Butterfly Song...from Fragments

Another small work for Open Studios, made of course from fragments;
vintage soft, worn shirting backs an embroidered butterfly scrap from a Victorian hankie, all hand stitched and gently embelished and now mounted in a box frame.

The covers are made from scraps of the vintage quilt,and the pages from an old, damaged victorian wool flannel baby gown.
Little pieces of antique lace hide the sitiches inside the covers, and vintage artifacts decorate the fronts.
It is important for me to keep the integrity of the work in relationship to my stories of the poverty of the 19th century needlewomen, so needle books fit very well.

My Needlebooks

Inspired by my mothers old needle book...which is much older than me! I decided to create some of my own for our Open Studios weekend at Cuckoo Farm in September.
I havn't made small pieces before, but I found the making of these little books really theraputic and hope people will like them too.

Mum kept an old printed scripture poem in her needlecase...it was always there and must have been important to her.

Needle Books and Memories

I still have my late mother's needlecase...I hated sewing as a child, but loved tidying Mum's sewing box...the needle book is such a tangible reminder of both childhood and my mother.

Work in Progress

Long ago when I bought a quantity of antique lace from an auction, lots of the narrow ones were wrapped around old envelopes or pieces of card.
One however, was wrapped round an invitation to an exhibition of "Boys Work" in order to raise funds for deep sea fishermen.
In tiny letter at the bottom I read "needlework by Widows of deep sea fishermen" and once again I thought of how needlework and womans art and craft work was always secondary.
The card is dated 1896, and the matter of the widows needlework fits in so well with my ongoing theme, so I knew that I wanted to make it the centre of a piece of work.
I had been keeping an antique scrimshaw bone brooch for " something special", and it fits in perfectly, along with the little mother of pearl cross which reflects the faith of some of the folk and the work ...which is still going on I believe at The Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen at Gorleston near Yarmouth.
When the piece is finished, I shall send them a picture of it; here is a little of the "work in progress":

Computer Problems...and Cats Teeth

I have lots to update on the blog, including work I am getting ready for our Open Studios weekend, but my computer is badly ailing and someties won't work at all...tonight...just because it is now too late, and I am too tired to work, it has decided to behave!
I shall have a go tomorrow, but this is really just to let you know that I havn't deserted.
I had planed to get a new one, but Sooty...one of my 15 year old cats, had to have nearly all his teeth removed last week....and the bill was the price of a new laptop!
Since this, he has taken to sleeping on the back of the sofa, and tonight he fell off! fortunately I had suspected this would happen and had put cushions on the floor...here he is with some of my lace