Awesome Vintage Embroidery Pattern Site!

This morning I was browsing Pinterest (which is one of my favorite things to do!) and found a wonderful site for vintage embroidery patterns.  It's a Flickr site called Hoop Love Vintage Transfers and it's loaded with vintage transfer embroidery patterns!  You can find it here.  It's a member site and you need to have a Flickr account but it's easy to join and worth it if embroidery is your thing.

The site is specific to vintage patterns from companies that are no longer in business.  So patterns from Aunt Martha and Vogart are not allowed but there are so many -- over 7,600! -- patterns that are absolutely adorable.  Here is small a sampling: 

You can see where my heart lies with these images, but there are so many patterns to choose from:  floral, folk, alphabets, cross stitch, borders and more!

These patterns are perfect for baby blankets and clothes, bibs and aprons, tea towels, pillowcases and sheets, hankies, tablecloths and hot pads,  just about anything that could use a little handmade love and color!

Check out this site if you want to explore the mother load of vintage embroidery transfer patterns!

1920 Apron Pattern With Filet Crochet Edging

For the crochet lovers out there we have this filet crochet pattern featuring bluebirds.  This is another treasure from the vintage 1920 pattern book that I've been pouring over for the past few days.

This neat little pattern makes a lovely apron, as you can see... and who doesn't need a new apron?  The pattern featured here is for the crochet edging and the beading at the top and very general instructions for the apron construction.  

The instructions:

The pattern:

Just like the patterns in my last post, this design could be used for filet crochet or cross stitch.  The instructions suggest using this design for a crocheted dresser scarf but I could see using it for any number of things.... crochet one bird and use it as a pocket on an up-cycled sweater, or trim hand towels for the guest bathroom.

Or imagine this lovely design at the hem of a beautiful, handmade heirloom Christening gown, or at the yoke of a First Communion dress; they actually look like doves to me.

Whatever you choose to make with this design will be lovely, I'm sure!  

Filet Crochet or Cross Stitch Animal Motifs

Today I have the animal filet crochet or cross stitch patterns that I mentioned previously.  These designs are also from the vintage 1920 pattern book that the last patterns came from.  These little guys were originally designed for a baby coverlet but could be used for anything.  

The instructions from the book say size 50 or 60 thread with a number 12 steel crochet hook.  Each grid gives an approximate finished size as well as how many meshes or squares are involved.

This chicken design would look terrific cross stitched onto a kitchen towel:

This would be so cute in a baby's room!

Imagine this little fellow cross stitched onto a Christmas stocking:

Stork for a baby shower:

A bunny for Easter:

Make this in orange and black for a Halloween candy dish towel:

Another design that speaks kitchen to me:

 Longer motifs for crocheted pillowcase edgings or towels.  They could be cross stitched for simple samplers too for baby's room.

 The book offers these suggestions:  "All the work patterns of the animals are suitable for either filet crochet or cross stitch work and they may be used in many ways to make the nursery a delight to its little owner."

Pony or horse:

Can't forget Fido for the dog lover!

Another bird motif:

This would look lovely in a country cabin:

The natural designs of these images would make perfect handmade Christmas ornaments.  The simplicity of the patterns would make teaching cross stitch to children easy and delightful.

The images used alone or used together, crocheted or cross stitched, these lovely little patterns offer so many possibilities.  Enjoy!

Crocheted Bunny Edging for Baby Linens

I was looking through several of my vintage pattern books today looking for something to share when I found these little treasures in a crochet book dated 1920.  Too cute!  The first two patterns call for size 50 or 60 crochet thread but you can work them in any size you'd like.  These patterns can be used for cross stitch as well.  A nice little cross stitch sampler for a baby's room would be one option.

This is the pattern that initially caught my eye, this bunny crochet pattern for a child's towel.  This would be sweet as a crocheted edging for a crib sheet or made into a cross stitched sampler.  Monotoned cross stitch can be very beautiful.  Here are the instructions as they were originally printed:

You can print out both sides and tape them together for easier reading:

The book illustration of a finished toddler towel:

The little book I took these patterns from has bunches of treasures so stay tuned!

Free Vintage Colored Cross Stitch Pattern

As promised, here are some terrific vintage cross stitch patterns free for your use -- enjoy!  These patterns came from my vintage pattern book collection dated to the 1910s and 1920s.  The beauty of these patterns is that they are, for the most part small, so they can be stitched relatively quickly.  And there is no color chart for embroidery floss, so you can adjust the colors to your personal preference easily to match your decor.

These little cuties would look so pretty on a baby's dress or on a handkerchief corner:

Something for the animal lovers... love the crouching cat in the upper left corner:

The couple at the top of this chart have a sweet, old fashioned look to them that would be perfect on a sampler:

Simple patterns for corner work:

This is just beautiful, a pretty bouquet for a larger project.  And the charts at the top would make a nice edging to tea towels or finger tip towels for the guest bathroom:

 Swags and kewpie dolls awesomeness!:

More simple and easy projects, easy enough for beginning sewers or more experienced stitchers who have gift giving on the horizon:

You might want to blow these up for easier reading.  I have a few more vintage patterns to post in the next day or two for either cross stitch or filet crochet.  Just love these old time favorites -- happy stitching!