Pillow Slip

At first glance, where would you say this pillow cover came from?

The Southwest?

It's an Art Deco reproduction from a trendy store?

Nope.

It is a vintage Japanese pillow cover.

When I bid and won it on Ebay, I was surprised to find when it arrived that the original tag was still stuck to the fabric.

And it was in Kanji. I recognized the type face as ca. the 1910-1930's.

The fabric is silk challis. Even the snaps on the backing are authentic to the period.

It's probably from the Taisho Period in Japan. This period followed the reign of Emperor Meiji when the influence of Victorian western culture made huge inroads into the Japanese culture.

The Taisho Period saw the advent of motor cars, modern conveniences and the flapper era.

I actually saw this screen in Honolulu. It is nearly life-sized and absolutely stunning.

Design-wise this little pillow cover fits right in there.

The photo does not do the dye colors justice.

As a matter of fact, I have decided to take the cover off my grandmother's feather pillow (The inside is covered with now-fashionable blue-striped ticking) and find a shadow box frame in order to hang it on the wall.

Another Ring Pillow

This ring pillow was made of white batiste with antique lace, transparent sequins and white and gold thread embroidery.

The ring is really a plain, gold-washed band tacked down to the pillow. Symbolic only. The white ribbon is also lightly tacked in strategic places to keep the look of the bow.

The lace was so beautiful, I only wanted to highlight the shape of the design, so sequins were applied just lightly.

The gold thread is true gold, not Mylar. I took a gold-work class at one time and it came in handy when I wanted to make something super special.

The whole pillow is made to lie flat when the stuffing is removed. That way, it can be placed in a frame, with a little offsetting to allow the ribbons to stay three dimensional. Makes a nice bride's keepsake.

Click on the images for a close-up view.

Shelter Boxes

You can help.

This world wide organization supplies boxes custom-loaded for whatever kind of emergency help is needed.

And the people of Japan need all the help they can get.

http://shelterboxusa.org/index.php

Baby Smock

This is the smock I made for my grandson. It is a copy of one made for me by my mother.

The fabric is wool lawn, a very light and airy cloth.

I don't know if you can even find this anymore. It was from my stash.

The blue and white ribbon trim is antique and the tiny thistle embroidery was done by hand. (He has a Scottish surname.)

No pattern, just a flat cut-out with facings at the hem, neck and sleeves.

Click on the picture to see the detail.

Inspiration

I don't know who made this coat. I wish I did. It floated up in images from the web.

I love the strength of the design.

Looks like Seminole patchwork, but I can't be sure.

The colors and gradations of fabrics are fantastic.

I'd love to know more about the closings too.

If I were making it, the whole garment would be softer--not so heavily rolled looking. I would somehow eliminate that horizontal at the bust and move it down the figure, but the verticals at the bottom are really flattering.

Click on the image for a closer look.

Ahem

Sorry for the non-posting.

I've put down my needle and thread for a few weeks because I'm off chasing ancestors.

I've discovered a colonial seagoing-merchantman and am busy tracing his unfortunately short voyage through life.

If you've ever done any of this kind of research, it can be intense and all-consuming. Every clue and trail must be searched out and well noted and, of course, each door opened reveals yet another one.

So the sails will be hanging in the sail loft for a little while. Bear with me......