21 September 2014

chilly week




The summer is coming to an end. We are making the best of our cabin in the Georgian Bay.



 The nights are drawing in


and the temperature dips so that we have to have a fire unless the sunshine is poring in.



But there is reading to be done, most of the books live above the windows.



Lots of knitting is planned and in progress. I use  vintage patterns and try to give them a new twist with yarn from my vast stash.




  Many quilt are  still to be mended. This pretty 1930 - 1940s  number has bold rectangular quilting which sets the random design off nicely.



The weather looks promising for next week so we plan to go.




15 September 2014

Scarves for September


Not one , but five scarves are my choice for September, from my personal collection, found over the years.



Peacock Feathers, or Hera,  designed by Arthur Silver about 1887, revived in the mid 70s for Liberty of Londons scarf collection. It is one of the oldest Liberty signature prints.

My five all look wonderful together and I cannot help feel the colourways were chosen to look good in display together.
Oh, I also have a wool shawl in the Hera print, I should have dug it out for this photograph .I remember buying it in a charity shop in Sandwich, Kent in the early 90s.

Nearly time to start wearing them........they are waiting on my dresser.







08 September 2014

mending quilts




Mending quilts at the cabin and at home.
A 1970s applique 'umbrella'. I had no problem re-attaching some handles and fixing the hem,
but, at least one half of the hand embroidered  herring bone stitch outline has come out.


 Fortunately I am a dab hand with herring bone and the umbrella I redid with doubled sewing thread zipped quickly along.

Just look at what I found at home in one of my crammed sewing boxes  ......a nice ball of medium weight, just the right brown floss. German by the looks of it, most likely 1950s. I shall take it to the cabin tonight  along with a couple of old embroidery hoops.




A wool, tied quilt that I generally call a ' working mans ' quilt, perhaps made for the help in the barn. Somewhat worse for wear and I am not sure that I can do much with it.



But..... was it a quilt for the help in the barn?  Taking of the side bindings reveal that it was not the plain rayon I had thought but a rich, royal purple chenille.



  A dull mauve wool was obviously purple at one point also , most likely home dyed.,

 

So much can be learnt from a good unpick!






01 September 2014

Labels



Time to take out vintage work shirts to my market stall....mostly Pendleton. or Canadian made hunting shirts  if I can get them.
But this terrific label was in my box, Not a lot of information on this company to be had......but I learnt more of the Chippewa. and I am assuming this shirt comes from Ohio.



This Condons label on a fine vintage blanket  that I have just found.
 From Charlottestown, PEI ,
the mill was founded in the late 1800s and I believe  closed in 1989.
I was horrified to find this has since happened,




I just might hang on to this historic wool blanket,



And an old Whitney label on a pretty blue and white blanket with an unusual coarse weave,







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