It must be a Linen Addiction

Hi, My name is <my name really needs to go here> and I am addicted to linen and lace. Now that wasn't so hard was it? I plan to work on it really...

A couple of months ago I was at a second hand store looking for a wedding gift. I was horribly unsuccessful. I ended up having to buy something off of the registry at Macy's instead. I hate it when I fail at a mission. My problem was I did not have much time.

That said, second hand stores, at least in France, are normally filled with wondrous things. Some things are junk, but hidden in the rafters are treasures. Much to my delight there was a stack of linen sheets waiting for me at the store. "They were just donated on Saturday" the keeper of the room told me clearly in French. It was a delightful stack. Let me show you the ones I came home with if I may.

One of my favorite things to find are butterflies. Here was a set of two pure linen older vintage sheets. The top sheet is large enough for a full/queen bed As with all older sheets, they are very long. So long in fact I could make a matching pillowcase by cutting off the bottom. The initials in raised work embroidery are not mine, but beautiful:

Speaking of raised work embroidery, I do not normally buy cotton, but this one was marked very inexpensive due to damage. The thing is it was not damaged at all. It was poorly ironed making the fagoting along the edges look broken along one of the edges. At first glance I thought it was badly damaged. Pulling it apart at the store, it was clear there was nothing wrong with it. Again, Queen sized. For this sheet both top corners, look like this:

The middle top portion of the sheet looks like this:

The next linen sheet, not as much fun as the last two, but the price was right and it was in beautiful condition

As with all of the sheets, the fagoting is done by hand. Later vintage sheets will have the fagoting but it will be machine made. This one is hand done. 

Most likely it is a purchased  sheet with fagoting already done. The embroidery was added by whom ever bought the sheet. I have found this type of fagoting on sheets still in its original packaging.

The back side of the embroidery is interesting to look at. Just as neat in the back as the front. This picture is of the top of the design.

The last of the sheets is what is called "le point Ombre" in French or "Shadow Work Embroidery" in English. I have always seen it on organdy here in France. when I saw this sheet I knew I had to have it. For my pocketbook it was expensive. "This is the most exquisite example of shadow work embroidery that I have seen in a long time" The keeper of the room told me. There were two of them. the other had some damage so I passed on it. I have to admit it is beautiful. It appears to be a linen or possibly linen/cotton blend. Really hard to tell, but it isn't quite what I would peg as linen and it does not feel 100% cotton at either.

The swirls are shadow work and the enter area looks to be "Filet Sicilien" or Sicilian Embroidery. Here is a close up.

Here is the center of the top of the quilt

The little square in the center looks like "Carres Venise",  or Venise Squares. It was most likely purchased inexpensively at any department store. See this older post for pictures. Sewing them in is just a running stitch around the design at first, then the back is cut away and the motif is satin stitched into place.

Since the washing machine was either new and expensive or it did not exist, those that could afford it sent their sheets to the cleaners to be washed. It is not uncommon to find the cleaning tag and name penned in on a sheet as this sheet has.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoyed my tour of vintage sheets.

This week I am linking up with Shabby Art Boutique for Shabbilicious Friday Link Party!

A Talbot Remake

Last year I saw a beautiful shell in Talbot's catalog. I liked it so much I tore the page out of the catalog and put it in my inspirations folder. On one of my trips to the US late last year, I happened to stop into a Talbot store. There on the shelf was my inspiration, on sale, in my size. I tried it on, it fit beautifully.

I didn't buy it.

Later thinking about my missed purchase, I went to the website and purchased it. 

Why did I have to think about it one might ask? The price was right and shipping was free.

It is fake!

Yes, it is 100% silk, but the lace is a print on the fabric not real lace. That was the whole reason for it being placed in my inspiration folder in the first place! I am a tactile creature of habit. I like my lace to be lace and my silk to be silk. Somehow the two together did not make sense to my brain.

Enter in exhibit A: Really Ugly Fabric. Ok, that was cruel, how about not my color? Fabric purchased in Belgium for almost nothing. Others must have thought it ugly, I mean, not their color too? Most of the bolt was there. Further proof that many of us must have this problem with this fabric. 

I bought it so that I could see what it would do when thrown in a dye vat. Having no idea the fiber content, this was a big gamble. Look at the before and after. Just WOW!

Well that worked, quite nicely actually, now, what to do with it? Not showing real well in the picture is the depth of blue shades. Just stunning!

Even though I now owned the Talbot shell, I still saw it as inspiration for something "real".

I bought a Craftsy class called "Pattern Drafting From Ready-to-Wear" with Steffani Lincecum quite a while back. Normally I wait until something wears out and then I take it apart for its pattern. My new Talbot shell was not going to be taken apart. I was planning to wear it once in a while. So I made a pattern out of the shell using the tips given in the class.

I tweaked the pattern a little to make it more to my liking and then  went off to choose fabrics. 

If you remember this blog, I was given some vintage black lace from a French friend. It turned out to be just the right width and length for this project. (First picture, bottom of the two laces).

Add in the dyed, now not ugly fabric of unknown fiber and a loose linen weave from my stash:

It was time for this inspiration to become real.

When working with lace, there is one thing that happens more than I like to admit. Due to washing and pressing, stretching can occur. In this case one end of the lace was longer  and narrower than the other end. The lace was pressed as much as it could be before application, but they were not exact. Assessing carefully which piece should be placed first, the first side of the lace sewn down and then the grain lines were basted so that the other side could be placed properly. Thank goodness for a glue stick. KK2000 and lots of pins! 

Taming the second lace into place so that it could be sewn was the hardest part of this project. If the lace was crooked the whole shirt would thrown wonky and unwearable.

All was successful, may I present to you my newest shirt, front:

The button came from my stash and the loop had to be sewn by hand as the linen was too loose of a weave to be sewn any other way.

Back:

Notice my lace design goes all the way front and back. the Talbot shirt is a plain black silk back. I thought it needed for the design to follow through all the way

Now, someone mentioned scarf. I have fabric left and a different black lace. I 'll think about it.

This week I am linking up Shabby Art Boutique for Shabbilicious Friday Link Party!

Grande Braderie finds

Every year my town has a Mirabelle fest. 

Mirabelles are little yellow plums with a distinctive flavor. Go here pictures and information about the mirabelle. In typical French fashion, at least typical here, in this part of France, the festival includes many "art" happenings, such as dances or types of art exhibition. Truly art is in the eye of the beholder! A Queen of the festival is crowned at the start of the 2 week long festival, after a vote on the internet of course. (new way of doing things now). 

On Wednesday there was the annual "Grande Braderie". This is a huge outdoor market for mostly things and clothes. It is a bargain hunters paradise if that is what you are searching for. The braderie take over the entire center of town. Blocks and blocks of vendors. As I have lived through this festival setting up right below my window with its people and noise for many years now, I have noticed that many of the stands are the same year in and year out. This year, knowing this, I had a list. 

Two years ago I found an ironing board cover I thought I would try. I love it!  I needed to go back and get a replacement cover for my board, its time. As there were only two fabric cover designs left to choose from, I got a 5 euro discount on the price I paid two years ago.

We have several shops in town that sell fabric for the house decor. The remnants are marked down to a very reasonable price. This year I found three pieces that interested me. The bottom one is linen, the middle one is chintz with the design of a bird in a tree and the top one is an embroidered linen. The bottom one screamed to me and told me to make it a skirt. The chintz I bought so that I could try my hand at broderie purse. I need a car/train/plane project as I am about to finish the hand portion to a project I have been working on. The top one, I just liked the texture and the color. I have no idea what it will become. The woman who sold it to me suggested that I make a small table cloth. I think not, but maybe place-mats. As it is a linen/cotton blend and it is machine embroidered, maybe a tank top for me. It has not spoke to me yet so I will let it sit so it can let me know what it wants me to do with it.

At another stand I go to every year, I found rayon lace. Always a huge bargain by any currency standard so I bought the 4 meters they had of the one I liked. Rayon dyes so beautifully. I can never have enough of it around the house to play with.

I am in a Christmas ornament exchange and if I am to participate this year, I have to come up with an idea and be done with something by the end of October. My December is going to be very busy this year. At one of the stores I found these. 

No idea what I want to do, but these might make a good base for what ever I make. 

At the same stand they had packs of three of small doilies in several sizes in white and ecru. again, no idea what to do with them now, but they are nice to have. 

Yes, I know I am buying things I do not need right now, but I find having a large stash really encourages my creativity.

I am in a Scarf Rut!

Well, in all actuality, I am seriously involved in a cleaning spree and this came out of my cleaning. I have been going through every shelf and drawer in my apartment. I have been sorting, folding, and throwing things out.  In the back recesses of one of the shelves was a metal box. Inside I found a scarf I had started over 2 years ago. In the box were also the threads I had planned to use for making some tassels. Very pretty, whats not to like?

This weekend everything was taken with me on a long weekend trip. I usually get a lot done when the passenger of a car. I am one of those that can read or sew and not get car sick.

The inspiration for this scarf was from Cecil. Cecil is a German company that carries woman's clothing and accessories. Cecil carries some of the most interesting scarves I have ever seen. The one in particular that caught my eye was a light weight cotton with tassels.

As I recall, the light weight cotton fabric had a right and wrong side and was about 72 inches long by 12 inches wide. The way the scarf was modeled in the shop, the scarf was folded over so that it was only 6 inches wide with the fabric right sides together and then the scarf was folded again . The bottom edges of the scarf were finished and tassels hung at the bottom of the edge on the corners and in the middle of the hem at both ends. The cost of the scarf was in the range of 30 Euros ($38)

How hard could this be to make myself? Before it got packed away, the side edges were serged with a lightweight green blend Sulky polylite thread and the bottom edges were hemmed. 

One tassel was sewn on and not liking it (it was rather wimpy), the whole thing got put away in a box on the shelf. Something more fun to sew must have come up, although I do not remember now what that was.

This weekend I had the chance to start the tassels over. Long lost is the picture/drawing of the inspirational scarf.  I no longer had a notion that I was copying the original design. Instead, I now had free range to do as I wished. 

Now that it is finished, I must say it is not bad. 

The new and improved tassels are almost 2" long.

The length or the tassel came from using a needle packet width as the length of the tassel. My love of color really shows on these tassels. In the box were 7 spools of threads, all Sulky. Everything from the polylite 60 wt to solid and Blendable 12 wt thread was used. The spools were chosen from the way they matched the base fabric. To make the tassels substantial enough, but not too substantial, the 7 threads were wrapped around the width of the needle packet 7 times. The tassel was fashioned from there. The solid light green 12 wt thread was used for attaching all of the tassels to the scarf.

Ok, so here is the final result both folded and unfolded:

It is a keeper.

Tracht & Mehr

One thing I love is a good second hand store. I have my favorites and this last weekend I made a trip to my favorite second hand store in Munich Germany. I love the Dirndl look and the lederhosen, but I would never wear it. I mean, really, you need to be an authentic Bavarian with the right Octoberfest party to go to to wear this stuff.

 

Ok, sigh, truth be told, yes I own a Dirndl. Of course I bought it a second hand store years ago in Stuttgart. it cost me then about 50 US dollars (75 D-marks) and it was mute enough that it did not scream dirndl.  I could wear it as evening wear. It is 100% silk in muted green striped skirt with a simple off white silk top and a green silk jacket. I changed out the buttons on the jacket so it was a much less obvious dirndl and it looked great on me. I have not worn it lately, I need to dig it out and find a good event to go to.

This last weekend I was in Munich. I have not been there in years. Every time I am there I head for a shop near the Rathaus that sells vintage Bavarian/Austrian wear. I love the boiled wool jackets and I have my favorite makers. Geiger is my favorite only because it was the maker of my first jacket. I bought it new in Stuttgart 25 years ago. The poor thing is now thread bare. The cuffs are frayed and it is stretched in areas I did not know boiled wool could stretch. I paid a lot for that jacket and when I bought it, I had really shopped around. I wanted something in a solid color with classic lines. I wanted it to last me for years.

My original jacket was very conservative. It was navy blue with straight patch pockets and the same color navy trim  So now looking for a replacement I wanted the solid lines again, but this time I was open to color. At this store I found two used jackets that fit what I was looking for. Good fortune, but only having room in the suitcase for one of them I tried them both on and made a decision. One was green with red trim, the other was blue with green trim. Both looked good on me but not a surprise, I decided on the Geiger jacket. I just like the way it fit a little better. The price was right, just under 40 euros. More room in the suitcase and both would have made the trip back with me.

Now for the old jacket. I am going to have to do something with it. Maybe a purse. Maybe I will toss it in the wash and see what comes out. Maybe a nice hat! I can't just throw it away, not yet anyway. It might be like Blue Willis and become a stuffed animal. We will see.

So here is my new jacket.

I love the buttons on top

and the asymmetrical pockets as well.

 

It is heavy enough to wear in early winter/ late fall or early Spring. I expect this one too will see lots of wear.

If you are ever in Munich, in the market for, or looking for either a boiled wool coat, a Dirndl or Lederhosen, at least from the high quality used wool coat standpoint, for men and women go to  Wies'n Tracht & Mehr the branch, Rosental 5 am Viktualienmarkt has the vintage/used area in the back of the store. They normally have a good selection of jackets to choose from.

Au Louvre Paris

I  was in Paris for a weekend getaway a couple weeks ago and while walking along the Seine in that area, you know the area where all of the books sellers are set up? One of the sellers was selling vintage woman's magazines. I stopped when I saw a copy of "Le Petit Echo de la Broderie", dated Sunday 18 May, 1913. It quickly became mine. You see, on the cover was this purse:

 

I love filet and this project is just beautiful. Had I picked this magazine up in 1913, by mail order, I could have  bought the filet for 3fr 75, everything for the embroidery for 16fr 05 the pretty closure (Irish crochet) for 0fr 85 and the the fringe with the little balls for 2fr 85 a meter.

 

The fact that one could buy hand knotted filet is a good thing since in many old books the actual making of the filet looks a lot like something rather daunting to make. Much better to know it could be purchased and that it was not uncommon to do so. How uncommon I wondered? I hate it when I don't understand something so research was in order.

I have to back up to a purchase I made several years ago in France. On the packet of lace it says it came from the Grands Magasins du Louvre.

Still later I found a second item, a packet of filet from Au Louvre Paris.  Here is the back of the packet which contained 5 squares of filet. Unlike most things, this one is dated 12 August 1909.

 

On the other side tied to the red cardboard square were the filet. One of them is on the cardboard. Size is about 6 inches square. Too small for this project.

  

The two stores, The Grands Magasins du Louvre and Au Louvre Paris, are they somehow connected? At first I thought that these stores were ones that sell interesting replicated things from the museum of the same name, but why then would they be selling lace? Something did not make sense. Doing a little research, I found out that they are one in the same and that they have nothing to do with the museum. You can read about it here. Much explains now why I have never heard of the store. It went out of business in the 1970s.

 

Recently I came across old catalogs from Au Louvre dated 1930/31. How nice it is now to put a name to many of the things I have found here in France. So back to the Filet. Here it is two ways one could buy in the early 1930s.

 

From experience I know I can cut what I need. The little squares are nice though. In my stash I have large cuts of this hand knotted filet. Not too much of the machine made stuff. As soon as I find a matching thread to work it I will be making something similar to the pattern I found in the 1913 magazine so stay tuned.

 

But while I am here, and while I paged through the catalog, I found some other interesting things. First off, I always thought people bought the religious metals in churches. Here however they are clearly for sale in either a silver color or gold. It is not clear that they are really gold or just gold in color. Price seem to indicate it is the same as what was for sale at the cathedrals.

Also interesting to me were the lace medallions I pick up so often at flea markets they are simply called ovals or squares of what ever lace type they take after. Shown are Venise and Cluny.

 

I have many of these in my stash I use from time to time on different projects. There is so much more in this catalog. I would love to find one from an earlier era, the search is on. Such fun to page through and so disappointing that I can't order anything from the catalog.

Parcours D'Artistes

Last weekend our home participated in something called Parcours  D'Artistes. For the weekend our living room and spare bedroom became an art gallery. We have French friends who became artists after they retired from teaching in the French school system. I met them not long after I arrived in France because of our mutual sewing connections.

I won't say it was easy, furniture had to be moved and the place where visitors would be needed to be was made spotless. For the weekend, Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 7pm a total of a little over 350 people and two dogs passed through our home looking at art. Now it is your turn so enjoy the pictures.

Welcome from the front door and your view down the hall.

Now to your left is the spare bedroom.

Painting on every wall

The quilt is gorgeous!

Farther down the hall is our "secret passageway", named by a young guest to our home several years ago. It is a sort of narrow hallway that loops the kitchen to the hallway without having to go through the living room.

We snuck in a couple of my pieces in this hallway. With so much wall space, we had a little left unused. The three wall-hangings to the left are mine as well as the orange and green on the right.

Farther down the "Secret Passageway" you can see the mirror. Just beautiful!

Last, but not least is the living room. To the left are these pieces

And some close ups. Have you noticed that I snuck in some of my vintage lace table cloths and doilies? Love the cat.

The picture is a commission piece. it is a beautiful mix of ceramic and fabric mounted on a board. Did I mention the cat?

Turning around to the other side of the entrance are these pieces. The glass table is part of the living room furniture. It was a fantastic match for the hands.

Continuing around the room, the wall facing the fireplace

 

 

A better look at the piece on the left

 

Finally the front view with the windows. In a previous blog you have seen what the view looks like from the windows

 

And the other side of the window

 

Finally to answer the question about the rest of the apartment.

 

Ya, it will be a little work to put it all back, but it was worth it.

 

Now before you go there is one more picture you need to see. French Kittie has a new friend, but not for long. Statue of Liberty kittie was just made as a gift. He makes the trip to NYC soon. Hopefully his new owner likes him and will take good care of him