Weekend Review: Gifts You Can Sew, circa 1943

Gifts You Can Sew: book no. S-11
Canadian Spool Cotton Company, c1943.
34 p.

Today's feature is a charming booklet I found for .50 cents at my local thrift store recently. I really enjoyed looking through this set of 71 patterns for gift giving, published in 1943, with ideas to make things so that you could follow your generous impulses without being stifled by "a strict exchequer". Seems that things never change in some respects!

The book is broken up into sections; for brides, babies, teens, for the kitchen, the hobbyist, and even the soldier -- this is 1943 after all. There's even a page at the end about wrapping things cheaply but still attractively. 

Here are photos of the project pages for you to enjoy. 

Some of these projects are popular today -- for example, I immediately noticed the string bag below, since I've just seen instructions for a similar one in a brand new craft book just published this month. And I know I've seen the long, one piece oven mitt at craft fairs recently.

I was struck by Project #4 on this page -- it's another item that makes use of scrap stuffing,
rather like the immensely popular Closet Case Patterns Pouf -- if you are knee deep in poufs
by now, try out this "Headrest for Reading in Bed" instead!

Directions for Reading in Bed Headrest - note the "rags for stuffing" suggestion in the materials list. 

These are all super quick projects with brief instructions; and there is a wide variety. This is the kind of booklet I loved to collect when I was a teenager -- I also loved party planning guides from the 30s and 40s. I don't know where I got that from. Do you also enjoy vintage books and crafts?

 Hope you had fun perusing these pages with me. Good luck with your gift making this year!