I must confess to a blogger's worst sin - letting real life get in the way of blogging! If you think I went toes up, no such luck. I just got incredibly busy between various commissions - I currently have two queen/king quilts and several smaller ones on the go, plus I am restoring a lovely family heirloom silk crazy quilt for a very patient client. Fortunately the end is in sight for the crazy quilt - it's a challenging and somewhat tedious process, but sourcing the materials has given me lots of fun. I look forward to blogging about this process after I've done.
In addition, I recently finished a smaller lap size wholecloth quilt in a creamy ecru, and the new owner is so happy she wants a bedsized one too! This will be my fourth commission from Janie and she is talking about a fifth to round the collection off!
I have had to put my own quiltmaking projects on the back burner, but I love being busy.
One project I will not shelve is the opening of my new shop at http://www.funkybabymine.blogspot.com/
This shop will specialise in fine handmade table and bedlinens from the 1930's, 40's and 50's and baby and small child dishware and cutlery. Now and then other quirky treasures blow in too! I am drawn to pieces of fine handmade lace, but have to admit that my tastes are eclectic and if somethings calls me I will likely go for it.
I know from the large number of home decorating blogs and young mothers' blogs that there is a keen interest in retro, vintage, romantic and sometimes funky finds for your home. This coupled with the fact that recycling of carefully edited treasures from the past is a very green method of decorating.
Many young professional families are choosing to restore homes in the "inner suburbs" of major cities which were developed with the advent of the electric streetcar. Homes in these areas take in a wide time range from Edwardian through twenties and thirties art deco and craftsman homes up to the lovely bungalows and dutch colonials of late thirties and early 40's. My own home growing up was an english cottage style house completed in 1938 in the west end of peninsular Halifax, Nova Scotia and from there it was possible to walk to a complete range of neighbourhood shopping and services.
I was a child growing up in this middle class home in the mid-forties and was steeped in this kind of handwork, knew what was in the linen closet and the drawers of the sideboard and was taught to embroider, sew and knit at an early age. My favourite reading was a huge stack of 1930's dressmaking pattern magazines. Thus I developed a strong love of these skills which are now close to lost. You can trust my judgment when it comes to choosing the very best of what is out there. To whet your appetite I want to show you a sweet and impeccably made set I acquired today.
The above teacloth is 36 inches square, beautifully embroidered and edged in lovely hand crocheted lace. The napkins are a set of 4 each with a small flower motif in one corner. There are no issues.
Check back with http://www.funkybabymine.blogspot.com/ as I begin to list more of my treasures.
quilts