November Embroidery Sneak Peek

I did some stitching throughout the month of November.  I dusted off my embroidery case full of threads (literally had to dust it off as it hasn't been used in....I can't even remember how long) and while I can't share the projects with you because some might end up being Christmas gifts, I would like to give a sneak peek!

I did a little thread sorting and had to wind some bobbins  (that's almost as fun as embroidering!)
 

 

 

I found this SWEET 1930s reproduction material at JoAnn's Fabrics.  Because I had a coupon, and because I loved it so much I bought a whole yard!  I found out that JoAnn's has a ton of new 1930s feed sack styles!  Yeah, because that's what I need is more feed sack fabric. (eye roll)

 

 

Here is a sneak peak at what I'm doing with this adorable fabric.

A little red rick-rack is always fun!

 

Oh, I can't wait until when I can show you all of my embroidery projects!

Until another time, have a happy stitching day!
 

Stitching--Blasts From the Past

Sometimes it's fun to go through old photo files to check out what I was up to, crafting wise, years ago.  I found an old folder of embroidery projects and wanted to share them with you!

First, there's my fuzz bud, Kramer, who loves to sit on my lap while stitch.

Below is the little train case I decorated.  It still holds many of my little crafting treasures.

 

I'd forgotten all about the TUSAL jar!  It was a jar where I collected the little bits of thread snipped off of a project that were too short to use.

 

 Back when I first started embroidering everything fit into this little desktop organizer.

A living in the country set made from Aunt Martha's "Life on the Farm"
embroidery pattern packet #4021

One of the first travel kits I put together.

Well, that was fun!  Next time I will share a sneak peek of the embroidery project I've been working on as Christmas presents!
Until another time, have a happy, stitchy day!

Catalog From Kenmare Museum

While visiting the Lake County Historical Museum in Kenmare a few summers ago (one of our favorite museums) I came across this old catalog from 1917-18 and found it to be quite interesting!  It is 100 years old!

 

Time to pick a pretty dress.  I like the blue dress.
 

 

Apparently, they were big on decorating their clothing with buttons, embroidery and lace back in 1917 and 1918.

 

 

Yes, much ornamentation on these blouses!  Beautiful, decorative buttons and lots of pretty embroidery embellishments! I wonder how many of those buttons ended up in button boxes.

 

 

 

Wish I had a coat like this today!  Look how nice and heavy they were!

 

 

Even their undergarments were decorated with embroidery and ruffles!

 

 

 

And sweet children's coats and hats...so adorable!

 

 

 

I wish I had taken more time to look at the catalog and had taken a few more photos.  I hope that someone from the museum will take the time to very carefully scan all of the pages inside to preserve the illustrations.  They are like a time capsule!

That's all for today.  Until another time, have a happy, vintage day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December Flea Market Finds

These are the little things I found at the December Flea Market.

I love the little Christmas Hankie and plan to wrap it around my vintage tree as a "tree skirt".
 

The tiny Santa pin was a quarter and I think has a vintage look to it. 

One of the reasons I visited the flea market this month (besides meeting my folks there) was to find an old book to cut up for a Christmas craft.  But as I looked through the old books I just couldn't bring myself to purchase one knowing I planned to destroy it.  What if there is someone in Kentucky or Montana that has been on the lookout for that exact book?  What if it's a treasure to someone else, just as the Still Meadow books by Gladys Tabor are to me!?  Nope, I just couldn't do it.  But while I was looking I found the little brown book in the photo above, Sylvia Sanders and the Tangled Web.  The inside cover caught my eye.

Come to find out, the book is about a gal who moves to Chicago to break into the radio business!  I haven't read it yet but it looks to be geared towards high school age students.  The copyright is 1946 and was written by Ruby Lorraine Radford.

I have very little extra time for reading these days and have been using any extra minutes here and there for crafting and embroidery.  Therefore, this book will have to wait patiently on the bookshelf until the new year.

Those were the finds for that flea market trip, and that's all for today.  Until another time, have a happy VINTAGE day! 

Candy Cane Wreath Fail

This CUTE candy cane wreath popped up on my pinterest page recently. 

So I went to Target and picked myself up a large pack of Candy Canes.  Then I went to the craft store for a couple of plastic snowflakes (on clearance), I got out my trusty glue gun and went to work.

 

 

I had some ribbon from a previous craft.

It looked pretty cute when completed, and I hung it on my front door early Sunday morning. 

 

 

Unfortunately, a couple hours later, my husband heard a crash and said, "Uh-oh, I think your wreath fell."  Sure enough, there it was between the doors,  a sad little heap of red and white brokenness on the floor.  The hot glue wasn't enough to hold the weight of the candy canes.
Oh well.  It wasn't my first pinterest fail and probably won't be my last haha.  But the candy canes have been a yummy treat this week (especially in hot cocoa!)

 

That's all for today, until another time have a happy crafty day!

Vintage Book The Trailer Trio

Like I've said before, it seems as though certain vintage books just find their way into my life.  On a table at November's flea market there were at least 100 books all spread out and this little blue one caught my eye.  Maybe it was the sweet little illustration on the cover, but whatever it was, for only a dollar I couldn't pass it up and it has been a joy to read!

 

 

 

If I remember correctly, the book takes place in 1940 or 1941, and the "trio" consists of siblings.  Big sister Anne is the oldest at 21 and is recovering from a terrible bout of pneumonia.  Brother Roger is 18, and baby sister Maleta is 15.  Their parents have died, and they have left their drought-stricken farm in South Dakota and are traveling to their Uncle's old homestead in Idaho that has been sitting empty for years.  He's offered it to them as he now lives in Florida.  They are traveling with a nifty little homemade trailer that Roger built with his own two hands. 

They stop in many places along the way including the small, government built towns of Mason City and Engineer City, built to house those working on the Grand Coulee Dam (which I discovered are all real places!)  Here Roger was to work until they had the funds to move over to Idaho and their Uncle's land.

But they end up leaving the dam and this takes them to many different fun places where they become farm hands, fruit pickers and dish washers.  The characters are very likeable, and since this is a "teen" book a romance blossoms between a college student (also traveling) and Anne. 

It reminds me a little bit of the Box Car Children.

 

One of my favorite chapters is when they find themselves in an old fashioned farm yard and they knock on the door looking for odd jobs to do.  The friendly farmer's wife gives them little chores to do in exchange for food from the garden and a couple of meals.  These jobs include helping with weeding the garden and washing dishes for the harvest crews.  This chapter has a cute illustration.

 

 

The farm women gives them her old, wood burning, cook stove that she threw out to the trash heap just a while ago (because she'd won a new stove in a contest).  They pack the old stove into their trailer and head on down the road. 

 

When they get to their destination (uncle's homestead land), they fix up the little cabin on the property, and create a new start for themselves.

 

I loved this little book and plan to read it again as it is such an easy read.  It's no worse than sitting and watching one of those cheesy Christmas movies onTV for the fourth or fifth time, right?

 

That's all for now.  Until another time have a happy vintage day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kuner's Can Bank

I like anything that has anything to do with vintage grocery stores. 

Especially these fun photos from Pinterest.

 

I actually USE Bon Ami in my kitchen and bathroom and love it! 

 

"I tell you, Marge, I just can't get over how quick and easy this instant JELL-O pudding is to whip up!"

She's thinking, "Oh Lord, here comes Martha Ann Stapleton again with her cart full of Aqua Net.  How that woman doesn't blow up when she lights up a Lucky is beyond me."

So, when I saw this cute little Kuner's Can Bank it whispered to me in that same little voice Red Owl items use to get my attention, and I knew I had to buy it.

I don't know much about the Kuner's brand but I think they started in Colorado.  I'm thinking this can bank was some kind of advertising promotion for the kiddies.  I'm guessing mid-to-late 1950s on this one just by looking at the kid's clothing.  (maybe even '53-'55)

 

The fruit side of the can is faded a bit more than the vegetable side.  Maybe it sat on a shelf in some little boy's bedroom with the fruit side facing out, catching the sunlight.  It might've been where he tucked away all of the dimes he received for mowing the lawn.  Maybe he was saving to buy a new baseball glove.  But as luck would have it, he received a new glove for his birthday from Uncle Frank and Aunt Metilda, so he longer needed to save his little dimes.  A few years later, the forgotten bank was shoved into his sock drawer, to make room on the shelf for his new Great Garloo. 

OR

Maybe our young saver realized there was NO WAY to open the bugger of a can without the help of his father's hack saw hanging out in the garage (or maybe just a can opener).  And after surrendering 5 dimes into it, he got fed up with not being able to withdraw a dime to buy this week's Archie comic, and therefore quit feeding it and tossed it into his Howdy Doody toy box. 

Yes indeed, there are 5 dimes inside that will never see the light of day unless I try my folks' "knife trick", and to quote the woman on You Tube, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

 

The graphics on this can are so "vintage" I just love them.

 

 

"Bank on Kuner's Quality"--- How clever!...The Mad Men of Sterling Cooper Draper Price would be proud of that tag.

 

Well, that's all for today!  Until another time, save those dimes (to buy interesting, vintage items!) and have a happy vintage day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are some Thanksgiving goodies, to bring you Thanksgiving cheer!

 

 

 

 

The picture above cracks me up. One gal is pouring a glass of wine, while the gal in the middle (using the pot lid as a hat) looks as though she's already had her share.

 

 

There are so many wonderful things about the little card above.  The little red coats with hoods, the old boot covers that go over the little girl's shoes (look at all those buttons to hook!), and the second little girl peeking over the fence rail.  Too cute!  And look at the size of that bird!  I wonder what the families did with the bigger turkey feathers?  Did they keep them or throw them away?  Did they make them into fans?

 

 

I'm cooking a small turkey this year and am a little nervous about it.  What amazes me about this picture is, LOOK at the SIZE of her stove and oven!  Even though it's not very big, she seems to be managing quite fine, with every burner covered with some sort of pot full of delicious food.  So, If she can do it...I should have NO trouble!

Below, is an old grocery store advertisement for a week of Thanksgiving values! (found on Pinterest).

 

 

Looks delicious.  I hope all of my blog friends are able to enjoy their Thanksgiving with friends and family.  I won't even step up on my soap box this year about the terrible trend of "Gray Thursday" that's happening throughout our nation.  I'm in too good a mood. ha!

 

That's all for today!  Until another time, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Vintage Finds This Fall

I've been lucky enough to find some great vintage treasures these past couple of months, and wanted to check in and share them with you.

 

At Vintage City I found this blue bird platter hanging on the wall.  Any kind of blue bird china has been on my wish list for quite sometime, so when I saw this one and found it to be very reasonably priced I bought it! 

 

 

 

Some people make jewelry out of the blue bird part (see example below), and while they are beautiful, I didn't want that to be the fate of this beautiful platter.

 

 

Also found at Vintage City was a little box of Gelatine, with all 4 packages inside, and a small McCormick Cake Décor bottle with little chocolate bits still inside (Yuck, I know, but I'm keeping them in there for authenticity).

 

 

 

 

 

They both sit on my little shelf of "smalls" in my kitchen.

 

 

And last but not least, I found this precious little Christmas card.  I just love the antique stove!

 

 

That was it for our trip to Vintage City.  Tune in next time for treasures found at the flea market!

Until then, have a happy, vintage day!