bright gingham joy

While listening to some Christmas music, I decided to sew some pennant, flag, bunting, garland (gosh there are so many things you can call this).

I used happy vintage gingham fabrics in

bright orange, purple and green.

I needed a place to put them until I took pictures so they landed here on my corner cupboard. I think they look pretty happy hanging out with my collection of found vintage kitschy things, so I just photographed them right there.

Some of my favorite found vintage kitschy things are my 45rpm bright yellow vinyl children's record, the box of really old birthday cake candles, the the tin spinning top made by Ohio Art and the children's hankies with bright animal graphics.

EVERY 13 year old girl wishes for flatware, doesn't she?

For those of you that need some

vintage inspiration

for your holiday shopping list-

check out this list of suggestions!

click on any of these pages to enlarge.

infants: silver porringers, pearls for girls (one or more to start a necklace)


6-12 age group girls: thimbles-gold or silver
6-12 age group boys: brushes-clothes, hair, military (military?)

13-17 age group girls: starting pieces of silver flatware
13-17 age group boys: cuff links

18-21 age group girls: china place settings

18-21 age group young men: (why are the boys now young men but the girls are still girls?) cigarette cases, lighters (boy!- that is a sign of the vintage times-political incorrectness!)

women: social stationery, thimbles-gold or silver, holloware-flower bowls, dinner bells

men: scarf pins, ink wells, dressing cases

modern miracle fabrics?

You just never know what you will find! One of my favorite fringe benefits of loving and buying vintage thrifty books is that you sometimes get fun or unusual bits of ephemera tucked in the pages. Things that may have been tucked away long ago for safe keeping and then forgotten. Sometimes they reveal clues to the society and every day life of the past. Here are some examples.




Don't you love this apron clad lady? This says: "This is your personal invitation to dining room elegance and dinner table luxury, with the beautiful FASHION DELUXE DINNER CLOTH... Made of one of the modern "miracle" fabrics--heavy gage vinyl... It won't be long before all your friends want to know where you got your lovely new table cloth..."


This order form is from Summer 1964 for monogrammed handkerchiefs and your free gift for ordering was an "Oriental letter opener encased in a hand painted cherry wood sheath with colorful tassel. Suitable for home or office, as a letter opener, fruit knife or picnic knife."

Wow! That was some multi-purpose letter opener!! Sorry, the offer was good only through Sept. 30, 1964.

At the bottom of the order form it says, "Please send us your zip number to help Uncle Sam."

These might be fun to use in a 21st century altered art or collage project. Although I do not claim to be an expert, I believe it would be ok to use them any way you wish!