Well hml had a birthday over the weekend, and given that the birthday girl is laid up with a bung knee after a winter kerbside slippage these presents couldn't have arrived at a better time. Regular readers will have noted the needlepoint header we've adopted as part of our 'makeover' and will also know that the birthday girl is an avid collector of other peoples stitchery. Now however she has the guidebooks to create her own.
We poured over these two excellent books yesterday at our staff meeting, enthusiastically picking out new things to make for our homes and our friends and yes, even ourselves.
And as we're always on the hunt for new 'signature' looks, Beck picked out the above smocking detail for her winter wardrobe, while Ramona has decided that 2007 is all about velvet puckered sleeves.
and we've both gone ga-ga over this free form owl embroidery...
We must admit we have had a bit of an epiphany over the last few days, (thanks
miss penpen for the reminder) and decided its high time we got back to making for fun rather than profit. Its easy to get caught up in banging out product and forget how nice it is to have a wee project to do in front of the telly on a cold winters evening without having to think about pricing, packaging and branding the bloody thing. So heres to busy work, just for the hell of it.
These homespun vintage styles warmed our cockles,
6 comments:
I have both these books, and both are very high on my favourites.
I remember wanting desperately wanting to be that blonde model with the braids, as a child.
I know she's just unbelievably good looking, and for a short hobbit like redhead a ridiculously unattainable look.
aggghhh the pretty pictures aren't showing up on my computer- definitely CRUEL world
using my imagination........
Changed server and got to see the craft-of-the-past collection! Don't feel left out now. The high-necked smocked dress was made for me by my sister Nannette in a cream, green and yellow floral Liberty/Viyella when I was about 11 years old. It had smocked cuffs that went 1/2 way up my forearms and a smocked neck that went up to just under my chin, with buttons down the back, also smocking across the chest and was -strangely- smock style in shape. I was obsessed by the blue velvet dress with the smocked sleeves for years and always wished she had made that one for me. My other sister Kerry did variations on the free-styling owl embroidery. Mum threw out our copies of the Golden Hands a few years ago but has managed to present me with a complete bound set in apology. Now just have to find a copy of the 'New Golden Hands'. Do you think it would be a good name for a shop? Probably not- people might think it a fetish style brothel.
HA! so envious, my smocked garments were all made by my nanna before I hit double fingures so I missed out on the pre-teen ruffled neck action, I too managed to score a complete bound series of all the mags at an oppy in QLD (hello Umbrella ladies) many years ago and I think I've spent more time flipping through it than actually making any projects it contains, and regarding your shop name idea, yes it reeks of fetish though its better than 'new golden fingers' surely.
those owls are just too beautiful, I always wonder who made the pieces in the golden hands books.
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