I made a promise to myself that once the design workshop was finished I would start making time for me...it has been over six weeks since I've touched my machine and I miss it terribly. Like most of you my quilting time is my therapy time...it keeps me sane and balanced. All work and no play isn't a good combo for me!
During the workshop last week one of my students, Diane Mitchell, brought some family linens to share with me as a gift. I picked out some beautiful pieces and one of them was a gorgeous dresser scarf with meticulous handwork on it. I don't have a dresser scarf piece quilted up yet and thought this was the perfect piece to start with. It's small enough that I can pack it around with me to do the handwork and large enough to keep me busy for awhile.
When I was at the PIQF show in Santa Clara last fall I visited a booth that had some beautiful vintage fabric pieces and purchased a piece of gold silk yardage that I believe was from Italy. It came complete with silk hand-tied fringe on one side and some significant damage on one end. Due to the damage I have no problem cutting this to size to fit the dresser scarf.
I plan on mounting the dresser scarf on this gold yardage and doing some beautiful feather work in the middle. Still not sure what's going to happen on the sides for the border...I need to think on that for a bit.
Due to the age I felt it really needed to be washed ahead of time. I have used Restoration Soap for many years to remove stains and clean my old pieces. While at Road to California I came across a booth that was selling a new soap called Retro Clean and they had a display of how well it cleaned up old linens and quilts. I cut off the damaged end of this piece of yardage...cut it in half...and then soaked both pieces. One half was soaked in Restoration and the other in Retro Clean. I have to say that both pieces came out about the same...equally clean and beautiful.
I will be documenting this piece as I go along. Hopefully it will provide some inspiration to all of you...maybe your dresser will be in need of a new covering because the beautiful linen that previously adorned it is now under the needle of your machine!
In my next blog post I want to inspire all of you with a wonderful message from another one of my students from last week's workshop...
Hugs, Cindy
6 comments:
Oh that gold yardage just seems perfect for some of your projects.
Very nice of Diane to share some of her linens with you. I'm sure you'll make them even more beautiful.
SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
Both pieces are so lovely! I look forward to seeing what you do with them. I've inherited several tea-cloth and napkin sets and other miscellaneous linens. Can't bear to use them for quilting (I sometimes use them for their original purpose) simply because they aren't damaged or stained in any way. Do you ever use (quilt, cut up) pieces that are in good shape, just because otherwise they wouldn't get used much if at all?
The gold scarf fabric is lovely, and that hardanger linen is gorgeous! Can't wait to see the two combined! I love cutwork linen pieces and have several antique dresser scarves..... thanks for the tip on the cleaning items!
Have some great "Me Time". You deserve it.
Oh, can I be you? I need some "me" time too.
Love, adore, (see me green with envy) for the fabric from Italy. Why oh why don't I see vendors like that?
I'll be watching to see the progress.
That Italian silk and Russian dresser scarf were made for each other. I can't wait to see what you do with them!
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