I cannot count my day complete
'Til needle, thread and fabric meet.
~Author Unknown

Sharing a common thread with those who love the art of hand embroidery

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Dollhouse bathroom and bedroom

I have finished the bathroom for the dollhouse.
I chose a blue floral print wallpaper and a tile print floor........

next I made a tiny little toilet paper holder with 
tiny little toilet paper

I made a wall shelf, a cabinet for towels,
and homemade towels

Another cabinet for towels and small items
with a towel hanger
the "small" items are hand made tiny pieces of soaps (oven bake clay)
and other bath products that I made and glued 
miniature labels onto.

The little mirror is real. It is made from the top 
of a tiny concealer compact with decorative
trim added.


I added a small bath rug

and printed rug for the floor. Now the bathroom 
is complete.

I chose a pretty pink floral wallpaper for the dollhouse 
bedroom, with pink decorative flooring and then made
lace curtains. 

I made a bed from twigs out in the yard

I made mattress, matching sheets and pillows

and I made a quilt from a vintage fingertip towel. 

I had this vintage precious moments trinket box
in my shop.......but it looked perfect for the dollhouse 
bedroom.

It has had it's vase of flowers broken off....

so I got creative with my beads.......

and made tiny perfume bottles for the dresser instead
They glisten in the light


I also made a little lamp from beads

and it all looks perfect for the bedroom

Now the dollhouse bedroom is complete, except the rocker
and table need painting, and the shelves need items.
That will come later. 
I will show the dining room and child's room
in my next posts, as this post is already pretty lengthy.  



Sunday, February 16, 2020

Dressing Up A Space With Vintage Linens

It has been a few weeks with lots of soaking and hundreds of stitches.......and now I can happily say that my workbasket is completely empty and that the whole stash of embroidered linens has been
repaired, cleaned, and ready for another use.
Some vintage linens, I sell in my vintage shop.........but there 
are some that I just cannot let go of and keep to 
decorate my home with.  I won't  use these lovely potholders for 
anything else but to decorate with. 


They add such sweet character to the corner by the stove.

Many times I change things around, including the vintage linens.
The apron in the front with the embroidered basket is vintage.
It's neckline was completely ripped and there was a hole in the body.
So I repaired the whole and repaired the neckline as best I could.
Now it is a pretty piece to decorate with
  
The embroidery on this piece is lovely, and I want to be
able to enjoy looking at it when I am cooking.

So it is hanging with my newer apron that I have made for 
myself to wear during cooking


When I am not using the stove or oven, I like to keep
pretty vintage linens hanging on it.

This "lunchtime" cloth is perfect for this use.
I also use vintage tablecloths to dress the tables in other rooms.
If you have some vintage linens that you think have too many stains, too 
many holes and too badly torn crochet edging..........

Take your time soaking the piece to remove the stains. 
Lately, I have found rubbing salt and lemon juice onto the stains,
then laying them out in the sunshine on the grass for a few hours is the 
best way to get rid of stubborn stains without ruining the fabric. 
Gently hand wash the piece afterwards. 

If you are worried about the torn edging, 
you can remove it from the piece.........

but with needle and thread, you can most of the time
repair it and it looks like new. 

Just work with your needle

matching up as much as you can , weaving in and out
and it is restored!

Holes are the biggest common problem in vintage linens.

cut matching color fabric and stitch around the hole and 
hem the fabric onto the back and the holes ........the piece 
looks whole again. 

If the embroidery is missing or pulled out, 


Just re embroider the missing part or re enforce the loose stitches.
After all of  your patience and work, you will have a lovely
vintage linen, ready for another use. As  you can see in the photo
the stains are gone......the patched holes are barely noticeable and the 
edging is complete.


Vintage embroidered linens are perfect to just place somewhere
to be seen.  They add such prettiness and character to any spot.
Do you agree?