Whenever I need something, I go first to Deals Only - because it is likely you will find it there - for about 1/10th the price of new (and you KNOW how I love a bargain). Turkey roasters, brand names, for $19.99, dog dishes for 99 cents, cereal for 1.69 for the small box, 1.99 for the large and if you buy 30 boxes it is 1.50 each, regardless of size (so what did you think that space above the cabinets in the laundry room was for??? Storing cereal of course!!), oh the bargains - I could go on and on.
So I'm there last week and looking in the kitchen section for hooks to attach to the laundry room walls for hanging brooms and mops and such (got them for 1.99 a packet of two) and always on the lookout for flour sack towels, I spy some high up on the peg board. Too high for me - so I grab one of the fishing poles ($9.99 if you are interested) and snag down a package. Three dish towels for $2.99 - Oh I'm in heaven now. They have a lot of packages - maybe 35 or so - so I rush home with my treasure, fling them in the washer and dryer to see if they come out ok - and they did - nice and soft and ready for embroidering. Now I can't wait to get back and get more packages - but I don't have to be in town to pick up Don from his half day of work for another hour. In my mind I see all those packages of dish towels flying out of the store as everyone else discovers my secret - that you can get flour sack dish towels without paying a fortune - out they go - bundles of them - faster than the checkout ladies can keep up - bags full, boxes full - ohhhh they are taking all my dishtowels.
Finally time to leave - I rush down to Deals Only - and there is the pegboard wall - covered with bundles of dish towels - those other ladies don't know what they are missing - they have no idea the fun they could have - the hours of embroidery fun - the joy of drying dishes with a day-of-the-week towel - the thrill of finding such a bargain. So I load up the shopping cart - two packages - four packages - 7 packages - oh well - why not 9 packages of dish towels. The clerk is interested in what I'm going to do with all of them - so I happily tell her - and she says she remembers her grammy having dish towels like that - but she didn't know that anyone still made them. Well I do - and I'm going to have fun fun fun.
Oh - the give-away you say. Well, in my package from Colonial Patterns I found I had ordered TWO of the Day-of-the-Week patterns with Kittens ( Ooops). I know they are cute, but I don't need two packets of them - so one will be the give-away. I'll include some other fun stuff in the give-away - to be announced later - or, to be a surprise for the winner. Maybe some floss, maybe some vintage buttons - we'll just have to see what is around here when I package up the prize.
So how do you win? Let me tell you. Leave a comment on this post about a favorite dishtowel memory, or a favorite dish-drying memory - or any favorite memory about embroidering, who taught you - when you started - you know, that fun stuff we all love to talk about and hear about.
Post a link to this give-away on your blog and let me know and I'llenter your name twice -twice as nice.
If you are looking for embroidery patterns, Colonial Patterns is the best price anywhere. I've seen these transfers on ebay for twice the price, and they aren't even vintage - just patterns like you can get today at Colonial Patterns - so if you can't wait to get started on your project - shop a bit and enjoy saving money too (patterns for the dish towels are about 1.50 a package - can't beat that). And they ship fast too, so you don't have to wait long to get started.
Have fun - and let's hear your favorite memories. - Keep reading!
P.S. - ooops double - I just discovered another pattern that I have duplicates of
Day of the week - Birds of a Feather. 
So let's draw two names and have two prize packages. I'm sure that is fine with all of you - I'll start hunting up some fun things to include in these packages - I can already see and angel from vintage hankies, and maybe a crocheted heart pincushion? Anything else you'd like?
If you post a comment you will be entered for both drawings - unless you state that you don't want to be in a specific one - since you already have that pattern. :-)
This is fun - I love give-aways, and I see that I am at 190 posts - hmmmm, another give-away for 200? We'll see.
31 comments:
Hi Ya'!
What a wonderful give-away!! I do not want to enter as I already have this pattern in my collection of vintage embroidery patterns. Let someone else win them!!
I would like to say how much I enjoyed your post!!
Love,
Marilyn
xxoo
HI, I would love to win either of your prizes. I love to embroider and have been doing more of it this past year. I have no idea where I learned the skill but it had to be when I was quite young. I recently embroidered pillow shams to match a quilt.Please pick my name.
mtower@bellsouth.net
Oh Jo, what a great giveaway! I love those embroidered dish towels. Can't find any sack towels at all in our area. Would love to be included in your giveaway :-)
I started embroidering when I was in High School. I don't think someone really taught me, but I started with the preprinted table runners, and pillowcases. Then I did some of the transfer patterns, and gave embroidered pillowcases for wedding gifts. I have not done much hand work lately, but it was always so fun to do. I love the dish towels and I'm always on the look out for vintage ones.
I ordered my last dish towels from Colonial patterns. Such a nice place to deal with. I was so happy with my towels and embroidered them all.
Nancy Jo
My very first embroidery was a kit my mom bought me of two gingham placemats with daisies on them. They were blue with black floss. I learned the lazy daisy stitch and back stitch with these. I still have them too...the second one is not completed I don't think. It's been like 40 years since I worked on them...I'm a pack rat can't you tell? Gingham is just so flimsy a fabric to use as a placemat...but they would have matched perfectly in my first kitchen...my MIL had blue gingham curtains in our kitchen...I moved in, she moved out....it stayed that style for years until I developed my own taste...hah!
What an incredibly sweet & delightful giveaway!
When I was a child I wasn't allowed to play outside during the extreme heat of the day so my grandmother put an embroidery hoop in my hand. She had me sit outside on the porch of her grocery store (attached to the house) and I was to sit and embroider. Sigh! I embroidered many pillowcases however my fondest memory is stitching two sets of flour sack dishtowels - one set with the days of the week in English and one set with the days of the week in Spanish. I remember still using those dishtowels as an adult in my grandmother's kitchen. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to put a huge smile on my heart as I remember my dear grandmother. ;-)
Doing hand embroidery on pillowcases and other linens always conjur up warm, happy memories for me. In fact I wrote about it on my blog and included a link to your giveaway. Thanks for the memories Jo!
I swear I remember towels with those exact same kitten embroideries on them! Ohhh, it would be so nice to win these...
a very well written post! I felt like I was at the Deals store with you!
My granddaughter turned 10 July 15th. I gave her a sewing basket with embroidery floss and a flour sack towel. Her mom says that she finished the embroidery in 2 days...so I would love to send her some vintage designs! Please enter me in the drawing!
I'll check out the "colonial" place, too!
What I remember is these flour sack dishtowels were the BEST for snapping your brother or father in the butt with. My Dad taught me how, so it was open season in the kitchen.
Don't enter me in the drawing. I won't have time to do any handwork, so let someone else enjoy the adorable patterns.
Cute patterns! I'm having a give-away, too. I'm almost at 200 posts, too. Visit my blog to enter my give-away. Please add my name to yours. Many thansk!
I love to make my kitchen towels but I have never embroidered on them by hand. You found an excellent deal for flour sack towels.
These kitties remind me of the duckies that were on my second embroidery project. I was eleven when my sister was born and I made her a duckie pillowcase for her room. I think my mom still has it.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo.com
Your post was so funny! Since starting to read your blog, whenever I go to goodwill, I look to see if I can find any of those tea towels.
My earliest memories of embroidery are such as what you do with yours. I love them!
I do remember doing the chain stitch for my mother on some of the ones she used to make, but haven't done this type of work in years...such fun.
What a cute blog and story. I do not want to be entered as I don't embroider. love your blog though.
Oh the memories....I've been doing alot of embroidery lately also. I'm hoping at least one of my grands will enjoy it as I do. I should get out some dishtowels for her so we can use them. :)
Oh, I love those designs - guess I'll be following you now since we are making blocks for each other...
What fun...
Just found your blog from joining Linda B black exchange. I too recall those embroidered T towels in my mother and grandmothers kitchen. I remember my grandmother was a stickler about having the correct day hanging from her stove. I miss those olden golden years. My mother taughter me to crochet as well and i am left handed. She taught me using a mirror.
hugs
Susan
woo-hoo! I posted a link to your giveaway on my blog today :-)
I just love your blog. I was sent here by the Happy Cottage Quilter and I'm so glad! I just ordered 10 flour sack dishtowels to do the same thing. I've found some cute vintage-y patterns at patternbee.com. Fun! Those little birdies are just the best, though.
My favorite memory of Mother's dishtowels were the ones she used the Lux soap design on them ... she copied the stitching & created beautiful towels. Even her neighbor friends started using that Lux design when they saw Mother's. TTFN ~Marydon
PS Love the giveaway. Did you visit ours?
Please DO NOT enter me in the drawing. But, oh how I love those dishtowels - a staple in my childhood. I probably love the kittens and puppies but, but also the ladies with their petticoats.
I have bought some at craft fairs but they are spendy. I suppose the ladies do need to be paid for their time
OOooh, you've bitten me with the embroidery bug.
I haven't hand embroidered in many years, but I do so love those old-fashioned designs.
My dear mother taught me to embroider. Mama didn't do much sewing, she had rheumatoid arthritis for as long as I can remember. However, before she was no longer able, she taught me to embroider.
I would love to win your giveaway!! Embroidering again would be wonderful.
Thanks for the opportunity to win.
Hugs
Excellent post! You are so funny! I don't remember embroidered dish towels when I was younger, but I do remember it on my pillowcases. That was pretty special.
Great deal on the dishtowels. My memory of dishtowels goes back to early days of marriage and hubby playfully snapping them at me while drying the dishes.
How cute, please enter me, I need to get back into stitching!
My favorite dishtowel memories is of hand drying my Grandmother's large pyrex bowls when I was a child. She only broke out the big bowls when we made cookies at holiday time. I remember how the towels soaked up the water and would be completely soaked! Hang them up and they were dry in no time, not like the towels I have now that take forever to dry!
What a fun giveaway! Please enter me, I've been looking for good dish towels too~ maybe this is fate? :-)
My maternal grandmother taught me to embroider when I was maybe 8(?). I was busily working on a flour sack towel and when I picked it up to show her, I had stitched it to my pant leg. :-o I was so bummed! Had to snip out all the stitches and start over. :-(
What a great bargain hunter you are. Mrs Gibson was the lady who taught me how to embroider. I was in year 5. She was one of the most kindest ladies ever. Happy days. I will put a link and photo in my side bar about your giveaway. Happy days.
A great give away. stitching is fun. hope I 'm not to late to be in your giveaway. Jofrid
What wonderful memories those towels bring back to me. Almost everyone had them, and how I wanted to make a set. I don't remember when or how I learned to embroider, but I do remember the first thing that I made for someone else. I was 5 years old, and I embroidered a potholder for my grandmother for Christmas. Thanks for bringing back those wonderful times.
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