Friday 22 May 2015

What the postman brought.......finally!

Yesterday had to be the most frustrating day in weeks. Having been told a parcel I was expecting on Monday had indeed been delivered, I had to start playing my version of Pass the Parcel! Only in this case to find out where on earth said parcel had been passed to! No "we called when you were out" card through my door, no help from the courier company and the sender was getting no better information.

Hallelujah, after about 4 hours of annoyance, knocking on neighbours' doors and generally pestering anyone I thought might be able to help me locate the box, my next door neighbour returned from work and had had the parcel all along!

Now to the contents.......

I've had lots more requests for the big cream lace bobbins and was able to acquire the last remaining lot so they will be on their way to new homes soon. The gold coloured ones will have their outer layers of thread removed and soon be on the website refreshed and clean (almost)!


But the box didn't just contain the bobbins, there were 5 wonderful documents also included. Before a jacquard loom can produce a design, whether on cloth or as lace, a series of punched cards has to be made. To do this the original drawing has to be transferred to graph paper. This is known as a point chart with each point or square on the paper corresponding to the raising or lowering of a weft or warp thread.

The guys clearing out the contents of the Scottish lace mill came across a box of these point charts and I just couldn't resist!



Hard to determine the date of these, but they are probably from the 1930s or thereabouts. One in particular caught my eye - with an elephant depicted in the design.



Most likely this would have been a pattern for a lace intended for curtain panels, the handwritten notes tell us this design is called Klambo Lace. Klambo is a village in Malaysia, obviously the inspiration for this unusual pattern. I'd love to have seen the actual woven piece.

All shapes and sizes of charts as some would have been for narrow lace borders, others for more intricate piece goods.




This is some of the lace edging produced in the factory, probably in the 50 or 60s, so it gives an idea of how the chart drawings were interpreted to be woven into finished products.


Instead of just adding these to my bookshelves as interesting documents, I am planning to have some of them framed. I think the elephant one in particular will look fabulous on the wall.

I am so so glad I finally found my parcel........!








Sunday 17 May 2015

Spools and skeins! Fabulous vintage threads......

This past week has been one of threads and spools, skeins and yarn, reels and floss.....some from the late 1800s, some from the 1920s and lots from the 1960s. 

First came a complete box of Barbour's Linen thread, 10 untouched spools still in their glassine paper wrappers. The label describes them as suture thread and surgeons all over the world extolled the virtues of this particular product! 



This lovely warm cream colour could be used for all sorts of wonderful projects, not just for medical purposes!!


Then the postman delivered a wonderful cardboard box laden with more fabulous linen thread, this time embroidery floss in all manner of beautiful colours. Some from W & J Knox of Kilbernie in Ayrshire and most from a long closed warehouse in Sweden.



Beautiful colours of pure linen with a lovely soft lustre and in a fabulous choice of shades. It makes me wish I was an embroiderer! 



And finally three paper wrapped packages each containing 12 spools made by J & P Coats in the late 1800s, still tied up with string and containing beautiful wooden reels of thread, 2 lots have the most amazing glacé finish to them and the label describes them as glove thread. They are so tiny, just a bit bigger than a thimble!




On their website timeline Coats show a packet almost the same as this which dates from the 1830s! These ones are definitely later as the advertising medallions on the front make mention of prizes won at exhibitions in Paris in 1855 and London in 1862! Quite remarkable that these packages have survived so well and they will make a fabulous addition to an antique haberdashery collection.


So that has been the "thread" of my week, if you'll pardon the pun!
I am hoping that these will all find good homes in the coming weeks as they make their way onto the shop shelves. Some are there already, so have a look if you'd like to see more images.






 

Friday 1 May 2015

Latest Madeira linen finds!

Recent acquisitions have included some really stunning pieces, mainly Madeira work. I never cease to be amazed by the needlework skills of the ladies who produced the cloths and mats.

One really unusual set of mats had me full of admiration. A 13 piece luncheon set of round Irish Linen mats, a large centre piece and then 6 mats and 6 coasters with the most wonderful scalloped embroidery pattern to the outer edges, almost resembling fish scales.


The cutwork was done with such precision and there was no damage at all, even after all these years. In an inner row to the edge of the linen were tiny works of art. The tiniest of flower heads worked in French Knots in gorgeous shades of blue, purple, yellow and pink, with teeny green leaves to each side.


I really want to bring these right up to date by teaming them with freshly dyed Rainbow Damask napkins - it would make for such a colourful table.



I am often asked how I can bear to part with the linens I find and I have to admit on one or 2 occasions recently I have succumbed and decided not to sell some pieces. The set of Madeira napkins below is one of those! I washed and ironed them, photographed them and even got around to putting them on the website - but the following morning I saw them sitting on the shelf in my office and I knew I couldn't let them go! 




Aren't they just fabulous?! So unusual and quite irresistible! I am hoping to set a table mixing cranberry and peridot glasses on a plain cream cloth and then let these beauties speak for themselves!

And finally a quite breathtaking piece of Madeira work - a huge square tablecloth with the most stunning embroidery and cutwork. Quite a masterpiece!



Some say that Madeira work is not fashionable at the moment, but I disagree. With a little clever mixing and matching I think it can be just fabulous. Whether by mixing with brightly coloured accessories or layering a masterpiece  such as this over a darker cloth, I believe they can be brought right up to date and be enjoyed and admired.