1920's & 1930's Redwork, or Turkey Red Work Part 1

Part 1 ~ Obtaining the images

If you have ever tried to search for quality, vintage & free embroidery images online ~ truly vintage, you know just how difficult it can be!
Ok, so these aren't actual redwork from the 1920's & 30's, because I couldn't find any that suited my taste exactly  ~  these are my own pictures from my collections of vintage catalogs & magazines, that you can copy & adapt for redwork.  In part 2 of this series, I will show you how to do this. (If you do copy these out or share them, pinterest, etc., please link back to me or mention my blog URL ~ I'd appreciate the courtesy.)


Here is how I did it.  First, I went through my catalogs & photographed in macro the images I thought would adapt well & that interested me ~ then I downloaded them to my computer, printed them out, and did the linework from there.  If you want them  in different sizes, just copy & paste the images to your own computer, print them, and take them to a print shop, where they can adjust the image size accordingly.

 In this post, I will show you a few of the images that I copied. (I actually took over 500 pics, so naturally, I won't be posting them all!) ;-D

I just love the innocence & purity of these old drawings! This selection will make an adorable quilt, wall hanging, or even ~ when sized down ~ really cute motifs for little felt cases or ipad covers or the like.  (Which is what I intend to do with them.)

Here is one where the work is almost done for you.  All that is required id a bit more simplifying, and voila! ~ you have your redwork outline pattern.

As to rest of these pics, a little more effort is required.  As you can see, the pics are a bit grainy when taken in such close proximity & macro-ed.  The original size of the pics are less than 1/2" high!

But, who could resist such adorable little works of art, especially when they look so much like my own daughters! 

 

These little black & white baby bonnets were also quite tiny to begin with, but they were almost a whole inch high, so you can see how that improved the quality of the pic.  However, in many cases, the old newsprint they were on was quite dark.  I suppose, however, that coming from original 1927 & 1932 catalogs, they have all survived remarkably well!

In part two of this series, I will show you the line drawings produced from each of these.  Again, I think a redwork quilt done in either the older girls hats or these precious baby bonnet heads would just be the cutest!  Can you see the colors? for the baby bonnets ~ dark brown binding, with baby pink squares, all handwork done in matching dark brown on top of baby pink, with pink satin rosettes in the bottom right hand corner.  Or, to be very vintage, either pink handwork sewn on blue background, or blue handwork sewn on pink background.

And for the older girl heads ~ wouldn't they just be adorable on bright orange, pink, green, yellow, etc, background fabrics, with all handwork done in black?

By the way, I also took several pics from my vintage catalogs of various fabrics available at the time  which show true vintage prints & colors, & I will post this in part three, along with a finished piece of work for an example.

1920's Doll & Children's Clothes ~ Again!

All right, here are a few of the promised outfits.  This is the 1929 Panty Frock.  I used a vintage cotton print fabric with cotton broadcloth contrast, vintage bias, and small pearl shell buttons.

This little apron is the 1927 Slip-On Apron with Pleat Detail.  I am not altogether happy with the total length, and so will alter the pattern again to make it longer.  It is made of vintage pink broadcloth and calico, with vintage blue piping, and pearl shell buttons.

This little 1927 Polly Ann Apron is made of vintage yellow cotton, cotton broadcoth contrast, and vintage bias.  I think I would prefer this to be a little fuller as well. 

 And here is a knitted cap, in vintage sport weight wool, to match her Panty Frock. 

I am working on making the Coat right now, as well as some spat tights with buttons on the sides.
I am also making some new patterns up for some other dresses, coats, bonnets, and such.

Lately I have also been looking into vintage swimsuits.  As my daughters all need some cute modest swimsuits for this summer, I have decided to make up some cute 1940's to 1950's styles for them.  I have been researching them, obtained a few vintage catalogs with pictures, and I think I can reproduce some very cute examples for the girls.  I believe I will make them more of a sunsuit, out of light cotton, lined for modesty, and so that they won't drag unattractively when wet. 

Pictures of those coming soon.

1920's Children's Patterns!

So some people think I might be a bit OCD ~ but really, this is how I deal with long, dark winters and 3 SAD's people in my home.  And I might have a touch of OCD...    ;-d
Regardless, check out what the latest venture has brought about! I decided to pick a special few of these pictures and make patterns for them.  In order to make it easy, I started with patterns that would fit 18" dolls ( Like American Girl, Daisy Kingdom Pansy Doll, etc.) ~ I will graduate these patterns to fit actual children soon.  I think I will put them up on eBay or Etsy, just to once again justify my pasttime.  Wood Genius may naysay, but in the end, hah! ~ these little pursuits do pay for themselves.  But enough of this ~ on to the fun stuff!
And by the way, the line art is my own rendition of the actual item, sooooo, the last picture on here, you can see that uh, faces aren't my strong suit ~ at all. 

This pattern is a little apron with a pleat detail, from 1927.  I do not include the embroidery design with the pattern, for several reasons ~ first, these are doll's clothes, and I have yet to see very many people put the effort into dolls' clothes; second, they look just as cute without the embroidery; and third, maybe I will when I graduate the patterns to kid-size (I probably will),  but for now, I am just too lazy.  (Plus, you can always look up Aunt Martha's or VogueArt on eBay and get some cool old designs that way, and put them wherever and whenever you want.)

Another thought on these patterns, if you are really set on embroidery, get some old doilies or dresser scarves, lay the patterns out so that the embroidery lays where you want it to, and voila! Cute dolly clothes out of nice old fabric, complete with embroidery!

This is a cute little Bubble Romper, with pockets & button tabs, & can be used for both boy or girl dolls.  These are what you see the Little Rascals wearing sometimes.

I love this little Panty Suit, circa 1928!  The original picture says that the collar & cuffs are to be blanket stitched, but bias tape, or picot edging would look just as good.

This little 1927 Dress Coat  and Hat is probably my favorite of all the patterns I made so far.  I love the period detailing and the hat!  I am making this one out of real fur and leather, as well as out of a fine wool chambray and faux fur.  Now I just have to figure out how to make those boots!  (Every 1920's Doll needs a pair of button-up leather spats!)

This pattern is somewhat simple, they used to call slips "white gertrudes" back then ~ I really don't know why ~ but aren't they so cute??

And here is a 1929 Panty Frock ~ it is suitable for both boys and girls ~ oddly enough, little boys wore dresses too, until about age 3 or so!  The original ad for this said it was made out of flannel, which I think will make an interesting look.

And this final apron is so cute, love it, but WOW ~ I hate the way I messed up the face.  How cheesy is it that I left it like that?  Would it help to know that I redid the face 4 times, and that THAT was the final awful end?

 

Next post I will show pics of the finished items. 

A New Obsession: 1920's Children's & Babies Clothing

Oh Dear ~ Wood Genius says I have too many new obsessions..... But noooo ~ Besides, my obsessions are so much cheaper than his! For instance, it will take a LOT of eBaying, internetting, & specialty shopping to equal up to his one SINGLE purchase of an original vintage Morely wood stripper canoe.

Besides again, this is a very cool obsession!

Check it out, I am researching 1920's ( & 30's & 40's, but that would be a different post ~ ;-D ~) children & baby clothes, so that I can make some correct period clothing for my nieces or nephews, or even for those as-yet non-existant grandchildren. And while I am at it, I am also researching vintage aprons, because, well, I just LOVE them! Vintage aprons are like great-grandma's who let you help them make cookies & such, & smell of Sweet Honesty & make homemade soap & grow gardens & kill chickens & all.

Naturally, research takes actual imagery acquisitions... you know, so that proper references can be made, so that I can properly draft the patterns. Well, that's my story & I'm sticking to it!

Besides yet again, think of all the uses I can put these awesome ephemera to once my research has come to an end ~ I can frame them & hang them all over my sewing room walls for instant inspiration! ;-D
So here are some of the images that I have aquired thus far. I will add more as I get them.
The ones I am listing today come from a 1927 - 1928 Herrschner Needlwork Catalog.

I found some fabric at one of our local upholstery shops that I believe will be perfect for one of these little gentleman's pea coats.  It is a fine waled chevron tweed, in gray, brown & a sort of gold-ish undertone, made of what looks like a wool/cotton blend.  The fabric was a bit thinner than I would have cared for, except that it has a sort of light backer on it, as you would expect from upholstery yardage.  Which I think is going to be perfect, because then I won't have to line it for stiffness.  Naturally, I will still make silk liner for the inside of the coat.   

I also found some rather adorable small diamond design jaquard at the same upholstery store, again a very light (as far as upholstery goes, rather perfect for coating) weight, in gold on gold diamonds, with cream mixed in there as well.  I will use this for the little red smocked child's coat shown up in the corner.

  Aren't these old apron patterns just delightful!?  I have drafted several patterns based on the ones shown here, and I am just going to make them out of old percale sheeting.  I happen to have a few old pink 100% cotton percale sheets, which I believe are the correct color, I think I will probably bind them in either a vintage green or a vintage blue bias tape.  I don't know if I will be able to get them embroidered, however. 

I simply love these adorable baby bubbles, and I have a pattern from my "Grandmother's Hope Chest", by Martha Pullen, that I believe will work well for adapting to these sweet 1920's styles!!  I have yet to figure out what type of fabric they are referring to when they say "Indian Head", however.  If anyone knows, please do let me know.  

I also managed to find some batiste & a bit of lovely lawn at a little fabric shop in Bountiful Utah, which I intend to use for making several lace-embellished baby day gowns, complete with the pin-tucking & light embroidery work.  Again, I think some of the patterns in "Grandmother's Hope Chest" can be adapted to these daygown styles.  Just in case, however, I do have a nice vintage (1920's!!) daygown pattern coming from eBay, so I guess we'll see just how the two compare, and whether or not my adjustments give the right look.  I'm mostly worried about the yokes, as they look to have been separate from the rest of the gown, attached with entredeux to the fullness of the gown body.

Check out the awesome knee-length booties on this page (middle upper right hand)!! I believe I shall have to try to make some!  A matching sweater & close-fitting baby cloche shouldn't be too difficult, either.

These aprons in unbleached muslin should be quick & fun!  Quilt backer is cheap, too. 

I love the kimono type sleeves that these little dresses afford, it is an entirely different look from a raglan or  fitted  or gathered cap sleeve.  The pattern from this type of dress is often quite simple, with a front & a back placed on the fold, sleeves & fullness of the skirt all inclusive to the one pattern piece. Sizing can be a bit tricky, however, if you don't have a baby or toddler right handy.