Vintage Monday - Hot Pads Part 2

Last week on Monday when I showed you my crochet hot pad collection, I decided to save these vintage hot pads that are machine & hand sewn for this week.

I love these because they show how getting creative with just a few scraps of fabric & floss can result in a charming & useful item! It's so fun to see all of the different fabrics and shapes used.
Our grandmas used alot of patterns in magazines and also traded them back and forth as we still do today.

For those of you who have seen my "Grandma's Kitchen " quilt, you remember that I did a block with 4 hot pads in it. For those of you who havn't, click on the link that lists my patterns to the right.


I just love how it was important to these woman to have creativity in thier lives and also have adorable kitchens even down to the hot pads! Back then, hot pads were hung on the wall for decoration as well as being useful. Most of these have hanging loops or rings.

Look at these cute children. Don't you just love the gingham:) They look like they are fresh off the farm! I'm sure that they just finished a long day of helping thier Dad haul hay or herd the sheep, (that's what my brothers & sisters and I did) and now they're all cleaned up with a dime in thier pockets. They're going to walk into town and get some penny candy at the Mercantile.

This tulip is striking to me because of the simple pattern. I like the solid paired with a print as they so often did.

I also like the bias tape that they also used alot for trim. It was readily available in a variety of colors and was a nice way to finish the edges of many kitchen projects (including aprons of course:)

Then the creative maker decided to do handstitching around the edges-cute!

I bought this one because it looks like it maybe could have been a childs project and she begged for scraps from her mother. Yes, I know that I always put a story together in my mind - Is that weird? It could have happened just that way...I'm just sayin:)

This one cracked me up. It also came with alot of questions like;

Was this only for Sunday use or was the makers husband a business man who wore a tie to work every day - if so, would it really be a pink floral one?

Where is the dress for a matching set? (you know me, I think in "couples").

Maybe the man of the house was the cook or liked to BBQ and this was made for him by his loving daughter.

Was he a bachelor and his sister made it for him because she was concerned about him and his kitchen decor? Well, I guess I'll never find out, but I know is that it's cute and I love it.

What a cute and adorable bunny! It's an oven mitt and very cleverly made I must say. Another print and solid pairing and I love the pom-pom eyes.

I'm guessing that it probably doubled as a hand puppet to entertain a fussy baby while "mama" was getting dinner on the table. (No doubt that dinner was a delicious cassorole in a pyrex dish, yellow I think).

Well, if you know me at all, you know why I fell in love with this one. It's red and it's a chicken, there's nothing more to say. I'm crazy about both:)

It's made using some kind of upholstery fabric with a really cool texture. The maker used wool for the comb and beak and then 2 little red buttons for the eyes. Adorable!

I call her "the little red hen" (I know, how original:)

Well, would you just look at these sisters:) The red headed younger sister has said something to disgust her older sister who is rolling her eyes at her much younger and immature little sister.

Well, it doesn't seem to bother Sally,(I decided that's her name) she just continues to annoy.

Can you tell that I've had alot of experience being the younger sis? I have 3 older sisters and that's how I know these things.

This one isn't a hot pad at all. It hangs on the wall and holds them. How nice:) I just couldn't resist the embroidery and the cute floral ruffle along the edge with red bias tape trim.

Can you read the cute saying? It says:

"Pot Holders are Hand Savers" - that's right ladies, keep those hands burn free for quiltin!

This is another one that I picked up that isn't a pot holder. It opens at the top, so it's like a bag. I guess they could have used it to hold napkins or something.

I think the fabric is adorable - again, another print and solid together- I love it. Can you tell I really like the clothing theme? It's like doll clothes in the kitchen.

I really should have pressed it before I took the picture. I know my Mother is shaking her head and saying "tsk,tsk" - and then I'm saying "sorry Mom...I'll do it after I roller skate".

This is a cute little butterfly hot pad that has been well used and well loved. It's pretty small so I think it was made for a child to use in her play kitchen or to help her Mom with the baking. The floral is sweet:)

I love these so much that I am in the process of making some of these along with some other ideas for hot-pads in a pattern.

What do you think? Is that a good idea- or am I the only one out there who find these hot pads charming enough to reproduce?

Should I just make them for me or do you think others would like to make them as well?

Advice would be appreciated.

There are so many repro fabrics to play with, the possibilities for these are endless and I think it would be so fun!

Here is the butterfly hot-pad that I remade. I drew it bigger to fit my hands and used a different fabric on the inside. I also added a hanging loop at the top.

Here's the top view. I didn't have time to throw it in the wash to get it all shrinky and cute because I wanted to get this posted. (maybe I'll do it after I roller skate a bit -haha!)

I'm thinking that my Moms could use some new-old hotpads for Mothers Day.Tell me what you all think:)