Drawing rooms

What the Collins Encyclopedia of Home Sewing lacks in projects worthy of sharing, it makes up for with the illustrations at the start of each chapter…

Curtains

Sewing room

Lampshades

The cover in all its glory

I found this book in a charity shop in Margate Old Town that had a whole room dedicated to haberdashery and 1960s/70s nylon underwear!

Edited by Jean Kinmond, 1976. The wonderful illustrations are by Barry Rowe

School library scoop

I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I happened upon a massive collection of 60s, 70s, 80s (and one 30s) craft books in my local bric-a-brac market yesterday. All from a school library in East Dulwich in south east London – and at £1 a pop, I bought as many as I could carry.

Sadly, for reasons of shelf space, I had to leave behind titles on macramé, plaiting, braiding, soft toy making and other skillz just a little out of the scope of my interests, but this little lot will keep me going for a while. Watch this space for some of the highlights.

Gay flowers

 

'Gay flowers on a trellis-work background' (detail)

I was delighted when my colleague and neighbour* gave me this copy of Stitchcraft magazine, published in September 1934. It's hard to believe it's nearly 80 years old, especially as the iron-on embroidery transfer is still folded up inside, in pristine condition.

Autumn modes

Several colourways are suggested for the Gay flowers design, but I'm ever so taken with these bright blooms on black linen, reminiscent of a design by Celia Birtwell.

The Stitchcraft people propose making your finished piece of embroidery into a cushion and runner set, a dressing table set or even a Radio Times or telephone directory cover (it says you need to make two phone book covers if you live in the London area – back in 1934 was there one directory for north London and another for south, or perhaps one for inner and one for outer London?)

Iron-on transfer, free with Stitchcraft, September 1934

The clever thing about the design of the transfer is that you can use sections, separated along the lines of the trellis, depending on the size of your project. I adore the flower with the sunray (/eyelashes) in its centre.

The 80-year-old transfer (detail)

I'm desperate to put this truly vintage transfer to use soon, but it seems such a shame not to keep it. Think I'd better trace it instead!

 *(thanks Cleo!)

Hanging with my Valentine

Impress the one you love with a dangly decoration

If you're of a romantic, as well as creative, persuasion, there's still time to make this fancy 3D heart, or pop-up secret-message card for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day...

Lift the flaps to read secret love messages

A few weeks ago, I spotted an entire set of Children's Britannica encyclopaedias, dated 1973, in a charity shop, and after I snapped up 10 of the most colourful volumes to use in another project* the lady behind the till put them in one of those large paper bags with string handles. It was snowing outside, which, I soon realised, meant I couldn't put the bag down the whole two miles home without it getting soggy. Boy did my arms ache when I staggered through my front door. But then, in the back of Volume 13 (Pacific Islands to Pond Life), I found this delightful papercrafting section which I hadn't even noticed in the shop:

Oh Sheila, you do spoil us

In this unencyclopaedic-looking 24-page supplement (first printed 1967), Sheila Perry** explains how to make a three-dimensional decoration for every occasion – she does a mean illustration and has some really lovely ideas.

Better still, I discovered that she contributed another section – Scissors and Paper – to Volume 15 (Rice to Sedge). Expect funny people, paper puppets and stand-up animals coming to you soon. 

So if you think your crush or squeeze deserves a handcrafted Valentine's message, click to find out how to make these original Valentine's cards, here.

* watch this space ;-)
** I've tried Googling her to no avail

Have a cracking Christmas

False advertising: no knitting, stitching or crochet in this post (artwork from Stitchcraft, December 1973)

For my short-but-hopefully-sweet penultimate post of 2012, I bring you a two festive projects – just in case you have any spare 'making' time over the pre-holiday weekend...

First up, a leafy hanging wreath adorned with an octet of colourful elves...

Which one is Will Ferrell?

To find out what you'll need to make this charming decoration, and how to go about it, click here.

Secondly, a '70s nativity scene featuring all the usual characters and creatures, gathered in the stable...

Mary and Joseph look over the moon

The grid's quite nice to look at:

Love the three kings

And the full instructions are here.

Both these festive furbelows are taken from my trusty St Michael Book of Handicrafts (Sundial Books, 1975). I hope you enjoy making them.

Happy holidays to Glad You Could Make It readers around the world!

Painting & decorating '70s style

That's one way to bring home a roll of lino

OK, so Your Beautiful Home on a Budget is not about craft as such, but when you open a book on the contents page to see a laughing couple in earth shoes and hotpants cycling home from the DIY store on a tandem complete with Donald Duck skirt guard, you know you're onto a winner.

The book is packed with eye-popping ideas for revamping your home on a shoestring, 1974-style. Do It Yourself and you could, for instance, be the proud owner of a psychedelic chest of drawers:

Swoon

Love the drawers (obviously) and the matchy-matchy lampshade, and adore the little mini chest of drawers at the back there (just imagine if that had been given the spray paint treatment too...)

Careful of the fumes, mate

The majority of the jazzing up of furniture seems to be achieved with masking tape and spray paint – here's one of the DIYers busy pimping his kitchen cabinets.

Not sure what the budget aspect of this pink shag-pile carpet is, and pink's a colour I'm not crazy about, but this works – even though this woman looks like she's emanating some kind of Ready Brek glow:

Shag hairstyle, shag-pile carpet

Next, a couple of music lovers listen to Universal Soldier by Donovan on their hifi system, having lined up Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends to play next (both records were released a good five years before this book came out).

Great taste you guys

Last but not least, a smiling foursome unpack their Texas Homecare booty from the hatchback of their Austin Maxi. No wonder they look so happy – what's not to like about this set-up?

Communal living

And that's just a fraction of the interiors eye candy in this book:

Laurie Larson Publications (1974). Part of the Young Color series

I bought Your Beautiful Home on a Budget in a junk shop in Hastings in 2003, along with, and I hesitate to make such a wild claim, an even better one in the series, Planning Colour for your Home, which has a chapter on every colour in all it's 1970s glory. I am planning a post on that, too, so do stay tuned.

Print a pet cat

For those into screenprinting, this printed puss is the cat's pyjamas. I do love his paws – three on the front, one on the back – his smiling face and graphic-print fur, and the fact his friend the mouse is thrown in as an optional extra.

He'd make a brilliant cushion... and if you don't have the space or equipment for screenprinting, or don't fancy the mess, you could always appliqué him instead.
(Update: to make him a glam lady-cat-friend, click here)

The pussy cat's book-mate Pollyanna is a long-lost cousin of Kitty the Clothkits doll, but with a smaller wardrobe, consisting of one apron:



They are both taken from Printed Rag Toys (1967) by Joy Wilcox, who won the Design Centre Award for her toys in 1965:



It's full of wonderful things for '60s kids to play with – king, queen, robot and spaceman dressing-up outfits, a carousel drawstring bag and a hobby horse (or I should say a stern-looking hobby unicorn):

What a lustrous mane

Queen for a day

Got a fancy-dress party to go to or need a cat-shaped cushion? Click here for a printable pattern.

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Spud-u-like

This 1977 book of Home Handicrafts is choc-a-block with crafty hobbies that most of us can remember dabbling in at school:



... one of which is potato printing. OK, I know it's a bit Blue Peter, but during this week of all things avian, these little beauties caught my eye:



Cute eh? Now pop out and buy a big bag of spuds, grab a knife and some fabric paint, cast your mind back to primary school for inspiration, and get printing. It really couldn't be easier to put a bird on it!

Oh and while I was flicking through Home Handicrafts, this fella gave me a look that said he wanted to be on Glad you could make it...



The book suggests you use Bondaweb and iron "this fanciful little bird" onto curtains or cushions. Not a bad idea, but he'd look even more lovely appliquéd onto your soft furnishings with a contrasting zigzag stitch.