A truly lucky discovery!

I bought on Ebay a 'boxful of antique linen'. The listing picture was not very clear, so perhaps others weren't keen to take a chance. It was offered as collection only, because the contents were very heavy, and the seller offered collection from a London address, so I put in a bid - the only bid - and won!

She suggested collection by car, but as I don't drive I went by tube and took a big suitcase on wheels. By the time we met, in Pimlico, it was getting dark. I met the seller by her car outside a huge and exclusive block of purpose built flats. She was very nice and as she emptied the contents of her llarge cardboard box into my case, she gave me advice on washing the contents, as she had not yet managed to do this. It was the last part of her parents' estate, she said, having divided the rest among her surviving family.

I travelled home, itching to open the case and see what I had bought. I had expected some wastage, and was mainly interested in the table linens I knew to be a part of the lot, for sewing projects I have in mind. When I got home I wheeled my booty into the dining room and opened up the case. A powerful smell of musty damp immediately filled the room. Horrible! But it didn't put me off, and I waded through the heavy contents, discovering some wonderful items - antique linen, damask, vintage cotton, lots of tablecloths and napkins, a couple of beautiful antique sheets - which I shall be sharing here as I wash and iron them, taking stock of my purchases. No real wastage, though I am having to soak some items and wash them twice to remove storage stains.

Here, then, is the first discovered treasure - a delicate and beautiful Victorian baby's nightgown, one of three wrapped in tissue paper. Wonderfully clean it features some lovely embroidery, pin-tucks and lace. I don't have a baby, and I couldn't cut it up …so what to do with it? All suggestions welcome!

Some lovely broderie anglaise and lace on the bodice

Lovely detailing on the little cuff

Pretty hem

GladRags

for sale on Ebay
sold

It was own-clothes day yesterday. The teachers were as excited as the students about showing off their individuality! They were all in jeans, almost without exception, with loads of preposterous hats with stickers on the brim, loads of Big Trainers, lots of waists and hips I've never seen before and some rare beauty (who knew R was so gorgeous?). Oh my, I love it when human beings strut their stuff.

I'm selling the vintage feed-sack quilt blocks above on Ebay as I am amassing too much stuff…sadly I can't justify having so many lovely pieces of fabric, neither our house nor my budget will stand it. These gorgeous blocks came from America, and I've used quite a few similar ones already to make various little things, some for sale in my Etsy shop…pot holders, brooches, bracelets. I love working with old, frayed and 'discovered' fabric, I'm hoping this lot will go to a good home!

 

 

 

tatters&rags

The teachers were on strike today, so years 7, 8 and 9 were asked to Stay At Home. 'Oh good,' I thought, rubbing my hands with excitement at the thought of a whole day to practice my braille, to catch up on my vision impairment course, and maybe even time to have a cup of tea! But years 10, 11, 12 and 13 were still in and reacted to the strike day as though they were on strike - ie lots of wobbly-head attitude, giggling and Lots of Running About Inappropriately. One of the really challenging ones was so relaxed he forgot himself for a moment, raced past me to the bottom of the stairs and whipped round presenting his wrists to me in a strange gesture. 'Spiderman?' I asked, uncertainly. This broke the spell…'Yes Miss,' he admitted sheepishly and actually blushed! I just about stopped myself from saying 'Sweet!' Things were also very relaxed in the playground, which was a change from the usual underlying tension. But all of it really upset my autistic spectrum student…he doesn't like change, obviously, and hates loud noise and fuss. So we beat a hasty retreat to the calm of the braille prep room where we each got some work done and had a couple of custard creams each (I keep them for Friday night scrabble club).

Here's my latest make…a bracelet from some beautiful antique navy blue calico, part of a kid glove, feed-sack (of course) and vintage stocking-darning thread from the forties (soft and strong). Secured with a popper. Hope you like it - I'll be putting some similar ones in my Etsy shop pretty soon.

front

side

back

Found…and lost…

Got home yesterday to find a message from an American ebay seller from whom I'd bought some vintage quilting. It was lovely stuff, all rather small fragments of various lovely feedsack quilts in degrees of disrepair. I've been excitedly looking forward to getting it too. But she says she mistakenly listed it twice, and has refunded me my money as she has already sold it and shipped it out! Nooooo! I'm so disappointed. So back on the trail then, hunting down quilting in the right state of decrepitude (not new and bright, not too far gone, nothing that looks smelly, not too costly) which I intend to use to make things like the above needlecase, currently for sale in my Etsy shop…

On a slightly different note, I have seen some sights at school in my short time there, but nothing so evocative as the science lesson yesterday in which Year 7 were invited to cut up some sheep hearts. Two girls refused, dramatically faltering as if to faint, several groaned in disgust at the idea and one already naturally pale boy went positively white and took on the pallor of the Corpse Bride in Tim Burton's film, and had to leave the room. Most students hacked away at the hearts with scalpels so dangerously close to the digits of their partners I had to half-close my eyes. It was only will-power which prevented me from leaping over the desks and grabbing said scalpels from their over-enthusiatic little hands. Eventually nothing recognisable was left to examine, and no-one was injured, which I guess is a satisfactory outcome. Not sure any of them will become surgeons…
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95545379/beautiful-handstitched-needlecase-made