Thrifty Acres: Springtime, As Seen In 1975

Hello! Spring always seems to take its time in arriving in my neck of the woods (West Michigan), and that's been even more true this year. But finally, we've seemed to turn the corner and warmer weather will be sticking around. So, let's celebrate spring with this:

The Spring/Summer 1975 issue of Ladies' Home Journal needle&craft, a fun thrift store purchase. Many craft magazines from this era show off projects that look strange to me today, but this magazine didn't have much of those. I didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. :)

This  hand-knit "Long column of a cardigan" would still look good today, I think.

And check out this dapper gentleman:

"Abstract chevrons patterned on sparkling white make this V-neck pullover a sure winner." Nice!

And then there's this stunner:

The accompanying copy explains that the designer "...was challenged by the idea of pulling scraps of yarn together to make a cohesive project. The result: this free-spirited sweater." I'd say that the designer succeeded admirably, though I suppose it helped that she obviously had quite the supply of yarn scraps.

Are you thinking of some new shoes for the warmer weather? Then you ought to look at these:

For our fancy footwear, the top view shows decoupaged roses on the base of the clogs, with embroidered ribbon on the tops. The bottom view features a geometric needlepoint design. All you need, besides the time to make these designs, are "order-by-mail wooden clog soles." I wondered if these soles are still available, so I checked online. I learned that I could indeed, buy this item, but the makers are all overseas. I'd have to pay international shipping, so no fancy footwear for me! Seems like a fun idea though. 

Yes, making that needlepoint design for a pair of shoes would have taken time, but I doubt it would have taken as long as it would have to create this:

The description of the ensemble: "Clever combination of patchwork and crochet makes this blouse and skirt a true work of art....Crocheted pinwheels in DMC cotton are inserted into the fabric after the blouse and skirt are separately sewn." So, first you have to make the patchwork sections, and sew these to the other sections to make the garments. Then you have to crochet the circles, cut away corresponding fabric where the crochet work will go on the skirt and blouse, and lastly, sew the crocheted circles in. Whew! I guess when you were finally done, you did, indeed, have a "true work of art"!

But then again, who am I to talk about time-consuming sewing, when after all I recently showed off a quilt I'd made that looks a lot like this:

Yes, it's another yo-yo quilt! It looks nice, but barely covers the top of the bed. Mine has more of an overhang, and I think it looks better that way. 

In 1975, the US was gearing up for the 1976 Bicentennial, so on offer was an embroidery transfer for embroidering George and Martha Washington. Not sure how close the designer came to capturing their likenesses, but hey, she tried. 

More adventures in embroidery:

A set of colorful alphabet sampler pillows.

A close-up:

Nice work! These pillows were suggested for a child's room, but after doing all that stitching, I don't think I'd want to put these where kids could get at them. 

Embroidery not your thing? Well, then how about:

A stained glass flower necklace? Yes, I said necklace! Forget what I said about not wanting kids around hand-embroidered pillows - I wouldn't trust myself to wear something like this! Probably no less than five minutes around my neck, and I'd accidentally break it somehow. 

Here's another glass project:

And it's fitting for today being Earth Day, since the project features decorative painting on reused glass bottles. Similar glass-painting projects still show up from time to time in 21st craft magazines. 

Sure, those 21st craft magazines are fun to read, but give me some of their vintage cousins too. They can be even more fun to read!