Tuesday 11 September 2012

Vintage embroidery put to good use...

Welcome to new followers and kind words.  Still time to enter giveaway if wished.

So  busy with work so why then do I find myself being drawn to doing anything but that which I am supposed to be doing.......

This is an old photo of mine from defunct Flickr account.....  Sorry if it is old hat and you have seen it before .  I made these for a great niece but I find it very difficult to figure patterns out sometimes so the main bit of the embroidery ended up on the underneath bit - I was so cross they went into the 'Drawer of Shame' (said in an echoey voice - keep up...you should know the format by now...).  I have a mind to dig them out and make another pair today - though my great niece is now far too old.


I thought that I had placed the pattern so a nice 'scrolly' bit went over the top.  It is a bit like cutting an angled piece of wood - I have to think really, really hard about it.  I cannot reverse a car into a tight parking spot for the same reason - I cannot for the life of me figure out what the mirror is trying to convey to me!


Back to the drawing board as usual


Oh - I did manage to make a little blanket from vintage embroideries - as she is half Irish I placed a shamrock within it as well as a blue bird of happiness for good fortune all of her life.




I started this little dress the other day because one of my sisters rang to say that my nephew and young family are going to come and stay at the end of September  - just cut a bodice pattern from paper (the back two bits need to overlap for button purposes) and will gather a ruffle of vintage fabricos for the skirt



Should it be lace?


Found that red ric rac - might change the skirt fabric altogether to match the red or might do something completely different - the joy of homemade things!

I am a bit slow on the uptake and only just realised that the lining of the shoes, some patches on the blanket and the skirt of the dress are all made from the same fabric - yet all made over a long'ish time period! I must have been subliminally drawn to it - in reality a pair of large old curtain but soft, soft cotton so nice for small people to wear.

General Pearls of Wisdom when using old embroideries:
1.  I have never chopped up a perfectly decent embroidered tablecloth (my bulging cupboards can bear testament to that...cough... cough....it is has been a while since I counted them...this wretched cough...but I think that there are one or two........................).
2. Endeavour to use originals for intended purpose wherever possible: table runners for tables, antimacassars for anti-grease warfare, embroidered placemats for place settings etc, etc
3.  Consider wisely before launching into a chopping up session - THINK FIRST - can this burn be neatly concealed by discreet overstitching/embroidery, could a light peppering of bootons save the day, would a generous overnight soak get rid of this mark........what would Mother have done?
4. Always think very, very carefully before you snippity snip - there is no going back you know!
5. If your mind is resolved and you are very, very sure then consider reinforcing the reverse first - especially if the underlying fabricos is a little on the delicarto side!
6.  Think backwards from your end 'design' (grand - I have never had one of those in my life but sounds good!) -  how much embroidery can you save and create your 'design' on the basis of maximum embroidery salvage
7.Check again - are you really sure?????????
8. Do not - I repeat - do not - make that first snip and then retract - IT IS TOO LATE NOW!!
9. Commit and go..
10.  Tra la la down the High Street swinging your latest tra la la

Using my flickr photographs I have figured that if I do a post every day I should have cleared the decks IN about three years!  Sorry that that is a bit dull and 'oh not the old stuff again...'

38 comments:

  1. I've said it before and I'll say it again ... I wish I could sew!! The dress is absolutely adorable, how clever you are!

    xx

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    1. You are very kind Claire - it really it not sophisticated sewing and most of it is straight line stuff! Give it a go!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  2. Oh Jenny is there no end to your possibilities, You are the sewing Queen of England!! Love the dress and the booties are so adorable, please set up a shop soon so we can buy your gorgeous creations, Lucey xxx

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    1. Oh Lucey - I am wearing my crown today!! Ha ha. May be one day...need a little more bravery points first!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  3. Never dull Jenny! I have to be very, very sure before I cut into one! Mine aren't the best type but someone still took the time to do them so I respect that. Your makes are gorgeous! Ada :)

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    1. Yes indeed Ada - I have many, many embroideries that are not the finest of stitching but I can identify with that. It is overall effect and the care behind them that I love
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  4. Oh Jenny! what a very lucky little girl... I'm still plucking up courage to make my first snip...

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    1. I have said it before and I will say it again...first cut is the deepest....
      Have a lovely day
      Jenny

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  5. You could never be dull Jenny,love all the piccies. The dress is looking so pretty,love the ric rac finish around the neckline. XXX

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    1. Thank you as always dearie
      Have a sunny day
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  6. that little dress would look lovely with yellow ric rac.

    I love ric rac.


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    1. Do you know I have some yellow ric rac.....somewhere....I may spend some time foraging today!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  7. Oooh! you have just given me an idea for my grand-daughter!
    Julie xxxxxxxxx

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    1. That sounds lovely - I look forward to seeing that
      Have fun
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  8. My daughter is just back at uni and mad about Vintage and learning to use her first sewing machine. I must send her to your lovely blog to be inspired! Jane xx

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    1. All the best for your daughter at uni - I look forward to her visit.
      Many thanks
      Jenny

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  9. What beautiful little booties and dress. Such a lucky little girl!

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    1. I hope that all is well for yourself GardenofDaisies.
      Many thanks for your kind words
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  10. The dress is amazing, especially with that little rick rack trim. And you have made me feel better about the wallet that I made from a pattern in Molly Makes that turned out perfectly, except that it was completely inside out!

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    1. Ah yes that sounds a familiar scenario!!!! Many, many things do not turn out as expected....many things do get shown here....
      I think some Mollie Makes patterns get a bit mixed up in the printing!! Fortunately the little tutorials that were on their blog that I did were sooooo simple (I think!) that they were fool proof!
      All the best
      Jenny

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  11. Hello Jenny:
    We are somewhat ashamed to admit that we cannot even thread a needle so all of this high level stitchery looks incredibly impressive to us. And, all so pretty. The small people in your family must be the best dressed in the town!

    Thank you so much for the comment which you left on our blog and to which we have made reply. We are delighted to have found you and look forward to many happy future exchanges!

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    1. Thank you so much for your visit - your descriptions of travels are most delicious
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  12. Hi Jenny,delightful little booties,I keep looking at my cloths etc and wondering what you would turn them into!!Keep posting the pictures new or old I don't mind as long as I get my daily fix!!Warm Regards on a chilly day!Pam.

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    1. Aww thank you Pam - did you see that you feature in the latest post!!

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  13. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous ... I think you are being a little hard on yourself ... your makes are so lovely as are your posts ... keep them up :) ... Bee xx

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    1. Thank you kindly thelinencloud - never been the most confident person sadly. This blog is my form of ego boosting therapy!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  14. All so very pretty, I love your work so very clever
    Thea x

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    1. Thank you kindly Thea - if it can be made out of fabric then I like to give it a go!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  15. Just found your beautiful,beautiful blog,I am totally inspired,how very pretty are your creations,your pretty bags and purses are fabulous as is all your work ,lovely to have found you
    XX Manda XX

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    1. Welcome indeedy Manda - I hope that this blog will urge you also to make some pretty bits and bobs
      Welcome abroad
      Jenny

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  16. The dress is looking good - I really like the red ric rac with it - really makes the embroidery on the front stand out. I am enjoying reading all your posts and look forward to them all (I do not mind if they are pictures from 10 years ago, your posts are always so interesting!)

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    1. Welcome to you Faye and thank you for your kind words....I have a few thousand photographs...oh dear....
      Many thanks
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  17. Hah! I am exactomundo the same about interpreting patterns and placements and parking cars!!

    Anyway that little dress is bellissimo - very retro, 60's look to it. Just fab.

    As for cutting up embroideries .... well I suppose I am a bit hard and heartless because I tra la la my way through them with a pair of scissors with not too much worry, and if it's a bust just chuck the bits in my scrap basket to be used in something else at another time. Ooh err.....

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    1. Hello wendz
      I am glad that you like the little dress - I was thinking of putting some little cap sleeves in (my mum used to make smocks for us with that type)but perhaps I will rustle up a different one with that style.

      Re: embroideries - my mum would recycle/re-use absolutely everything (wonderful Fair Isle jumpers that she had knitted for use would ruthlessly be unravelled and made into a larger size...gosh)so I try and separate sentiment from practicality but try not cut through embroidery just around it!
      Have a lovely weekend
      Jenny

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  18. I love the little shoes! is it your own pattern??? not that I've got any babies to make for at the moment!

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    1. Many thanks Gill - I have been trying to remember (as these were 'attempted' over a year ago now) - I think I unpicked a little pair of the children's (something that I often do if I like a particular pattern) and made it from that. I had a quick internet search and there are various free bootie patterns available on the internet. Give it a try!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  19. Beautiful dress, I love it with the red ricrac.

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    1. Many thanks indeed - if only I could scale the dress up in size (or scale myself down.....)
      Have a happy gardening weekend
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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