Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Happy Little Vintage Find

This morning I dropped my sewing machine for a service (sob!) and stopped in at my favourite op shop (thrift store), conveniently around the corner.

As I was walking out, this little gem called out to me from the magazine rack, nestled among the craft magazines. Now I totally identify as a thoroughly modern quilter, but I figured for 60c it was worth the look.


Behold, a 1977 Better Homes and Gardens Patchwork & Quilting book. Officially vintage, almost as old as me, back when patchwork was brand new again, long before the invention of rotary cutters and die cutters.

Okay, so the fashions and hairstyles leave a lot to be desired, but some of the quilts are fabulous. If you thought using lots of solids was oh-so-modern, you were wrong. And if you thought bright was a 21st century invention, wrong again. Change up the styling and you'd have trouble telling some of these apart from current 'modern' quilts (though the puffy batting leaves something to be desired).

I was going to take photos of a few of the pages for you, but then I discovered this and I'm not one to reinvent the wheel. I'll wait while you pop over to check out this page.

Are you not loving that orange, pink and yellow curtain? Or that string quilt from solids? Or the applique flowers and butterflies?

But here is my favourite project. Serious love. I so want to make a modern version of this.


Don't you think it would be kind of fabulous? There are a few blocks I'm not so fond of, so I might make a 12 block version. Kristy suggested I make it a reward for finishing projects this year and I think she's on to something, I could make one block for each finish.

You can find your own copy of this little gem at Amazon if you so desire.


5 comments:

  1. Fun find and what a great idea to make a block for each of your finishes!! There is always inspiration everywhere.

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  2. every thing we think is new is not! amazing!!!

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  3. Great find - no wonder it's your favourite op shop!

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  4. Definitely go the reward system! Then you get to start a new project while finishing older ones!

    Some cute patterns - can definitely be tweaked to be more "modern!"

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  5. I have so read that book! It's worth a look even just for the fabric and color choices :)

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