Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Original 1880s Embroidery Patterns: More Gifts for You

As promised, here is another set of 1880s embroidery patterns from the crinkly pattern sheet I bought recently.

Just like the first set, they are reproduced in high resolution for you. To use them, click on the images below. Depending on your browser, you can right-click on the image to get the full URL, and then paste it into a fresh window. IE behaves this way. In Chrome, just right click on the image and you can choose to see it full size. Then you can print them out.

As I mentioned last time, most of the designs here are for making little gifts welcome and useful during that period: penwipers for, well, wiping your pen nib clean of ink, covers for boxes or bags to contain cravats, veils, gloves, pin cushions, and even covers for match strikers. What's a match striker? Why, it's a sandpapery surface on which you strike your match to light a stove or lamp, the gas or candles, or the fire. I've a book from the 1930s with a kitty's back rendered in outline and the same phrase, "scratch my back".

By the way, so sorry that the images are showing up here sideways. I had to turn them in MS Paint, and for some reason while they show up fine on my computer, Blogger is setting them all cattywampus.

Here we go!


A match striker. Why doesn't the little girl want to pet her kitty? Perhaps because it has grown really big?


A Christmas version of "A Stitch in Time"; good for a novelty workbag,


Whether the butterfly lives with the needle and thread or not, both are engaging.


Hard to read, but the word says "Cravats". This could decorate a box or bag to contain that once-essential menswear and menswear-inspired item.


Care to keep your feather duster in a bag? Perhaps more sensible to put the dusting rags there. Much nicer than keeping them in an old shopping bag...


Here's an acceptably floral glove box design. Render it in embroidery, or paint perhaps.


Is this a humorous cover for a stained desktop? It would make a fun patch for jeans.


Ah, a doily to hold the shaving equipage, or to adorn the shaving towel.


Hard to read, but this is a pattern for the top of a veils container or bag.


I wonder how the mother, father, or grandparents who received their daughter's handiworked glasses case really felt about it, privately? "Specs" isn't my favorite term of all time. However, the design has its charm.

By the way, I bought this pattern sheet as well as another one from Curtis A. Grace here in Lexington. If you're interested in pattern sheets like this, do contact him. He also has fantastic paper dolls; I've even seen a set in his shop from the 19-teens, and it was large and great fun. He's not too active on Facebook, as you'll see, but if you message him, bet you can reach him.

A happy remainder to the Christmas season to you and yours, and Happy New Year!

8 comments:

Laura Morrigan said...

Cattywumpus! That is such a great word, we do not hear it used enough!

A very happy new year to you! Thanks for all your inspiring posts, I hope there are lots of lovely dresses for both of us next year!

ZipZip said...

Dear Laura,

A very happy new year to you too, and likewise! Hope we both have fun with projects all year long.

Very best,

Natalie

Rosa said...

They are darling, thank you so much for sharing! I think I might try the Gloves, I like the forget-me-nots around the word.

300-400 m are a great achievement when you are unwell! I'm glad you feel you could do more, that's a great sign! Congratulations!!! Today, I made just around 1km since I'm unwell myself (viruses are flying around) and I think I'll try to rest for a couple of days. How's your score these days?:-)

I looked at the stays at Kleidung um 1800 - looks like an interesting project! The silhouette they create is lovely. Which of them have you chosen to make? Best of luck with them!

Ah, the petticoat. Well, at first I was thinking to just try to make it out of old bed sheets to be honest, since I don't think I'll try to make more than one 1876 dress, but my sister is nagging me to go crazy with it nevertheless... so probably there will be pretty lace and frills and French handsewing and a lacy balayeuse... kind of scary:-D I've never did anything like that before, so I'm a little nervous - but also excited:-)

As for your bout of illnesses, I hope you are feeling better? Still the tummy problems?

Lots of love, take care,

Rosa

ZipZip said...

Dear Rosa,

Good, so glad you like the embroidery designs. The gloves pattern is particularly pretty, and the glove box could hold winter gloves just as well as it could Victorian gloves...

Oh dear, virus time, eh? They fly around here, too, and my husband and I watch for the first sign of runny noses on the boys. Noah is showing signs, which makes me sigh, as it means I'll probably get whatever it is. Ah well.

Have been walking the same 300-400 meters for several days, mostly because son Christopher likes to come with me. Taking care of children really cuts into exercise time, but so be it. He's a funny and charming walking companion: sometimes we walk backwards, or zigzag, or march, just for fun. People looking out of their windows probably laugh at us.

My husband suggested I take an exercise dance class once a week, so I will do that too. I'll be the slowest in the class, but that's just fine. At least will be moving!

Ooh, so you might make the Bernhardt stays? I am making the same combination of view "D" and view "F" that Sabine did. It's the most straightforward, since I do not fancy binding a bunch of tabs at the bottom of stays just now.

Bedsheets would make a good base for the petticoat. Often the fabric is good quality, better than you can purchase as yardage in stores, or here, anyhow. Somehow I think you all have better fabric stores than we do.

Frills and tucks and lace and a balayeuse? Yum, yum, yum! No wonder your sister is egging you on. That would just feel so wonderful to wear, so fluffy! Nervous, indeed, because of the work, but excited because of the loveliness of the process and the result...

Yes, the tummy problems are still there, and are permanent, the doctor told me recently. Sigh. Am learning to handle a rather limited diet, but would rather have bland food than hold the tummy and groan, right ? :}

Hugs and may the next days be good ones for you, with some sunshine and the end of the virus,

Natalie

Rosa said...

Dear Natalie,

I really hope your boys are ok now and that you didn't catch it in the end - I feel with you deeply if you did, it usually is the same way with me if anyone in our family falls ill.

Is the weather in America any better? We've had some terrible stories of snowstorms in the US in our news. I hope you are all well and safe!

Btw, the finished cap is lovely! I can see how even more wonderful it will look in spring, with flowers all around and gentle breeze playing with the delicate frills:-)

How are you liking the dance classes so far, have you attended any yet?

Heh, and there I go envying you American people your fabric stores!XD
Particularly Martha Pullen, the French laces and the batistes are crazy difficult to get in Czech Republic, and the necessity to pay the shipping from abroad for such things has stalled many of my projects yet - as I worry it will stall the petticoat also, since yeah, it is too tempting, the petti must be pretty!
But the bedsheets are some 20 years old and they are still strong and quite supple, so I guess yeah, they'd be a durable choice, if unglamorous :-)))

I'm thinking about the stays, yes, since my sis made me a Regency-ish dress and it seems she took a fancy to the era and might make more in time (it's pretty comfortable and the faces of the Praguers we passed wearing matching Regency dresses were priceless!). But presently I don't feel strong enough to tackle such a big, scary project, even though I think the Regency silhouette might be great even for Lolita (where the contemporary placement of bust often makes one look fatter). So hopefully spring will bring more strength... I'm presently down to just a km a day, since I'd been ill for quite long again; how about you?

How are your stays progressing?

As for your little son, aww, he sounds so cute! I'd love to have a walking companion like that, kids just make all exercising such fun! I know I suddenly get an incredible energy boost if I have a little kid to romp with around me:-D Is it the same with you?

Hugs and all the best,

Rosa

ZipZip said...

Dear Rosa,

Sure wish you had a picture of your sister and you in your dresses, with the glances from the people of Prague caught in the background. It gave me a real chuckle, especially with what were probably beautiful buildings all around. What a location...

Prague remains one of my parents' favorite cities, and over the years they have brought back treats for us daughter: a tea set, a little set of gorgeous glasses for after dinner drinks, a handsome print of a thistle. I treasure them. Someday...

So you are looking for lace? Hmmm, I have some in my stash you might be able to use. How much do you need, and it;s for the petticoat, right? I'd be happy to send some. If it wasn't enough for the petti, it might be for a chemise or something.

Well, like you, I've been sick again...once and sometimes twice a week for the last month or so. So, no stays started, in fact nothing started. Have wanted to, but must focus on family and work, and getting better. Like you, I walk, and I am sorry to hear you're down to 1k, but that's better than no walk; I am barely above that and get out of breath easily on hills and stairs.

So maybe you and I will be starting fresh in springtime. Am on the edge of taking the year off, but hate to stop sewing completely, because it's a pleasure to create, when there's time. Am toying with just making pretty fluffy trims for a future dress. Small project, but lots of color and silk and fringe and prettiness!

Yes, we have had lots and lots of snow and it has been wonderful!! We've been sledding, and have made snow forts with windows in them, and Noah built a snowman that lasted three weeks, and we have watched the flakes fall from the sky. Here in the Upper South snow like this is very rare: many years we get none at all, and people say this year's winter is like that in 1977, a good while ago.

I think you all have not had much this year? My sister Anna in Vienna, has enjoyed not being up to her boot-tops with snow for once.

Well, time to check Noah in his bath, get Christopher in the bath after him, read to them and get them to bed.

Hugs and do please feel better,

Natalie

Rosa said...

Dear Natalie,
I really do hope you are doing better by now, sorry for not having written for so long, but I was undergoing treatments for my illness and frankly, sometimes they made the sickness so much worse, before they made it better:-/

I saw how wonderful you have looked on that festival in your smart Regency dress - that green accent looked so very becoming on you! And that hat was simply gorgeous. Seems like you had loads of fun?

Oh, I'm so happy to hear your parents love Prague! If you yourself do come some day, I'd be so glad if you came for a lunch - and maybe, perhaps, we could go to a costume museum?:-) It's nothing like the New York Met, but there are some pretty extant dresses, including Regency and 18th Century.

Yes, there were beautiful buildings all around - we were on the Charles Bridge, so there are wonderful, Gothic towers on each end, on one side the Prague Castle, on the other the National Theatre, plus there is the river Vltava, Kampa, Čertovka...

I think I will post a photo of the Regency-ish dress my sister made on my blog, once I manage to get a good one (it's got sheen, so it's a bit difficult). It's a wonderful feeling to wear Regency stuff; I wore it to the Opera later and felt like a princess.

As for the lace, yay, that would be so great, if you still have it! Yes, it's for the petti, though I'm also thinking about making a new Regency gown, where I could use it... or many other projects. How much do you think you could spare? I don't know exactly yet how much I will need, I didn't measure it yet... How much would you like for it?:-)

Hugs, take care, dear Natalie,

Rosa

ZipZip said...

Dear Rosa,

SO sorry for the delay in reply. I've been offline a whole lot. Between work, illness and family responsibilities, blogging had to take a break.

Wouldn't that be fun, visiting Prague! One of these years we'll get back to Europe. Haven't been there since 2001, such a long time ago now. We went to visit a sister in Vienna.

The Jane Austen Festival really was a good time. The historic house it's held at is not far from the Ohio River, a large and powerful one, and the river valley, being in the South of the U.S., can get very hot and stifling in the summertime, so much so that all a person wants to do is to sit down with a fan and a cold drink and NOT MOVE at all. :} This year the weather was almost cool and so we had such a good time.

Sure, I'd be happy to send lace to you! The lace I was planning to send is best for a Victorian dress -- Regenct-era laces don't tend to use big flowers and designs. Regency lace tends to be delicate: tiny sprigs and leaves, little scattered spots, very restrained. How much do you need? I think I have a few yards to send. Would be most happy to send as a gift. After all, it's that time of year, you know :}

Where would I send it to? We have to figure out a way to exchange addresses. Are you on Facebook or do you use email?

Very best,

Natalie