retro – Page 3 – Kitschy Kitschy Coo

Retro A-Maze-Ing Halloween Cat Quilt

Perfect for the crazy cat lady in your life, this quilt is based on the simple designs found in coloring books. (We’ve long advocated using those illustrations for patterns.) From the October 1980 issue of Decorating & Craft Ideas magazine, the supposedly simple instructions are:

Look closely at our cat collection and you will find it really a..maze..ing (a network of fabric pathways that winde around this favorite motif.) This marvelous maze could begin with the selection of large, but simple, cat shapes, from children’s coloring books. Transfer them to fabrics, (reverse them for variety), and enlarge each one 1/4 inch. Working from the center out, and from the background to the foreground, arrange, then applique each shape onto the quilt top. (You might even become lost among all the possibilities.) Be sure to distribute sizes and colors evenly. Add pathways to fill in; embroider the details.

A Puzzling Big John, Little John Flashback

Do you remember watching Big John, Little John — “your favorite Saturday Live TV show” on NBC? The short-lived Saturday morning television show featured Herbert Edelman as John Martin aka Big John, a 40-something science teacher, who drinks from the Fountain Of Youth, resulting in being randomly changed into a his 12-year old “Little John” self (played by Robbie Rist; who also played Cousin Oliver on The Brady Bunch). Since no one can tell when the rejuvenation will begin — or end — hilarity ensues. The series producer was Sherwood Schwartz (writer, creator, & producer of Gilligan’s Island, The Brady Bunch & other classics).

This is one of the few merchandizing items from that 70s TV show, a jigsaw puzzle made by H-G Toys Inc. (puzzle number 440-06), now available for purchase in our Etsy shop.

I personally do not recall this show; if you do, you can reminisce by watching the old episodes on DVD (finally released last October).

Lenticular Jesus

A little video of the vintage religious kitsch piece we have for sale in our booth at Exit 55 Antiques (Fergus Falls, MN). We thought you would enjoy the lenticular action of the 3-D holographic Jesus better this way. (And, yes, that cord you see means this piece has its own lighting — the bulb is beneath that extra layer of ornate golden filigree fame at the top of the picture. Jesus literally lights the way.)

Meet The Parchis

This funky album cover was my first introduction to the Parchis. According to Wikipedia, “the group’s name is a reference to the board game, Parcheesi (translated as Parchís in Spanish), where each player represents a different colored pawn (red, yellow, blue, and green). In the same way, each member of the group dressed in one of these four colors with the fifth member representing the dice.” The vinyl was too badly scratched for me to buy it. Maybe next time.

The Terrifyingly Pastel Kitsch Hell Case

An case of retro kitsch collectibles, including Care Bears, My Little Ponies, figurines, jewelery and bits and bobs in sheer pastel bags, and whatnot at Antiques On Broadway in Fargo, ND.

Thundarr Eats He-Man For Lunch

And Thundarr carries He-Man in a cool blue lunchbox until Thundarr is hungry — because F-U, that’s why.

Nancy Was A Shaun Cassidy Fan

I found this vintage Arrow Scholastic Book Services order form inside one of the retro ’70s books. You’ll notice that Nancy was ordering the Shaun Cassidy Scrapbook. Which proves just how much of a fan she was, because this slip was the bookmark in that very book. Maybe they gave the order slips back when they passed out the books… Maybe not. I prefer to think of Nancy as ordering an extra copy. You know, to keep one clean and drool free. Wherever you are, Nancy, we salute you!

While we’re talking about Shaun Cassidy, note the photos of him with Darth Vader, a Harlem Globe Trotter, and John Wayne which are found inside the book.