Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Vintage Knitting - A "Babushka" from 1950
Monday, January 30, 2023
Vintage Magazines - Black Mask, May, 1931
In all of it's pulpy glory. The Internet Archive has several copies from the same year, but not this one, alas.
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Friday, January 27, 2023
Quote of the Day
The three grand essentials to happiness in life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for. ~ Joseph Addison
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Happy Year of the Rabbit
From the great minds behind Canon Creative Park, a free rabbit pattern to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Crochet - Some Pretty "RickRack" Trims from 1916, Part II
Monday, January 23, 2023
Family Ties
My annual sisters get-together has ended, perhaps not surprisingly, with a torn ligament in my left knee. What puts the icing on the cake is that I was supposed to spend this Thursday through Saturday instructing at a Red Cross Logistics Institute in Peoria.
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Friday, January 20, 2023
Quote of the Day
Thursday, January 19, 2023
The Online Bookshelf - Winchester, by Wilfred Ball
A history of the English cathedral town of Winchester, published in 1910, with two dozen hauntingly beautiful watercolors by the British artist Wilfred Ball. Free download at Project Gutenberg.
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
My Little Upcycler
Foster Fail Blitzen has been knocking over the wastebaskets to get at the fascinating rustly-ness of Christmas candy wrappers. They make awesome cat toys and are just the right size to smack under the furniture.
(There must be some secret that the See's Candy people put in their wrappers - he's completely uninterested in Brach's).
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Vintage Crochet - Some Pretty "RickRack Trims from 1916, Part 1
I have a stack of teens and early 20's Needlecraft magazines and unfortunately several of them are in shreds and almost too fragile to scan. These photos are from an article in the May, 1916 issue of Needlecraft magazine, and the accompanying article explained how to create inexpensive novelty trims using crochet and ricrac braid.
Trim #1:
"A very simple needlepoint edging of 'ye olden time' is made as follows:
1. Count 6 points, join 1st and last by sewing, then draw the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th close together to form a point.
2. Count 5 points (on outside), join first 2, then draw next 3 together.
Repeat these 2 rows to required length."
Trim #2:
"The horseshoe pattern is an old and a favorite one for rickrack trimming. It may be made as wide as desired, and serves prettily as an "allover" design for yokes, cushion-covers, etc; may also be used as an insertion, the lace to match having a crocheted chin along one edge to sew on by.
1. Fasten thread with a double in point of braid, chain 3, *a treble in next point, chain 1, repeat from * until you have taken up 15 points of braid, turn.
2. Same as 2nd row, joining to top of 3 chain at beginning of 2nd row to form a circle, chain 8, fasten in 2 points next above circle, taking them together with 1 double, chain 4, connect next 2 points in the same manner, chain 14, a double in point opposite the 2nd treble of 1st row. This completes the 'horseshoe.' Repeat from the beginning until you have the desired length."
From The Renaissance of Rickrack, by Adelaide Carr Baker.
Caveat: I have not attempted to translate this into modern crochet terms because...I don't crochet. However, I did figure out that whenever Mrs Baker refers to point, she's referring to the point of the ricrac.
I wonder if it would be possible to do Trim #1 using a sewing machine, as it is a cute little trim. I will post the final two patterns next Tuesday.
Monday, January 16, 2023
Martin Luther King Day
We must use time creatively, in the knowledge the time is always right to do right. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Friday, January 13, 2023
Quote Of The Day
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Vintage Sewing - three English Nighties from 1955
Monday, January 9, 2023
Saturday, January 7, 2023
Friday, January 6, 2023
Quote Of The Day
Thursday, January 5, 2023
Grrrsday - Man Vs GSDs
It's that time of year, and I have to rerun one of my favorite YouTube videos (and listen to the wife dying of laughter as her husband attempts to get rid of their Christmas tree).
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Vintage Tatting - A Traycloth Medallion from 1916
From the Bucilla Blue Book #3, a traycloth with an edging of smaller medallions and a large one to go on each side. The instructions are on page 43 - but if you know someone who is particularly skilled at filet crochet, point them to the salamander* cake cover on pages 26-27. The book is available as a free download from the Antique Pattern Library (but they always welcome donations).
*I think it's a salamander.