Lady in Waiting.......

I have been neglectful of my blog over the last few weeks.  My excuse is helping my daughter Emily to prepare for the birth of her baby boy.  He is now overdue so we are all on tenterhooks awaiting his arrival. 

Funny how sorting and organising is contagious, I have been delving into cupboards, drawers, stacking boxes - making a complete mess into the bargain.  I have unearthed some real treasures in the process which I am delighted about.

I found all my College work, spent a little time with a cuppa perusing the pages of my sketchbooks - anyone who knows me, knows I do love a sketchbook, oooh and a mood board, and a concept board which is why I have a lot of them  It was so nice to revisit the process in which I created the work I made at Cleveland College.  Very happy days, it has made me think about starting a new book, it always creates inspiration as a starting point for new work.  It is increasingly hard when you are out of your creative environment to keep the momentum going!

I digress, (well it is called the ramblings of.....) I also found some newer pieces I created which I had not managed to photograph as the light has been so poor of late.  A sunny day spurred me on to take images on my favourite prop the lovely old book.  Here are a few of the pieces, definitely still in my grey phase....

 teeny tiny felt, lace & crochet corsages

 

 

 Slate grey corsage

 

 

 muted tones embellished with vintage tiny button

 

 

 my favourite linen button centre

 

 

 shades of grey, accents of duck-egg blue, crochet, lace, tatting embellished with crochet pansy

 

 

natural merino wool hand-made felt with tiny mother of pearl button centres

 

I am working on some necklaces using vintage crochet and lace, dip dyed and embellished with trims, lace and of course mother of pearl buttons....

 

Until next time....... Jayne x

The story of the battered and tattered tin.......

Just a quick post to tell you about my latest charity shop purchase.  I do love it when you buy something that you feel is a little special.  I spotted said item on the floor in a corner of my local Age U.K. shop and commented to Maggie, the Manager what a lovely tin it was.....

maybe a cake tin in a former life?

 

Thinking of how many 'props' as I like to call them I already own, I was hesitating when Maggie said it was a button tin!  Well, as you know I do love a button - especially on a card, or an old linen or mother-of-pearl one.  So what is a girl to do when faced with such a dilema?

 

take a peek inside of course!

 

 

oooh looking interesting!!!!

 

 

a box within a tin - short whites no less!!!

 



a selection of caramel, cream and chestnut vintage buttons

 

 

a tin full of possibilities.....

 

I fell in love with the tin, the contents were an added bonus, so yes, it came home with me and what else do you do on a winter's Saturday night, yes, you sort your buttons out!  There are a lot of gems and a lot of ordinary buttons but that is part of the fun.  My mother, in her words, 'wouldn't have given the tin house room'.  I told her this afternoon about my buttons and the lovely old tin, she just shook her head!

 

I have been working on painting a little wall cupboard.....

 

gorgeous decorative hinges and ceramic handles

 

 

handy couple of shelves

 

 

preparation done (yes me being a slap dash kinda girl decided to do it properly)

 

first coat of  'Flintstone'

 

a work in progress.......

 

Until next time............. Jayne x



Back to the very beginning.......

I have been neglecting my blog of late.  A nasty flu type virus is my excuse.  I could just about manage to download an image to facebook but composing a post was beyond me.  However, after two weeks I am feeling a bit like my old self again. 

I decided to revisit a technique I learnt in my first year at College.  I do enjoy making felt and adding other elements whilst laying out the fibres.  I have been asked to make some small pictures using the techniques I use in my corsages and wristcuffs.  I have never made a picture before so I created some tiny fragments that I could work into with embroidery and maybe some beading.....

felt, silk fibres and lace

 

an accidental heart!

 

 

and another!

 

 

seems to be a bit of a pattern occurring here!

 

 

close up of fibres and lace

 

 

a teeny tiny fragment

 

 

I have not been out and about and have missed my visits to my local charity shops.  I found these little gems yesterday, in all my favourite colours.....

 

subtle spring shades

 

 

I love an old bobbin of thread with an interesting label

 

 

lovely crochet trims - the dye pot beckons!

 

 

and finally a lovely bag of buttons and old blanket labels - a gift from Gill P - thank you Gill!

 

I hope you all have something interesting and exciting to work on at the moment.......

 

p.s. Emily and I have been decorating this week, she is blooming, tired but well.  Only five weeks to go....  until next time Jayne x

 



 

 

 

 



 

 

 



Done and Dusted!

Sometimes orders take you much longer than anticipated for no particular reason.  On Tuesday I finally posted my completed order and ridiculously could have skipped all the way home.  There was a lot of extra dyeing to be done, so maybe that is how time ran away with me.  Here are a few images taken using my new 'props'....

large cream corsage using vintage lace and crochet

 

 

large black corsage incorporating fabrics and centrepiece from the Victorian bodice

 

 

browns and taupes embellished with a daisy and smoke mother-of-pearl button

 

 

shades of pistachio

 

 

seven shades of grey

 

I am pleased the way my book enhances the corsages, what do you think?  I have been making another corsage for a 50th birthday present and the lady loved it so much she has asked me to make her a one with a matching wristcuff all in shades of reds and corals.  They dye pot beckons.....

 

My next post will be entitled - Back to the very beginning.....

 

Until next time, spring is just around the corner, I saw the first snowdrops in Northumberland at the weekend.  Jayne x



 

 

 

 

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

Sacred Songs and Solos

Last weekend my flea market purchase was a tattered and torn copy of Sacred Songs & Solos by Ira D. Sankey.  It was developed by Ira D. as a resource for his concerts and revival meetings in the late 19th century. This collection is still popular today, with a wide selection of hymns and songs on many different themes.

beautiful time worn cover...

The pages are very loose and many have disintegrated and browned with age.  It is the fragments that drew me to the book.  Many little pencil notes have been made inside the book and on the back inside page a few favourites have been noted.....

tiny pieces of the back page remain

an ideal backdrop for photographs

some of the songs titles made me smile!

 my particular favourite!

I have been visiting the market for a number of years and some of the stall holders' do keep things for me.     I have mentioned Margaret before, she wears a giant purple hat with a huge ostrich feather in it.  She had what she thoughts was a Victorian bodice - again very tattered and disintegrated.......

the front view

the back view

a label sewn inside

The label looks fairly modern so maybe the garment was a reproduction of a Victorian bodice.  I researched the name, the address and came up with no information.  However, the garment is so damaged that I will use all the lace, findings, silk, net and adornments in my work.

I just love it when you manage to find a little treasure or two on your travels don't you? ...............

Until next time......Jayne x

Christmas is going..........

A lovely Christmas day was had in the Hewison household. All the preparations, choosing, making & wrapping gifts, came together to create a day filled with happy memories.  All too soon it was time for
the tree and decorations to come down, and the cards to be recycled.  The festivities are over for another year and were enjoyed by one and all.

There is something so special about a handmade gift and I was lucky enough to receive some lovely treasures from friends.  Gill P made me a felt needle case, embroidered with a lovely sentiment......

a perfect holder for my selection of needles

A lovely set of metal lantern fairy lights were given the Gill W treatment, she hand painted each and everyone black to match my decor.  They will be adorning my wooden twigs in the hall soon.

teeny metalwork baubles

An unexpected gift arrived beautifully wrapped in baroque tissue adorned with satin ribbons, roses and feathers.  It was from the owner of the shop I supply in Harrogate, in appreciation of my work, such a lovely gesture.  I opened the beautiful parcel and inside was this stunning Sophie Digard crochet scarf in shades of grey, duck egg, cream, pink and peach.  It is made from merino wool and is so soft and comfortable to wear.

tiny little crochet cartwheels

I am happy to report that the wrist cuffs I made for the Gill P and Gill W were received with delight so I can now show you images as they are now with their owners.

Gill P's request was for pinks and purples

Gill W's request was for coral, terracotta and sludge greens

I hope you all had a wonderful festive period and wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year.  Until next time......... Jayne x