Looking for Lace......

I am in the middle of making corsages for an order to be completed by the end of January.  I decided that I needed to find some of my more precious pieces of lace to dye.  Easier said than done, and thereby hangs a tale!  Looking through my various boxes, hampers and suitcases led me to waffle away an afternoon.  However, sorting through my stash of gorgeous crochet trims, doilleys, traycloths, lace etc etc.. I came across many unexpected treasures that I had forgotten about.  Sorting does have an upside, although there is always that moment when surrounded by all the debris that you wished you have never started!  I knew I had a few pieces of very fragmented exquisite lace and boy were they elusive!  Why is it always the last box you look in?  The upside I suppose is that you organise (try to) while you search hence this very, very smart box of trims....

a little box of beauty

Whilst sorting I came across my degree show pieces which I sorted into a lovely old suitcase given to me by my friend Elaine's mother...

a lovely tattered and battered case

gorgeous interior paper design

I found a beautiful vintage collar which I had temporarily misplaced (along with another dozen things!)  I bought this in The Kasbah (no not in Morocco) a local furniture emporium.  I found this in the bottom of a banana box amongst crochet doilleys and tablecloths.  My heart skipped a beat when I found this little gem and it was purchased along with a few little other pieces and I knew immediately that I would never part with it.  I am thinking of keeping it the natural colour but maybe dip-dyeing it a little darker on the edges to give it a more time worn appearance.  Apologies for the quality of the images, the light is so poor at the moment.

Betty volunteered to wear the collar

I think I will just make some simple ties to fasten the collar

my favourite detail - the little circles

Better get back to the dye pot, my lovely treasured fragments are soaking.....  until next time Jayne x

Betty's Brassiere and Bloomers and the colour purple.

Sometimes dyeing goes the way you want it to, and sometimes it doesn't.  My last dye bath was too purple, no matter what colours I added it remained the same.  I had to water the bath down and re-mix colours to get a pink tone to my purple.  I have realised I do not like true colours, I much prefer to make them a little muted by adding a touch of grey or black which just takes the edge off the colours.  Anyway, much dipping, soaking, rinsing and washing in machine, I am happy with the colours of Betty's underwear!  Here is the modestly panel ready for embellishment.....

lovely hand stitching

dyed doilleys, crochet and lace

turning it inside out  to embellish

Betty's brassiere dyed well, I dip dyed the hemline to obtain a deeper shade.  I will turn this inside out to embellish as well to show the pockets where the whalebones were.  I feel they make a lovely feature.

.a tiny print of gypsophila nestles in the top corner

positive and negative transfer printing

        ready to embroider

 

 

linen and crochet gorgeousness!

 

 

Betty's bloomers are very pale at the top and deeper on the broderie anglaise trim

 

 

 

 

 

embroidery enhanced by dyeing

a little wristcuff in the colour purple

Now that all of the garments are dyed it just remains for me to embellish them with gorgeous fragments of crochet, lace, knit and hand-embroidery.  I have decided not to repair any of the frayed edges, seams or stitch to retain the aged hand-rendered quality that I love.  My final photograph of the colour purple is starting to work on the modesty panel.



adding dusky pinks to the mix 

 

 

I have also been trying to spend a little bit of time drawing, it is such a long time since I have put pen to paper and I really do enjoy it.  I had a lovely hellebore flower and tried to do a very quick continuous line drawing, with my left hand, and then with my right hand.

 

 

 

     left hand

 

 

right hand

 

I much prefer the right handed drawing and as I am left-handed it makes me wonder why. Something

to do with not having the control making you more relaxed perhaps.

 

until next time, enjoy Jubilee week weather permiting, Jayne x