Santa all settled in his chair and a pretty frilled party basket

By on 3-09-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Vintage Patterns

Santa too needs a rest once in awhile. Here he is snuggled into his favourite chair. This is a colouring page from a Whitman’s Golden Book. Doesn’t Santa look comfortable. It is a very traditional picture. Santa is puffing on his pipe. Mrs. Santa must be a very patient wife, baking cookies for Santa and the elves all year round and putting up with that cloud of smoke.

Santa siting in his chair

This Santa picture would look good painted on a window for the holiday season. He could also adorn a pillow or lap quilt for the favourite man on your list. Reduced in size and embroidered onto a small square of red cotton he could hang around on your tree or on a gift bow.

pretty little party basket

Although this pretty little party basket was also among the Golden Book pages it would be at home at any time of the year. For Christmas a white frilly basket with a red bow and candy striped handle applique around a tree skirt could adorn the Christmas tree and done in redwork around a circular table cloth to match would make a great holiday conversation piece.

Vintage Autumn Embroidery

By on 3-09-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Vintage Patterns

Pumpkins, wheat and corn cobs fill this cornucopia. It is a perfect embroidery pattern for this time of year. This is another pattern from the vintage McCall’s transfer books.

cornucopia with pumpkin

This cornucopia would be great on your Thanksgiving table as a runner or table mats. As an embroidered centerpiece among a maple leaf blocks it would be stunning, or used as a pattern for an appliqued block it would be a more modern table quilt.

Gene Autry, the singing cowboy…my first ATCs ever

By on 3-09-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Vintage Patterns

These are my first ATCs. The topic was the Wild West and I thought of Gene Autry right away. When I was a young girl my mother made me a cowgirl outfit for my birthday and added cowgirl boots, hat, guns and holster. I wore them to the Toronto Canadian Exhibition where Gene was starring. He spotted me and waved Hi. A great memory.

Gene Autry, the singing cowboy

Gene Autry sang “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” as well as other cowboy and Christmas songs. I can still remember him singing them.

Gene Autry, the singing cowboy

These ATCs were so much fun to make, beginning with finding vintage images to putting them together along with backgrounds in Photoshop using layers, styles and filters to make them all fit on the little 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ cards. I made the decision to sew them together to continue on using fabric for my creations.

Vintage ladies for those Christmas linens

By on 3-09-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Vintage Patterns

These two ladies are two of a set that was published in the McCall’s Iron On Transfers Vol IV. They could be embroidered on linen towels for a great Christmas gift. Done in cobalt blue, turkey red or forest green they would stand out beside matching terry towels. These ladies could also be added to an old fashioned pinwheel quilt with appliqued dresses. A smaller version of one would also look right at home on the top of an embroidery case.

vintage ladies to embroider

Halloween is just around the corner …. get ready … BOO !

By on 3-09-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Vintage Patterns

This embroidery page was published in the Cross Stitch and Country Crafts supplement. The ghost and jack-o-lantern could be embroidered on a black background and the witch could be given an appliqued dress and hat on a golden moon background. All three embroidered with metallic thread or the new ‘glow in the dark’ threads could look very spooky with the lights out at a halloween party.

vintage halloween embroidery