Tag Archives: vintage linen

Transformed by the light

Posted on 27/09/2010 by

This cloth is now finished, although at present it remains nameless.  It spent a few days resting and then, suddenly, it knew what it wanted: Just a little more stitching here and there and a couple of hand-dyed vintage doilies. The thing … Continue reading →

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Spirit Lace

Posted on 14/09/2010 by

Thank you, Grace, for naming this old silk lace.  Spirit Lace.  That’s exactly what it feels like: insubstantial, transparent, weightless, and yet with a quiet power carrying the experience of many lives. When I hold this cloth up to the … Continue reading →

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Translucence

Posted on 13/09/2010 by

Trans [Latin: 'across']; lucere [Latin: 'to shine']; allowing light to pass through diffusely. Too fragile, though, to keep it like this, so it will live comfortably on a soft layered cloth. The backing is a very old, soft linen, and … Continue reading →

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book cover

Posted on 25/08/2010 by

This is the front cover of one of the little books of lace: layered fabrics and lace over vintage French linen with silk binding and fastening with silk ribbon.  I hope to have these ready for the shop by the end … Continue reading →

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The Hare and the Moon

Posted on 29/07/2010 by

This cloth is now complete, after many hours of hand stitching.  This is made from layers of fabrics, mostly sheers for the sky, on a hand-dyed vintage linen tray cloth, hand quilted and hand embroidered.  The tray cloth has a … Continue reading →

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… and more…

Posted on 28/07/2010 by

Another collar: Crocheted, or tatted – I’m not sure – but very finely worked.  The inner neck circumference is just 11″, so this was for a very small person.And just under a yard of very fine cutwork lace, measuring about … Continue reading →

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… and old lace

Posted on 26/07/2010 by

Luckily, no arsenic.  As far as I know, I have no lace-making ancestors, so there’s no ‘genetic’ reason for my attraction to old lace.  Handling very old textiles – just looking at them, in some cases – elicits a feeling … Continue reading →

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Old

Posted on 21/07/2010 by

Well, I’m not getting much thinking done in my ‘time out’, but I am having a bit of a rest, which is good.  I was fortunate enough to acquire several pieces of antique silk this week, some of it from … Continue reading →

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Balancing

Posted on 09/07/2010 by

Where there is sun, there must also be moon, reflecting light but not heat.  It is too hot here.  I like sunshine, and the sun emerging from behind the clouds really does lift the spirits, but I find heat oppressive.  … Continue reading →

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Boro

Posted on 22/04/2010 by

In between squares, I’ve been working on this little table runner, which I finished this morning: Inspired by the Japanese boro tradition, it’s made from retired and recycled clothing, hand-dyed and overdyed, and all hand stitched.  The memories of the fabrics themselves … Continue reading →

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