About 9:00 last night, I was suddenly seized with the impulse to make a biscornu-type pincushion. Following Kathryn Youngs's guidelines, and using some of the same fabrics from the previous tin-can pincushion, I began cutting and stitching. Even with all the dithering which is normal for the first time I make something, I was finished within an hour. It was fun to figure out the eight-sided construction, and I was pretty proud of my nice sharp points. Not a bad bedtime project at all!
I used a sweet little button in the centre that reminds me of an amanita muscaria mushroom.
The other Victorian-style pincushion in the upper right of the top photo was made a couple of weeks ago. Just a simple circular cushion, with another fun button in the centre. And you can see that I am making good use of the remaining bits of pom-pom fringe.
Without consciously deciding to, I have created kind of a "line" of soft, pastel, vintage-y goods. I think they will look distinctive on my little table amongst the jumble of the craft fair, and it makes it easy to style a display. For the pillows and hot water bottle cosies I made up a hang tag with the story of the cloth, and I will do something similar for the pincushions. Here's the hangtag (without the formatting):
Many
years ago, in Saskatchewan, Hilda Armstrong made quilts for her family,
thriftily using their old clothes to create warmth and comfort anew. Some of
Hilda’s quilts came to me, and when I moved to B.C. I brought them along. Years of use have left the fabric soft and
worn, some parts tattered and threadbare, but other bits still with life. I
have turned the best bits of these old quilts into one-of-a-kind pillows and
other cosy items that I hope will continue to bring comfort to those that use
them.
Without consciously deciding to, I have created kind of a "line" of soft, pastel, vintage-y goods. I think they will look distinctive on my little table amongst the jumble of the craft fair, and it makes it easy to style a display. For the pillows and hot water bottle cosies I made up a hang tag with the story of the cloth, and I will do something similar for the pincushions. Here's the hangtag (without the formatting):
Many
years ago, in Saskatchewan, Hilda Armstrong made quilts for her family,
thriftily using their old clothes to create warmth and comfort anew. Some of
Hilda’s quilts came to me, and when I moved to B.C. I brought them along. Years of use have left the fabric soft and
worn, some parts tattered and threadbare, but other bits still with life. I
have turned the best bits of these old quilts into one-of-a-kind pillows and
other cosy items that I hope will continue to bring comfort to those that use
them.
Love, Heather
The photo is of my great-grandmother, Sophie Ayres, taken in 1960. There really was a Hilda Armstrong, but I have no photo of her, so Granny is playing her part! I like the idea of telling the story of each piece, because that's really why I made them, not because I want to make money. I suppose it is marketing, but hopefully done ethically and with proper intention.
Your pincushions are lovely, beautiful and altogether want able. When is the craft fair? I love following your textilian thoughts and doings.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barb! I'm hoping to appeal to people who sew, so you comment gives me hope that I am on the right track. The fair is on Dec. 7th, so I've still got a couple of weeks to go.
ReplyDeleteOne can never have too many pincushions! They are very cool.
ReplyDelete