Hope Chest Pillow Case Designs of Grace and Charm

Vogart Transfer Patterns

Aunt Martha's Butterflies For Linens

The day I went to breakfast for my Grandma's birthday (this sounds familiar hugh?), my mom handed me a bag and said, "I thought you might like these."  Ok, thanks.  I did not have a chance to look at anything in the bag until a little later...a few hours later after a Target run and a fabric store run.  I finally arrived home, let the chickens out (chickens don't like being cooped up until 11:15am...oops) and then went back into the house to look at my shopping goodies and what my mom had given me.  She gave me eight embroidery patterns, crochet hooks and a book on how to make an afghan.  Awesome.  I have been wanting to try all of these.  I can crochet some, but I normally prefer to knit.  I inspected the embroidery packages a little more and noticed there were price tags of $0.15 and $0.19.  I called my mom and asked about the patterns.  I guess the patterns were my Grandma's (my mom's mom...the birthday breakfast was for my dad's mom) and she gave them to my mom a long time ago.  I did a little bit of research and found that the Vogart patterns were produced in the 40's and 50's, but I could not find much about Aunt Martha's.  I may have to ask my Grandma about them some day.  I am excited about using the patterns...well, copying them and then using them.  I will keep the main pattern in tact.  Here are some of the patterns with their given titles (I did not make these up):

Beautiful Designs For Towels Or Pillow Cases

Graceful Motifs For Your Best Pillow Cases

A Handsome "Petit Point" Pattern

Vogart Hope Chest Designs

The titles of each package are very prim and proper.  My favorite patterns out of the group are the cat and parrot and the butterflies.  That cat and parrot pattern is a little quirky and would look fun on tea towels.  Did you notice the title "Hope Chest Pillow Case Designs of Grace and Charm?"  I think it is goofy and great at the same time.  

This clock (well, not this exact clock) will be my first embroidery project.  Have you seen the book Sew Liberated by Meg McElwee?  I really have enjoyed looking through this book and there are quite a few projects in the book that I want to make.  One in particular is the "Creatively Passing The Time Wall Clock."  I love the details of the owl, the bird, the flowers, the tree, the leaves...all of it actually.  The moment I saw the picture, I knew that I was going to make this clock.  Now that I have my vintage embroidery patterns, I am definitely going to incorporate the butterflies or the cat and the parrot into the clock pattern.

What about you all?  Do you embroider?  Do you embroider from a pattern or freehand?  Any advice on what I should or should not do?