Monthly Archives: December 2011

Fabric Floral Corsages

Posted on December 15, 2011 | 3 Comments

I do like a bit of a fabric floral corsage … as those who know me well will confirm – I almost always have one somewhere in my outfit, either in my hair or pinned to my jacket. I think they’re perfect everyday, and they do add a dash of glamour for an evening out.

I’m so happy that they remain a big style note this season … it’s given me the perfect excuse to play with fabric and make some corsages of my own, for you.

Here’s a selection for you … something for everyone, I hope … a range of colours, perfect with this season’s fashion palette, and a range of sizes, from a tiny little rosebud corsage to a big, bold black-lace hellebore. You can see these and more in my Etsy shop …

Now I know you can get them from Accessorize, or Claire’s, or Top Shop, and even Primark, but these are different … completely handmade, totally unique, each is a one-off – so no-one will have one just like yours.

And I’ve used vintage fabrics, and embellished them with vintage buttons, beads and elements of costume jewellery … so the materials are great quality, and durable, and, as a total bonus, are about as eco-friendly and ethical as an accessory can get – without the ethical fashion price tag, too.

Looks like a win to me ….

How do you like to wear yours?

 

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Posted in Objects of Desire, Work in Process

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Boro cushion: “we have all the time in the world”

Posted on December 12, 2011 | Comments Off

A while ago, just after my grandmother died, I was looking at her gold dress watches and wondering how to incorporate them into a piece of work … in the end, I came up with this boro piece,weaving the watches into  the gold velvet and chiffon fabric.

It spoke to me so strongly of time and memory, of recapturing lost moments … I didn’t think I’d ever go down that road again.

Until I acquired a box of broken jewellery that had a number of vintage watches – none of which worked – included in it.

It seemed logical to revisit that earlier, personal piece:

This time, I have worked the boro in a red shot silk … the shimmer in it works beautifully with the watches … and they look like little jewels nestling into the fabric.

It ended up quite a small panel … it needed setting into a larger piece of fabric. I had the perfect piece waiting …. that black wool cloth. A peddler used to visit our house in Kuwait when I was little – I guess he came round about once a month – and mum always used to buy a piece of fabric from him. This is one of them. It’s a  lovely soft piece of cloth, and has this fantastic red stripe along the border that I’ve used on the back of the cushion …

Those brass-effect buttons look great with it, too …

I think this cushion needs to go into a study, or a home office, or perhaps into a cosy reading nook … anywhere you need reminding that you have the time you need to do what you want to do.

It’s available right now in my Etsy shop … or you can contact me if you’d like a similar piece using your own inherited treasures ….

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Posted in Woven Cloth

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