Watercolor Butterfly and Floral Gift Bag

A couple of weeks ago, during one of my regular Tuesday Morning cruise-throughs, I bought a large gift bag with a watercolor design of butterflies & flowers. I opened it up and used a variety of Sizzix dies to cut tags and pockets. I went crazy on the tags & didn’t have many big pieces for pockets, which I regret. More pockets next time! This is the original bag (both sides are identical.

I untied the purple ribbon handle and saved the butterfly hang tag and a decorated bag seal. I also cut a tag from the label on the bottom of the bag.

The bag sides were long & narrow with a fold down the middle. Avoiding the fold, I cut 19 tags from the two sides. Most are blue with handwriting, a few also have some of the floral design.

There was one large butterfly on each side. I fussy cut one butterfly and placed the second butterfly so it fell on the front of a library pocket. I cut two almost identical journaling cards.

I cut four large and two medium tags.

I cut two slotted cards and a small pocket.

I cut ten more tags out of the leftover paper.

The last photo shows all the items I cut from the gift bag. I saved a few pieces of the bag in case I need to cut a specific size or shape when I use this beautifully coordinated watercolor butterfly/floral set!

FYI: I used these Sizzix Dies: 662697 - Stitched Slots, 658784 - Tag Collection, 660271 - Tags & Words, 560195 - Tags & Words by Stephanie Barnard, 660700 - Library Pocket, & 5658349 - Inserts & Envelopes/Mini Correspondence.

Workbasket, May 1953 - Mail Order Patterns

Most issues of The Workbasket have a page or two with ads for sewing patterns. These are the patterns found on Page 40 of the may, 1953 issue. These patterns could be ordered for 35 cents (in coins), with an additional five cent charge for First Class mailing.

Mail Order 4839 - Cool and comfortable, cover-all apron or jumper. It wraps and buttons. Easy to sew. Misses' sizes 12-20. Size 16 takes 4 1/8 yards 35-inch fabric.

Mail Order 9247 - Perfect for short, fuller figures. Smooth lined, scalloped capelet gives a suggestion of sleeves. Half sizes 14 ½ - 24½. Size 16½ takes 3 7/8 yards of 39-inch fabric.

Mail Order 9028 - Easy to make sundress. Bodice wraps and ties for a sleek midriff look. Smart princess liens, adjustable halter. Misses' sizes 12-20. Size 16 takes 5 1/8 yards 35-inch fabric.

Pre-Opening Day, Opening Day, Whatever....

April 4, 2016. The first Monday in April. Baseball is back. The Void is over. Opening Day. Except it isn't. There were 3 games yesterday. Do we call Sunday Pre-Opening Day or Opening Day Eve? Or is Opening Day now the first Sunday in April? I have embraced Sunday Night Baseball, even the Pre-Opening Day Eve game. But make the season stretching stop!! ALL teams should be in first place on Opening Day.

Today, on the REAL Opening Day, I will watch all the games on tv. I will wear my Joey Votto jersey. I will dream of being at the ball park. I will remember the sun on my face, the taste of frozen lemonade, the 7th inning stretch, the joy of keeping score. I will recall some of my favorite calls: Back, back, back, back...Gone. -Chris Berman; It's deep and I don't think it's playable. -Keith Olberman; Stick a fork in him, he's done. -Leo Durocher. And my favorite: And this one belongs to the Reds. -Marty Brennaman.

During the season, I'll watch Sunday Night Baseball, Wednesday Night Baseball, and Baseball Tonight. I'll miss Jon Miller and Joe Morgan calling the games on Sunday evening. I'll laugh at and with Dallas Braden. I'll anticipate hearing Jessica Mendoza in the booth often. Hear that ESPN? More Jessica Mendoza!! I'll admire double plays and home runs, power pitchers and strike-outs, finesse pitchers hitting the corners, a perfect sacrifice bunt. I'll keep score at the College World Series, hopefully rooting for the Arizona State Sun Devils. I'll watch the Reds at The Great American Ball Park in July. I'll pray to the Baseball Gods that the absolutely stupid idea of bring the DH to the National League is buried. Forever. I'll check box scores and standings. I'll wonder if my Reds will ever make the play-offs again. I'll watch the play-offs and the World Series no matter who plays. Baseball is back and I'm a fan.

"Sure, opening day is baseball's bandwagon. Pundits and politicians and every prose poet on the continent jumps on board for a few days. But they're gone soon, off in search of some other windy event worthy of their attention. Then, once more, all those long, slow months of baseball are left to us. And our time can begin again." -Thomas Boswell (Why Time Begins on Opening Day)

Helpful Hints for Plaids!

Today's sewing tips came in Simplicity 7052, an apron pattern. One of the aprons is shown in a gingham, none in real plaids. Hmmm. I wonder why Helpful Hints for Plaids was chosen for this pattern?

If you are interested in apron patterns, I have this one and more for sale on www.DellaJane.com.

Back to plaids.... Know Your Plaids. There are even and uneven plaids. Seeing the difference easy in a picture.

When working with a plaid fabric, there is one thing to do that makes all the difference!

The next step is to determine where and how to match your plaids

And of course, the last step is to sew the plaids so they match where you want them to!

I hope these tips from Simplicity help with your next plaid project, apron or not!

Dolls and Dwight!

Doll clothes, Dwight Eisenhower, elections and military physicals. What do they have in common? Someone in Corsicana, Texas, used a bit of newspaper to cut out a doll clothes pattern that she wanted to make just a little modification to. The result, tucked into Simplicity 3729, is a bit of history!

Who won those elections? Charles C. Sapp became the mayor of Corsicana for one term. Walter Erwin served as City Commisioner and later as mayor. Albert Fullerton was a Corsicana City Commissioner and has a park named after him (Fullerton-Garrity Park).

In other news: Bill Hill won the "Ugly Man" contest. "Chip" Bohlen was named Ambassador to the Soviet Union by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. No info available on the service of the 16 men who passed the military physical exam.

I'm glad this doll clothes pattern crossed my path so I could find this clipping!

Neckline "How To"

Today's "how to" on finishing necklines comes from Simplicity 1283, a 1955 blouse pattern.

Whether the blouse has a collar or just a facing, this Simplicity "How To" gives valuable info for making your creation look great!

How To Reinforce Kimono Sleeves

I'm going to share the tissue pattern instruction sheets I see in vintage patterns. Simplicity did a How-To-Sew series of patterns. Today, the pattern is Simplicity 5532, a cute 1960's pajama pattern.

Kimono sleeves are easy-peasy compared to set-in sleeves! The down side is that with less structure comes a tendency to rip open. Simplicity came out with some fixes and included them as a tissue paper insert in this pattern. Here's the 4-1-1 on How To Reinforce Kimono Sleeves.

I prefer A and D - both are easy to do and will not show if you use matching thread. B seems a bit complex. And a Zigzag Attachment? Most of us aren't sewing with vintage machines - kudos to those who are! I don't like the use of seam binding shown in C. I think it would result in the edges of the bias tape sticking out and rubbing skin. Which one do you prefer?

McCall's 3922 Dress and Coat Ensemble

I love finding newspaper clippings in vintage patterns. Reading incomplete scraps of stories, then using the information to date the clipping (easy with Google!) can help to establish the publication date an undated pattern. Even better, it is a brief look at history and the events which were news-worthy on a long-past day. This clipping is from September 1958. I know this because the only complete article on the back of the dress clipping was about a man named Leo Turck, who was jailed when he claimed to have killed Serger Rubenstein in 1955. Online copies of various newspapers dated September, 1958 say he was not the killer. Another incomplete article quotes sources that say President Eisenhower will appoint Lieut. General Elwood R. Quesada to head the new Federal Aviation Agency. Quesada was, in fact, the first head of the FAA, which was formed in 1958. There is another incomplete article about Chiang Kai-shik, Chou En-lai and the Formosa situation.

The front of the clipping is a dress - an empire sheath trimmed with French rose lace. I found the clipping inside McCall's 3922 - dated 1956.

The dresses are very similar, even though they are 2 years apart. McCall's was quite fashion forward, right? It is a beautiful dress!

Apron Patterns! They Are The Best!

I love apron patterns! To be honest, I say that about almost every category of pattern. I love costume patterns. I love toy patterns. I love hippie patterns. I love swimwear patterns. I love patterns for toddlers. And the list goes on and on. But apron patterns! They are the best! m

These are just two apron patterns I've found recently. Both were published around 1955.

The black "Mammy" face on Mail Order 534 is a stereotype which was used frequently in the 1950's. Interestingly, the pattern was published with the same face in a "white" shade as well. I've never come across that pattern. It seems rarer, maybe because the women making aprons didn't want a bland white girl face.

Both patterns and more are available for purchase at DellaJane Apron Patterns.

Are Ewoks Cuter Than Pandas?

The great debate: which is cuter, an ewok or a panda?

Pandas are Cute. Very Cute! With a capital C! I traveled to China a couple of years ago and was lucky to see live pandas at China's Taihu Lake Wetland Park. My guide thought I was nuts to watch the Giant Pandas doing nothing. And I took tons of pictures, you can see more on Pandas by Alice on Flickr

Even stuffed pandas are cute. I've never seen a pattern for a stuffed ewok, so the panda wins Round 1.

Costume pandas, maybe not so cute. So un-cute that they have to share a pattern with other animals.

But Ewok costumes! Woo-eee! Again, Very Cute! With a capital C! The Ewok costume rocks!

Round 2 to the ewoks! Tie Game!

Forever My Favorite

We drove east on I-80 one Saturday in late spring of 2001. Exit 54, north to Elk Horn, Iowa. I put down a deposit months ago and we were on our way to choose a puppy! It was a unanimous decision: runt of the litter, small enough to fit on the palm of Al's hand, too young to go home with us. About a month later, Alyssa and I picked her up and she became part of our family.

"Why is she your favorite?" they asked.

• She always does what I tell her.
• She never asks for money.
• She never rolls her eyes at me.

That last sentence always said to their backs as they turned away, rolling their eyes.

"She" is Casey, a Miniature Schnauzer. Named after Sean Casey, who played first base for the Cincinnati Reds.

I don't know if I can express how important Casey was to our family. She was a beautiful dog who didn't know she was a dog. She and I went on long walks along the West Papio Trail. She loved to chase rabbits. I watched her run flat out, low to the ground. Hundreds of times after hundreds of bunnies. She never caught a single one. One time she ran over a baby bunny, frozen in place. Neither one of them knew what to do! She learned to sit when a biker passed us and often sat before being told when she heard the whine of tires before I saw or heard the bike. She didn't like to interact with other dogs when I stopped to talk with other dog walkers. They were dogs, she was people.

In 2010, Casey was diagnosed with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. I was one of those people who judged people who spent lots of money on medical care for their pets. Suddenly, I was one of them. I may have actually said "I don't care what it costs, just fix her". If I didn't say it out loud, I was thinking it. She tore her ACL in 2013 and I carried her up and down stairs for 3 months after her surgery.

She was my faithful companion, happy being with me. She followed me all over the house, always wanting to be in the same room. She was a good traveler, riding in the back seat to Ohio and Arizona many times. My Mom, who didn't like animals in the house, allowed that Casey was ok.

Casey wasn't perfect. She chewed the rungs on every kitchen chair we owned. She chewed through a cardboard box, then through the box and ate half a box of Thin Mints. She got into the trash. Scattered it over the floor. Every. Single. Day. We ended up using a plastic bag in the sink as a garbage can so it would be out of her reach. Friends and family got used to our weird trash location. Casey didn't get yelled at.

The first Saturday in June, Casey had a nosebleed. A trip to the emergency animal clinic. Test after test. I don't care what it costs, just fix her. We went to a specialist to do scans of her head and GI tract. Dr. Miller and I decided that if he found something in her nasal scan, he would not do any further testing. You have to pay up front. I knew it was bad when they gave me a refund for tests not done. Casey had a solid carcinoma in her right sinus cavity. Terminal. No treatment. Weeks to a couple of months. Just take her home and keep her comfortable. You'll know when it is time.

Bullshit. She was supposed to be with us for a few more years. Thirteen years was not enough. I don't know if 20 years would have satisfied me. And "you'll know when it is time". That is bullshit. Pure and simple. I agonized over it. Did a really bad day mean it was time? Did a good day give me too much hope for more time?

In late July, I didn't know if it was time. I knew that both Casey and I were suffering. Alyssa and I took Casey to the vet to say goodbye. I miss you, Casey.

Forever My Favorite

1964 Mail Order Patterns

Last week I bought a small box of old patterns. Most of them were embroidery transfers by Vogart, Superior, Aunt Martha. There were a few very old Butterick, Elite Style and Pictorial Review transfer patterns as well. The fun find was a section of newspaper from the April 19, 1964 edition of the Grit Family Section. Page 14 had ten mail order patterns and an order form (Patterns cost $0.25 each and you could order a Fashion Book or Needlework Album for $0.35.).

Mail Order 8256 used Color Blocking in a "clever play set". Mail Order 8500 was a bonnet and apron combination, ideal for the bazaar table. It is very hard to date mail order patterns. Sometimes the postmark gives a clue, but finding them in print is solid! Not exact, because mail order patterns were often printed for several years after a publication date. According to the Vintage Pattern Wikia , this pattern was also published in 1982 by Grit, a span of almost 20 years!

Two dresses frocks, Mail Order 8247 and 8235. When did the word "frock" fall out of favor? Another illustration was really for two patterns: A Mother & Daughter set, Mail Order 8306 and 8307, for look-alike princess styles.

The bottom of the same page had five more patterns. My hands-down favorite is the "adorable pinafore and bag set", Mail Order 2804H, for Sizes 1-2-3. It makes me wish I had a little girl to sew for! The other patterns: Mail Order 375N, for a gay drawstring crocheted handbag; Mail Order 111H, a beautiful pansy applique quilt; Mail Order 214H, crocheted and embroidered ladies for the young lady of the house; Mail Order 5010N, heart-shaped smocked pillows.

A fun find and great addition to my collection of clippings! What interesting clippings do you have?

Paper Dolls

I loved Betsy McCall paper dolls as a kid. I remember cutting them out of magazine pages. Maybe I didn't see every issue of McCall's or I had to share them with sisters. But they seemed rare and precious. There is something about the task of carefully cutting out a doll. I remember being oh-so-careful when cutting the slits in the stand so Betsy would stand up securely. Cutting out her clothes. Making sure the tabs didn't get cut off, then folding them carefully over so they wouldn't show when the doll was dressed. Playing with them until they were tattered. And waiting eagerly for the next issue!

When I got older, I discovered Tim Tierney and Dover books. OMG. I no longer cut dolls out, I just paged through his books. I love the costumes and the glamor and the history. His American Family Dolls from different eras.

His books of Fashions from Decades are so much fun! Dresses by Schiaparelli, Dior, Adrian, Balmain, Chanel. A red carpet on paper!

Tim Tierney, King of Paper Dolls, died last week. He left a legacy of paper dolls for all ages. Collect the books. Cut them out, play with the dolls. Or not! Maybe, like me you just turn the pages and remember being a kid.

See the Paper Doll Books I have for sale at DellaJane. Have fun and cut carefully!