LET'S HAVE A TEA BREAK

Time for a cuppa!

For a good old-fashioned pot'o'tea,
you can follow the directions below -

Go make a cuppa - I'll wait.................

The full page advertisement from a vintage Australia Home Journal of the fifties.Now sit back and I hope you enjoy the pics!
Here are some of the tea pots and tea cosies in the collection.
Tea cosy with "half doll" (these dolls are also found on some pincushions).
This tea cosy is a popular pattern.
The vintage blue and orange tea cosy is a Madame Wiegel pattern.
The cottage tea cosy is a favourite and the crocheted tea cosy with pansies was made by me.
Another Madame Weigel tea cosy pattern. This is a daffodil stitch pattern and the directions for making this one will be in the link at the bottom of the page.

A vintage crocheted tea cosy which is not completed, tea bag holder, sugar spoons, and jam spoons, and tea leaf scoops.Well, I hope you enjoyed this little lot. There is heaps more but that will have to wait for another time......I have so many things packed in boxes at the moment (currently painting the house).....and it does make it somewhat awkward trying to do a blog......!!

Here are a list of patterns for tea cosies -
Rosy Cosy crocheted tea cosy
Cabled tea cosy (knitted)
Daffodil Stitch tea cosy (knitted)
Cathy's tea cosy (knitted)

Okay, who's for a second cuppa!

NEEDLEBOOKS Part Ten

We are back to needlebooks again, for the time being anyway
- there are still a lot of categories to cover in this subject.

And they're off! ...or are they?
Let us hope that the current horse flu crisis is over very soon.
This horse shoe shaped needle book naturally lends itself to horse racing graphics.
But as you will see below, there are others too!
Here are a few examples -

Above top - The Jockey Club Needle Book - Made in Czechoslovakia
Bottom - The Steeple Chase Needle Book - Made in Japan

Above - no name (foil paper inside - probably Japan)

Above top - The Blue Ribbon Needle Book - Japan
Bottom - Bonita Needles - Made in Germany

Above top - Our Good Luck Needle Book - Made in Germany
Bottom - this shows the back of the previous "Blue Ribbon" Japan

Above top - Complete Needle Assortment - Made in Germany
Bottom - Kressent Needle Book - Made in Germany

Above top - The Horse-Shoe Needle Case - Made in Germany
Bottom - The Whip Needle Companion - Made in England

ITS A SNAP!!

Snaps have been around since the 1840's, primarily used as theatre costume fasteners where there required quick changes or removing or adding frills and trims to alter a costumes appearance.

The 1850's saw the design of the snap we know today.

To read more about snaps, you can visit here to see an article called "Those Wonderful Gizmos which hold us together". A great read!

The following line-up is just a small sample of the vintage snaps that you might find.

Top Left - "The Success" - Made in Czechoslovakia
Top Right - Koh-i-noor - Germany (you can also find these in tins)
Bottom Left - Snap Dragon - Made in USA
Bottom Right - Argo - Made in USA

Top Left - Golden Rod (no origin)
Top Right - Pertex (no origin)
Bottom Left - "Model" - made in England
Bottom Right - Colonial Maid - made in Canada

Wilsnap fastener card showing front and back.
Made in Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Acorn fastener card showing front and back - made in USA

Starsnap with wonderful graphics and there are more colours and types available (I find I am drawn to these cards like the vintage button cards you find with lovely graphics on them) - made in Chicago, USA

And finally, some of the fabulous "American Beauty" fastener cards to be found. Of course, made in the USA.

VINTAGE PINCUSHIONS

I have here what I hope is a feast for pincushion lovers.

These two vintage silk pincushions are a little fragile. I think that they would date around 1930s and have been cleverly decorated with beads. The guitar pc as you can see has lost some beads and the "strings" are broken. The harp (or is it a zither) looks in somewhat better condition, although I think they are both very special.

This is a lovely beaded trim shoe pincushion - there are still rusty pins in the folds of the cushion, and I would date this one maybe early 1900s.

This pincushion, though it looks vintage, I would date a bit later. This pattern is from the "Pincushions" book by Averil Colby, 1975, and based on a vintage pattern - it was probably made in the late 70's - 80's. Below is a page from the book. I think this book is a must for pincushion collectors - "A unique book with complete information on the history, creation, and collecting of pincushions" (from the cover).

A basket of tomatoes, vintage and newer, and strawberries (and emeries), also vintage and modern. There are also two black figural pincushions, and also can you spot the mouse?

This vintage tomato pincushion was leaking sawdust. So if you like the "primitive" look, I stitched some naive black stitching to close up the larger holes, attached a green felt leaf which was blanket stitched around and used a green crochet thread for the "sections". ...and there you have one rescued tomato pincushion.

Added Sept 18th - This is another rescued PC - or a vintage dog tape measure (made in Japan) with a new base. The eyes were missing but that was easily fixed by adding two black beaded top pins, and the pincushion base is made of felt with a tiny ric rac trim.

This vintage looking pincushion was crocheted by me.

This is a fabulous Pincushion book by Carmen Daumer, and one that I recommend to pincushion lovers. There are great ideas in this one.

I couldn't resist adding these two sweet peddlar bears to the post. I do hope you enjoy seeing them. While they may look vintage, they are purposely made to look old. The bears are the typical "made in China" (but well-made) bears from around the late 1980's - 90's. They are very cleverly put together with their wooden stands and old bits and pieces of sewing items. I was told that these (and others typical) were sold at a craft market in England.

Close-up of the smaller bear's tray.....isn't it luverly....and the tiny shell pincushion is so sweet!

I have just added this picture to "Needlebooks - Part Six". Somehow, it got lost in my excitement!!

NEEDLEBOOKS Part Nine

FLOWERS

Here are a group of delightful baskets of flowers for you to enjoy.

Dont you just love these needlebooks. They are -
Top left - "Flower Basket" - Japan
Top right - "Presented with Woman's Realm" (give-away) - inside it says "Empire Made"
Bottom left - Made in Germany
Bottom right - Foreign

Left - vase of flowers - Foreign
Top right - "Flower Basket" - Japan
Bottom right - not marked

Inside the 'Made in Germany' flower basket. With older needlebooks, we find smaller needle packets inside and perhaps a bodkin too.
Inside the 'Japan' flower basket.


September is National Sewing Month

Go to www.sewing.org for projects, learn-to-sew articles, ideas and more.

There are still a lot more needlebooks to cover, but I think I will take a small break and post about something different next......!

NEEDLEBOOKS Part Eight

*POP UP NEEDLEBOOKS*

Pop up needlebooks cover a variety of subjects, mainly catering towards the younger age group with nursery rhymes, cute animals, and famous children's fairy tales. There are also books with colourful graphics of puppets, fairs, and circus scenes, sports scenes, and the very popular sewing scenes that can also include dolls and teddy bears.

Below - this colourful needlebook is made by Prym, Germany.

Inside the Prym Fair needlebook.

The two needlebooks below are of Hansel and Gretel. Left - marked Foreign. Right - made by Akra.

Inside the two Hansel and Gretel needlebooks.

Above - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, shown opened/flat. Made by Dosco, Germany, and below, the inside.

Above - Soccer scene by Wittekind, Germany, and below - inside the needlebook.

Below - making dolls' clothes. Left - made in Japan, and Right - Wittekind, Germany.

Top left - Prym, Germany and Top right - Made in Redditch, England

Bottom left "Dolly and I" mady by Falcon, Japan and Bottom right -"With Best Wishes" and Seasons Greetings on cover made by Wittekind, Germany.

Inside the Redditch, England needlebook. Also states here that it is "A Sister Susie Series 45".

Above - inside the puppet (Punch and Judy?) needlebook - marked Foreign.

Top left - cover of puppet needlebook. Top right - cover of Wittekind, Germany.
Bottom left - marked "Ich-Nadeln, Germany. Bottom right - Pryms, Germany circus needlebook. Below - inside the circus needlebook.Below - a slightly different approach to a pop-up needlebook. This is a basket that has a front flap which you pull out, made by Wittekind, Germany.

Inside the basket - the young girls arms fold out.

Below - a group of nursery rhyme needlebooks (all pop-ups) - Made in Japan.

Below - the back of the needlebook shown previously with the three young girls and doll on the cover.

Makers list -
Akra
Dosco
Falcon
Ich-Nadeln
Prym
Wittekind