Tuesday's This and That: November 16, 2021

 

Happy Tuesday and welcome to Tuesday's This and That!

Many bloggers have been busily working on holiday presents--actually for quite some time.  I don't do that much holiday sewing anymore because my grandkids are older.  Still, there are some projects that I want to point out in case you are looking for a quick holiday sewing project.

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Wendy over at Pieceful Thoughts posted yesterday about a week long blog hop that you might want to check out.  The hop features Mug Rugs and if you've never made any, trust me they are simple and fun projects.  Check out the ones that Wendy made and posted today here.  They are adorable!

In case you don't know what a Mug Rug is, it is a small quilted piece that is slightly bigger than a coaster.  I've often made mine wide enough for a snack.  

Actually I had two sets in my finished projects and decided to give them to my elderly neighbors this year along with some cookies.  One set features embroidered dogs:

So if you are looking for a little inspiration, check out Wendy and the other bloggers websites!

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Over the weekend, I actually started a project that I hadn't anticipated.  When I was a very young child, someone at the church gave my brother and me a "Danish Ribbon" to share.  My Mom liked the idea so much that she began to make them for us and all the kids in the family.  She's made them for decades. 

Surprisingly--when she did meet a woman from Denmark--she asked about the tradition and the woman told her the Danish do make them--the lady often knitted or crocheted the ribbons for the kids in her family.

It's like an advent calendar and kids participated during the last ten days of Christmas.  You could actually make one for any holiday.  Here's one we made for Miles my youngest grandchild who is now a teenager:

Mom's not up to doing much right now as she recovers from her surgery but she suggested I make quilted Danish Ribbons for  two children in my neighborhood.

This is a REALLY easy project.  It's actually too easy to even write a tutorial for but I'll provide you with some insights in case you want to make one.

Except for the binding, every part was scraps: scrap fabric, scrap batting, and scrap backing.  All I need to do now is finish the binding, go to my local hardware store to get rings to attach to the top, and attach the goodies for the kids.

Mom's ribbons were two feet long but I made both of mine 33 inches long and 5.5 inches wide.  The reason? I'm going to do 12 days of Christmas (neighbor's suggestion).  Also the kids are 8 and almost 4 so I can attach little toys too.  I'll use embroidery thread to tie the pieces on.

If I had thought about it earlier, I could have even made one like a crazy quilt.  One of my suggestions is to have a sashing print in between the novelty fabrics.  I tried it without and it was too busy for me.

The top of the piece is also important.  

There you attach the instructions which are in poem form:

Dear (Child's name),

Far away in Denmark, the children will have fun.

To mark the days 'til Christmas, each day you pull off one.

Start from the bottom and work up to your name.

The last one comes on Christmas and ends our little game!

I'll use card stock to print the poem and punch holes around it so I can embroider the instructions on. 

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What kind of projects are you working on?

Wishing you a safe and happy day!

2022 Project: The VerMehren Romper Baby Quilt

 Last week I spent a lot of time writing about the VerMehrens and their Home Art Studio Company.  But to be honest, although their quilt designs are exciting, the designs are often way above my (mediocre) piecing skills.  

I found something in their advertisements that captured my imagination more:  their ads for baby clothes patterns.

Sun Suit No. 78

I have long wanted to embroider a quilt with little children in various outfits.  It's like a quilter's version of coloring paper dolls. 😊   The problem was that I didn't like the patterns I found.  

Until I discovered the Needle Art Novelties ads in the newspapers.

The more I printed out these illustrations, the more I was captivated.  After my mom came home from the hospital, she started to get excited about the project too.  We love the small details!

Child's Play Apron #2136

The illustrations are clear and simple enough to be embroidered.  I clean up the images as best I can and make flip copies in case I want to do two different blocks of the same pattern.

I can size the images on Word so that the children are uniform in size.  If you've never traced an embroidery pattern from an image, a light box is helpful (walmart has them for about $15).   I use Frixion pens to apply my designs on my fabric because the ink disappears by applying a steam iron.

Some of the images have details that are easily discernible.  Some features less so. I can easily overcome that challenge by ignoring the detail or adding my own.  For toddlers that are slightly older, one could add buttons or bows or other doo-dads.

On Baby Romper # 2129, the pocket images aren't clear but at least the cookie is 😀

These are three of the illustrations.  I have 13 girl figures and 7  boys and 1 baby that is well-- whatever.  

I'm wondering if you have a special child in your life.  Would you like to see more of these patterns and possibly use them for your own projects?

It takes me some time to get the images clear enough to copy but I'm willing to do it for my quilt and share if you are interested.  We can even do a sew-a-long if you like.

So the VerMehren Romper Baby Quilt will be my hand project for 2022.  It will be gifted to my great-niece who isn't even due to be born until May.  I hope to give it to her when she turns 1 or so.

Have a safe and happy day!

Friendship Friday: November 11, 2021

Happy Friendship Friday!  Today we have a lovely photo from Nann, who shared this wonderful photo of a coneflower seed.  What a wonderful orb!  

I try to leave some of these up through the winter, many of the birds love to eat them, including the pretty little finches!

Lorraine sent a photo of her irises that continue to rebloom.  She has three others in bud and hopes they get to bloom before the serious cold weather arrives!

It's really weird to see the iris against that autumn backdrop, isn't it?

Sue P. sent this photo of a baby pillow she owns.  She wondered if it was inspired by the Dionne Quintuplets:

Isn't this charming?  And the embroidery is fabulous!!

Sue said she was reminded of this pillow by the baby motifs I shared this week.    

Yesterday was Veteran's Day and I didn't get a chance to add this pillow design for you.  It's a sailor doll and you can copy the pattern from this image.  Often people just used fabric or patchwork for the back of the doll (a great way to use up orphan blocks!):

When I can, I'm still exploring the VerMehrens' Needle Art Novelties articles.  I have amassed quite a collection and am planning a particular quilt.  If you have a special child in your life (especially a girl), you might want to tune in on Monday!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

 

Needle Art Novelties: Inspiration!

So as you can tell, Home Art Studio is my new passion.  I just love learning about new things!  I'm sharing these images with you today and on next Monday because you may want to use the images in a project you are doing!

I thought these pillows were adorable:

I could absolutely see a modern quilter enjoying this pattern:

Whoops!  The editor misaligned this same pattern for the fish pillow---or the fish is dying 😂😂😂😂

I remember my mother sewing a turtle not unlike this one for my kid brother:

Cute baby motifs:

This bib is very Sashiko looking to me:

You could make Hug-Me-Tights or embroider or applique these motifs:

Tomorrow is Friendship Friday.  Please email me at allentownquilter@gmail.com if you have something to share!

Have a safe and happy day!

 

Story Time Stiches: Absentees, Part Two

 Our look at quilts and children's books continues with some interesting omissions to the study.  If you've seen any of these characters sewn in a quilt, please let me know!

2. Notable Exceptions:

Uncle Wiggily Longears was first published in 1910.  According to Wikipedia, Howard R. Garis wrote a story a day (except Sundays) for 52 years and published 73 books.  Many of his books and the Uncle Wiggily Game are still available for purchase.  The character was widely popular so it seems odd to me that I've never seen an Uncle Wiggily quilt or quilt kit.  I have seen vintage fabric that measured 34 inches wide which may mean that the fabric was vintage:

There was even a pattern for Uncle Wiggily stuffed toys:

Interestingly enough, the books and the Uncle Wiggily game are still available to purchase!

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In 1924, Howard Gray's comic, "Little Orphan Annie" debuted and was widely popular.  There are a lot of vintage quilts out there but they derive from the Broadway musical/movie from the 1970s.  This is all very interesting to me because of the popularity of the radio show and there was even a 1938 movie:

I personally think that the reason for the lack of quilts was fairly simple.  Orphanages were all over the country and it was probably a family's biggest fear--especially during the Depression-- that their children might end up in an orphanage. 

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Frank Baum's book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900.  There were lots of sequel books and I read a lot of them as a child.  For some reason, I thought this past week that there was an embroidered coverlet quilt pattern offered in an early 20th century magazine.  But I can't find it now and it may be my memory fails me.  After the movie was released in 1939, there were possiby linens available.  This sheet is featured on Worthpoint and I don't know how accurate the date is (it seems unlikely to me but what do I know about sheets?):

This quilt became very popular in the 1970s and I have one in my collection:

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"It is the Gruelle ideal that books for children should contain nothing to cause fright, suggest fear, glorify mischief, excuse malice or condone cruelty," wrote Johnny Gruelle about his books.  

Gruelle's first Raggedy Ann and Andy book was published in 1918.  There may be an actual legal reason for it.  In her book, Johnny Gruelle Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy, Patricia Hall writes of a copyright infringement lawsuit that Gruelle had to bring against a dollmaker.  The Philadelphia dollmaker marketed her dolls as "Official Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls" without the consent of Gruelle.  Gruelle won the case eventually.

It wasn't until well after Gruelle's death in 1938, that the licensed figures could be used in a variety of kit quilts, mostly in the 1970s and beyond:

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Stay tuned for our next installment!

Have a safe and happy day!

The mystery is solved: Home Art Studio

So yesterday I posted that I was intrigued about a company called Needle Art Novelties.

Because I began to (obsessively yes) pull up any pattern I could find from Needle Art Novelties.  I amassed quite a collection and I'll feature some what I found on the blog.  But here is one pattern I did find:

This pattern for "The Children's (or Child's) Mother Goose Quilt" was listed in Rose Marie Werner's Quilt Kit ID website.  I learned that the Mother Goose blocks were part of a series offered in the Wichita Beacom (unfortunately a newspaper I can't access).  Rose Marie notes that another researcher, Rose Lea Alboum, had the pattern listed under the Home Art Studios quilt designs and that the designer was Hubert VerMehren.

Here's another block from the quilt:

It's difficult but not impossible to find information on Hubert VerMehren.  I had heard of him and his company Home Art Studio through the years.  There are a lot of sleuthing challenges for this company.  There was a Home Arts Magazine (not the same thing) and most search engines want to show you modern art studios.  

I did find an obituary for his wife and learned the Hubert was in the button business.  In 1937 when his wife Mayme died, he was the secretary and treasurer of the Iowa Button and Pleating Company.  I know little of his wife (her maiden name wasn't listed on the obit) but I know that Hubert was a World War 1 hero who was awarded the Service Cross for his valor.  

Hubert and his wife started the Home Art Studio business in the 1920s and originally sold embroidery patterns.  In the 1930s, they expanded to include quilts (and other things as we will learn).  

I was surprised to learn that Hubert could sew.  In 1947, he sewed a flag for the local Washington Irving High School:

"He worked long hours and even sat up one entire night to complete it in time...In it were thousands of stitches, eight yards of material, over a mile of thread," the Des Moines Tribune reported.  The flag and it's history were featured in a 1976 article:

I found a number of sites that featured the company's quilt patterns:

The Royal Aster quilt is featured here and here . 

More patterns are featured on Barbara Brackman's website here.

The most helpful website was here  at The Quilt Index and confirmed that  Hubert and his wife created the company together.  As I suspected, there was no Nancy Lee it was just a name the couple used to market the designs.  On one ad for the Royal Aster Quilt Pattern, the pattern is marketed as "by Bettina."  I suspect the company used a number of pseudonyms.  

Most importantly, their booklet Colonial Quilts is on The Quilt Index site for you to peruse.  

Another catalog of Home Art Studio quilt patterns was the Hope Winslow Quilt Book published in 1933.  Ebay has one listed here.

Personally, I would like to learn more about the Home Art Studio.   Hubert passed away in 1972 and for now much of his and Mayme's work remains a bit of a mystery to me.  I know that the work of the company is featured in an Uncoverings for 2000 (research papers published yearly by the American Quilt Study Group) and just ordered a copy since mine is AWOL.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find my muse in this journey:  The Child's Bunny Quilt pattern.  But  I did find lots of other things that I can share on Thursday's post.

On another note:  my mother is being released from the hospital today and now the real work begins.  Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts!

Have a safe and happy day!

Needle Art Novelties: A new mystery

 I wasn't looking for a new mystery but while researching something else, I found this pattern in a newspaper:

I loved the pattern.  I am very fond of bunnies even if I am allergic to them.  I hadn't seen this pattern before...but wait-- what is the Needle Art Novelties company and who is Nancy Lee?

The address is Needle Art Vogue Booklet "D" in Chicago, Illinois.  I couldn't learn if it was related to Vogue patterns (I think unlikely but not impossible) or an outbranch of another pattern company.  It could have even been it's own entity.  All I know is that I don't find any patterns before 1930 or after 1940.

The early part of the century and especially the 1930s was a time of a lot of pattern companies.  It's been widely published that many of the names (like our Nancy Lee) were not even real people at the time--just a name that sounded familiar to folks.  Some examples would be Nancy Page, Alice Brooks, etc.

I would love to have the Child's "Bunny" Quilt pattern but even when I researched for completed quilts I couldn't find any (for now).  The pattern isn't listed in Rose Marie Werner's Quilt Kit ID either.

But I got lucky.  Tune in tomorrow to see what I found!