Update: Congratulations to Jill Browning – her number came up and she is the winner of a free copy of Cathy’s new book.When I was home in Kentucky recently, I of course rummaged around drawers in the kids’ bedrooms at Mom’s house mining for vintage. How about this? An American Pie needlepoint pillow top that I made — yes, me! — circa 1975, I’d guess. Clearly, I did not care much about needlepoint. Not only is the entire canvas askew, I missed stitches at the top, and never bothered to finish the project. I was a macrame girl, and sewed up a blue streak. How about you? Were you crafty when you were young? How about today?
Leave a comment and on Friday afternoon, I’ll random-pick one to win a copy of Cathy Callahan’s new book, Vintage Craft Workshop: Fresh Takes on Twenty-Four Classic Projects from the ’60s and ’70s
, provided courtesy of publisher Chronicle Books. U.S. residents only.
, provided courtesy of publisher Chronicle Books. U.S. residents only.
Vintage Craft Workshop: An interview with Cathy Callahan — Cathy of California 
Anne Taintor talks to us about her new cocktail book… Plus: Win a copy 
A vintage guest book history – Catherine’s entry 
Become a fan
Yes! I used to make clothes for my Barbies using my mom’s vintage Singer. They always turned out terribly, and I would be so confused why the clothes never fit right. I’m so thankful that I crafted as a kid because that lead me to love it today!
Ah, high school art classes in the early 1970s. There was the ceramic frog, the macrame belt, and the hooked rug. I made a wall hanging for my mom using the rug hooking technique. It was of a cornucopia overflowing with fruits and vegetables. It hung on our dining room wall for years, a fact that made me feel like a real artist — until my mom said she always wondered why I had put a clown face in the middle of the fruit basket. For all those years, she thought a couple of grapes were eyes, an apple was a big red nose, and a banana was a smiling mouth. I never had seen the clown face before, but after her comment, that was all I could see! After I became an adult and had a house, she gave me the wall hanging, and I felt embarrassed about it and took it to Goodwill. I hope someone hung it on the wall and enjoyed it. Nowadays, it seems that I decorate with the materials for craft projects, since I never actually get around to doing the projects. Nothing is more pleasing to look at than a jar of buttons or a few brand-new spools of thread.
NO! Say it ain’t so, you gave away your high school hooked rug? I have a story, too. I made one. It was my pride and joy and took first place or something like that in the high school art contest my senior year. It was, like, an abstract landscape. Horizontal waves of color representing mountains, a sky and a sun. Part one of the story is that it got stolen out of the high school art exhibition. Turned out it was one of my best friends. She had a fit of jealousy or something like that. She gave it back. I never held it against her. Teenage craziness, we all had it. Second part of the story is that I always hung it in my apartments after college. But when I was about 27, I got transferred to Canada for my job and I had to put a bunch of stuff in storage. The rug went into storage. 19 months later, when I got transferred again and called for the boxes — they were all missing in action. My rug was lost. So I’m guessing: It’s somewhere dispersed into retro Detroit, Michigan, now. Or, it went to a dumpster. Maybe someday I’ll do a drawing from memory and put out an online APB to see if anyone now has it.
Wow have you unleashed something powerful here!
In the ’60s we did Copper Enamel Ashtrays, Knitting Machine Slippers, 2 Part Epoxy Resin Castings for Lamps and Bookends, Wood Burning, Popscicle Stick and Wooden Matchstick Sculpture, Macrame, Loom Building and Weaving, Mosaic Trivets, Granny Squares, PomPom Animals, Love Bead Necklaces, String Art that looked like Spirograph Drawings, Fabric Covered Coffee Cans into Footstools, Cut Pop Cans into Doll Furniture, Ice Candles (where you pour hot wax over ice in a milk carton so the finished candle has all these pockets), Painted Rocks for Paperweights, Decoupaged Lampshades…
And then there were all the kits! Like the “Flemming Bottle and Jug Cutter” with which you could turn an ordinary beer bottle into a Fancy Goblet! The Spin Art Kit! The Paint By Numbers! The Mattel Thing Maker which made Creepy Crawlies and Incredible Edibles! that wonder that was the small Mattel VacuForm Machine.
Plus the boys were really into creating stuff for the HO scale train layout, and building radio control airplains from scratch…
We had the best garage in the entire world!
WOAH, you have a great list here!! Yes, I wanna see a pic of your old garage!!
What a fun discussion! I loved crafting and sewing as a young girl, in the early 70s. My grandma gave me her 40s sewing machine, and I made clothing for my Barbies and me, pillows, then made beaded Christmas ornaments, paint-by-number pictures, stained glass crafts that you had to bake in the oven, and woodworking. I learned how to crochet (never got the hang of knitting!), and remember also making crafts in Brownies and Girl Scouts…did you spray-paint old TV Guides and make them into paper Christmas trees too? I went to pottery classes and made light-up ceramic Christmas trees. In high school, I remember cutting out cardboard, gluing it into a big cat shape, and pasting on cat pictures…I still have that cat! Recently, I started making scented candles and soap. I also make up gift baskets, and still crochet afghans. Gee, we should all make up crafts and have a trading party! : )
I want to see your cat, Catz!! Send me a Contact and I’ll get you my email and we’ll show it on the blog!
My Mom is a crafting goddess. She tried to teach me crocheting, but my real love was macrame. I remember making several of the huge hanging wine bottle holders. Mom was more inappropriate with some of her crafts. I remember this stuffed male doll she made out of pantyhose as a gag gift. She called it a Willy doll. It had a long beard made out of fur and huge eyes. When you lifted it’s beard it had a big “willy”…..if you know what I mean……lol
Oh, I want to see that one, Jolene!!!!
I wonder if Mom still has one of those dolls…….I’ll ask her, and I’ll also look for an old photo. Funny what you remember from your childhood!
Love crafts! I have done everything from working with Clay to weaving things to sand art, etc. I think it ties in very much with decorating our homes. We often do something crafty as a decor item.
I love to craft. My nana would take me to craft shows all the time when I was younger. We would make wreaths and she would sew a lot. My latest obsession is estate sales and taking the crafting supplies and making wreaths with the sheets and vintage knick knacks. I also love yarn wreaths too. I posted a blog about one of them. I have to update my blog more with the newer things. http://maxibelle.blogspot.com/ I have also picked up a few vintage craft books as well.
Pam, first of all I LOVE your site…you bring back such great memories AND give such wonderful & fun help to those of us that chose the mid-mod lifestyle!!!
I can’t thank you enough for your work!!!!!!
Growing up in the 60′s & 70′s we were surrounded by my Mom’s fantastic cool mod decor & taste. She did all her decorating herself which many times called for super crafting of all types…sewing, ceramics, painting, needlework, cabinets/bookshelves, demolition, etc. She was (& still is at 69 y.o.) a very handy & independent woman!!!
My faves to do were latch-hooking rugs, needlepoint & ceramics. After my parents divorced my Mom used to take us to the local ceramic shop to make all sorts of things for the house & our rooms…remember the “lemon tree” table centerpieces? It was fun to spend time together doing something fun in those dark energy crisis days of the late 70′s!!
I have since started buying some beautiful hooked rugs off eBay to decorate my mid-mod home & supplies too make my own rugs again. Lots of vintage embroidery books there too by BHG for great prices!!
One quick story…Christmas 1973 I was in the 6th grade…my Mom decided since our living room was black Naugahyde, white, chrome & glass that she was going to have the tree match the living room that year!! So she spray painted all the ornaments, flat black, silver, white, pearl, etc. and hung them on a white flocked tree…it was BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I was so proud of what she had done & how cool it was I told all the kids in my classroom about it…
THEY were not as impressed…asked if we were devil worshipers for having a BLACK & white tree??!! I got teased for that one for a few years at Christmas time after that.
Then this past year…I find black trees & ornaments EVERYWHERE!!! My Mom was just a few decades too cool for everyone else (but me!!!).
Welcome, Kim. Your mom sounds like a pip and that 1973 Christmas scene — classique! Welcome!
I love your website, as an interior designer I find great inspiration and amazing retro companies! So thank you!
It sounds like a great book. I’m taking crochet lessons to learn to make those 40′s & 50′s potholders in the shape of dresses, etc. I’d love to do macreme again too.
Can’t wait to get a copy of this book! Our Christmas tree is done completely in handmade ornaments made by at least 5 generations of my family. I prefer the retro crafts because they blend better with the antiques and and retro chic that dominates the house.
I love you site! I came across it about a year ago searching for ideas for my 1940′s house(with an original, fabulous peachy/pink bathroom) and have been a huge fan every since. Thanks for your hard work.
Thank you, Frieda!
I was crafty for sure. Crochet, needlepoint, embroidery of all kinds, especially crewel. I embroidered stuff on almost every pair of blue jeans I owned, usually crosses and religious symbols, as I was going through a hippie Jesus freak thing back then.
I even tried my hand at pottery, but that was a flop.
I stuck with the fiber work, though. I knit today, mostly lace, and have recently taken up crochet again, to make things for my house.