And another quick burst of Bohemian fabric

Today the sun came out, I saw a green woodpecker looking for somewhere to build a nest and the cats went mad on the roof. First hints of spring!

I also got a wildly, wildly gypsy tablecloth that I bought. Minnie sniffed it for five minutes and was appalled, so I took it straight to wash (she checks everything that comes into the house). It turned out to be FILTHY - basin after basin of brown water was flushed away before I got it clean. I then drenched it in aroma fabric conditioner and hung it outside. After which it will be fit to use. It's falling to pieces really, but it looks like something from a Victorian circus and I love it. Once it's dried and ironed I'll photograph it.

For now though, some of the red-on-white embroidery that I love so much here. This is very faded and on an unusually thick linen (only a strip left, it's been cut just an inch from the embroidery) - I suspect it's a good 100 years old. We will scan it all and store it for use as a graphic later. Then maybe I will think seriously about sewing it on to one of my thick old french sheets, if it's wide enough. Any other ideas? I would really like to use it for real as well as using it as a graphics source.

New samples

This is something quite new for us - and like all new things, it's taking time to develop. I wanted this combination of a very flat top (under the frame) and a flouncy/puffy bottom. But being a slightly three-dimensionally challenged designer I didn't realise that the result is that you can't open the bag all that widely - so getting things in and out is slightly awkward (not very, but enough to be irritating). Sigh, back to the drawing board.So - meantime I need to buy some hooks that match the frame (hooks shown are steel, frame is brass) and make a couple of handles so that at least this doesn't end up thrown away - the pure-silk embroidered fabric is far too good for that. I think I'll keep one and gift one.It's quite a large bag by the way, which Alex thinks spectacular. I think I like the size - I'm beginning to come around to the huge bags that are fashionable right now. Well, no, in fact I don't like the huge ones - the thought of lugging around that much stuff makes me feel faint - but a BIG bag like this seems suddenly quite appealing.____________The-blog-that-was-about-textiles-and-politics seems about to revert back to textiles. A lot less drama on the whole (hmm, although maybe not - these clutch bags are providing a fair bit of drama as I try out different approaches).

Alice cushions - mark two. With hand embroidery, beautiful, beautiful embroidery

So, our new Alice in Wonderland cushions are at sample number two stage.We've changed the fabric from linen to silk (a really good quality silk with cotton interfacing, nice and crisp) as we like the sheen - though we may do some linen also eventually.We've changed the design so that the cushions work well on their own as well as in pairs. Though the original "paired" design will probably be done, in slightly modified form, too - as I love it.The cushion now comes with a pad - a rather ingenious pad of which more later.Oh - and by the way - we now have hand embroidery on the design. I actually want to jump up and down and shout that very loudly, but I will be quiet and restrained. DMC threads too - I LOVE how this looks.These are just snapshots for now, and done in bad light but they still look good, don't they? Actually, I am very, very pleased with how these are turning out. It's been worth the work. Though I do need to redo some photos in sunlight.A few more tweaks and a few more designs, and we'll be there I hope.

Alice cushions - mark two. With hand embroidery, beautiful, beautiful embroidery

So, our new Alice cushions are at sample number two stage.We've changed the fabric from linen to silk (a really good quality silk with cotton interfacing, nice and crisp) as we like the sheen - though we may do some linen also eventually.We've changed the design so that the cushions work well on their own as well as in pairs. Though the original "paired" design will probably be done, in slightly modified form, too - as I love it.The cushion now comes with a pad - a rather ingenious pad of which more later.Oh - and by the way - we now have hand embroidery on the design. I actually want to jump up and down and shout that very loudly, but I will be quiet and restrained. DMC threads too - I LOVE how this looks.These are just snapshots for now, and done in bad light but they still look good, don't they? Actually, I am very, very pleased with how these are turning out. It's been worth the work. Though I do need to redo some photos in sunlight.A few more tweaks and a few more designs, and we'll be there I hope.

Alice cushions - mark two. With hand embroidery, beautiful, beautiful embroidery

So, our new Alice cushions are at sample number two stage.We've changed the fabric from linen to silk (a really good quality silk with cotton interfacing, nice and crisp) as we like the sheen - though we may do some linen also eventually.We've changed the design so that the cushions work well on their own as well as in pairs. Though the original "paired" design will probably be done, in slightly modified form, too - as I love it. The cushion now comes with a pad - a rather ingenious pad of which more later.Oh - and by the way - we now have hand embroidery on the design. I actually want to jump up and down and shout that very loudly, but I will be quiet and restrained. DMC threads too - I LOVE how this looks.These are just snapshots for now, and done in bad light but they still look good, don't they? Actually, I am very, very pleased with how these are turning out. It's been worth the work. Though I do need to redo some photos in sunlight.A few more tweaks and a few more designs, and we'll be there I hope.