Saturday, 3 August 2013

Sunny Days, Making Days...

Last week at the local flea market I came across a few lovely bits of vintage crochet and linens.  A lady was selling lovely little bundles tied up with string.  When I got home I untied them and found a few treasures....

 
hand embroidery
 
 

fragments of crochet trim
 
 

part finished embroidery
 
 

transfer printed linen and exquisite embroidery
 
 
There were several lovely pieces of old linen part embroidered and this led me to ponder on what I could make with them.  I love hand embroidery and always embellish my work myself.  However there was something about these linens that inspired me.  I decided to try and use them to make some new work.
 
A making day was arranged with Gill P for Friday.  We sat in the sun in Gill's lovely back yard amongst pots of geraniums, hanging baskets, lanterns and fairy lights, happily sewing in the sunshine.  A lovely lunch of home made quiche and salad followed by a chunk of chocolate cake. Gill was making a purple frayed fairy.  I decided to cut into my lovely linens and started to layer them on top of each other with hand dyed vintage linen in shades of ochre in between. 

 

cutting and layering - a work in progress
 

 
linen and mother of pearl buttons using matching threads
 
 
layered corsage with hand embroidery and buttons - the finished article!
 
 
I am hoping to make a few more of these vintage style brooches - not a piece of lace in sight.  I will leave you with an image of a cuff I am working on in shades of ochre, again a work in progress...
 
 
 
 
Until next time........ hope the sun is shining where you are. Jayne x