Box #5 - A Clear Box

While I was hunting in my closet, I ran across this Clear Box full of lace.

Some of the lace is cheap and ugly

(see the sea-green lace in the lower left-hand corner).  

Some of the lace is 6 inches wide polyester 

that was used to drape pews at someone's wedding.

Some of the lace, however, is hand made.  

Some of it is tatted:

Some of it is crocheted:

Some of it I remember having in my Mom's stash when I was in Junior High School in the 1970's.  This butterfly lace I used to embellish a cami (we called them undershirts).  I sliced down the front, sewed lace on both sides and laced it up with a ribbon - the way you would lace your shoes.

And a remnant bag of rick rack.

I had a turquoise floor length dress/smock with a full front yoke.
Nehru collar.
Pouffy sleeves.
1970-74.
On the yoke, we sewed a rainbow of rickrack.

Yes, this box is full of memories.
CathyH

Box of Surprises - Box #4

In a continuing series of posts - I want to show you what I found in the box at the BOTTOM of my closet.  The colors and fabrics, by themselves, will date this project.

Earth Tones.
Especially Rust.
Polyester batting.
Quilt as you go log cabin.

Excessive calicos in rusts, browns and mustard.

This is a UFO that my daughter inherited from Quilt Chat in the 1990's.  I am confident it was started in the 1980's.

It actually has 20 blocks sewn together into rows. It is close to done.
And would be nearly a vintage quilt by the time it is finished!!

The most shocking and surprising (and pleasing) find in this box is this:


An original copy of the directions for the Fancy Box - and a good supply of the materials needed to make a Fancy Box.

My friend in the Quilt Chat had translated the directions from Japanese and created this lovely document.  (This is what tutorials used to look like)

There were even newspaper strips cut for the next box.  Notice the date on the newspaper:

Pre-cut foam board for the Fancy Box

The Fray Check was - well - past the expiration date...

Sigh. 

I have other boxes. 

I wonder what is in THEM!?

CathyH

Oldest Fabric - Box #3

Today I had hoped to link up with Behind the Seams - Fabric Party at Fabric Engineer.

The Party is was a challenge to talk about your oldest fabric.  I am late in getting this post done, but thought you might be interested anyhow.

My Maternal Grandmother was a seamstress.  Born in 1906 she lived 80 years in Pennsylvania.  My Mom used to tell that Grandma's brother (she had something like 11 siblings) raised ducks when my Mom was young (in the 1940's) and they used the duck feed sacks for clothing and table linens.

I think I have inherited a number of these sacks . . . along with other vintage fabric.

In the past I have opened a box from my closet and shown what was in the box.  I will call this Box #3. You can see other posts where I opened boxes in my room:

Box #1

Box #2a and Box #2b

Box #3 is where I keep all the fabrics that I THINK are vintage from my Grandmother.  I have two pieces, same size, of number of these fabrics.

Here are pictures:

I think I've seen this fabric reproduced recently...
Or at least one VERY MUCH like it.

I had another piece of this flowered fabric and used it in a tree skirt for my Mom

as a Christmas gift one year.  

This piece with the houses, children, balloons, etc. is probably NOT a feed sack.  

But I am pretty sure it is OLD - maybe a piece my Grandmother had when Mom was a child.

I don't know about this orange, either.  The print looks more like the 1960's than some of the others.  

It has the same, course texture that the other fabrics have.

I have more boxes in my sewing room...  It's always an adventure to open one up!

CathyH

Box #2 - Some More

I showed some of the vintage un-finished projects in Box #2 in this blogpost.

There were a few items that you might NOT classify as vintage.

But there is a word that describes these creations:

Kitsch.  

Dictionary definition of Kitsch:  "something of tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste"

Wikipedia adds: "The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons.  Kitsch also refers to the types of art that are aesthetically deficient (whether or not being sentimental, glamorous, theatrical, or creative) and that make creative gestures which merely imitate the superficial appearances of art through repeated conventions and formulae."
It appears that this word has also taken a more negative connotation. 


I speak of a historical definition of this word.  And I present two pieces that demonstrate this word:

This is a pillow cover - printed onto muslin with embroidery features.  
"Content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste"
as defined above.

This is also worked onto muslin.  With yarn.

You can see the embroidery work on the hat

And here are the eyes.... KITSCH, for sure.

You can see the hard work that went into attaching this pink yarn to the muslin.  

I actually really like the flowers!

And last, but not least today, A lovely lady.

The purpose of this object?  I am not sure.  But someone took the time to make this by hand.

And she ended up in my box.  

I'll hang on to all three of these pieces for a little while!

CathyH

Box #2

Last November I opened a box in my closet and was thrilled to find old ties in the box. (see this link)  I got carried away with sewing on those items (imagine THAT!) instead of blogging about my intentions.

But I DO have a number of really interesting boxes in my sewing room.  I opened a few last weekend, and want to share one with you.  It will probably take a few blog-posts to cover all the items!

It is a box full of OLD items (mostly unfinished) that have been given to me.  They found a home in my room - and someday will turn into a useful item.  Some of the items are OLD . . maybe you would even say VINTAGE.

This is an apron printed onto thin, handkerchief-type blue fabric.  It is obviously ready to be embroidered - and would be lovely.  My question: should I preserve this in its original state or complete it as was intended?

Here is another - a full set of yellow 'scarves' to go on top of a buffet and a table-runner, I think.  They seem to be made of a lovely golden linen.

To the right of each of the large pieces is a close-up of the label inked onto the fabric.

Again, I wonder if I should preserve these in their original state or complete them.

One more item in this state:

 

Apparently this is a 'boudoir pillow'.  It is the same kind of 'handkerchief' type fabric as the blue apron above.







I'm hoping that some of you out in blog-land will have an informed opinion - or even expert advice about what I should do with these items.

Leave a comment so I can know whether to preserve them as-is or (eventually) add the embroidery and finish them up.

Come back in the next day or so - and I'll show you another pillow that makes me laugh and laugh.  I have NO IDEA where I got this!  Here is a little teaser picture:

 

CathyH