Just Being Childish!

Maybe it has something to do with me becoming a new grandma,

but my last four vintage fabric finds have been juvenile prints!

I think this first one is the oldest - the look, the feel, the faded fold.

For some reason, I want to say 1930s.  Could it be?

 Cupid bear is holding a 30's-green bow and arrow.

The girl's eyes seem Betty Boopish to me.

Look at the stockings and shoes.

36" width - four yards - cotton

Next is the kitty, sheep, goats, bunnies, ducks...

...but mostly kitties print.  I'd say early 70s on this one.

36" wide - 5 1/2 yards - cotton

 

This one is the mystical Marco Polo fabric!

How do I know it's the great Italian explorer of China - Marco Polo?

 Not because the drawings look like Marco sporting his favorite Tartar outfit...

 

It's all because of the wonderful information found on the selvage!
And you know how I love selvage information!

There are about nine yards of this 36" Little Golden Book Fabric.

Love the robin's egg blue.  

Maybe my Mandarin-speaking,

China-dwelling son would like this fabric for my new grand-daughter's nursery...

 

And if you're as curious as me, you would google the selvage-mentioned 

Marco Polo Little Golden Book and find out it was published in 1954.

So this fabric is from 1954 and the book is for sale on the internet.

And finally, we have this sweet yarn ball playing kitty,

hat-wearing, butterfly eating, ducky marching print. 

Seems kind of 40s-50s to me.  Maybe I'm wrong.

I have only a couple yards of this 36" width cotton.

 Lots of room for imagination in these sweet prints.

What Moms Do

We moms have radar when it comes to our kids. A friend recently gave me an old newspaper she found stuffed between some basement walls. This small article was on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal dated April 22, 1956.  FRONT page!

 My mom holding me along with my brothers and sister.

1960

 Mom and me - 1975

2007

Happy Mother's Day
to my beautiful mom and moms everywhere!

Put THAT on the front page!

Roses, Wreaths and Burlap Leaves

A few weeks back, it really was time for Frosty to go home.  Even though the weather was anything but April-like, I needed a spring decoration for my front entry and these 25 yards of burlap ribbon rescued from my local Goodwill store for 99¢ needed to be used... and burlap is in, right? The green seemed to match the lime green of my front door, so I made a wreath.

I followed an easy tutorial here to make the burlap roses.

Not 100% sure how much I love the new wreath.  I question the proportions... a little small I think.  It works for now, however I better hurry on my next entry decoration anyway.  With the help of the sunshine, the burlap ribbon is quickly fading to it's natural jute color!  Thankfully, it was all very easy and inexpensive!  Anyone need some inch and 3/8ths spring green burlap ribbon?  I must still have 15 yards of it!

Happy creating!

Rag Quilt

Of course I didn't finish my baby gift until the day I left for Scotland!

I guess it's just my style.

 

I was inspired by one of my contacts on Flickr (Nesha's Vintage Niche)

and decided to try a rag quilt of vintage chenille.

 

 You know the old saying, "Measure twice, cut once."

Well, laying it out helps me visualize before I start cutting.

And a lot of cutting there was!

I cut my squares 5" to get finished squares of 4".

In retrospect, I should have made them more like 6" or 8".

Smaller squares = more work!

 

My backing was a soft flannel.

Put the squares back-to-back and sewed my X.

Even inserted strips along the border to give my edges

similar thickness to the rest of the seams.

 

Once all the Xs were sewn

(and don't underestimate how long that wee little step takes 99 times),

I laid them out to make sure the pattern was what I wanted.

 

Finally, assembling the squares!

And breaking needles on those thicknesses!

Better have sharp scissors to snip these seams!

  

 Before washing. 

Especially if you make this out of chenille, be ready for FLUFF EVERYWHERE! 

 

Then you wash/dry, wash/dry, wash/dry!

I did this one three times and I'm sure it will continue

to lose threads when washing and drying in the future!

Clean the fluff from your washer, your sink, and your lint trap!

 

But it does turn out to be a soft, sweet fluffy blanky.

For a soft, sweet bunny baby.

Miss her sooo much!

My Scottish Fling

Well, I did it.

I packed up, got on a plane, flew over the Atlantic and went to Scotland!

I really did... and lived to tell. 

While waiting for my first grandchild to arrive,

my son Lars, his wife Spring, their friend and vintage queen Máiri and I

went shopping on fashionable Byers road in the West End

of Glasgow near their apartment.

If you poke around in the alley ways, you can enter one shop and exit another.

Diagon Alley?  Here's a very pregnant Spring entering a place called, Relics.

I don't know how my son ever discovered these shops... 

...which could take a hint about merchandising.

This one is pretty neat, but in some shops,

stuff was precariously piled so deep and so high

there was no way possible to get to it.

Some beautiful reclaimed tile.

I was always on the lookout for vintage fabric which was quite scarce.

Here is a 36" wide piece for 14£.

Oh, and I almost wept with excitement to actually see some Charles Rennie Mackintosh architecture and interiors!  Actually, I did start to cry at the Mackintosh house on campus.  I couldn't believe I was really there!  A wonderful tour led by Nigel, a wonderful guide.  Here is a lovely wardrobe designed by Mackintosh.

A gorgeous light fixture found in the entrance hall.  

Not only did I see the Mackintosh House

on the University of Glasgow's campus,

but a sweet new Scottish friend, Karen,

actually took me somewhere that exceeded

my wildest dreams in Helensburgh...

 

 One of the crown jewels of the Mackintosh experience! 

The Hill House!  OMG!  I studied this place in college!!!

And, I got to see a Hill House Chair IN THE HILL HOUSE!!!

(Ok Kathy, take a deep breath...)

I was also excited to see my son's university.

What a beautiful (I think I can safely say, ancient) campus.

Here he is leaning against the cross vaulted arches

in the walk-through between centuries old courtyards

in the oldest part of campus.  Positively medieval.

Last but certainly not least and most important of all - the whole reason for my trip - my new granddaughter made her entrance into the world halfway through my visit.  Perfect timing.  She's beautiful.  It was almost impossible to leave her.  But! On the bright side, I will see her in six months when all the Scottish adventurers return to America!  Until then, thank goodness for Skype!