Archive for ‘Free Patterns’

November 30, 2012

Free Doll’s House Plan

freedollhouseplanGrimm2012

Plans For Doll’s House

Measurements and Elevations

Note: Use a stiff grade cardboard or bristol board

  1. Look over list of materials, and cut sizes over all for the various parts.
  2. Look at elevation drawings and mark off according to the measurements given there.
  3. Cut same out and fold as shown.
  4. Build foundation, cutting slits as shown.
  5. Fit in the two end walls forming the chimneys and slopes for the roof.
  6. Apply the roof, gluing angles of side walls under the roof.
  7. Put in the front wall, fastening same to end walls by means of corner pilasters.
  8. Put in attic floor. Put in second floor. Glue ends on side walls.
  9. Get two partition parts ready, bending them 5 inches from each end after allowing for the tabs which are to go into the floor, and leaving 5 1/4 inches to go under the above floor. Cut out for doorways as shown.
  10. Insert the tabs in the floors below, bending them under.
  11. Cut out the second floor where shown for stairway, and glue stairway in position.
  12. For Kitchen Annex: Proceed as above.

After this part of house is completed, connect with main building by inserting end tabs, marked X, in A. Fasten tab ends of roof to end walls of main part of house.

Note: After completion, turn to frontispiece as a guide, and decorate exterior walls, doors and windows. (Below is the picture originally given for the decoration of the doll house exterior.)

Dollhousefronticepiece

May 5, 2012

Free Redwork Patterns

I’ve cleaned and redrawn this free redwork pattern of owls for my visitors.

Vintage lady wearing a veil for redwork.

White oaks leaves and acorns for redwork.

More Redwork to Admire:

More Redwork Patterns:

Books About Redwork:

More Free Redwork Embroidery Patterns:

March 21, 2012

Free Simple Sampler

Euskal Museoa / Museo Vasco, Bilbao: Deutsch: ...

Euskal Museoa / Museo Vasco, Bilbao: Deutsch: Stickmuster, 1891 English: Embroidery sampler from 1891 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A (needlework) sampler is a piece of embroidery produced as a demonstration or test of skill in needlework. It often includes the alphabet, figures, motifs, decorative borders and sometimes the name of the person who embroidered it and the date. The word sampler is derived from the Latin ‘exemplum’ – an example.

The oldest surviving samplers were constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries. As there were no pre-printed patterns available for needleworkers, a stitched model was needed. Whenever a needlewoman saw a new and interesting example of a stitching pattern, she would quickly sew a small sample of it onto a piece of cloth – her ‘sampler’. The patterns were sewn randomly onto the fabric as a reference for future use, and the woman would collect extra stitches and patterns throughout her lifetime.

16th Century English samplers were stitched on a narrow band of fabric 6–9 in (150–230 mm) wide. As fabric was very expensive, these samplers were totally covered with stitches. These were known as band samplers and valued highly, often being mentioned in wills and passed down through the generations. These samplers were stitched using a variety of needlework styles, threads, and ornament. Many of them were exceedingly elaborate, incorporating subtly shaded colours, silk and metallic embroidery threads, and using stitches such as Hungarian, Florentine, tent, cross, long-armed cross, two-sided Italian cross, rice, running, Holbein, Algerian eye and buttonhole stitches. The samplers also incorporated small designs of flowers and animals, and geometric designs stitched using as many as 20 different colors of thread.
Cross-stitch alphabet sampler worked by Elizabeth Laidman, 1760.

The first printed pattern book was produced in 1523, but they were not easily obtainable and a sampler was the most common form of reference available to many women.

The earliest dated surviving sampler, housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, was made by Jane Bostocke who included her name and the date 1598 in the inscription. However, the earliest documentary reference to sampler making is recorded in 1502 The household expense accounts of Elizabeth of York record that: ‘the tenth day of July to Thomas Fisshe in reward for bringing of concerve of cherys from London to Windsore … and for an elne of Iynnyn cloth for a sampler for the Quene’.

A border was added to samplers in the 17th century, and by the middle of the 17th century alphabets became common, with religious or moral quotations, while the entire sampler became more methodically organised. By the 18th century, samplers were a complete contrast to the scattered samples sewn earlier on. These samplers were stitched more to demonstrate knowledge than to preserve skill. The stitching of samplers was believed to be a sign of virtue, achievement and industry, and girls were taught the art from a young age. 

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.