Sunday, February 17, 2019

Beaux draps

The French have some strange expressions, one of them being you are in the 'Beaux Draps', meaning you are in the beautiful sheets! This expression actually means you are in trouble! 

Another night of Netflix ( I won't say what I was watching ) meant doing something with my hands. As a child I learnt to embroider and make crochet lace and crochet then tatting lace and of course sewing from the age of 6. I still remember the day I discovered that thread came in colours ! Until then I was only given black or white to work with and a sample book of tweed from the local tailor shop. There was not a night when I wasn't making Something, ranging from clothes for family and clients and then totes and dolls and soft toys ( trolls !! it WAS the early 70's ! ) and hats for all the family and slippers and well anything that I could find to make.

The other night I made some more sheets which turned out small but will do for a single bed or for show in a linen cupboard. I then decided to make some coton quilts, the previous one being in silk. 
I made them reversible and tried to make 'vintage' choices in the prints.

 All lined up and really of not much use in Ramsay house but someone will like them! Anyone ? 
 More 'beaux draps' with different laces, one has yet to be embroidered. 

 A detail of the stitching, really easy to do going round the square trying to make them as small as possible. I used a different batting to fill from the silk one but it was just as fine and easy to work with. Some of the fabrics I used wrong side up as the print was too harsh. You just plonk two layers over the batting, machine sew around a Template leaving a gap of course then trim and turn right way round, stitch the gap and then baste the edges to keep it flat before 'quilting' . Voila ! 
 Next I will make some pillows and pillow cases trimmed in lace and embroidered but tonight I am carving a doll ! yup more avoidance. I am supposed to be resting my eyes as I suffer from headaches a LOT so mini stitching and mini carving is not the best idea is it ! 


6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Gracias, me encanta coser, acabo de ver tus blogs, ¡son encantadores!

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  2. Hello Stephanie,
    Those are lovely. I musts ay your time watching Netflix is very productive. Some of the fabrics are lovely.
    Big hug
    Giac

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    1. Thank you , I will stop quilting for now ! I would like to master mini patchwork but the scale does not look right and the finished article looks more like a surfboard than a bedspread !xoxoxo

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  3. The very first mini thing I made was a quilt for Elizabeth of Studio E. It was correctly scaled and my stitching perfect. (Something at last I am good at!) However, I tried to layer it as I would my quilts with fibrefill and it was altogether too stiff and would not lie flat.
    Recently I noticed that Elizabeth had kept it. I was quite touched. .... that was back to 1991 I think. Yes, we have been friends for a long time!
    However your quilts are lovely and I love the monogram.. I am a push over for rescuing linens..... particularly ones that seem to need ironing!
    Keep up the good work. I’m enjoying your posts ... and as you see catching up on commenting while I am permitted.
    Janine

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    1. Hi Janine, sorry didn't reply sooner. I am so involved with this sort out of the house that really needed doing that it takes my energy but in the end will give me space, order and focus. I've seen people stuff pillows with small glass pellets/beads to make them lie like full scale ones, maybe adapted to quilts? tiny pockets of beads sewn together. I love that age old technique of making tiny 10x10 cm pillows stuffed ( back then it was old tights! ) and then all sewn together. Makes a puffy quilt. I also love the cathedral window technique, used a lot in Japan. I buy old shirts in the flea market in Paris for 50 cents and it makes a lot of fabric! I have a huge box where over the years I cut out interesting pieces of cotons and stored to make a bedspread. I might have enough for several by now if I can find them. If there is a particular fabric or type of fabric you need, let me know and I will look it out. I have put dozens of boxes up to the attics and more in a spare room for eBay. I have sent a LOT to a friend who sells it for charity dogs home. I might make some totes for her to sell there as every little counts. I lvoe hand sewing, its so relaxing. Miniature patchwork is tricky, I have tried and tried but it always turns out too rigid although the finer fabrics work best. huggs S xoxox

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