Vintage crochet patterns

The knot stitch - Clark's ONT Book of Crochet Patterns No.3 1917

Luncheon set doilys from the Clark's ONT Book of Crochet Patterns No.3 1917

The Grape and Leaf Centerpiece featured within Clark's ONT booklet of crochet patterns 1917.

Front cover of the 1917 Filet Crochet with Instructions pattern booklet.

Nightgown yoke detailing from the Royal Society Crochet Book No.8 1916

Advertisement for crochet cottons featured in the Royal Society Crochet Booklet No.8 1916

Butterfly used on yoke pattern taken from A.W.B Lingerie Special 1915

Top - down; Yoke with butterflies, simple yoke with motifs applied to points. Taken from A.W.B Lingerie Special 1915.

In addition to learning how to crochet I really enjoy trying to create my own little collection of vintage patterns. Regardless of age, of style, their ware and tear or even what the patterns are for, merging together a collection is something I love doing. Its a collection that's been cheap to begin and started in the UK through hunting in charity shops or ones passed down to me. In honestly I had somewhat forget about this until finding some at the estate sale - I merely glanced at them, amazed they were vintage, grabbed and then paid for them. It wasn't until we were sitting in the car that their beauty emerged.

The first pattern booklet, the A.W.B Lingerie Special of Yokes, Trimmings and Crochet Hats which perfectly describes itself as providing "wonderful effects never before attempted in crochet" was copyright to 1915. I was more then amazed at something being 97 years old being in such good condition. And the more I looked, the wonder of this new collection grew. From this to the Royal Society Crochet Book No. 8 (1916), Filet Crochet with Instructions Series No.7 to Clark's ONT Book of Crochet Patterns No.3 (both 1917). Although the latter booklet is missing some of it's middle pages, these have become the oldest patterns in my collection. 

While they may have an age to them they have some gorgeous designs, from the intricate, delicate edging to your nightgown, the beautiful butterfly, to providing patterns for lampshades and edgings to table pieces - there really was something for the lady of that era. Whether you crochet or not I hope you can find and admire the beauty in the photographs and designs. I'm already eying up some of the doily patterns to tackle, I think it's about time I reunited myself with the art of doily crocheting.

What we grabbed from the estate sales

Our weekend turned out to be rather lazy - particularly after I somewhat knocked myself out with allergy tablets and pain killers resulting in a very sleepy me for most of Sunday. Add a slight hangover to the mixture and I was a bear with a sore head. When we weren't playing on Guitar Hero [we're addicts] or eating home made rocky road we spent an hour or so hitting some estate sales. Our intentions had originally been to attend an Antique and Vintage show - while I love attending vintage things like this everything in them tends to be overpriced, plus it would have cost us $20 to just get in and it would have been a fair drive from where we live. For me estate sales are much more fun - cheaper and free just to go for a nosey.

I've noticed decent sales close to us come like buses, and this weekend we had two on our doorstep. The first was in a tiny house which was crammed full - from which I managed to grab out a 1960 recipe book [you can never have too many recipes]. Joe found the vintage mirror with the posh lady cameo and what was a very very battered, somewhat rusting vintage powder compact with no puff or sift and I then worked out it was missing it's top. It really had seen better days but me being me I couldn't really leave it there could I?! All this came to a mere $3.75. Bargain!

The second sale was a crafty girls paradise! The spare room was transformed in a craft room [how I long for something like this one day] filled with goodies! From huge stashes of fabric [going for less then $3 each] to embroidery hoops, patterns and crafting essentials it was hard to find somewhere to start. But when I did I stuck gold. Everyone else seemed to be ignoring the patterns on the floor so I had a good hunt and managed to grab four vintage crochet patterns and a cross stitch booklet alongside some crochet yarn and some aida material. What was even better was grabbing this all for 50 cents! Driving back home, flicking through the booklets I saw they were dated between 1915-1917 - total score! The patterns along deserve a post all to themselves so I won't talk about them all here but I can't wait to do some of the patterns.

Additionally, I'll leave you a hint that the compact has been given a new life and a new top - stay tuned to see how I've updated the powder compact!

The one in which we go for another walk

Find a spare couple of hours at the weekend and we're becoming partial to stretching our legs and going for a walk [a longer walk each time]. The last trip was back to Stony Creek one of the closest Metroparks to us. While we didn't catch any glimpses of lots of crazy American wild animals like last time we did catch some photographs of some amazing wild flowers, heard rustling of chipmunks and saw swelling rivers from the last thunderstorm. When it comes to landscape photography I always feel my work is lacking somewhat. I always find it harder to take images of vast vistas in comparison to my micro work so I always end up tinkering endlessly with them in editing programs - yet I can never just find one to stick with. Here we have everything from the lomo to Polaroid plus. Do I use too many? Who knows.

Do you stick to one photo editing style or do you mix and match depending upon the subject matter? Would love to hear!

Six months in America and you learn;

So a whole six months have passed since I landed at Detroit's airport and started a brand spanking new chapter of the Yorkshire lass in the states. I'm not sure about you, but the time has gone so fast. Nevertheless I have loved every second. Yes there have been occasions when I've missed things about the UK, or I've hated the stares you get when you open your mouth and people hear you have an English accent, but life in America is good. So we're six months in and three weeks away from my residency interview. Hopefully here's to another six months and longer.

I thought it would be fitting to compile a quick list of things I'd learnt and experienced, noting links if I've blogged about them. I hope you're loved reading about my move and life over here as much I have writing about them. So here goes;

♥ It always amuses me in a cinema during films the audience will cheer, clap and boo at the screen. The clapping at the end as the credits roll always amuses the English girl in me.
♥  With moving overseas you realise who you're friends really are. YOU guys helped me see that.

♥ Twinkies aren't as nice as people rave about.

♥ Rumbling around on Saturday mornings at estate sales is such a fun thing to do!
♥ I've never come across Newcastle Brown Ale to be as readily available to drink in bars as it is in the USA, which is a shame. The British should embrace the Newcastle Brown far, far more!

♥ America is heaven for vintage powder compact collecting - they are everywhere - although not in estate sales. Or at least not yet.
♥ I've fallen in love with Chicago.

♥ BBC America pretty much sucks - everything is either Gordan Ramsey or Star Trek.

♥ Taking home your leftovers from a restaurant is more then a neat idea, as are free refills on soft drinks.

♥ I really want to visit Canada its so hard when it is literally over the river and I can't visit.
♥  Finding the British section in the stores makes a shopping trip worthwhile.

♥ Some people no matter how hard you try, will never be happy for you.

♥ Detroit gets written off far more then it should.

♥ I will never understand American politics, especially Romney led politics.

♥ Martin Bashir [yes that former BBC and ITV presenter] MSNBC show is the best, British take on American news.

♥ Americans love their crafts, the craft stores are huge and people love to talk about it which inspires me no end.

♥ People who drive in Michigan are INSANE. Getting tail gated or honked at because you're driving at speed and often being undertaken in the turn right lane. Yes NUTTERS!

♥ Canadian geese are taking over. 

♥ Tornado watches are the norm when the weather starts getting warm.

 

And most of all - we did more then good making our long distance relationship work.