Lacy Confection

After a stressful week of "What can I do to solve your problem?", I decided I needed to do something for myself.  Yes, I know that's selfish but it's amazing what a pick-me-up a little creativity and a lot of lace can do.

My creamy lacy confection of a purse (ok, it's probably big enough to haul a baby in) is the final product.
I have had this ticking stripe forever but it was so pretty I couldn't cut into it.  This was the perfect project.  I think it is a perfect balance for all the lace and the floral lining.







The bottom most layer is a vintage lace fabric.  It reminds me of the lace on my 1990 wedding dress.

The second, most prominent layer is an antique french lace from the lace ruffled drapes that I detailed last week.  I really love that stuff and still can't believe my great fortune.

The top ruffle is a one inch wide Irish lace.

The bag has three inner pockets, one with buttons, and a flap and button to close it.  The lining is the same floral that I used for the lace eReader cover.

The main set of handles is a bamboo set I bought a few years ago.  There is also a set of long straps for when I need to throw it over my shoulder.  Both handles can nest inside the bag when I don't need them.
It is 13" tall, 15" wide, and 5" deep.  It holds my current crazy quilting block and various other things that we women must have.
I am planning to make some smaller purses for my etsy store soon, so keep an eye out.  In the meantime, please visit the store as I am adding vintage and antique lace to the menu.

Lace, Lace, Lace!!

eReader cover for sale on Etsy

Tiny snips of lace...lace doilies...lace tablecloths...lace ruffles...yards and yards of lace.  How could anyone not love lace???  Especially the antique and vintage finds.  I love the warm colors of antique lace:  ecru, eggshell, tan.  I can sit and stare at old lace all day and marvel at the patience that went into it.  Then, of course, you wonder what a snippet was used to embellish.  Was that medallion leftover from a wedding dress?  Did that ruffle once garnish a little girl's pinafore?  The hours, the dreams, the visions!
I have been through many love affairs with lace.  I can recall what was probably polyester lace around the yellow organza lampshade I had as a little girl.  Then there was the lace on my Gunne Sax style Easter dress (I can remember going shopping for that dress because I loved it so much!)  Scrimping and saving to order a white Battenburg lace comforter set after I married.  Then my husband laid a newly cleaned and oiled gun on the comforter.  Yes, we are still married and no, the stain never did come out.  I made a duvet cover with a fabric covered in violets to stuff the comforter into.  I am a generally very patient person.
These days I invest in antique and vintage lace.  As I learn more about it, I find myself being much more finicky than I used to be.  I can't say that I have a favorite type because they all interest me, from the heavier tape varieties to the delicate bobbin lace.   Even the ones that need extra TLC are welcome in my home because it can be a challenge to bring them back to life.  

Lace still attached to the curtain fabric that I had removed for laundering the lace.

Last weekend I helped a friend with an estate sale she was managing.  As I was pricing the linens (smart girl, that Lisa!) I uncovered a set of drapes dripping in lace.  Nine inches deep, and two and a half yards of lace gathered onto a curtain comes out at a bit over nine yards when removed.

Examples of 3 of the lace fragments

Close-up of one lace

Yes, I have 18 yards of vintage lace.  There are about six different vintage laces that were sewn together and attached to these curtains, probably in the late 80s/early 90s.  I remember those decades, and I do not recall this being the "in" thing.  But I am so glad this woman had it done!  I'm still flying high about my find. 

The baby bonnet from the side and back.

At the same time, I found a lace baby bonnet and a gallon size bag of upholstery remnants that will surely find themselves in a crazy quilt.  All of this for helping a friend.  I realize that there will not always be finds like this, but I can't wait to help her again!

As a bonus, there was this piece of lace on a remnant of bed skirt.  It is luxuriously soft and reminds me of the skirt of my wedding dress in 1990, so I am dating it then.  Not old, but a large piece and it will be really nice to work with.

Spool Tassel

What sparks your creativity?  Boredom?  Seeing someone else' creation?  A pile of pretties?  Necessity?  All of the above? 
I have a lot of Stuff.  And I come from a long line of people with a lot of Stuff.  Very creative people, so we have lots of cool Stuff.  Ribbon, fabric, notions, buttons, spools, bobbins, baskets, drawers, lace, silver, pewter, broken jewelry, furniture, pillows, needlepoint, the kitchen sink, etc. 

This bobbin is one of many from my parents and the trims on it are from a tag sale by a local lady who thought she had too much Stuff (gasp!)  The lace runner it sits on is from a friend.  It has spots and such, but will someday be part of something even more beautiful.

I also have very creative friends who have lots of cool Stuff.  Friends and family who like to share their Stuff.  Being the youngest in the family, I get a lot of hand-me-down Stuff.  I also get lots of "so-and-so was getting rid of this, so I brought it to you" Stuff.  

Two of the drawers are from my sewing machine and the other is, you guessed it, Stuff to be used.

So what does a creative person do with Stuff from other creative people?  She creates!  Some things end up on the proverbial cutting room floor, but some things are deemed Cool Creative Stuff.  The latest of the Cool Creative Stuff is this tassel made from a wooden spool (I have lots of those), vintage lace, fabric, and ribbons.  I will be using this one on my favorite embroidery scissors so they are easier to find when I drop them.  It's in my favorite color and has lots of feel-good stuff like velvet ribbon and vintage lace.  It reminds me of a crazy quilt or one of those fancy memory books a lot of people are making now with lace and such. 

I have put several of these tassels on Etsy and will be adding more soon.  They are a nice little indulgence for you or a sweet gift for a friend.  And since they are made from Stuff, you can call them recycled. 

May Crazy Quilt Journal Project Block

I love May.  Besides being my birth month, it's not too hot, not too cold, the flowers are blooming, and the garden has new things to discover every day.
Have you ever found that with a crazy quilt you made?  Whenever I look back at a block, I "discover" something new.
This is my 5th block for the 2013 CQJP:

The little girl is my grandmother, circa 1918. As you can see, I tatted a tiny flower for her and embroidered a duck pull toy.  The frame was pinked with my awesome vintage pinking machine and embroidered in an aesthetic style. 

I also tatted the cross from a pattern in Tatting Collage by Lindsay Rogers.  I had originally planned to put it below the picture, but it was too dark.  The lace that it landed on is from my stash of antiques, as is the flower and leaf surrounded by silk ribbon french knots.  Check my etsy page for an awesome holder for your tatting needles, hand made out of Texas mesquite.

The mixing bowl and rolling pin are my own design.  And yes, I do use a vintage wooden rolling pin with green handles.  I think old things should also have a function.  The mixing bowl reminds me of some of the Pyrex bowls that have been passed down to me.

 

Last but not least, my little tractor.  We do not use John Deere, but love International Harvester.  The design is from an Aunt Martha.  I had to shrink it quite a bit to fit, but it was a lot easier than trying to draw one.

Fourth Block

The fourth block in the CQJP challenge is finished, kind of.  I think it still needs something, but since I'm not sure what quite yet, it will do for now.  Please ignore all of the blue lines and such.  They will come off later.  I've been under the weather (again) and didn't even think about removing the lines before I took the photographs. 

This is my husband's grandfather and aunt.  There is an adult picture of her on the finished crazy quilt.  I tatted the frame using a beautiful variegated green.  The silk ribbon I hand dyed.  I am especially proud of the gold and silver on the scissors and thimble.  They add a nice sparkle in person.  

This is one of those beautiful pieces of lace I got last month and couldn't cut into pieces.  It was kind of boring stuck in the middle of the block, so I picked out some of the motifs with silk ribbon and tatting.  I think it's simple, but still eye catching.  The seam treatment above is the buttonhole herringbone from Sharon Boggon's Pin Tangle.  I really enjoy visiting her site.

Last but not least are my hat and boots (an old Aunt Martha Transfer I had) and a little toy sailboat.  I am trying to include things that invoke "family" in each block.  So we have something religious, something for children, something for Dad, and something for Mama.  

The hat and boots were just outlines, but my son told me they needed to be filled in.  I will do the boots when I get another darker shade of brown in the mail.  I think I've mentioned that I live in the middle of no where.

Bits & Bobs...of Lace

To my shame (and glee!), I spent way too much time and money on lace in the month of March.  Let's blame it on spring fever.  Yes, that sounds like a good excuse.  And honestly, I really didn't spend much money because I love a good deal, and I'm a tad on the cheap side.  This isn't quite all as I've used some and forgot to grab the rest when I took pictures.

As a needle tatter, I love to find tatted lace, although it hurts my heart to know that someone put so much work into something and I paid so little for it.  But then I figure that at least it's going to a good home with someone who appreciates the work.  The yoke is a peachy-pink color.  I will probably remove the straps and use the base as a pillow ruffle someday.  There are also several little medallions and a short length of chain.

This is yards of a wheat motif.  Not sure what I'll do with it, but it is beautiful.  Possibly on the border of a wall hanging?

Which brings us to lots and lots of pretty motifs, collars, cuffs, scraps, etc.  Again, this is not nearly all of it.  Notice the acorn piece on the left.  It's not terribly long, but is very pretty. 

Another favorite is the flower basket.  It is not in the best of shape as some of the net is deteriorating.  I will have to use it on something that will get little use, and use it soon to stabilize it. 
A new friend who is a lace expert has looked at some of this stuff and said I have pieces from as far back as the 1880s-90s.  Apparently I did well.  But instead of quenching my thirst for lace, I've only whetted my appetite.

Drum Roll, Please!

I entered my crazy quilt in the Victoria (Texas) quilt show this last weekend.  It is non-judged show, but does have Viewer's Choice.

And I got first place in the Wall Hanging (smaller quilts) division!!!  I still can't believe it because I never win anything.  It is so gratifying that my fellow quilters appreciate the work that went in to this quilt.  Especially since my heart (and inspiration!) is truly in this labor of love.  I wasn't able to attend the show this year because of commitments here in town with my children and I really missed it.  I have seen a few pictures and the quilts were beautiful.  Hopefully next year I will be able to go.

And here is block #3 for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project. 

The picture is my grandparents, dad, and aunt.  The frame is wool felt with the outer edges pinked with my awesome pinking machine.  The surface work I just made up as I sewed.  I think it looks very sweet.  The laces are all from my stash of vintage stuff, except for the floral motif that is new and tea dyed.

The tricycle I drew on freehand with an air soluble marker.  I think it turned out cute.The green seam to the right still needs some work, though.

 

The lamp is a copy of the antique lamp in my living room that belonged to my husband's grandmother.  

 

Last but not least, the Virgin Mary.  She is framed with gathered gold ribbon.  I was trying to make it look like an ornate, heavy old frame.  I think that worked rather well.  I originally had some silk ribbon embroidery in this spot, but I really didn't like it. 

 

2013 Block One in Progress

I really, really don't like cold weather.  I live in South Texas where the temperature is in the 90s six months of the year.  Three months are in the 80s, two in the 70s, and one in the 60s.  This 40-50 degree weather we've had lately is positively killing me.  I don't know how those of you who have four real seasons deals with it.  I mean, I can see the beauty of having seasons.  Leaves changing colors, the flowers blooming in the spring, etc.  That would be awesome.  But I hate being cold!!! 

And the worst part is not being able to sew.  My studio is housed in a portable building in the backyard.  Since it's not cold 98% of the time, it does not have heat.  I could take out a portable heater, but with all the fabric and stuff it just doesn't seem very safe.  I have one overhead florescent light.  Did you know that those lights will not come on when it's cold??  So when I get home from work after 5 and it's already dusk, I can't see to sew!  Plus it's cold!!!!  For a week I have wanted to put together a crazy block to give me something to embroider as I sit wrapped in blankets on my bed.  It would take my mind off the shivering.  On Saturday I was finally able to sneak out when there was enough daylight to assemble a block.  Go, me!!  I should have made a few, but that was all the time I could spare.

 
While I have the idea for the finished wall hanging in my head, I hadn't thought much about colors and such.  As I slapped the block together, the colors came out.  It will be muted colors and a lot of browns.  I will be embellishing with the same.  The next question is what theme I will use for the patch embroidery.  Suggestions would very welcome at this point.  The middle block will be adapted from Helen Scott's bonnet girls and will be a turn of the century family of five in the parlor.  The crazy blocks will include antique pictures of families and children.  My first inclination is to embroider toy motifs.  Would it seem odd to add things like sewing, cooking, and more manly pursuits?  I think I spend too much time over-thinking things.  And yes, I think about that, too. 

I am including pictures of one of my Christmas gifts.  It's a Craftsman pink 12" tool tote.  I will use it for hauling around my "work-in-progress" from room to room.  I haven't loaded it up yet, but probably will tonight now that I have a block ready for handwork.  It is a very, very pretty shade of pink with lots of pockets that I can lose things in. 
 

Bits and Pieces

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  And if you do not celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a blessed whatever-you-believe-in. 

I would love to say that I spent the last two weeks completing all sorts of beautiful projects, but for the most part I just stressed and vegetated.  Oh, well.  I did clean my studio (a little-I can at least walk in the door again) and I cleaned my "nest" in the bedroom.  That's the area between my side of the bed and the wall where all of the bits and pieces of my latest project(s) land.  Books, scraps, heaps of thread snippets, needles in the carpet, etc. 

I also made these beauties with the embroidery machine:
 

Some designs were from Secrets of Embroidery and some from Urban Threads.  They were all gifts. 

I also made a nifty little needlebook for Kay, my office mate, who is now into hand embroidery. 

It includes 100% wool felt for the needles and 4 pockets for stashing stuff. 
The idea was from Marsha Michler's The Magic of Crazy Quilting, but the execution, size, etc, was my own. 


The Next Chapter

I believe we are at number 18.  This one features my mother-in-law in her wedding portrait.  I tried to make a veil for her, but I just couldn't get it right so I picked out her pearls with french knots and her bouquet with satin roses. 

The paisleys are free hand with variegated thread and a silk ribbon rose.  I love paisleys.  A lot.  More than I probably should.  But they're just so cool and free while still being contained.

This is Noel.  She is my favorite dog (which is saying a lot because I love dogs and have had many, many favorites).  My husband rescued her from the local shelter at Christmas several years ago because I adore bassets.  She never completely fattened up, but she always made me laugh.  Have you ever watched a basset run?  It's more of a rocking motion and is adorable.  Noel died last July and I still miss her.  Anyway, I sort of copied a drawing from the internet and used the water soluble stabilizer trick to embroider her.

I went to an estate sale last week and found a pile of nice fabrics for crazy quilting.  The light blue, purple, and burgundy were all from that sale.  At fifty cents for a couple of yards, I felt that I could finally experiment with burn-out velvet on the burgundy.  It turned out pretty well, until I cut it off when sewing it on the block.  Oh, well.  Only God is perfect. 

I collect hats. I have downsized quite a bit in the last 10 years, but I still have quite an affinity for them. Nano bought my first one, a black velvet that molds to the back of my head and reigns from the late 1800s, at a festival (Tuleta Days) in a neighboring community. I think I was about 12. The embroidered one doesn't look like anything I own, but I thought it looked Victorian. The fuzzy brown stuff is supposed to look like ostrich feathers or some such. Not sure if it does, but it works for me.

My aunt visited this week and brought a large bag full of lace bits and yards.  First I found the little off white loop thing that was the perfect length for the area above the blue butterfly.  I had left the embroidery off that area with the intention of putting in a piece of lace or trim and shazam!  There was the perfect piece.  After I embroidered the hat, I decided a lace parasol would be cute.  Back to the bag where I found this soft polyester that wasn't what I had in mind, but was too pretty to pass up.  It wasn't stiff enough to applique an open parasol, but I think it turned out very nicely.

I am planning to stop at 20 blocks, but I'm still not sure.  I had originally wanted the last two to really be one.  I have an awesome piece of organza with a large peacock machine embroidered onto it that I wanted to mount to the block, but the way it was cut when I bought it is awkward and I don't think it will work just right.  Still thinking about it, though.

#11 Embellishment

I have re-embellished block eleven.  Added embellishment?  Whatever.  Before:

And after:

And after some more:

Honestly, I'm still not in love with the the block.  I added some a velvet ribbon flower and leaves that I had made for my daughter, who didn't like them.  I embroidered leaf details and couched long-haired yarn for the center.  I also wove purple silk ribbon into the green lace.

I put a dyed crocheted flower (no, I didn't make it,  I can't crochet) and couched yarn across the lace on one corner.  That still didn't look right:

So I dyed a vintage doily green and added it behind the flower:



Does anyone have any suggestions for this block?  It is sad, because the lace and satin behind the rose is from my wedding dress.  I've been saving it for 21 years to put on a crazy quilt, and it still doesn't seem right. 
I am currently working on adding to another block that wasn't quite right.