I like velvet and have been on the lookout for it lately. This antique jacket came with the bonus of owly eye buttons. Lots of them. There are 6 on the back as well. You can click the image for a better look.
It looks like it has come for a visit – lounging on the couch. My BRAND NEW couch that I will go on and on about later, it’s been a saga ( you can see a bit more of it here). I like the lining fabric too – there is some wonderful mending I will preserve however I use it.
This was a wonky little experiment, something I made to entertain myself one evening lat year. I came across the photo while doing some organizing last night. Here is a look at the shadow casters:
I’ m making some one of a kind fancy girls from this antique ball gown. I used most of the large sections of lace for the pip and estella set and it’s almost gone. Now I’m using the chiffon and appliqueing tiny motifs I cut from the lace that is too damaged to use.
The under skirt of that gown was kind of a surprise, after several days of soaking years of grayness away it’s a beautiful pale pink and blue floral tulle. I’m making a little troupe of blue ballerinas from it.
This wonderfully tattered and incredibly fragile antique dress arrived last week. All the silk is shattered, but beautifully shattered – almost as though it’s transforming itself.
I hope 2010 was a fabulous year for you and wish you a happy 2011. I’ll end the year with photos of a few favorite treasures I discovered on deadhorse beach this year.
A tiny perfume bottle and a bit of sea green net,
a wonderfully detailed little spaceman,
and a pretty ceramic shard.
Happy New Year!!!
(and thanks for showing up)
This is one of the new things I’m working on for 2011 – a small bird with a more realistic shape. I’m planning a little flock all made from this antique bodice ( hoping to get an owl out of it too).
The fabric is really interesting, it has a tiny geometric print of metallic gold specs over a silky cotton with little squares woven in.
“He looked and smelt like Autumn’s very brother”
Giles, 2 other owls and some new spiders are in the shop now.
I’ve just added some boats and a couple ballerinas to the shop. Owls and spiders later this week.
And a tiny white mushroom appeared in my terrarium this morning.
I think it must be a good omen.
The ship and 2 sailboats above will be in the shop early next week – I’m photographing them and a lot of other things (owls, spiders, birds, ballerinas and maybe another bat) over the weekend. And I might have one more ship too – I’m working on it now. If you are on the mailing list I’ll let you know when they are available.
He is made from vintage feed sacks and ticking using my new owl pattern. I intended to use these round little owls only as passengers in paper mache ships and boats but he was such fun to make I think I might make a couple stand alone fellows.
I finally turned out another bat ( I’ve just added it to the shop). It’s made from beautiful plum kimono silk (courtesy of Stephen Szczepanek). Some of the patching and mending is mine and other stitches are from other hands a long time ago.
I’m also working on new boats (with merry wobbler passengers) and lots of other stuff too. I’m adding new things to the shop every day this week.
I’ve been saving the buttons for his eyes ( I only have 2) for 3 years. I started putting fabric aside for him about a year ago – bits of quilts and blankets, a tiny piece of threadbare russet velvet from a crazy quilt and linings from several garments. And just lately I found the last thing I needed, the heavy dark brown cotton his body is made from, lining an antique walking skirt. I’m hoping to finish him today.
