Decorating & Craft Ideas

I have several old issues of decorating & craft ideas from the 70's. I've always loved old magazines and books about decorating and crafting, even as a kid. I was always inspired by the images in them, including the ads. These are some from the early and mid 70's and I thought you might enjoy a peek in them. They have some really dated looking stuff, but they also have some stuff that's popular again these days. But they're always full of inspiration.

I remember using these roll-on paints in Home Ec!

I love how this model below is posing "so naturally." I know I always stand around with my purse on my arm like that!

This one is a great idea. I think I'm going to make the pear!



Wonder what happened to this magazine? Anyone know?

This little guy is the handle to a creamer and there's a sugar bowl to match. I think he is so cute! He's perched in the kitchen and he makes me smile whenever I pass by. I found him at a flea market in Branson, Missouri. I love putting stuff like this out for fall, it just makes the house seem that much cozier.

I think it is so funny how everything that was popular when I was a kid is popular again. It kinda makes me wonder if I'm gonna break out the macrame one of these days. Yes, I admit it, macrame was probably one of the first "crafty" things I tried when I was about 8 or 9. I can remember like it was yesterday, sitting in front of the front closet door, working on a macrame plant hanger for my mom. (You know, you hung the top over the door and worked your way down). We even had a macrame hanging table. Yep.

Autumn Decoration

We're definitely enjoying some cooler days now around these parts. This week we've had rain, gloriously mild sunshine, wind, and an overcast day. All beautiful days in their own way!

When we got back from the trip, I got out my fall decorations and put them out. I'm not one of those people that decorates for every holiday or even every season, but I do decorate for fall. I just love it...love the colors, the leaves, acorns, pumpkins...everything!

The picture above is a corner of our living room. The taffy is from our trip....candy corn flavor, yum!

Above is a picture of the mushroom needlepoint pillow I found on our vacation. It needs to be reblocked and have a prettier backing put on it, but for now it's happily resting in the rocking chair in the living room.

Road Trip Goodies

Here are a few of the treasures we found on vacation:

This is an embroidered placemat. I found a set of 4 with 4 napkins at a flea market. I think it is too cute! Very happy mushrooms.

Of course, the stack of fabric. I think I was pretty restrained this year. This is all I got. I'm loving the orange on top. I'm loving orange right now, as a matter of fact.

And some good Pyrex love. I have a few snack plates in this pattern and I found these 3 little bowls to match. I believe it's called "Primrose." I have a pretty good case of Pyrex love.

I found a great needlepoint mushroom pillow, but I haven't gotten a good picture of it yet. We've had a lot of rain and cloudiness around here, which is good...we need the rain. But it doesn't make for great picture taking!

Creatures are definitely stirring...

Tomorrow is our Christmas shopping blitz...lookout stores, here we come! Jimmy and I plan to get all (I say "all" like it's some gigantic sprawling thing, it's not a huge list) our shopping for others d - 0 - n - e. I find as I get older, I enjoy "shopping" less and less. I mean, the head out to the stores and spend all day without a clue what I'm going to buy kind of shopping. Unless it's fabric, or yarn. Even then, that doesn't take all day. I guess I'm to the point where, if I'm going to spend hours and hours on something, I'd like it to be something I'm 'making,' not something I'm 'buying.' Nevertheless...we shall shop.til.we.drop. And then - it will be done! Tra la! Done! We can enjoy the rest of the season, not spend.
I read this and I think...hey, I'm cheap. So be it...there's worse things.

I'm working on some sewing accessories to list in my etsy shop. Here's a peek...I'm planning to do some pincushion / needle book / tape measure sets in several fabrics.

I'm pleased with the simple little pincushion. It's tight as a tick, which I like. And I put a pouch of lentils in the bottom so it's good and weighty, and the lentils sort of serve as a stop for the pins, so they don't go all the way through.

A wonderful weekend to all! Glad tidings of the season!

Needlework aplenty

Lots of different kinds of needlework going on around here these days! I've got several scarves I'm crocheting for Christmas gifts. I've got one done...

Two or three more to go.

I'm knitting (yes, an actual project!) what I hope will be a very luxurious pouch that I plan to line with some decadent fabric and tie with silk ribbon as a gift. Here's what it looks like so far...

Um, yes, that is knitting. I promise. Between the fuzzy yarn and the fuzzy picture, it doesn't look like much at the moment. But I'm actually moving right along...I hope. This will force me to learn how to seam up my knitting, because this will need a seam. And by the way, purling hurts! Yeow...my left hand that holds the yarn gets sore as it can be. Anybody else have that problem?

I promise I'll post a picture of the yarn bag as soon as I can get a good picture of it. It's so big, it's kinda hard.

Lastly, we hit the flea market this past weekend. And I got these goodies - another box of patterns including a great robe pattern I will just have to make (very Mary Tyler Moore-ish), a box of wool (cool box), a sewing book and some great fabric. I've noticed my eye just seems to gravitate toward sewing and needlework stuff these days. Wonder why?!