I'm Dreaming of a Cold Winter

Another heat wave is on the horizon with temperatures in the 100's once again here in Kansas.  This means that if you don't want to brave the outdoors, keep cool in your air-conditioned home and spend time at the sewing machine preparing for winter with this pattern:

With just 2 main pattern pieces, this will be a quick and easy sew and before you know it, you'll be wearing this coat and keeping watch of the plunging temperatures.

Coat Pattern for Sale

1930's Quilt Pattern Blocks

Among several finished quilt blocks from a farm auction in north-central Kansas, I found newspaper clippings from the 1930's that contained various quilt block patterns.  Here is some information gathered from PickleDish:

The American Midwest has been dubbed the heart of quilting country, and Kansas City is no exception. In 1928,The Kansas City Star newspaper began printing traditional quilt patterns that would become world famous and remain favorites for generations to come.

The patterns were a weekly feature in The Star or sister publications The Weekly Star and The Star Farmer from 1928 until the mid-1930s, then less regularly until 1961. By the time the last one ran, more than 1,000 had been published in the papers, which circulated in seven Midwestern states as well as North Carolina, Kentucky and Texas.

Kansas City Star Quilts

Not only are the quilt patterns interesting to look at, but the advertising and articles that were included in each clipping are captivating, as well.

I especially got a kick out of the article, "A Missouri Farmer Tried for Keeping 'Boarder Cow.'"

I have several more original newspaper clippings to scan and they will all be available on Etsy.  The link is on the right sidebar.  The clippings are a great piece of history.  Framed, the clippings would look great in a sewing or craft room!

Scratch That Last Post!

Well, scratch that last post.  I didn't realize until I relisted two items on eBay, that my 50 free auction insertions had hit my max for this month, so I was only able to relist 2.  Yippee!  I suppose now I can feel free to focus on finally scanning in all of the vintage sewing patterns sitting in a box at my feet.

And I can update the items on this website, too.  Oh, and peruse the auctions out in central Kansas because the weather is supposed to break soon and I'm itching to go shopping!  Our last summer vacation is looming on the horizon, as well, so there is no shortage of activities to partake in.

So keep checking back!  If there's something you are interested in, shoot me an offer!  I'd like to keep emptying out my storage boxes to make room for the Fall/Winter selling season!

Hotsy Totsy

So, what's new at Dancing Bumblebee Cottage?

Well, it's hot.  So hot, in fact, that when I was in Warsaw, Missouri the other day the temperature gauge on my car read 105 degrees.

That's hot.

I'm missing the auction circuit, but heat stroke doesn't look like a fun time, so I'm passing on all the great opportunities to bring new items to the shop.  But don't fear, I still have a good stock and will be listing auctions on eBay this weekend with more the following week, just as soon as I cool down with a tall glass of ice tea.

Keep cool, everyone!  Helen is doing her best:

1950's Era Men's Shirt and Swimming Shorts Original Pattern

Wouldn't your men look dapper this summer sporting the 1950's-era shirt and swim shorts?  If you agree, click on over to my Etsy page and check out this original vintage sewing pattern:

1950's Men's Shirt and Swim Shorts

I think any man would look great in this ensemble while jet skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri like my Dad and husband in these photographs taken last week:

This pattern is appropriate for all eras, just like the lake: