vintage birds pillowcase

The update - my dear Flickr friend, Isa, received the pillowcase - it is safe and cozy with her after a trek through the snow... :)



I'm so happy to finally see this project finished - I actually started it long ago - just before I flew home for Christmas. I used a vintage Vogart pattern for the gorgeous, intricate bird design - the banner and needle are both Sublime Stitching motifs. As you can tell from the needle - this project celebrates the talents of a very special friend of mine....



There is a name on the banner but it's a secret... to be revealed when my friend receives it! I used variegated auburn colored floss on the bird bodies to give a color-gradation effect. Click on the first picture above to see all the DMC colors I used. I'm also busy at work at another project - I'm not 100% sure I'm liking it, but if I have any success, I'll be posting pics of that soon....

Colors used
Bird body: DMC 69 (variegated thread)
Bird wings:
DMC 3828 (light tan)
DMC 818 (light pink)
DMC 415 (light gray blue)
DMC craft thread, off white
Bird's eyes: DMC 931
Bird beak: DMC 3371
Flowers:
DMC 3828 (light tan)
DMC 818 (light pink)
DMC 415 (light gray blue)
DMC craft thread, off white
Needle: DMC 415 (2 strands) + DMC metallic floss, silver (1 strand)
Thread: DMC craft thread, gray
Branches: DMC 3371
Buds on branches: DMC 352
Banner:
DMC 352
DMC 818 (light pink)
DMC craft thread, off white

announcing a new blog!

I'd like to invite everyone to visit my new blog, Vintage Transfer Finds. As you may know, I love vintage embroidery transfers, and look for every possible chance to stitch them on things and lately I scanned in freebies for everyone to enjoy. Well, the more transfers I bought, the less inclined I felt to put them all here, but I still wanted to offer freebies and organize my little collection.

I was also so surprised I couldn't find a guide to vintage transfers anywhere online, and it was such a guessing game knowing what I'd get on Ebay... My project is to continue my hobby of snapping up transfers on Ebay, post a picture of each envelope, a description of the contents, and even a freebie or two! How does that sound? I was inspired by the generous creators of needlecrafter.com and patternbee.com who inspired me to make so many fun projects. So, if you want to learn a little bit about vintage patterns and find some freebies, head on over! :)

extended Christmas

Am I the only one that hates that Christmas is over so fast? I feel like I plan all year, make little lists, brainstorm so much, and at the very end, just before Christmas it is still a mad rush to try to get special things for everybody special in my life. And then those 50% off sales right after Christmas really seem to rub it in - as if to say "here's the cute wrapping paper you didn't buy," or "Don't you wish you'd found these Santa stickers in time?"



Well, folks, no more of that - I am hereby proposing an addendum to the holiday of Christmas which is certainly far too short. And, in honor of my first annual celebration of extended Christmas, I sent out an extended Xmas present to my sweet friend, Olivia:



Inside this package was a book by the incomparably hilarious Stitchy McYarnpants, which seriously made me laugh so hard I cried. She ribs various 50's, 60's and 70's knitting patterns to death, with pictures that are hilarious on their own. Also in the package I sent Olivia was a lovely glass owl I found in Texas, which originally hailed from Germany. You may not know this, but Texas is filled with people of German descent who came over as settlers in the late 1800's - there are lots of cute towns with German names and people who speak some really old-timey German:



So, for all of you who have perfect gifts you're waiting to send to loved ones that you just couldn't send out in time - rest assured - Christmas has been extended! Send that gift out! And tell them I said it's okay, it's now a real holiday. And don't worry, we've got Hanukkah covered, too:

Christmas craftiness

After giving Sir Bear to my niece for Christmas, we both decided she needed a much larger wardrobe. The skies were grey, and we were a bit bored after Christmas, which resulted in endless hours of stitching fun. The coat above, which makes the bear look like a Russian princess, was made by my niece's mom, Deborah. Her sewing skills truly amaze me, and only a detail shot of her perfect stitches will help you appreciate her work:



We made SO many accessories in one afternoon:



I really love the little purse I made her, and the combination of red flannel and dark brown ribbon and felt:



I was so impressed with my niece's handiwork - she was so patient and diligent with her needle and thread, making the red heart shoes, a red fringe scarf with a pre-cut snowflake, and embellishing another red coat with thread and ribbon!



I'm so glad we set aside some craft time together, it was the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon... :)