Boutonniere Dishcloth or Dish Mop

This dishcloth would be a good stash buster of thread odds and ends or a color which you don't really like. I have several balls of Aunt Lydia's #10 in "Mexicana" which makes a cheerful dishcloth. The finished item is 4  inches (10 cm)  in diameter.

Ch 10, join to form ring.
Round 1: Chain 4, dc, ch 1 in ring 23 times (24 spokes) join to top of ch 4.
Rounds 2-6: slip st in next space, chain 4, dc in same sp, then dc, ch1, dc, ch1 in each space around. Join to chain 4. You are doubling the amount of stitches on each round.
Round 7: slip st in next space, chain 4, dc, ch 1 in each space around. (No more doubling.)
Round 8 : sc around. fasten off.
Handle or ring for hanging. This was an after thought: I attached the thread to one side of the center ring, made a chain about 4 inches and attached to the opposite side then worked sc back across and finished securely.
One could make more or less of the increase rows and do row 7 more than once. Instead of a final row of single crochet one could make small simple shells. Or omit the last row. It’s hard to mess this up. Just keep going until it’s what you want. Wash dishes with it! It’s not for show, it’s a handy tool.
There is a pattern very similar to what I made here:
http://tweezle.tripod.com/boutonniere_dish_mop.html
I’ve also seen this called the carnation dish cloth, especially when worked in red and white or pinks.

Triangle Thread Dish Cloth

This very easy dish cloth was made with Aunt Lydia's Crochet Cotton #10, color "Passionata".  I used a 2.75 hook,. This is a lovely cheerful variegated thread.  It doesn't make a perfect triangle but twists ever so slighty.  It's quirky and cute. Thread dish cloths really hold up well under use and abuse.
The pattern is from Best Free Crochet.

Crocheted Doily - Tatted Effect

Using only chains, single crochet and picots to crochet a doily which resembles tatting.
This calls for size 50 thread working firmly with a size 12 hook.

Crocheted Pansy Hot Dish Mat

This calls for size 20 threads, an 8 or 9 hook and an 8 inch asbestos mat.  Well, we don't use asbestos mats anymore, but one can use the round cork mats sold in the garden section for use under potted plants. Or, using thick cotton or wool, crochet a circle in coordinating background color. As this is meant to be used on a table, using a synthetic wouldn't be too bad, but synthetics would compress with heat and break down too fast and also conduct heat far more that natural fibers, so wouldn't really be the best choice with a truly hot dish.  Wouldn't this be cute with a traditional pansy teapot?

UPDATE:  RosesNLace  at Ravelry has made this as a lovely doily with slight variations.

"Daisy Interlude" Crochet Scarf / Runner

This has a lot of rustic charm.  From Work Basket, May 1955.

 17 x 42 inches if worked with size 30 thread and #12 hook.  Or use larger thread and make fewer motifs.  For the small motifs, one needs to crochet 186 each of the small squares and daisies, and sixteen of the large motifs. I've never done filet.  I made a few of the small motifs with #30 DMC Cordonnet and a #12 hook, but they won't come out square.  I normally work rather firmly, maybe I just need to do trebles instead.

Click here for instructions in PDF.

A Glistening Pink and Silver Salad ?!

Submitted for your entertainment...
Here is a recipe from The Work Basket magazine, May, 1955.  I remember eating lots of aspic salads when I was a kid, usually a tomato juice mold with lots of vegetables embedded throughout served on an enormous bed of lettuce from the garden. Maybe it was the dollop of mayonaise or the home grown lettuce but I loved them all!  My mother even used to make a small container of aspic for my school lunch. When I looked at this I thought, "might not be bad with some anchovies".  Just goes to show what a person remembers fondly from childhood.... Click on the photo for the very large version.  The other recipes on the scanned page are simple classics. Enjoy!

Mary Frances Sewing Book at Archive.org

A person could purchase the Mary Frances Sewing Book from Lacis or Amazon
Or one could download it from Archive.org !

Lacis also sells a nice 16" doll pattern suitable for all theMary Frances clothing patterns.