Christmas in November….snowflakes

By on 11-18-2010 in Christmas Patterns, Embroidery, Vintage Patterns

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This bright sunny snowflake was published in the McCall’s Fall/Winter 1972-73 Needlework Magazine. The yellow gives the snowflake a very “sun-like” appearance. I thought it would look great appliqued in white on a mid blue ground to look more like a real snowflake. Done as a bed-sized quilt would give it an Hawaiian look. Embroidered white on white, in faux suede and given a trapunto technique, it would make a modern, sophisticated pillow.

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McCall’s gave a 1/4 pattern. I have put it together for a full, round pattern.

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Christmas in October

By on 10-20-2010 in Christmas Patterns, Embroidery, Vintage Patterns

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Mr. and Mrs. Santa are wooden lawn figures, but wouldn’t they look great at big pillows? They were published in the Family Circle Magazine, December 11, 1984. They could also adorn a wall hanging, worked in Red work embroidery to be included in a vintage quilt or simply painted on smaller wooden plaques for ornaments. I wonder who the little girl is? Where is she now? She sure is cute.

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Ducks are now winging above us, heading south

By on 10-14-2010 in art quilts, Embroidery, Vintage Patterns

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I think this is the perfect time to post these two beautiful ducks. We have been seeing more ducks and geese in the air as the weeks go by. This pair of ducks were published in the McCall’s Needlework Magazine, Fall, 1977. How pretty they are. The black and white pattern shows the stitches as well as the borders of each section. Quilted on a black background using bright Mennonite colours these ducks would make a great gift for your favourite guy.

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Both ducks are in the 304kb pdf document: Embroidered Ducks, McCall’s Fall, 1977

Asters….the last wild flower of the season

By on 10-10-2010 in art quilts, Original Pattern, Original photos

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When the wild purple asters appear you know summer is over and autumn has begun. My favourites are the deep purples. Beautiful against the greens and turning autumn leaves they seem to bloom forever. I think these asters would look great embroidered on a pillowcase edge.

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Here is a pattern for the aster. I created the pattern by working from a photo in Photoshop, printed out and then traced around the petals and center of the flower. It would look great embroidered by either machine or by hand along the border of a table cloth. A quilted table runner or place mat could have one giant flower.

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