Pink Swans and Tiny Flowers

Today being Pink Saturday over at How Sweet the Sound, I thought I would share some little sweeties I found at a recent garage sale.

Two little swans masquerading as pitchers! Or vases! Totally cute with tiny flowers!

They are handmade -- I used to do ceramics and the tell-tale signs are there -- stilt marks on the bottom! 

The glaze is the palest of pink and, since it pools in the design, it sort of self-antiques. Lovely!

The glaze didn't cover well on the inside of one of the spouts, but that's OK. It's still a little sweetie and it won't matter at all with some tiny flowers inside! Wish I had some tiny flowers to put in it now, but my flowers are few and far between (I must do some planting) and the irises that are blooming are just a tad too huge for these little swans!!

Tiny flowers like these....

in Noli's sweet little girl hands

They will appear in my Magnolia's Attic vintage shop but I'll get to enjoy them for a while!

They are sweet and I'm so glad I found them.



 Hop over to How Sweet the Sound to see some more lovely pinks!


    
         ♥♥
        

A New Challenge ~ The Middle and the End

Earlier in the month, I wrote about the January challenge on my Etsy team, Blogging Business Artisans, where we were to work on a new technique that we have wanted to try.  I decided on punch needle embroidery and found a kit which had all the supplies and instructions to get me going.

If you'd like to read about how I decided on punch needle embroidery, you can go here...

I love all forms of needlework and have done quite a lot of counted cross-stitch, hand embroidery, and crewel embroidery -- even tried my hand at needlepoint once but that didn't work out so well! But I had never tried punch needle embroidery. Well, this was my chance!

Punch needle embroidery is different from anything I've done before in that you are punching from the wrong side with your design outline facing you. It should look like tiny neat stitches, but mine weren't exactly neat!

When you punch with the specially threaded needle, it forms loops on the back side (which is the right side when all is said and done) which, in turn, creates your picture. My loops look a bit scraggly....

You use that little wire gizmo to thread the punch tool -- down thru the point, out the back end, then thread again thru the hole in the point from outside to inside.

And, believe me, that "specially threaded needle" is SHARP!! We won't go into details.....

I got a bit better as time went on....

Backside/Working side

Front side

I had problems with the loops not being a uniform height....

 The loops are kind of bumpy -- they should be the same height. 

It's extremely easy to pull the thread out and also you have a tendency to lift the needle point from the fabric which is a definite NO NO!! I guess practice makes perfect, but I want everything to come out perfectly the FIRST time!!

So, here it is finished. With all its warts and bumpy loops!

I just put it in a wooden embroidery hoop to show here, but I may decide to make it into a tiny pillow, maybe with some sweet smelling lavender inside!

I think it turned out pretty good and will definitely do this again. I like my DMC floss that I use for cross-stitch much better than what was supplied in the kit, and I want to work with my own designs. I think you'll eventually find this showing up in my Etsy shop!

I enjoyed participating in this challenge and look forward to February's where we will create a love-themed item. Stay tuned!

PS ~ Guess what I had in my vintage hoard inventory!! This (and I quote) "Easy Punch Automatic Embroidery Machine" which I found in a garage sale for $1.00! It's from 1985.

       
Uh-oh, it says it may be harmful to small children so I'd better be careful! Probably more lethal that the one that I was just using, since it uses battery power.... no doubt I'll be needle punching my fingers! But it does say on the package that the "automatic 'walking' needle ensures close, even stitching" so I guess that takes care of that not-so-neat stitching of mine!! (If you would like to read about this nifty machine, you'll find it on my Magnolia's Attic blog!)

Anyway, gotta try it out!!

By the way, did you notice Oliver's new kitty pal over there on the side bar? What a cutie!  >^.^<


♥♥

A Personal Invitation...

I finally got my new vintage (can you even say 'new' and 'vintage' in the same sentence?) blog up and going!! I've been working on it behind the scenes for a while -- finding just the right background and stuff.  I'm liking the way it has turned out -- hope you do too!!

Magnolia's Attic

So.... please come visit! I hope you will enjoy it and come back to visit often. And, of course, I'd love for you to comment and follow!

♥♥♥

Sunday Sneak Peek!

I'm still trying to play catch-up with my sneak peek from last week but I. will. get. them. listed.  I'll just have to double, triple and quadruple list this week!!!  :p

Lately I've found some neat sewing stuff -- of course, the patterns are an ongoing effort, but I discovered some nifty things at estate/garage sales (sometimes they turn out to be one and the same...).

Don't you love the cool tie? I found two from the 70s in polyester -- both wild designs! The sewing book is from 1972 and has the absolute best illustrations! The color ones at the beginning of each chapter are so retro! Of course, it has excellent sewing how-to's too! (Even has how to make a tie!)  And if you like crewel embroidery, this kit is for you! Roses and Daisies, both designs included.

Up close of the paisleys on the tie -- they almost look like fat little fish! The embroidered table scarf is lovely and the little quilt -- it would be adorable in a child's playhouse covering her little doll!

Yum. Vintage sewing goodies! My mother had one of these Dritz electric scissors. We thought they were just the greatest thing since sliced bread!! The wooden spools and the old card of pins are just cool! Great for a collection in your vintage sewing room! And the green vase is just a lovely old piece. Perfect to display those spools in!!

This is a round tablecloth that would fit a small table or the middle of a larger one. I think of it as the "Children of the World" -- very neat. It would be very cute in a little girl's room!

Hopefully, these will show up in Magnolia's Attic soon!!

Sunday Sneak Peek

I almost let today get away without showing you some upcoming goodies for Magnolia's Attic!!!

Can't do that -- not when I decided that on Sundays I would post a little "sneak peek" of vintage love gotten over the week. So this launches that and I'll try to keep up! :p

I just listed the felt wall hanging kit -- so if you're a crafty, applique, embroidery type :-) it's in Magnolia's Attic right now!! 

The gloves belonged to my father-in-law. He was a small man so my husband and son could never wear them, and I thought someone might enjoy wearing them this winter. Aren't they handsome? Beautiful leather - South African Capeskin.

Talk about kitch!! The picnic table salt and pepper set (with, ahem, toothpicks, thank you very much) is about as kitch as can be! The gold coaster set came from Japan but would fit well in a 70s Harvest Gold and Avocado Green kitchen!

The little bottles are old ink bottles -- I have six total and will list in sets of three. Instant collection!  I like the little measuring cup -- it has measurements in words! Too cute! And the jigger is from the 40s to 50s as best I can tell.  Those postcards are Jefferson One Cent and were issued from 1914 to 1916.

There you go. I'll be listing these during the upcoming week, along with some more vintage patterns.

New Stuff in the Attic!

Just sharing some new goodies in Magnolia's Attic...  I've been estate/garage saleing (can that possibly be a word? If not, it should be!) lately and have a bunch of things to list. But photos first and that always seems to take a while!

Speaking of photos, I've got a great place for a stationary light box -- I'll show you when I get it perfected and... wait for it... TAKE PHOTOS!!

Anyway, enjoy the newest listings!

Sweet little tatted doily -- tiny, only 2ish inches across in a 3x3 wooden frame

50s Glass Carafe for your coffee or tea -- or syrup for your pancakes!

Love to cook? Then this is the cookbook for you!! Great 70s kitch recipes -- like Tuna-Cheese Souffle' Sandwiches and Chip 'n Cheese Wieners :) Oh my! But there's regular, everyday type recipes too...

Silver metal filigree napkin rings -- aren't they pretty? They'd make a really lovely statement on any table!

That's it for now! Thanks for looking!

Garage Sale Goodies!!

Don't you just love garage sales? I do!! (When I see a garage sale sign, my car just turns in by itself!!) Sometimes I drag my husband along -- he always gripes but ususally finds something to look at, or chat with the sellers. Sometimes Noli and I go if she gets here early enough or we go to thrift shops which are almost as fun. Slow going with a 4 year old, but fun!! She, of course, is dazzled by the toys but knows we're not buying everything in sight!

I've really just gotten back in the groove of garage-sale-going, since I've opened my Etsy vintage shop. I have lots of vintage things myself that I'm listing, but I'm always on the lookout for more!!! Plus, did I mention this already, I LOVE THE HUNT!!!!

I thought I'd share some recent finds with you -- they'll end up in Magnolia's Attic soon!

Isn't this the cutest ever? Reminds me of Betsy McCall, way back when. For all you youngsters, Betsy McCall was a paper doll that appeared in McCall's magazine. I'd always grab my mom's copy to cut out Betsy and her cute clothes!

And this one!! Those kids are so adorable and I love the simplicity of the design. I can imagine these on toddlers of today -- so sweet...

I thought this vase was so pretty with its lillies. It was made in Japan -- I don't know the age, but after doing some research, I know it's a vintage piece.

These two cameras were at one garage sale -- I haven't done any research on them yet, but aren't they super cool?  They'd be a great photo prop  -- maybe they'll wind up in a movie one day!! 

And, drum roll please, for the piece de resistance:

"Near as I can tell, we're somewhere behind Mt. Rushmore"  Is that hysterical or what?? Guess I'd better go read Etsy's "mature content" rules....