wallpaper emo: antique ribbon work

Home / Posts filed under antique ribbon work

Tampilkan postingan dengan label antique ribbon work. Tampilkan semua postingan

Happy Birthday to The French Laundry

Posted by csdferwEHRTJR Minggu, 05 Januari 2014 0 komentar

Hello Blogger Friends,

I can't believe that a year has gone by since I first opened my Etsy shop, The French Laundry, but as of January 6, it will be a full year. It was a great 2013 and I am looking forward to bringing you more beautiful treasures in 2014. I'm still trying to find my way around balancing shopkeeping and working full time, but it is getting a bit easier. I'm challenging myself to get more organized and stop hoarding (well, maybe just cut back on the hoarding :-) I am, after all, a collector myself ). I also have a few small home projects/purchases to do this year, so the income from the shop becomes even more important. With all of that in mind, I'd like to offer a little "Happy Birthday" gift to you in honor of my first year in business. Just stop by The French Laundry from now until midnight tomorrow (1/6/14) and enter HAPPYBIRTHDAY20 at checkout to receive 20% off on all purchases over $20. Now that Christmas is over, it is a good time for you to pick up that special something you've been wanting for yourself at a special price.

Until next time,

Baca Selengkapnya ....

The Trouble with Finding Your Passion...

Posted by csdferwEHRTJR Minggu, 20 Januari 2013 0 komentar

Hello Bloggie Friends,

First of all, it has been an astonishing first two weeks of business at my Etsy shop, The French Laundry. YAY! Sooooooo good for my psyche and good for my soul. This being said, I must comment on the dangers of finding your passion, living your bliss, and selling only that which you would love to have in your own home (my words from my Etsy shop "mission statement" if you will). I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT IN MY OWN HOME. This means, each and every time, each and every purchase I make for the shop, I have to go through what I am embarrassed to admit is a somewhat GUT-WRENCHING-prying-this-stuff-out-of-my-chubby-little-hands-you-bought-it-to-sell-it little disco dance. Really? It's stuff. Stuff I don't need cause I've already got plenty of my own stuff thank you very much. Sigh...but it's SO pretty. And when it is in piles, waiting to be photographed and described, it makes such a beautiful mess. Yes, it does. Mr. French Laundry, in this case, your opinion does not count. You call it my piles, I call it a beautiful mess. Half empty, half full...who is the happier one here, huh? HUH? Can you tell I'm having a bit of a dilemma? I visited with a dear friend of mine one afternoon this past week (yes Sharon, I'm talking about you), and we commented on what kindred spirits we are. We absolutely love the same things and her "work room" is a room I could enter, shut the door, and stay in for DAYS just looking and marveling at all of the beauty just piled up around me. I kid you not, it is THAT good. Maybe one of these days I'll do a photo shoot of her pretty piles. But seriously, she can buy something amazing and turn right around and sell it, just like that, no fuss, no muss. But not me. No, I have to love on it for a while. Put it somewhere and gaze upon it for a bit until I feel I've absorbed it's beauty and can let it go to a new home (some things have to marinate longer than others, I must admit). That's just how I roll I guess. But, once I let something go, I have to say, I've never actually had any regrets. In fact, I can't say I've ever missed a thing. Oh well, worse problems to have for sure.

I made this powder box out of old materials, even the box itself.

More from the beautiful mess pile. Swoon...

I added a couple more vintage wallpapers to my wallpaper store on my blog sidebar. Here's a peek at them:

1940's liles on soft green and white background


1940-50 Sears Harmony House floral clusters on neutral taupe background

I have also been adding new items to Elegant Farmhouse like this pretty Edwardian Motto Pillow:

Well, it is getting late and my laundry basket calls. Hate that...

Until next time,

Baca Selengkapnya ....

Fabulous French Finds

Posted by csdferwEHRTJR Selasa, 10 April 2012 0 komentar

Antique French ribbon work sewing basket, metal frame, and jeweled clock

Hello Blog Friends,

Today I have the urge to share some of my wonderful French antique finds. Given my blog name you have probably figured out that I am a bit of a Francophile, to say the least. Armed with that fact, let's take a quick peek around my home for some of my favorite things...it's a little photo heavy, so be forewarned.

That beautiful antique Normandy lace pillow that graces the center of my blog header seems like a good place to start...Normandy lace is an exquisite and very collectible "patchwork" of laces and usually embroidered lawn or organdy. Many laces are French in origin, many others are French in style and often misattributed to France, but Normandy is pretty much a given that it is made in France if it has the elements listed above. I've had a few pieces with little fabric tags sewn on them stating "made in France". Love that!

The detailing on this metal picture frame that I purchased last year is breathtaking. I almost hyperventilated when I saw it.

One of my favorite clocks also hails from France. Don't you just love the jewels? OK, they're colored glass, but I couldn't love this clock any more if they were genuine gems although I certainly might keep a closer eye on it!

This French lawyer's document is dated 1852. The sepia script on the old paper is awesome.

Most of these lovely little 1920's perfume bottles are from Czechoslovakia, but this one is marked "Made in France". Found it at an estate sale. J'adore! It sits on a French ribbon work vanity tray, of course...

This amazing little tiny purse holds a mirror and a powder puff. Presumably, a powder compact would have gone in there too so you could daintily powder your nose. It still has it's little store tag on it.

I pulled the little rose covered purse out of this cabinet of beauty which holds my prized antique ribbon work. That is a whole other post, but let me tantalize you with a quick photo of one of the shelves...I've never shown this cabinet to anyone except my immediate family, so I must like you guys!

Back to purses, this beautiful piece was made in Paris and has a wonderful metallic beaded pattern mixed with embroidery.

This little gal sits on my dresser wearing my hands down favorite crown of my collection (yes, another collection for another time). Don't let on to the other crowns, I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings! LOL! It is a French saint's crown and it is called a Trembler because the large lily type flower that sits front and center is on a wire that makes it move a bit or tremble. Not sure why this was done, but it is cool.

Last but certainly not least, I have something that I'd bet most of you have never heard of because they are fairly rare. It is a French Laurel Award. These were given out for doing something special the way we would have given out trophies or loving cups. Sometimes they are just a free standing sprig of metal leaves, sometimes they are in the form of crowns with laurel leaves or sometimes oak leaves. Mine appears to have been attached to something else since there's a place where it looks like it would have gone over a post of some sort, perhaps on a trophy or stand. It is from the Paris International Exposition, no date, but it looks very old, so I'd guess at least a hundred years or more. I've often wondered what someone did to be presented with something so beautiful. I am from Colorado Springs, where Artus Van Briggle lived and made pottery in the early 1900's and I like to imagine that this is the award he received in Paris for one of his amazing vases. Probably not, but I like to think so anyway.

If you've stuck with me this long, thank you thank you good and faithful reader. I can really get going when I am showing and telling about my favorite things. Hope your week is a good one!

Until next time,

Joining these parties this week:
Knick of Time Tuesday
Tuesdays Treasures
White Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesday
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday
What's It Wednesday
Home Sweet Home
Pearls and Lace Thursday
Feathered Nest Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Simple and Sweet Friday
Fridays Unfolded
Pink Saturday

Baca Selengkapnya ....

Hats off to you! Antique ribbon work-a love story, part 2

Posted by csdferwEHRTJR Kamis, 01 Maret 2012 0 komentar

As promised, I am sharing my collection of 1920's hats with you. All of them feature beautiful ribbon work. I think you can appreciate the workmanship that went into each one just by looking at the photos, so, for once in my life, I'm going to pipe down and let the photos speak for themselves.

Hat is constructed of metallic lace

This original tag is attached to the blue hat pictured just above it. I believe it says $8.50. I may pass out!

Lace Boudoir Cap

Another metallic lace hat, presumably for a child due to small size

Ribbons have metallic thread on the edges

This one is actually more of a silk ribbon embroidery

This combines silk ribbon embroidery, ribbon work, and silk embroidery on the leaves

I also have pretty hatstands, some from the same period as the hats.

Oh, look, more ribbon work

Simple velvet with millinery flower embellishments

Exquisite German porcelain doll used as a base.

Newly constructed in the style of the 20's

Newer construction by the same friend who introduced me to ribbon work

It is so unlike me to be brief, but I'm pretty sure my words would be lost what with all of the beautiful yumminess anyway, so I'm off to link to some of my end of week parties. Come on by and see all of the cool stuff the other bloggers have to show you.

Until next time,

Linking with:
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Pink Saturday

Baca Selengkapnya ....

Antique ribbon work...a love story

Posted by csdferwEHRTJR Rabu, 29 Februari 2012 0 komentar

Hello friends,

As I have mentioned before, I am a collector. I have many objects that call my name, but none is as dear to me as my antique ribbon work. If I had a chance to gather up only one collection, you know, before the meteor hits or something, it would be my ribbon work without a doubt. Do you know what ribbon work is? Well, if you don't mind indulging the scholar in me, refill your coffee and let me tell you a little bit.

Women have been adorning themselves and their clothing since time began. I have no doubt that Eve, shortly after donning those well placed fig leaves, set out to jazz them up with some additional petals or leaves somehow. During the first quarter of the 20th century, women had more time than in previous decades to spend making their world lovely (thanks Industrial Revolution), and pretty it up they did. They began making intricate flowers out of silk ribbon and adorning garments and all manner of boudoir items with them. Entire books and magazines were devoted to the art and craft of ribbon work, showing housewives how to adorn everyday items with ribbon. The craft became so popular, studios in France employed women to make rather ornate silk ribbon bouquets. They would generally be put on a background of crinoline or buckram which could then be basted on garments after market, if you will. It allowed the flowers to be removed if the garment needed to be cleaned. Many of the leading department stores in the teens and 1920's carried the exquisite French imports which could then be added to your own garment if you didn't wish to make your own. I presume that these stores probably carried some of the beautiful French vanity items which were also adorned with ribbon work.

While I am sure this is an exaggeration, it sometimes seems as though anything that didn't move got fancied up with ribbons and ribbon work. It is these items that make my heart skip a beat. Since being introduced to these 1920's treasures by a dear friend over 15 years ago, it has become my ~~obsession~~ quest to find and collect examples of it. I shared some of my collection of powder patters a while back. You can read about it here. This morning, I took advantage of the nice light in my bedroom and shot photos of my collection of 1920's hats bearing ribbon designs. In my next post, I will show them to you up close and personal, lots of pictures, not so much text, so come back and visit again.

Until next time,

Baca Selengkapnya ....