Season of the witch

Witching hour

Pumpkins are appearing in windows and on doorsteps and fancy-dress shops are stockpiling skeleton, black cat and devil outfits, as well as more outré costumes... the season of the witch must be upon us again.

Back in in 1973, Halloween was still thought of as an 'American thing' and traditions like pumpkin carving, apple bobbing and dressing up in scary costumes to go trick or treating were only just starting to drift across to British shores, which makes the fact that The Complete Book of Handicrafts (1973) featured this cute witchy mobile quite ahead of its time.

From the days when 'a mobile' was something altogether different, if you fancy making a spooky decoration to hang in your home – perhaps on the front door to show you're trick or treat-friendly, fish out a packet of pipe cleaners, click here for your free templates and instructions and find out how to DIY.

BOO!

Tiny embroidered toys

That lion sure looks cross

These gay ornaments also double as useful pin cushions, it says in the book. I think they'd be lovely hanging one under the other on a string!

Use back stitch, straight stitch, couching, thorn stitch and sequins to decorate these beautiful felt beasts – which don't have to be tiny – make them whatever size you like.

Taken from McCall's Needlework in Colour (1972), you can find a template for the bird, and further instructions here.

Lucky black cats

What with more adventures in my local Cats in Crisis charity shop, cat sitting for some friends' snow-white cat Eira, then finding a sad little note on the doormat when I got back home, saying a furry friend from the neighbourhood had been run over and was 'resting' on St Luke's Rd, it's been a cat-themed week – so here's a feline-based project to round it off...

Wishing you luck

I found these beautiful appliqué kitties in McCall's Sewing in Colour, first published in 1964, which explains: 'The entrancing cats are worked with a hand-operated sewing machine, by way of being an antique, so giving the interesting hoppity-hoppity line'... however, you can get the same results on an electric machine set to a very narrow zig-zag stitch.

Detail showing the 'Hoppity-hoppity' stitching

If you want to go about creating your very own 1960s-style cat picture, all you need are a piece of canvas for the background, black felt for the cats' bodies, two colours of felt for the eyes and flowers, and small pieces of gauze for the flowers (plus ruler, scissors, tracing paper etc). For a grid to follow and detailed instructions, just click here.

What a lovely good luck present this would make!

Five festive DIY decorations

Group shot

If you're planning on decking your halls the DIY way this festive season, look no further than these wonderful 3D paper angel, bird, star and circle decorations – hard to believe they are 46 years old! 

Star of the show

These wonderful illustrations came from the Paper & Cardboard Modelling section in the back of Children's Britannica encyclopaedia volume 13 (Pacific Islands to Pond Life).  

Star in a box

Each project is signed and dated 'Sheila Perry, 1967', the shading details are great and I just love them. So without further ado, get out your cardboard, glue (and perhaps a bit of glitter), and enjoy a crafty Christmas, 1960s-style. 

Click on the caption/link under each image for instructions.

Partridge in a pear tree?

Starburst

Groovy circles

Best-dressed angel in town

Happy holidays to one and all! 

Oh, and there's another project in the same series here

From rags to rugs

Hello Kitty

I never thought this day would come, but I plan to start making a rag rug. There, I've said it.

This shocking realisation dawned on me soon after buying a 1980 book, simply called Crafts, for 50p in Deptford market last Saturday, and seeing with my own eyes that the humble rag rug, staple of Fairtrade shops and student flats in the 80s, when made in the right colour combinations, could actually look amazing.

The patchwork number above is made out of fabric strips and hardwearing twine or string, woven into squares and sewn together. Fear not, you don't need to have a fancy room-sized loom – a basic £10 kids' tabletop one will do the job just fine... click here to find out exactly how to go about it.

Protest singer's pad?

If you can't be bothered faffing about with a weaving loom, this lovely autumnal rug is made by braiding (plaiting) long strips of fabric together, winding the plait round in an oval or circular spiral and stitching each round to the previous one. Depending on the thickness of your fabric and the sturdiness of your sewing machine, you could probably zigzag the whole thing together on a machine. Easy peasy instructions for this one here.

It was a happy day when I stumbled upon my new favourite book. Craft (Book Club Associates, 1980) also features no fewer than 10 different belts to make, plus two hammocks and a picnic basket, which I look forward to sharing with you toute suite.

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.

Let sleeping dogs lie

All together now – awwww

I was in a junk shop flicking through St Michael Handicraft Gifts (1978), my expectations way down low thanks to its soft-focus satin lavender bag and pot pourri cover, when my eyes fell upon this sleepy corduroy dog. I did a double take and then all but cried at how sweet he is. I know I must be getting sentimental in my old age, but come on LOOK AT HIM, he's even got a heart-shaped nose.

What more is there to say really, except I bet you want to find out how to make him, and have a look at the shape of that nose, so here's the pattern and the instructions. Night night then.

My first sewing book

 

She's got a skirt pattern and she's going to use it

While having my customary new-year clear-out, I came across the first sewing book I ever owned: My Learn To Sew Book. Why it had been put in storage I have no idea apart from the fact it's really tatty with a ripped and stained cover and half the pages are falling out. Anyway, what a blast from the past it is...

By Janet Barbour/illustrated by Belinda Lyon/published by Hamlyn, 1970

The projects are so familiar they're like old friends. Hello Lazy Daisy cat, Polly Dolly, hedgehog pin cushion and inhabitants of the primitive dolls' house:

(Not to scale)

And a special welcome back for these stylish lion slippers, I missed you *scroll down for a link to the pattern*

 

One of the mane things I like about this book

These lovely illustrations made sewing look fun...

Best hairdos ever

Ah the memories

Sew (geddit), if you can see yourself lounging about with two lions on your feet, click here for the slippers pattern...

Or, if you are looking for something a little less ostentatious, here's how to make this marvellous money belt:

Put your money where your belt is

Does this classic kids' book look familiar to you? Or is there another one that got you into making things? Let me know in the comments!

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!

Danish embroidery

A Glad You Could Make It reader who got in touch a while back brought my attention to the work of the 'grand old lady' of Danish craft books, Lis Paludan. Somehow, this inspirational person had passed me by, but a quick Google search and I was eyeing some of the folkiest, most typically seventies pieces of embroidery I'd seen since primary school.

Published in this country by Mills and Boon, 1970

This is my first Lis Paludan book in what I hope will become a collection. I'm not sure how many were translated into English, but who cares when the pictures are this good?

Village atmosphere

Smiling butterflies

If only this was in colour

Love those tiger feet

Snail's pace

Seedy

Creature from the deep

Tree of crazy owls

Last but not least...

Next on the list, Paludan's finest work, Broderier for Alle...

1950s Swedish stitchery

*UPDATE! To see more images from this book, check out my new post More Swedish Stitchery*

Victor Pettersons Bokindustr Aktiebolag, Stockholm 1954

I picked up this sweet 1954 Swedish sewing book, Hemslöjdens Hardarbeten at Greenwich Clocktower Market this morning. I don't understand a word of it – even the title, which appears to translate as 'Handiwork Handicraft'.

But who cares – look at the pictures!

Square sunflower

White on black

Lovebirds

Horses under a strawberry tree

A sudden burst of colour

Peacock pairs

Chapman's clipper

Just wanted to share that with you!

*UPDATE! To see more images from this book, check out my new post More Swedish Stitchery* 

Happy cat cushion

The cat that got the cream

Isn't she cute with her satisfied smile and Peggy Moffitt-y eyelashes? Imagine her sitting in an armchair, cheering up your abode and making all your guests feel welcome. Perhaps she could become a glamorous ladyfriend for the printed pet cat of a few posts back?

Here's how you can make her out of a piece of vintage fabric (an old pillowcase would do nicely), some black embroidery thread, some stuffing and – the pièce de résisitance – a little bit of fringing for her exaggerated eyelashes.

Taken from my trusty Complete Book of Handicrafts (Octopus, 1973)




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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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