Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Something old, something new, something borrowed and a search for blue...

No, no-one's getting married - the title just seems to sum up the varied things I have to post today!
When I was searching for a background to photo Juanita's lovely necklace, I turned up this charming little hand-embroidered bib.

Can you imagine any baby actually wearing it? Surely it was for a Christening day, or just a present, never to be worn?? Our boys' bibs were, of necessity, a whole lot larger and a whole lot plainer!
Somebody has enbroidered the word 'pet' on it, which I never really liked, personally. I know it's a human term of endearment too, but for me, this is what a pet looks like:
Note the half-tail! That's a tail for another post...

Here's the back of the bib, which I like best of all, because it's plain cotton rather than synthetic silk. And here is an adorable cloth button. I love the little details...
Here is something new from something old - Penny's cardigan, which I showed you last week. If you remember, it was all brown, with brown buttons and no colour. This looked great with Penny's sparkly silver hair, but does nothing for my paler colouring, so I changed the buttons for vintage Mother of Pearl ones...


and shortened the cuffs until they were the right length for me, trimming them with some lovely fabric from a much-loved T-shirt which recently gave up the ghost after over 10 years' active service... Here is me, wondering how on earth to get a good photo of the cardi when the mirror is screwed to the wall opposite the window...
You've had the old and the new, and here is something borrowed: I read Kari Meng's lovely blog The Warp and the Weft today and I think that, if you don't follow it anyway, you should read today's post. Once again, she's been given access to an old treasure-house with 'tons of old stock - ribbon, notions and millinery...' She has few photos on the post, but her descriptions of how she made the fascinating contacts which led to today's news are well worth reading.

And here is something blue! You'll note from my blog that I rather like blue, but I now have a problem. The upstairs bathroom is blue and the kitchen is blue. The spare bedroom is blue-ish. The living area's spring colours have often been green/blue/yellow, but this year they are more predominantly blue. Bit by bit, I am removing the orange and rainbow colours which have kept us warm this winter, and am replacing them with blue. And, before I get to the end of the orange, I have run out of blue!

Items from the kitchen and the spare room are creeping into the living area; these vintage-quilt cushions, for example. But I have now officially run out. Tragically, I now have a Mission - to scour Troc Shops, Vide Greniers, Charity Shops etc for Blue. Life is hard, sometimes...

7 comments:

Sal said...

I love what you have done with the cardigan...how amazing that, by just changing the buttons, you have given it a completely new look!
;-)

Shabby Chick said...

Good luck hunting for the blue! The cardigan looks great, I love how you've modified it. I'm always a bit nervous when it comes to altering clothes but perhaps I should take the plunge.

Thanks for the comment you left on my blog, I don't think any of us are perfect but yes sometimes in blogs it can come across that way!

Mel xxx

JuanitaTortilla said...

Oh that is so clever of you, to trim-then-seal the cardi's edge with cloth! Another new piece of craft idea has just been added to my day :)

Yes, why "pet", I wonder. Can't wait to hear about The Tail with a Tale.

:D Watch out house, the queen of blue is taking over.

Elizabethd said...

Oh dear, what a shame to have to go out hunting the antique shops. I do feel for you!!
What a very pretty jug that is. I wonder if it was a French find?

Ali @ Betty and Violet said...

I think you are so clever in altering the cardigan. I sometimes get inspired ideas never get around to actually doing it and the item of clothing in question eventually gets filed in the recycling bin!
I too love Kaari's blog (and website and books!)

Flossie and Tom said...

Our kids have always laughed at the word pet when we are in France - doesnt it mean TRUMP - thats the polite version !!

Sara
X

prettyshabby said...

Hi Floss, I'm loving your altered cardigan, especially the stripey cuffs. Enjoy your hunt for some blue bits and pieces in all those wonderful vintage shops out there..jealous.. moi? x