La Toilette des Enfants

La Toillette des Enfants was a French children's fashion periodical from the early 1900s. Each issue is around 20 pages with a hand tinted fashion plate, a tissue paper pattern for the garment(s) illustrated on the front, and usually a pull out section with more patterns and embroidery designs.

They seem to have been published quarterly from 1902 until 1919ish. I was going to share several issues but my camera battery died before I could get photos of them and my charger is MIA. :( So you only get one. It is from September 1906.

Vintage Inspired Sewing Shopping

I should have put more thought into my blog title. That banner up there should actually read Vintage Inspired Shopping since that is all I seem to do. Last weekend I hit up the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas and as usual it did not disappoint. One half of the convention center is a quilt show, which I would tell you about if I had seen it. I didn't because the other half is an ENORMOUS vendors market which I would tell you about but the video below explains it better than I ever could.

I don't quilt. I don't want to quilt. I wouldn't even quilt if you paid me. Well, maybe if you paid me. So why in the cat-hair was I at the International Quilt Festival? I've got two words- Old. Stuff. I'd guesstimate that 75% of the vendors are quilt shops, 15% beads and random junk, and the other 10% are antique stores that cater to the sewing/quilting crowd (e.g. ME).

This is the majority of my purchases. I saw a lot more I wanted but nobody wanted to give me anything. They all wanted money in return. People can be so petty. 

1920's Stamped Embroidery Kit (obviously I can't think of a catchy title.)

Long time no post. No anything really. I haven't touched a needle and thread in ages mainly because it's FOOTBALL SEASON! I stay fairly busy Monday thru Friday and football season means my Saturdays are devoted solely to going to games and screaming my guts out. But I can always make a little time to hit up estate sales and peruse ebay. So, since empty blogs are sad, I'm going to share one of my latest finds. :)

I've been collecting stamped embroidery packages from the 1920-30s for several years now. I have kits for everything from toys, to dresses, to curtains, and throw pillows. I just love them! They come with the pattern and embroidery design stamped right on the fabric. Most of them come finished to some degree, but I have never found one that was completed and still with its envelope until today.

The fabric is lovely. It reminds me a lot of geiger Swiss batiste. 

The neck is finished with buttonhole scallops and trimmed with a slightly gathered french lace and embroidery. Buttonholes have been worked along the neckline and sleeve so ribbon can be woven through and tied in bows. I love the coral/seafoam color combo. 

The hem is finished with hemstitching and scalloped lace.

These are some of my other antique kits. I'll have to share another one sometime.