Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Scintillating Stitches

The laundering and ironing marathon that I mentioned on my previous post began with some enthusiasm yesterday...I began with the larger items such as tablecloths...
Ironing these old vintage linens does have a habit of transporting me back to days gone by when women spent hours creating these works of art.

It was supposed that the accomplished needlewoman would be capable of hand embroidering her designs to look as perfect on the reverse as they did on the front.
Taking time to press the wrinkles from the old cottons, rayon and linens, and enjoying the carefully added embroidery stitches and lace edgings, does make you appreciate the talents of a generation or so ago.

Sometimes an assortment of colours and stitches create the patterns...
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Others focus on one stitch to create a bold design and carefully worked edging.
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Some less accomplished needlewomen were still able to produce colourful details to their tablecloths, with their slightly less refined results adding a unique homemade look...
More detailed techniques demand aptitude, such as those for drawn thread and cutwork designs.
Others required an especially good eyesight to count threads on a fine cotton fabric, for a neat and even cross stitch!
Lace embellishments such as crochet and tape lace furthered a woman's repertoire.
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And fine knitted lace edging for a frilled effect.
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The marathon continues with tray cloths and runners...But somehow ironing these is far more pleasurable than working through the huge pile of clothes belonging to the family! Those can wait for another day! ;-))
Thanks for stopping-by,
Niki x

7 comments:

  1. oooo chritmas bells!!

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  2. Anonymous9:24 pm

    Hi Niki,
    What a lovely wash to have to iron.
    I just love the crochet edgings,my mum has told me many times that my Great Grandma Sarah Jane was amazing and would make crochet edgings to hang up at the windows and for cushions,tablecloths etc and how my mum sat desperately trying to get the hang of it and unfortunately never did,
    Krissie x

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  3. I very cleverly now have my daughter doing the ironing for pocket money, only school things up to now but give me a couple of weeks and ile add a few more "aw could you just do " bless her sole she actually enjoys it too , i remember tackling my dads huge amounts of shirts for pocket money and i enjoyed it to then but the novelty soon wore off i can tell you and it never returned , love all the embroidery very time consuming im sure x

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  4. Such beautiful discoveries and I know the feeling, by ironing them they become "mine" :-). And all the other Mount Everests of normal ironing will just waiting for longer on the side.

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  5. Love all your fabric finds from your previous post.

    All these embroideries are so beauiful and tactile....but i do particularly love the 'homemade' kinda basic one..it reminds me of my embroideries ;o)

    have a great week Nicki. x

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  6. Some beautiful embroidery. Ironing is one task I don't mind at all.

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  7. You have some beautiful items there.When you think of the time that went into them you could never put a proper price on them.In the past I have made lace but to produce just the tiniest piece takes forever and could never be commercial.I am into lace knitting now(scarves and shawls),just because I like doing it,then they go in a cupboard!!

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Thank you for finding the time to visit me...
Niki xx