Feeling Playful

Thinking about Christmas yet?  No, me either, I am still hoping we have a summer, but published in December just in time for Christmas is this... Playful Little Paper-Pieced Projects

Complied by Tacha Breucher, for me this feels like a book of friends!  Inside there are 12 blocks for a Calendar project, and a tonne of all year round projects all featuring paper- piecing.  There are blocks/projects by Penny, Leila, Lynne, Tacha, Tamiko, Ayumi, Amy Friend, Brioni, Joanna, Julianna, Kylie, Angela, Charise, Chase, Sonja, Amy Lobsieger and more

 You can see two of my blocks below- middle picture bottom left (covered by the small child) and bottom right of the same pic, the 'gift' box, a December project is mine too!

 The preview can be found in the C&T publishing preview catalogues, I can't wait to see a copy for real!

Domestic Goddess

This perpetual calendar was a great little carboot sale find.  It needed Milton bleach it was so dirty but cost only pennies and so appealing.  I had a black one too, gave it too Lula who set the date at Sun 35th Jan- just because she could!  No fabric finds this week but other treasures instead.

This is unbelievably good. My friend Kathy is from Michigan and this was her mom's cooking bible when she was growing up and she has her own later edition of this.  It has fabulous imagery and the recipes, especially the sweet stuff, are going to be good to dip into,  This Christmassy sweets pic is so vivid and complex, can't imagine making that ribbony stuff!

The importance of canning.   Always a priority, ha!   Have you seen the waist pleats this poor woman has to try and carry off?

Cookys (I'm just quoting Homes and Gardens spelling, new to me!)

And my favourite, the multi tasking Ganesh like domestic goddess proffering food for every occasion.  Get a good look at that wall clock, love it!

Reading through, the recipes contrast strongly to UK equivalents of the time.  They are much richer, more luxurious and there are ingredients reflecting a more diverse society that Britain had mid 1960s- I noticed the use of cardamon pods in something sweet and I have only noticed that in popular cookbooks here in the last 10 years. Good Housekeeping is the UK equivalent to Homes and Gardens and this is a funny little mid 1960s cook book, sponsored by Smiths crisps.

The presentation is mainly black and white and a bit stark.  Crisps feature heavily in the ingredients throughout, even in sweet things e.g. adding an extra texture to an Orange Crunch Gateau base! Yum potato creamy sweet citrus dessert...All the photos look fussy and unappetising

 Kathy and her partner James came round after the car boot sale and we had a good laugh at these books over cake, cookies and coffee.  The art of managing group dining is covered in both books.  The Good House keeping book has this handy flow chart- my fav pic in the book.  This is the plan for a 'relaxed' help yourself sort of affair.   Follow the arrows, only the hostess is allowed in the kitchen from an internal door, keep out guests!

Home and garden have a lighter touch on such rules, only one arrow to follow.

James, a scientist by profession, reminded us that it was part 'domestic science', hence such diagrams.  Kathy and I have a long way to go on the science route to domestic goddess status.  The Good House Keeping book also covers the dilemmas of what to wear and beauty routine for you and for your house.  If we could only follow this closely maybe we could be good housewives and hostesses?

These are the cool hip British types picnicking with their Smiths crisps.  Funny how they all look so middle aged but I guess they are early 20s.

More pics to come of other good vintage finds.

Have a happy Monday :)

Red is Best

There is a group on Flickr devoted to fabric stacks and a recent innovation has been to have theme weeks- so far Season with a Side of Smiles,  Lemon drops and Gumdrops, The Elements and this week my choice Red is Best.  If you want to add a stack of your favourite Reds come and share.

I was inspired by a this great book, typical line "But my red barrettes make my hair laugh."

I went a bit red crazy round the house looking for lovely reds.  Divine vintage hankie

Love that bakelite plastic red darning mushroom

And my latest find at the boot sale on Sunday, vintage lipstick buttons on a great card.

Red is definitely best x

ABC

I am a big fan of typography.  My mum studied it at art school and I was taught calligraphy at primary school and loved it.   Now I still love it in fabrics, on screen or printed.  I  found this great children's book from 1946 at the carboot sale a few weeks ago, ahead of its time with its wonderful typography and bold photos.

The source material for the images was the London Museum- and it is an odd  and eclectic selection.

Many of the new fabric ranges feature alphabets- I have this Yuwa print, amongst others, flying on its from Japan via USA and to the UK.  I will post more when it arrives!

10 Little e-books: How to Sew

I have had the chance to review some sewing e-books published by David & Charles.  They are from a set of 10 to look at on your computer, iPad or iPhone, pretty and attractively laid out and the templates can be downloaded from the website.  My favourite is How to Sew: Applique

There are clear photos and easy instructions.  Although all the books are aimed largely at the beginner or those without much experience, I picked up some good tips- e.g. machine sewing applique using a Denim needle size 12/14 as they are extra sharp for piercing extra layers.  There are instructions for a range of shabby chic style items: a heart patch, vintage linen flag bunting and a laundry bag with cute camisole and knickers design- all available as downloadable templates.

How to Sew:Basics has info on hand and machine sewing for new sewers.  Like all the books it encourages a make do and mend approach reusing fabrics as well as buying new.  The inserting a zip section-often a challenge for old and new sewers-is excellent.

As a basics guide it does gloss over a few things that could've done with more detail, especially for beginners- rotary cutting is a real challenge when you haven't done it before as is adding binding, both needed more info.  As with Applique there are some good tips, e.g right handed sewer should sew right to left, left handed sewers left to right- sounds obvious but it hadn't occurred to me before reading this!

How to Sew: Patchwork is a quick guide to patchwork basics including seminole or strip piecing.  The  pig cushion on the cover is a nice starter project although making a 'Simple Quilt' out of satin is perhaps harder than it looks ( and it looks very pretty!)- cotton would've been a lot easier to handle.  

 

Like the other books,  How to Sew:Machine Sewing has some good tips- lined paper to practice on when you first sew to get your stitch straight- and clear concise text and pics.  All the books would have benefitted from just a little more eye candy with the fabrics and the styling, often the beautiful photos in sewing books are the real inspiration and some of these were a little on the ordinary side.  The prettiest pics I saw are from a book I didn't get to read- How to Sew: Hand Sewing.  Now, this pic really entices me to make the set

All ten books are available to download from 16th Aug at www.rucraft.co.uk and at only 99p each they are a bargain taster guide to different types of sewing and like pick and mix you can choose your favourite!

What do you think?  You can click on the double spread preview pages to get a larger view.  Would you use a sewing e-book.  Could be handy if your computer is near your sewing area!

(Giveaway here)

An emotional day today, last day of term.  I teach music classes for children 0-6 years so I said goodbye to two school age classes today and  goodbye to two younger children who are finishing for preschool and school.  I have known one since he was 6 months and he will be 5 soon!
 I also am a little nervous- I have a little trip to hospital for a small operation tomorrow and although I have barely had time to even think about it this week but now I am packing my bag ready and trying to get all my work out of the way for the next few days so I can have a quiet time.  It is the anaesthetic that I really don't like- I feel worse from that than from the op itself!

So, it was good to get this in the post from my friend Teresa.  She is an excellent jumble sale shopper, very skilled and I bet this is where this came from, unused and as new.   I loved Holly Hobby when I was little and still love it now,  might have to hang this in the kitchen, that feels like a bit of a mad lady thing to do but it is so pretty.

I will have a few hours of waiting time before anything happens tomorrow.  I don't buy any magazines but I won't be able to take my e-reader- no valuables allowed-  and I find paperbacks make my hands ache so a craft mag to distract and this fantastic compendium should keep me going.  I bought this book a couple of weeks ago and although the cover is a bit gaudy there are some fantastic tips and techniques inside.  I shall be inspired.

See you in a few days x

Carboot love

It is so hot today that it was good to get out early before it got too warm.  At the first carboot stall I had some bumper finds, first this folding mini table 50p, I loved the pattern on the top

It needed a bit of TLC- a good clean and just a little DIY but now and ready to put to good use

Then this great sewing vintage 1970s book

I would've loved this as a girl.  It even shows you how to make your own clothes, diagrams on how to thread your sewing machine  based on an old hand turned Singer.  I was limited to the Ladybird book of sewing and making bookmarks and ball from felt- all very groovy but this would've been fantastic!

My favourite pic is this illustration

love it!

Also picked up this cute little Newey 'book' of vintage 'Sewing Aids', just loved the packaging

and finally some hooks, I have a few sets of these in the kitchen, useful and so pretty

Holiday Reading

On my recent weekend away I took a new quilting book with me for a bit of light holiday reading and inspiration.

It is a beautiful book, the hardcover is printed and slightly textured and the photography inside is a joy.  Who'd have thought a dodgy bit of wall plaster and an old metal bed could look so appealing?

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I didn't buy this for the patterns- they are very basic and I tend not to follow quilt patterns directly, a lot of the fabrics are not quite my taste- a lot of very big vivid florals- but the writing is wonderful.  Each quilt has it's own story-design, fabric, materials and direction.  She describes the inspiration, how the fabrics were chosen including details of the actual fabrics used -  I can't believe how many quilting books don't credit the fabric- as well as resources, suppliers etc.  At the back there is a quilt gallery with a clear pic of each quilt often including more than one colourway option  

The writing flows, Jane Brocket has an intimate style.  It reminded me of Nigel Slater, his recipe books are often a chance to read his great writing and musings, not just cook up a stew.

I love this picture- I  fancy the idea of text on the wall, maybe not hymn sheets like this though...It has a different cover in different parts of the world- looks a bit more sedate.  Recommend it for inspiration.