Sagittarius embroidery (Woman’s Own magazine. 1960s?)
While sitting sewing with the cathedral embroiderers, I heard someone (well into her 8th decade – just to give you context) saying that she got interested in embroidery through women’s magazines and their free transfers for decorating tablecloths, pillowcases and tray cloths. There now, doesn’t the idea of tray cloths sound dated – almost, but not quite, as dated as antimacassars. Which is funny actually because the one thing I have found really useful are my mother’s tray cloths. The road to church is bumpy and full of pot holes and there’s nothing so irritating as the unlovely accompanying rattling of a tray of 20 or so uncushionned mugs. (No plumbing in church; the dirty mugs come back with us.) At first I put a folded tea towel on the base of the tray but then I realised the ideal thing had already been invented so off I went and hunted out the last few of my mother’s tray cloths.
Aires embroidery (design from Woman’s Own magazine 1960s?)
I also employ other of my mother’s favourite bits of table paraphernalia for which we think we have no use today. The silver plated hot water jug is great to have at hand for those who like their coffee a bit weaker than the rest of us and a plain linen damask tablecloth – a bit less shouty that Cath Kidston’s or Emma Bridgewater’s patterned best – looks discreet and elegant in a church setting. The silver plated sugar bowl also comes along too – or I would never otherwise use it. My mother was an intermittent churchgoer with, I suspect, a largely unexamined faith but I know she would enjoy the fact that I use for church what was once her best.
Zodiac embroideries (from Woman’s Own magazine 1960s?)
But, returning to thoughts of what got me going with embroidery, I realise that for me too, the original inspiration came from women’s magazines. My mother had a regular order for Woman’s Own which I enjoyed reading. (though “TV’s Linda drinking too much booze” – one of current issue’s headlines on the front cover would have had her cancelling her order right there and then – but then on the surface they were gentler times.) These embroidered signs of the zodiac in particular caught my eye being very much of the moment – in colour and design they were definitely a step up from daisies on a tablecloth. I wanted to embroider them all. As it was I just did 4 – 2 of which I gave away. Sagittarius and Aires you see here. I now only have the pictures for 9, although I can visualise Pisces the fish and Aquarius the water carrier. (Love the lion.)
Zodiac embroideries (from Woman’sOwn magazine, 1960s?)
I never got round to framing them or putting them on display because, although I am quite happy to have fun dipping into the occasional well written astrological prediction, astrology isn’t really my thing – or the thing of many other people it seems. Plenty of people would love their own monogram but nobody has got excited about their own embroidered astrological sign. Which is a bit of a shame in the case of these Woman’s Own embroideries which are well designed (would love to know who did them), charming, bright and cheerful and positively sing out their origin in the 1960s. Finding them calls to mind Hornsea pottery, Mary Quant daisy dresses and bottles of nail polish, Aqua Manda perfume (available again but not I think in that lovely chunky bottle), Pucci printed silk – Oh I could go on and on…
Sagittarius embroidery: detail (from Woman’s Won magazine 1960s?)
Anyway I just thought you might enjoy this little interlude of non Christmas images and even perhaps have a trip down memory lane to the 1960s … if you’re old enough.
