Sunday, April 12, 2015

Something Sentimental

It is holiday time down here and I have been having the most pleasurable of weeks. With the bright pink door at the Kim Sharman School of Excellence closed to students for two weeks I have been catching up on some orders. A lady, Fiona, asked me if I would stitch a wall hanging which would become a family heirloom. Fiona's dad recently passed away and she hankered after a wall hanging, incorporating some photos of her grandparents, her mum and dad, and her siblings. She also said I could do whatever I wanted!!!

Fiona intimated she would like pretty embellishments that evoked a sense of nostalgia. Heirloom....pretty embellishments....nostalgia....complete carte blanche in what I fashioned....all these words are music to my ears!! AND.....to be given complete freedom in whatever I wanted to create.....well....it doesn't get much sweeter than that!!

Fiona asked perchance, if I had some pretty laces and bits and bobs to incorporate into the wall hanging. Now let me see........do I have enough pretties with which to embellish?? Yes indeedy, I think I might have a few!!!! Actually, I have an Aladdin's cave overflowing with a bounteous supply of all manner of lacy and embroidered treasures! Who needs a haberdashery store anyway??

Of course when Fiona said she wanted pretty.......I did double check that she really meant pretty. When given half a chance to 'do pretty', here in my humble abode the embellishment bomb detonates with lace, ribbon, vintage pretties, buttons, beads etc etc......AND.....I do tend to get carried away. As Fiona has five sons I wasn't quite sure if what was in my brainpan would sit well in a home where there are 6 humans of the male kind. She assured me that my creation would be displayed on a wall in her bedroom, the one room in her home where femininity rules! I might add Fiona lives in a 100 year old school house!! Lucky Fiona!!

I photocopied the photos on some photo transfer fabric, heat set the photos with an iron and then rinsed them in cold water for about a minute.


After stitching the photos onto the backing fabric, I then began playing with all my pretties I had gathered up and began to stitch them in an arrangement that was pleasing to my li'l eye!

As is always the case with a project such as this, I am afraid I made the most unholy mess in my sewing room, because I always find when stitching a project like this, I need to find the exact snippet of lace or a tiny embroidery that I know is somewhere, but cannot quite remember in which suitcase or hat box it is waiting ever so patiently, so that it might cast a little beauty to the project on hand. Hence the upturning of many a suitcase is required and the burrowing deep, deep down into the disarray of pretties......into the mayhem........is mandatory! A lot of time is spent in arranging the perfect pretty in the exact position.


Fiona wanted me to include some gorgeous hand embroidered doilies her grandmother had lovingly stitched many, many years ago, so I machine stitched the names on these to make them a little more personal.




I adore hand stitching. I find hand stitching to be therapeutic; it gives me much pleasure and satisfaction. I adore adding little snippets of lace, remnants of embroideries, a little satin ribbon here and there, a fragment or two of antique motifs, some beads, buttons, a vintage piece of ornamentation........a smidgen of a doily. It really is the best fun.


















With every heirloom piece I stitch I always love to incorporate a vintage glove holding a few stems of pretty blooms. After all, every bride in a bygone era always wore a beautiful pair of gloves on her wedding day. In this instance I fashioned some pretty roses using French wire ribbon.



I bordered the quilt with edgings of an assortment of vintage tablecloths. I feel they add to the nostalgic feel of the quilt.



It has given me much pleasure to sit in my sunny sewing room this week and stitch this heirloom quilt. With each stitch I have thought of Fiona and the many treasured memories that encompass her family. I hope when Fiona gazes upon this quilt many reminiscences will come to mind of the happy and cherished moments spent with her loved ones.


This last week of the holidays I have a few more orders to stitch but I don't suppose they will give me as much joy, as the stitching of this nostalgic-filled quilt. Oh well.......such is life.

May you all have a sunny week filled with a li'l stitching. 'Tis toodles from me!

27 comments:

  1. WOW Kim this is SO beautiful! what a treasure, I love all the lace, pearls, and the glove is such a wonderful touch! WELL done YOU. love it.

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  2. Kim your customer should be just thrilled with your finished product. The quilt is amazing. I could spend hours just looking at all the wonderful detail you have embellished into this quilt. I love how you make flowers out of bits of fabrics; and all the love and attention you give to adding all the other lace, buttons, beads and trims.

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  3. Fiona is just going to love this. Really lovely, to keep and treasure for ever.

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  4. Oh Kim...this is beautiful!! It'a no wonder your next projects will feel like the let down of starting work after a vacation!! LOL!!

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  5. Beautiful, just beautiful! I'm sure Fiona was more than blessed with the work of your hands with this very special project.
    All that gorgeous lace!!! Oh oh oh! I so love lace.
    It looks lovely with those vintage photos.

    Excellent job, Kim.
    Have a blessed day.
    Joy! Debbie

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  6. Hi Kim, Visiting with you via Debbie's blog. (She Graces Her Home) Your work is gorgeous and I know this piece will be treasured by the family.

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  7. What a glorious piece you have created...I am sure it will be treasured and loved.

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  8. As always Kim, your work is beautiful! I so enjoy your blog ;o) Margie/New York

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    1. Hello Margie, It is lovely to have you visit. I often think of you and your sister-in-law....I hope all is well with you. :)

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  9. That's an exquisite and very personal heirloom piece you have created.

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    1. Thank you so much, Ann! I always love fashioning an heirloom pretty. :)

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  10. This is fantastic, so beautiful!!!
    Happy week.:*

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  11. Isn't that fun to be given free reign over this. It looks amazing, but that's no surprise. I am sure it will be cherished for years and years.
    Do you have any of your lovely trims left ? : )

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  12. This is so beautiful an exquisitely made treasure. Fiona will love this heirloom

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  13. Oh, Kim, you make me cry! What a beautiful post on a quilt that will long bring memories to mind and a smile to her heart! Beautiful! Thank you for taking such care to make this for her! Treasure!

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  14. Beautiful, stunning, special..... what more needs to be said. You did your usual perfect work and she will be thrilled I know. I can almost see you smiling as you add each new piece to this treasure!!

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  15. This quilt is absolutely beautiful and will, no doubt, be a true treasured heirloom!! I know Fiona will just love it!!! You are SO talented, thanks for sharing your gorgeous work!

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  16. What a gorgeous heirloom you've created!AriadnefromGreece!

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  17. Hello, dear Kim! I am visiting you via my sweet mom's blog {She Graces Her Home}. I have heard all about you and your beautiful blog so I thought I would come for a little visit :)

    Your work is truly amazing and the detail that you add is exquisite! I am sure Fiona was richly blessed by you and your work.

    I am happy to be a new follower of yours and I look forward to visiting again. Hugs! Stephanie - The Enchanting Rose

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  18. Hello Kim,

    Fiona and her family will love what you have made for her. I just love old family photo;s they took the time to take some wonderful photo's. I have a question if you only have a photocopy of a old photo would that show up as well on the fabric?

    Happy days.
    Bev.

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  19. There is something magical about nostalgic-filled quilts. How wonderful of you to incorporate the photos in the quilt. It looks beautiful, Kim! She will LOVE it!!

    -Soma

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  20. Fiona certainly came to the right person! This really is the prettiest of quilts and it will certainly become an heirloom :)

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  21. I started out (before I even read your post) intending to tell you how happy your header photo makes me each and every time I pop by for a visit. And then - I read the post AND saw all those incredible details and words promptly failed me. (You'll note that they came back enough to I could comment though!!).

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  22. Oh my Kim, it is breathtaking! You are so right, it is so fun and you do it so well. Love all of the bits of lace and pretties! The gloves area glorious touch. How could Fiona not love and cherish it?
    hugs,
    Jann

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  23. Oh Kim what a treat to come home from my visit to Mums & sit & read this glorious post with a cuppa ... thank you so much :-) That quilt is just stunning & I am sure will now become a family heirloom to be treasured & passed down the generations. I adore all your fine delicate work in it but especially love the glove with the roses, how perfect & appropriate. You make me feel like tipping all my beads & trims & laces out & having a play !!!!

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  24. That is amazing you are so talented it will be loved and treasured. :) xx

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  25. Lucky Fiona and lucky you. A quilt made in your style and with your special touches. You have such a special way with those embellishments - exciting to see.

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