Are We Walking to Alaska

Are We Walking to Alaska
Are We Walking to Alaska - A True Story

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Thrift Store - Look At What I Found!!!!!

Last post I told you we had been to a thrift store and that I'd tell you more about it later - then I sat down to look at the wondrous things I had gotten - and I got some wondrous things - a tiny teacup with butterflies on it - and a butterfly handle, lots of crafting things for 49 cents and 99 cents - a pretty milk glass plate - some red candles and glass candle holders.  Even though those are nice things - that is not my prize purchase.

I've been looking for a certain craft magazine for over 5 years now.  In 1969, just before our youngest daughter was born, I was busy making felt christmas decorations.  I had bought a magazine for 1.00 and figured if I was going to pay that much for a magazine I'd better use a lot of the patterns - and so I did.  Over the years the items wore out and were discarded - or they were damaged in a move and had to be tossed.  So I have been looking for that magazine for a long time now - hoping to discover those patterns.



Yesterday in the thrift store I was browsing in the craft section - found a couple craft magazines about plastic canvas - wandered down to the craft book section and just went lightly through them - ran my fingers along the edges of the magazines and pulled this one out.  I didn't even look inside - it was marked 99 cents and I liked the look of the wreath on the front - it seemed familiar.  Later when I got home I settled in with a cup of tea and the magazine - WOW - was I ever surprised.


This is the Twelve Days of Christmas Tree that I had made - way back in 1969.  And it was the main reason I had been searching for this magazine for years, but with no luck.  The tree is 43" tall - and the figures are tiny.

These are the patterns in the magazine - I put the end of the fine point sharpie in there for scale - those pieces are TINY!


And then on through the magazine - I had also made these felt cottages, the top two gingerbread people ornaments and the felt tree.  I would go to a big department store in Wisconsin with two kids in the shopping cart, and buy felt by the yard - for 45 cents a yard.  I bought a lot of felt that year.


This page is in Black and White.  I made several of these mice ornaments - the two top ones and the one in the bottom left.  We still have these and use them on our tree every year - they are 44 years old.  The bottom left mouse is missing one eye - I need to cut another teeny felt on for him - poor Elf Mouse.

I made many of these felt Della Robia Swags 

And I made this felt wreath - I still have the Della Robia Swags - but not the wreath.  The swags looked more like the wreath than like the drawing of the swags in the magazine.



And then there were christmas stocking in felt.  I made these for our family - the Victorian boot for me, the angel for our oldest daughter who had just turned 4.

(I made two versions of the Victorian stocking - red like in the photo, and green)

The train for our year and a half old son and the baby stocking for our youngest daughter, who was born on Dec. 11, 1969.

A friend saw the stockings and wanted to take some to work with her to sell them to her friends.  Ok - I'll make a few extra stockings and a few dollars for spending money - maybe cover the cost of the felt.

She came back day after day - with new orders - these things were really selling.  I made 400.00 that year, selling the stockings for 4.00 each (a higher price than store bought stockings were selling for in 1969).  I had started making the stockings in October and had made and sold all of them before our daughter was born.

This is the patterns for the stockings in the magazine - so not only did I have to cut out all those tiny felt pieces, I first had to enlarge the patterns by drawing them on 1 inch squares.  There were no copy place like Kinkos to make photocopy enlargements and I didn't have graph paper - I drew the squares and on taped together pieces of typing paper to make the patterns.  It was a wonderful year - ending with our youngest daughter being born.

And then today I happened upon this BLOG - about the same magazine - isn't that strange?

Do you think I will re-make that Twelve Days of Christmas?  I'd really like to have one.

21 comments:

Kay said...

What a wonderful story! What are the chances of happening across an old magazine like that again, after so many years -- and finding it in good enough shape to use?!?!! All of those decorations are so very cute - I especially like those little mice. I vote that you make the 12 Days of Christmas again if you feel like it! (Do they even sell felt by the yard anymore? I've only found it in squares at JoAnn Fabrics, though I wasn't looking for anything larger.)

Judy at GoldCountryCottage said...

How great to find the magazine and patterns again, JoAnn. You can whip up another one, I've no doubt. How cute they all are. I wish I could find some patterns of some things I used to make and now can't remember how..Happy Sunday..Judy

GardenOfDaisies said...

Oh how wonderful!!! I LOVE all those old felt decorations from the 60's!!! My house is full of that kind of stuff at Christmas!

Unknown said...

LOVE it!! I remember every single one of those! I remember how bummed I was when you had to throw the 12 Days of Christmas tree away ... maybe we should make it again together! I would LOVE to have one of those for our home now. :)

Unknown said...

I can't believe you found it again. And your work is even better than those pictures <3

Unknown said...

Ok, it says I'm unknown -- but it's me, Lori!

Lorrie said...

What a great find, JoAnne. An amazing find. I loved reading all about the things you made from the book, and how you made and sold so many of the stockings. Wow.

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Oh, what a great thing to find, especially when you have been searching all these years to find it! I love when that happens! I really enjoyed reading about all the different things you made from the magazine and the wonderful memories to go along with them. What sweet little crafts - I can tell you are going to have lots of fun re-making these delightful little treasures once again. And how amazing about the other blog! Hugs xo

Marcia said...

The today me says, "I'd end up sleeping for weeks if I tried to do that tiny work," The eyestrain putting them together would give me a headache, I'm sure. The ornaments not so much. So fun to have found the magazine. You must have been soooo excited! The previous me did the same types of things and we still have our felt stockings. They are actually in wonderful shape and I'm amazed that I did them with kids around. Fun though.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

What a wonderful find! You will have a great time with that, Jo!

Unknown said...

Your post made me smile. What a wonderful thing to find that magazine. Those type of crafts have not time limit on them. I bet you get to work right away on that tree. Hooray for you

Jeanne said...

How precious. The fact that the magazine survived all those years is amazing. You were meant to find it!

J said...

I SO remember McCall's craft magazines and the era of felt Christmas décor! We crafty people were in heaven and didn't mind the tedious enlarging! I made a set of Santa face napkin rings. I individually sewed sequins on to complete the hat and white trim. They took forever but I loved them! I doubt if I'd have taken on the tree though! You were really ambitious! And those stockings! Good for you! I'll bet many of them are still part of family treasure troves!
I'm so glad you found your magazine - and by such a random chance!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

What a find! And the magazine held its value -- a dollar then and a dollar now, LOL! Those little round felt cottages are adorable. The mice too.

Peggy said...

What a great find! So much fun, and memories, ahead for you!

Lynn said...

I had that magazine!! I made a few things but nothing at all like you! an entrepreneur wow!!

eileeninmd said...

What a great find. I love the twelve days of Christmas and the stockings. Very cute! You are the lucky one! Have a happy week!

joanne said...

serendipity at it's finest! Glad you 'found' this magazing, sure brought back memories didn't it. Thank you for sharing, the photos are beautiful and I can just imagine the handiwork it took to create these beauties!

greenthumb said...

Lucky you, fancy finding it all these years late.

Vanessa said...

I LOVE the colorful vintage crafts in those magazines. Great scores!

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

My bet is that you will remake it, yes :) This was so much fun to see! :)