baby bibs, and toaster covers just like their other embroidery transfer patterns. You can be sure I'll be on the look-out for those other five Vogarts.
Vogart's transfers are very inexpensive when found and can help the vintage linen collector date an embroidery pattern. Just take into consideration that sewers often did and still do keep their patterns for decades! A sewer may have purchased the Days of the Week Vogart set in the 1930's, but she may not have stitched her project until the 40's. The reason a collector can even still buy these vintage transfers is because the original owner kept the pattern for so long. Many of the transfers have up to 8 possible uses . . . meaning the owner could iron on the pattern about 8 times before it would wear out.
If you would like additional information on Vogart transfers, or like to see a Master list of all of their patterns, click sewingpalette and search the Learn box. The site also lists other Vogart blogs and resources.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Amy
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Philippians 1:6
I paid only 20 cents each for my Vogart transfers.
Using only thestraight stitch on your sewing machine and a vintage pillowcaseyou can make a sweet bedside caddy.
Are you ready to begin?
1. Choose a standard vintage pillowcase with an all-over floral motif. Launder and press. (Estate sales, thrifts stores, and Goodwill all have great vintage pillowcases that have long ago lost their matching sheets. You can also check with Grandma. The back of her linen closet may yield some long lost beauties. Etsy and Ebay also sell vintage pillowcases, but the sellers will charge you several dollars per case.)
2. Fold long sides together forming a long rectangle. Pin along the edges. Sew a 1/4" seam around all four edges.
3. Choose your favorite vintage image cropping and/or sizing to no more than 3 X 5 inches. Print the image onto June Tailor's Quick Fuse Iron-on Ink-jet Fabric sheets following the manufacturer's instructions. You can borrow my image below. (This is one of my relatives.) The other caddy samples that you will see in my photographs use images from Sandy Babb's at Quill Cottage and Karen at the Graphics Fairy.
4. Cut out the image and iron onto a coordinating piece of non-fraying fabric such as fleece, felt, wool, or flannel. Use pinking sheers to cut around the fabric leaving about a 1/2" border outside of the vintage image.
5. Use Scotch Blue Painter's Tape (It's wonderful for marking fabric!) to mark a 7" square at the top of what was the opening of the pillowcase. You will build your vintage collage in the 7" square.
6. Attach the vintage image to the 7" square by taking 3 strands of embroidery thread and sewing a free hand running stitch around the border fabric.
7. Embellish with bits of crochet, old buttons, charms, lace, and ribbons.
8. Fold the 7" collage pocket up wrong sides together. Slip stitch the outside edges. Remove the bottom Painter's Tape.
9. Straight stitch along the edge of the remaining Painter's Tape to form the two pockets needed for the caddy. Remove the Painter's Tape. Last minute embellishments can still be added.
10. Slide the long flat part of the pillowcase between your mattress and box springs to secure your caddy.
I can't look at this little bookmark without thinking of Dorothy's visit to the land of Oz, but this "Ozd" is actually a city located in Hungary. This souvenir bookmark is cross stitched very well. I've included a picture of the back to show how neat the stitchwork has been done.
She does have stitches slanting different directions, but we'll let that go since the back is soooo neat!
You can't see any loose threads or knots.
There is a paper remnant on this end . . . perhaps a price tag or note?
I have a few pieces in my collection and in my Etsy from this estate. I know the family may have been from Hungary, but that's all I know. The pieces tell me little tiny glimpses of a story. Wouldn't you like to know a little about the journey? At least the journey from Ozd.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Amy
"For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past,"
My quilting mother shared this unique book with me. Although A People and Their Quilts isn't new, I wasn't familiar with the book until she shared it with me. Perhaps I missed this find because it really doesn't fall under the "craft" book classification.
John Irwin, the author, is an historian and founder of the Museum of Appalachia located in Tennessee. Irwin traveled rural Appalachia interviewing and photographing quilters and their quilts. The result is a wonderful volume that gives readers the stories behind many vintage and antique quilts.
In some of the Appalachian homes that Irwin entered, the quilter had a raised quilting frame. I have never seen a raised quilting frame like those pictured in this book. Apparently, when the mother and her daughters were done quilting, there was a pulley system in place (often in the family living space) so that the quilting frame could be raised to the ceiling. With space being at a premium in many old homes, having a raised quilting frame was a great way to keep the quilt project accessible but out of the way all year.
Here's an example of a raised quilt frame that could be lowered when desired:
A People and Their Quilts provides great inspiration for quilters and crafters, and gives the vintage linen lover just what she wants . . . the story behind that lovely piece of needlework.
"I'd druther quilt than eat on the hungriest day ever I seen"
Ethel Hall of Kentucky answering Irwin's question about her quilting.
To see Amazon.com's information regarding A People and Their Quilts click here .
Springtime is so lovely!
Amy
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save;
I grew up in a church that regularly sang this song as a congregational hymn.
I enjoyed the song then and still love it now, although we don't sing it very often.
I really enjoy this song for many reasons.
First, it speaks of a Bible story I have known since childhood. Patient Sunday School teachers with paper-towel backed flannel board figures would tell me the story out of John 4. The outcast woman comes to the well at the hottest time of the day to avoid the other women and has a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Jesus tells her things only the Messiah would know about her life. She runs back into the city in her excitement to tell others whom she has just met.
Secondly, it's one of the few classic hymns that specifically mentions a woman. I don't think our hymn-writers intended to ignore the female gender. Some of our hymn writers were women. Most hymns rely on the neutral pronouns like we, you or my. Other hymns use neutral terms like believer, Christian, sinner, or friend. The reference to the woman at the well definitely makes the hymn unique.
The hymn also holds special meaning to me because I love teacups!
Any hymn that's going to reference a cup gets high marks from me.
The woman at the well that ismentioned in John 4 was having her first encounter with Christ. She needed the living water of salvation that only Jesus could give. I believe she received living water that day. The first action she took as a new believer was to run into the city and share with others the good news that the Messiah was visiting their town.
After that first encounter at the well, the believer should be seeking to follow Christ, to be a "living sacrifice" as mentioned in Romans 12:1 . . . to be empty of self so that God can work His will.
Although many Christians know they should be seeking to follow God's will, they do not.
Why?
We can easilyfill each day with cheap temporary imitations of peace, purpose, and security rather than seek God's eternal peace, purpose, and security. For some, it may be money (I Timothy 6:7,10). For some, it may be a coveted relationship (Matthew 6:33) . For others, it may be the quest of specific material possessions (Colossians 3:2). Perhaps, you try to fill your life's cup with good intentions, even a great ministry project (John 8:29).
The fact will still remain that only Christ can fill your cup with something that fills the void. After all, isn't that what you are seeking? Something to fill that void? Your family, while quite precious, cannot be given such an impossible responsibility. Your material possessions, finances, career, and health are all variables that can be changed in a moment. You wouldn't want to fill your cup with such insecurities.
I also believe we do not seek God's will because we are truly afraid of what He might put in our cup. We would rather fill it ourselves than give Him access.
I'd love to say that God only serves blessings. I can say the trials and chastenings he puts in my cup are fully intended for my good in some way. (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 138:8) Sometimes, He leads you through the valley before you get to the mountain (Psalm 23). Sometimes, He leads through the refining fire before you can come forth like gold (Malachi 3:2,3).
God's Word assures us that times of trial will bring us blessings
The blessing of patience learned: James 3:2,3
The blessing of future reward: Mathew 5:10-12
The blessing of faith purified: I Peter 1:6-9
Friend, the most peaceful times of my life have always been when God's filled my cup. I definitely try at times to mix in my own herbal brew now and then. When I take a sip, the bitterness overwhelms me, and I have to pour it out and give it back to Him. . . empty.
Friend, what's in your cup?
If you are not familiar with this hymn, I encourage you to listen to the following arrangement:
This linen tea towel has pulled threads near the bottom hem. . . a little detail, but so pretty.
The stitcher included daisy stitches in pinks and blues for the flowers. She used brown straight stitches for the borders, and stitched a very nice satin stitch for the blue ribbon.
The oval shape of the flower motif reminds me of an Easter Egg.
I felted a thrift store cashmere sweater to make the roses.
I also used some hand-dyed flannel I bought years ago at a quilt convention. It looks like wool, but is easier to work with for some types of sewing. I used some for the round rosette.
The K&Company Button Brad finishes the rosette.
What do you think?
What are you creating?
Amy
"To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night."
