It's a Crewel, Crewel World and what I did about it!!!

I have finished a two year project, reupholstering a sectional couch and dressing the windows of my condominium, which included re-purposing linens from my longtime home in Michigan.

I can happily boast my new/construction condo is situated on an angle, which allows it to be flooded with light... sunrise to sunset, difficult to accomplish in a condo end unit! Here I reside, in a rather plain/non-descriptive exterior elevation, but with wisely placed interior windows. I hunted for a unit with a loft area solely for my embroidery projects, and with ample storage. I'm lucky to have found it! An added bonus two extra bedrooms which I have outfitted with four beds for visitors....

I originally thought, while home hunting in 2016, I would end up with someones window fashion design mistake, but no!.... I have a clean slate!  Over the years I have acquired, dozens of home decor books which I periodically love to finger through. I attended Winterthur's 'Properly Dressed Window' Seminar this spring, and enjoyed several very interesting lectures, three stood out. First, a museum house curator in Maine who investigates original window design forensics, such as painted over nail holes, frame embedded pulley systems, old photos and fabric remnants long forgotten in an attic, etc. Second, a local designers solution for a two story/floor window residing at the historical Union League downtown Philadelphia. As luck would have it, I've been on a tour there and remember the window. Third, included with Winterthur membership are private tours of H F DuPont's home. This prompted my purchase of Sandy Brown's book, 'The Well Dressed Window' to add to my collection of examples of beautifully decorated windows at Winterthur. Sometimes a lecture can help motivate the creative juices and greatly help with a major project. I learned several of the window dressings at Winterthur were adapted from Regency designs of Thomas Sheraton, my favorite is the dining room!

I have 13 windows to dress in my new condo, along with the cost of rods etc. plus at some point a walk-out basement, add two more! I could, very painfully, have settled with generic contemporary coverings at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Assuming $60-$100 per window that's possibly a minimum budget of $900. Now we're beginning to talk money, so why not consider creating my own. I have had successful experiences with two of my past homes under my belt, I'm not new to this concept!!

While inspecting my furniture, over the two major moves, to my current location, I noticed my sectional couch had several cushions with the fabric worn completely through. A bummer, which I hadn't noticed because it resided in the basement recreation area of my past home. The cushion core foam was in excellent condition, why not consider reupholstering, until the estimate came in at $4500. Geez .... I could purchase new leather pieces for that. It occurred to me, switch out only the cushion covers and coordinate with the windows in the loft area where the sofa now resides. This will give the area a shabby chic look. I could keep most of the 'flame stitch' fabric, which I love, and scavenge what I can for making piping and other trims. I want this area very homey because my craft storage area is off to one side and it is where I had planned to set up my slate frame for the casket project. Check out the end result below...

I hung in one second floor bedroom, a set of drapes I made for my daughter years ago. Adding an Austrian shade for privacy, from a remnant bolt of sheer fabric, I believe it wonderfully adds to the overall effect. Very happy all were the correct width!

For the second set of bedroom windows, I re-purposed fabric from a worn quilt, originally purchased as a bed-in-a-bag. The coordinating sheets were used in the valances. Think I hit it out of the ball park with this job. In review, one sectional sofa and five second floor windows completed in under $300.... I call that a very delightful success. Only eight more windows to complete, all on the first floor. Seven windows located in the great room and entry way, which need to coordinate and last my master bedroom window.

Over the past thirty years I have made most of my home decor purchases through Calico Corners, with notions from Jo-Ann's. My closest Jo-Ann's has a wonderful selection of what I consider survival items for home decorating.... I also found a framer who is a Kindred Spirit at the location. As luck would have it one of my three local Calico Corner locations, an outlet, was going out of business! Very sad for them, but a huge blessing for a newly divorced woman on a tight budget!

My furniture now in place, and armed with my armrest protectors I headed to my local Calico and started collecting swatches. Fabric weight has everything to do with window dressing designs. Too thick and it limits pleating and will not drape, too thin and you need thermal linings... Some pattern designs do not do well as a swag. To date, more difficult than any appliance, craft area flooring, or dinnerware decisions which I've had to make has been the first floor window style....

I originally planned swags, jabots and sheers, very traditional, very me. Swags and jabots, however can require twice the fabric when compared to a simple panel on smaller windows, possibly cost prohibitive. I originally decided on three coordinating fabrics to do this, but to stay on budget, could only afford one fabric at a time. I started my purchases with a plain gold silky fabric, which would be used for the lining and several swags in the design. As it turned out this fabric did end up as a jabot lining, but also roman shades and a bed skirt. I have learned to always keep an open mind. Amazingly... while searching the Calico website for gold fabric a crewel design popped up which appealed to me but was not on my current thought track. I stopped into my local Calico to see the design, fabric weight and color in person. It flipping turned out to be a true (admittedly, chain stitch) crewel pattern, not a print. In a heavy weight, not necessarily good for swags and jabots, but on sale!!!! Originally over $100 per yard now under $25, the deal of deals and discontinued...... What a dilemma......so I purchased every piece available and prayed I could do something with it. Huge 33 inch repeat to add to the difficulty in design...but a design decision needed to be made soon. I had a Bed, Bath & Beyond '25% off your total purchase coupon', dedicated to my first floor rods, ready to expire. For several windows it could be worth hundreds of dollars.....When the fabric arrived I was so pleased to find it very drape-able, what a blessing.

 

I found deeply discounted trimmings at the Calico in Lancaster, which was going out of business. Huge coordinating tassels.... originally $88 a piece, discounted to $9... I purchased 9 of them. Plus...made in South Africa, sentimental meaning to me! Trimmings at a dollar a yard and smaller coordinating tassels at $1.50 each... Side bar, women were filling vans with fabric bolts at this location, the excitement was electric. Thank you everyone unknown, who made corporate decisions, that allowed me this wonderful piece of extreme happiness!!!

A small set back, the crewel fabric was cut into 4 pieces, a big deal when the repeat is so long. The color lots were similar, but repeats sadly a bit off, piece to piece. I worked one bolt of yardage into three simple panels with an attached valence and trimmed with a coordinating red fabric and trim. Each panel is clipped to rings and hang off a rod, nice effect in an intimate living area, then tied back with a giant tassel, very Jacobean. A remnant from this bolt was split for the foyer Roman shades....both designs shown below.

The second bolt, the longest yardage, about 13, was just enough to make 11 swags and 3 pair of jabots for the kitchen/dining area, foyer and my bedroom. Over decades of moves, I hoarded enough rods from previous apartments to create three triple rods for the swag/jabot design. Some how I avoided purchasing more rods for the double windows. Draped with two tassels per valence, these windows now exhibit that 'well hung' effect...and the original gold silky fabric made luxurious roman shades for privacy and refuge for my crewel world...

The remaining two cuts were too short for anything except covering counter bar stool chairs and a throw for my bed.....absolutely no complaints here...I love a design challenge and think I will be very happy with this solution for years to come....I love crewel and the color pallet matches the dish patterns I have commented on in an earlier post..The gold fabric I originally purchased is lining the jabots, the roman shades added under the valences will help to insulate in both winter and summer.

This was my third,  home decorating excursion and what an enjoyable time I had.... Maybe one or two more in the future!!! Oh I need pay homage to my helper pictured below, without who I could not have accomplished these tasks....

Persuasions.....and sea shore inspirations

I have lived within a few miles of a shore most of my life. I have crossed the Mackinaw Bridge dozens of times over the years and spent time in Grand Marais, Mackinac Island, Houghton/Hancock and Traverse Bay in northern Michigan....Lived a year in Marblehead, MA next to the public landing, traveled up and down the East Coast and am now settled within an hour of the Chesapeake.... I love the seashore!!! So it follows that Persuasion would be my favorite of Austen's novels....My grandparents had a small home on Lake St. Clair in Michigan, where I visited in summer.  Their winters were spent near Sanibel Island in Florida. I inherited my grandfather's huge collection of seashells. Now sorted I planned to use the tiniest shells on my Jane Austen casket and others for a sailors valentine. Yes....I found a gentleman, through a friend, who makes boxes for valentines! The sailor's valentine reminds me of the 2016 JASNA UK tour where we visited the Vyne and Lyme Regis.  Jane grew up near the Vyne, in Hampshire. It was built by Henry the VIII's Lord Chamberlain, and one could spend the day in the Chapel alone. Jane Austen was familiar with the Chutes and would have attended Balls there. Anyone's youthful imagination would have been inspired by such an influence. A beautiful estate with a grand entrance.... below is a view of the staircase.

Displayed for us at the Vyne was a beautiful sailors valentine, a sewing box and a pair of embroidered calf skin gloves. They must have read my mind because all were thrilling eye candy and of interest to me. I have a hidden sailors valentine in my casket, they are simply to wonderful not to be included!

                                           

I spent the past year finishing themed stitching projects which utilize a common lacing construction technique for linen and linen/silk fabric seams. One lacing technique taught by C A Wells, utilizes a chain or four-sided stitch and the other taught by Betsy Morgan utilizes a back stitch. Both are completed in pearl cotton which is a strong fiber superior to silk threads in resisting wear...I enjoyed finishing these projects, most classes were taken almost a decade ago, in common are theme's which interest me... Betsy's Quaker Etui and Toy Chest Etui were inspired by Quaker school girl embroidery and painted Pennsylvania Chest motifs, examples which are found in my local museums in Chester County, PA and Winterthur....Shown below, and all stored within the toy chest, a crayon box scissors fob and Amish scissors sheath, a paint box threader, hobby horse laying tool, emery Jack-in-the-box, waxer storage 'drum', ball and cup thimble toy, a Ouija board thread palate and primer pincushion....too much fun!!!

C A Wells inspired two mermaid motif drawstring bags and an embroidered 'sailor's valentine' design. C A dedicated hers to Martha's Vineyard. I dedicated mine to Marblehead and Mackinac Island. Below the valentine with our family schnauzers sailing in eternity. The hinges will actually close! The mermaid drawstring bag has a 'hooked' fish shaped needle case and a mermaid pincushion hair brush below the valentine add to the fun....

The tassels of the sweet bag above were made by wrapping wood beads in ribbon and then covering them in a decorative 'netting' technique, detached buttonhole stitch, ribbon tails were looped to finish. I like the netting effect which fits the theme of 'nautical'. The side seams are laced with ribbon and a decorative looped edging on top was worked in a ribbon Hedebo. The Sailors Valentine has extra meaning because C A and I hand twisted the cord together.....Very fun class! I will add them to my collection of bags hanging throughout my home...below are just are a few....

I also finished a Poconos themed wallet, the back has a Bargello pattern called 'bear claw', the scissors fob has a bear and claw motif and the canoe is actually a pincushion, a Sherri Jones design.  On the right a sweet flower basket motif needle book and matching pincushion roll, similar embroidery techniques to the gloves above. My first embroidery seminar in Williamsburg in 2005, with Dr. Tricia Nguyen. I enjoyed working with the metal fiber couched to form a basket and will use this on the casket.

Above, I worked stumpwork leaves for the casket from a Marcia Pompay-Gomala design, which are satin stitched to a wire frame. The leaves are cut from the substrate fabric and the stems are couched to the final design fabric. This same technique is basic to stumpwork flower petals, parrot feathers and wings and any flat design element which needs to escape 2 dimensions and enter the third. Note the horse chestnuts which are wrapped onto a wood bead and the acorns which are wrapped to a wool cylinder. Detached buttonhole stitch is added for the cap....Yes my casket will have oak and chestnut trees, strawberries and other fruiting trees.....maybe apricot.....and a parrot, I must have a parrot.....

I'm adding a picture of another project 'Ophelia' a 9 inch wood doll finishing class of Merry Cox. Her silk dress finished with french silk trimmings. Ophelia comes with her traveling chest, ready for a trip. She has brought along her sampler, huswife, memory album for notes and class work book of stitches. Her scrimshaw hornbook and mother's picture store safely in her hat box. Ophelia was hand made by Eric Horn and is modeled from 19th century dolls...

When a woman returns home from an exciting trip over seas she returns to her 'Home Sweet Home'. My last project discussed is a class of Catherine Theron, a book depicting a folk Art design influenced by school girl embroidery samplers. Turns out the 'book' fits perfectly into a hand painted box of Elsie Di Cassio I acquired. The box is finished in silks to store my twisted cording tools. I love the faux 'wood grain' finishing technique used on the box lid, bottom picture, very 18th century.... I believe the two designs were a perfect match. I personalized the box lid with my past home in Michigan, the hillocks list streets where I have lived in a subtle lighter shade of green. The 112 border rosettes are spiral trellis stitch, which I have painfully mastered. At times I feel as though I haven't accomplished much, then I do a review of the techniques I have been working on and realize much has been accomplished! Escaping to spend a weekend to a week of classwork, with kindred spirits, is great fun! Most important, is an education in fine hand embroidery and basic techniques common before the mid 1800's. A time of linen and silks......

Completed Double Casket Carcass dedicated to the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen's passing

My original plan on this date, the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's passing, was completion of the entire casket exterior...... I'm still pleasantly pleased to be at a point where the casket carcass is complete and ready to mount the embroidered panels in the next year. Below is a front view of the double casket covered with Holbart archival paper......the current plan is to mount the doors/hardware once the embroidered side and door front panels are in place.

The double casket configuration has two hinged lidded compartments. When the top compartment tray is removed the space underneath is large enough to store a vintage mother of pearl toilet set and matching letter opener. The lower compartment is riddled with hidden storage drawers behind faux removable walls. Two silk velvet pincushion pillows boast Satsuma buttons from my button collection. Two front cubbies are lined in silk velvet and edged in metallic bobbin lace in fact almost everything is edged in gold metallic bobbin lace, you can never have enough lace!

Also stowed are mother of pearl thread spools, a netted miser purse, gaming chips, an ivory tambour hook, parasol needle keep a Sherri Jones (Patrick's Woods) design and a vintage velvet cornucopia shaped pin keep.....I've probably forgotten something!

In the front view above, the drawer fronts symbolize Jane Austen's canon, Sense and Sensibility (S&S), Pride and Prejudice (P&P) and Mansfield Park (M&P). The long bottom drawer is a pattern, of my own design, symbolizing an ink bottle and quill pen. All drawer fronts were completed in a wrapped flat silk thread technique on 4-ply card stock typical of 17th century caskets. This project is a marriage of sorts between the 17th century when caskets were a popular school girl pastime (although it's thought some may have been professional/commercially available from bookbinders where caskets were a portion of their business), the turn of the 19th century (Jane Austen's time period) and current 21st century. I chose color palates for the drawer fronts from first edition book spines, below are photo's of  Emma and Pride and Prejudice taken during the 2016 JASNA AGM Library tour of Goucher College.

Above, the silk velvet panel can be removed revealing a set of three more 'secret' drawers representing, Emma, Northanger Abbey (N A) and Persuasion (P). Inside the drawers are small odd 'trinkets'. A crystal perfume bottle and mint tin from Mt. Vernon within S&S and M&P respectively. P&P has mother of pearl gaming chips and a wonderful set of 3" Elizabeth and Darcy wood dolls I commissioned from Eric Horne in the UK. Eric is known for his handmade historically accurate wood dolls.... I was surprised to find I was the first to ask for Elizabeth and Darcy dolls! Although immodestly attired note they are fully jointed.......

And the last picture is of my 'clean' slate frame...... a teaser. Rough outlines are of 11 panels which include the casket top, sides of the upper hinged lids and the interior of the front doors. All should be complete later this year. The second mounting of my frame will be the lower back, side panels and exterior doors, which are scheduled for 2018....

Finished Tricia's Inspirational Floral Glove Needlecase and it's connection to Bath

In preparation for techniques I plan to use for the Jane Austen inspired casket, I have been revisiting online classes Dr. Tricia Wilson Nguyen has offered in the span of over a decade.... I am always amazed at the care and details involved in her online classes. One example is the Floral Glove Needlecase which I just completed in the past month. The class was offered in 2010, saved in my stash and I savored every minute I spent recently in its review and completion.

Dr. Nguyen's classes include a background of the historical inspiration for the study, in this case they are gauntlets....the purchased licenses allow students to see actual pieces at the V & A, the Met in NY, MFA in Boston and the Holburne in Bath... Added features, for example, a portion of our kit fee was used to purchase storage boxes to ease in accessing the Holburnes extensive collection of gloves and gauntlets. I learned that professionally embroidered gloves were symbolic exchanged wedding gifts to women who displayed them in their portraits. In contrast are matching sets of hood and gauntlet utilized in falconry, etc.

I have been fortunate to have visited Bath three times and each experience has been spent with a few hours at both the Fashion Museum and the Holburne to get my eye candy fix.....

Below is my Floral Glove Needlecase, an exploration of techniques in silk thread shading, couching goldwork threads, applying spangles/paillettes, ruching silk ribbon, and an experience with gilt lizardine and purls.....all historically accurate techniques in the short lived fashion statement utilized by Glovers...

A view of the work in progress and a close up of the assembly...

 The needlecase interior...... complete with an interior ultrasuede pocket designed to hold a pair of scissors, felt for needles, and three silk lined pockets for gaming chips, lucet and a bodkin...Needless to say the quality of Dr. Nguyen's classes and kits are to die for....

An exhausting day of sightseeing and exploring Bath can be ended with a refreshing ale at a local pub or a stop to the Canary Gin Bar to experience a JA inspired gin cocktail...

Now back to my JA inspired casket to utilize what I have reviewed...

Reading Deirdre Le Faye's 'JA Letters' and Claire Tomalin's 'JA, a Life' in my reading group increased the enjoyment of the 2013 and 2016 JASNA tours....

Last year, 2016 one of my reading groups decided to begin reading Deirdre Le Faye's compilation of 'Jane Austen's Letters' along with Claire Tomalin's 'Jane Austen, A Life'. Happening soon after my second JA JASNA tour in 2016 it was wonderfully insightful and perfectly timed. The 2013 tour covered Pride & Prejudice, and was very much like the tours planned for this summer. Last summer's tour was themed Emma with a bit of Persuasion sprinkled in, complete with a trip to 'the cob'. As members are probably making last minute plans for this summers tours, dedicated to the 200 anniversary of JA's passing. I can honestly say.... you are in for a treat, enjoy every minute, listen and soak it all in....Consider an extra day or three in London, last summer I finally made it to Twinings Tea. Where, if you are having trouble deciding on the enormous selection, they have a 'tea' bar and will brew selections for you on site,. The entrance to this narrowly situated Regency Era entryway is the same as Jane would have known, pictured below....

Inside situated at the far wall are display cases which amuse visitors with a little tea history....

I easily went through all my British currency before returning to the US, 70 pounds worth!!! Then had my luggage searched when I returned to Philly Int'l Airport because, I believe, they doubted anyone would return with that much tea....really! You can walk past one of Henry's homes still standing in London where Jane stayed, pictured below.

When in Winchester at the Cathedral visit the store, They have a section dedicated to JA, I couldn't resist the character ornaments. I also purchased ink with the JA logo for my casket..

Bath has many diversions....Lunch or Dinner at the assembly rooms. This time around I made certain to pack my swimsuit and visited the baths. They have two very entertaining pools. One pool with a fairly strong current which if you are not careful can sweep you into other patrons.  A second on the rooftop where you can enjoy a bit of sun. There is also a steam room with individual aroma therapy rooms depending on your inclination. My next visit I think I may try a facial and/or a massage, and go entirely Roman....Also spend a few hours at the Holburne Museum, which has a delightful lunch counter situated in an enclosed atrium. I had a delicious watermelon and feta salad with a dill dressing refreshing on a warm summer day.... I have begun framing chocolates from my trips, just to be a bit different. Below is one from the Roman Baths and another from a trip to South Africa...

Reading both books together helped to mentally visualize locations from the trips. On the 2016 tour we stopped at a few locations Jane would have been familiar with on her trips traveling in her later years from Chawton to London and Godmersham. Along with churches she would have known either from relatives or neighbors who were rectors...Below a view of Anna LeFroy's grave, Jane's niece, with the entryway of the Parish at Ashe.....

View's of the Wheat n' Sheaf in Basingstoke.....

Henry's Bank in Alton....

A way stop in Guilford which Jane was familiar with....

A short term home of Jane's in Worthing now a Pizza Express, our group stopped for dessert which may have been a bit overwhelming for them, but a nice respite for us ...

and just for fun the entry of a jokester in Lyme....

So many wonderful memories.....