This micro elite sewing machine is the latest addition to a growing collection of vintage sewing machines. It is a collection that has gathered of its own accord over the last few months. There will be another post shortly going through the whole collection (now 5 machines). They’ve featured on my Instagram if you can’t…
Laundry room and dyeing room, a little outhouse at the end of the verandah. This outhouse is just 5ft x 6ft. But is very important for washing and for yarn dyeing, There is a loo in there too which is handy, plus housing the boiler and fuse box. It was the first room to get…
Lace making comes in many forms and has a rich history. In lace making ‘proper’ there is needle lace and bobbin lace. Then there is tatting, plus fine open worked crochet and knitting which might also be described as lace. Lately I’ve been poking my toe in the water of tatting and bobbin lace. And…
Tablet weaving is a technique for making braids and bands. It uses tablets or cards to create the shed through which the weft is passed. It dates back millennia and was much used by the Vikings to create trims around their overwise plain garments. I have had a dabble before with mixed results. But now…
So last time in Part One we were looking at Textiles in Medieval Wills and finding primary source evidence of the value put on clothing and other textiles in bequests. There were gowns, some lined in fur, kirtles, sheets and smocks a-plenty and it was proof positive that these items were of worth. These transcripts…
We are living in strange times. Thank God the weather has been glorious for weeks. Thank God! The garden here is separate from the cottage, past the little row of cottages and up a path bisecting a neighbour’s garden. Sometimes this is a disadvantage, not being able to just pop outside the back door can…
Zokin are traditional Japanese dust rags which are hand stitched from leftover or re-purposed cotton cloth. They stem from a time in Japan when textiles were expensive, precious and scarce. Garments and bed coverings were patched and patched and patched again – becoming Boro textiles – antique examples of which are highly sort after today. …
Beeswax Wraps are the way to go – it’s time to banish cling film and other single use plastics from your kitchen. There was a bundle of vintage cotton scraps lurking around – just waiting for their time. The prints are lovely, fine cotton lawn, not enough for a large project and the pieces too…
Spindle spinning is fascinating, Using a wheel may be much faster when comes to actually producing yarn. But using a spindle is a great way to start. It’s portable. And it’s cheap. It can be so cheap! It’s basically just a stick with a weight attached. This was an exercise in 2 things Make a…
Spinster is a problematic word. The first meaning to brings to mind today is old maid. Not a description any woman aspires to. So having knitted and crocheted for years perhaps it’s no wonder that it took so long to get involved in spinning. It is, after all, at the start of the process of producing yarn.…