Interesting News on V&A Textiles Dept

I've been web-wandering (sounds more genteel than 'surfing, don't you think? or less hobo-ish?) this morning looking for embroidered floral images on Chinese Imperial Robes, and in 17C or earlier clothing. That's what happens when you lie awake in the early hours designing things in your head!!

I'll give you some fabulous links in a mo, but if anyone is in the habit of visiting the V&A Museum to see their textiles (one of my favourite places in London for the last thirty years, irregular, but wonderful!), you really should have a look at this post which I happened across at Thistle-Threads. If you knew it already I still think you should pass it on, as out-of-towners would never find out otherwise?

And here's some Su Embroidery eye-candy for you- if you want more go through the Categories sections at the top left of this page, if you go straight to the e-shop you just get titles with no thumbnails...

and also some Elizabethan embroidery. Have a wander on the Elizabethan site, lots to see.


And for why was I web-wandering in the first place?

I'm designing an evening bag with beads and embroidery, well, I think I am...things don't always turn out as envisaged...as I found a lovely crimson table runner in the Charity shop which I want to reuse. I think its a table runner, could be anything actually, but its definitely crying out for re-use!!

Challenge Check #9 and New Challenge from heckety!

First of all thank you to EVERYONE who helped me with the Boring Bag! ( Hey! that would have been a really good title for my blog, wouldn't it?! 'Adventures of the Boring Bag' or maybe 'Heyday of the Horrid Hag' or maybe...get on with it heckety...) I am working on it and will show you a photo in due course...

So this week I have something to show for both Challenges, and am adding a Challenge of my own too down below! With spot prizes no less!!

Dottie Angel's Challenge of the Utmost Kind (click on logo in side bar to read her):

I was rummaging through the press on Saturday and found some old curtain fabric so put together a few more light coloured fabrics, all recycled or scraps from Mom's dressmaking, to begin making this table runner.
Then I found some lovely turquoisy/green which looks very much like the fabric of my favourite dress when I was about 10, and am adding some appliqué flowers. If it turns out well I'll put it in the shop.

Its lovely working with 'spring coloured' fabrics, really brighteningly uppish!

For the CED 'Art Story' Challenge I'm showing you some very battered dolls which sit on a little chair in the sitting room:

Meet Katie Emma and Jemima!

When the girls were little we had no access (or money) for buying toys so when people gave me fabric scraps I sewed things for them.
These two dolls are from an old 'Prima' magazine pattern (people gave me magazines as well, and my Granny in South Africa posted me 'Your Family' magazine for years and years- from which were made every one's clothes, and all the baking!). Katie Emma came first, and then, because we lived in East Africa and it seemed weird to me for the girls not to have a coloured doll, Jemima was made.

I sewed them when Sos was a baby(nearly 19 years ago...oh my giddy aunt!), to prevent Dilly from treating the baby like a stuffed toy! They are stuffed with old socks and also kapok from the tree in my FIL's garden at the time. They have had a lot of loving, battering, washing, dragging...so you see, when I make dolls to sell and I tell folks they will withstand wear, I know exactly what I'm talking about!

And now for the Challenge I'm giving you!

What Music inspires you?

For me one of the most empowering songs I know is Whitney Houston's 'One Moment in Time':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poaXgXQmdIo
I listen to it and I'm able for anything- the higher the volume, of course, the more able!

If you have time to add a YouTube link to your comment, even better, then we can all listen and opinionate! If there's more than 4 songs I'll draw four names for spot prizes! Howzat?? And you have until next Monday morning-ish (GMT!) or hIT! (heckety's Irish Time, of COURSE!!!) to enter!
I love hearing new Artists and Music so BLOW ME AWAY!