Edey's Vintage and Current Needlework

May 2009 - Posts

• Antimicassars, doilies, dresser scarves

  I was searching around e-bay today and noticed an unusual  cloth cover listed for sale - a beautiful embroidered cloth for draping over a treadle sewing machine.  I got to thinking about how it was common many years ago to cover just about every piece of furniture with some form of needlework, for protection from dirt and scratches but also for a place to display the beautiful art needlework of the homeowner. There were many forms and names of these cloths: 1. Antimicassars were the pieces put on the backs of chairs to protect against oily hair. They would usually have matching arm covers. It was much easier to change out and wash different sets of these cloths than it was to have a piece of furniture reupholstered. Furniture was kept for a lifetime or passed on as heirlooms; protecting that furniture was a wise and frugal practice; it was wise money management; money was tight and if a piece of furniture didn't need to be replaced then money wasn't needed for that replacement.  2.  Doilies helped keep wood furniture from getting scratched on the tops when something like a vase or figurine was placed on top. Doilies covered a whole range of needlecraft; they could be crocheted, knitted, tatted, be combined with a piece of fabric that itself was embroidered. There were variations that had large frilly crocheted sides, or others that only had very simple edgings.   Just about any form of needlework would be worked into a doily. The embroidery could be very fine art or whimsical.  3.  Dresser scarves: Placed on vanities and chest of drawers, they also served to protect the wood finish from the bottles, jars and brushes owned by the lady of the house, and at the same time added so much to the decoration of the room. 4. Table cloths and runners: used on the dining room table, they beautified that space and not only protected a good table but also served the purpose of covering up a not-so-good table, perhaps one made of rough boards. Picnic tables were beautified with the use of a pretty tablecloth. Table runners are a long narrow band of a cloth placed down the center of the table.  Their decoration adds quite a bit to setting a table.   5.  Placemats, napkins and luncheon sets: Using these gave the ladies another opportunity to display their needlework abilities.  Placemats defined the seating at each chair, and helped protect the beautiful table cloth or if no tablecloth protected the table top. With matching napkins it was very pretty.  Luncheon sets combined matching placemats, napkins, coasters, napkin rings, candle mats, and other small cloths placed in the center of the table on which the serving dishes were placed. All these cloths of beautiful needlework served many purposes; art display, wood protection, cleanliness, seasonal decoration, traditions. But there is one usefulness that occurred to me that I've never seen mentioned: noise control.  Have you ever been in a room that has no curtains, no carpeting, no fabric of any kind anywhere?  It's noisy and hollow when a sound is made, any sound, large or small. Fabric in a room deadens sounds. Instead of the clinking, clanging and hardness that comes from everyday living, the cloths help to muffle those sounds and make for a quieter world. In addition to the beauty that they provide they also calm nerves because of their sound-deadening capabilites.  Sound far fetched? Try putting a few cloths and doilies around your house and see how it works. You'll be contributing beauty and peace to your hectic world. Edey  Posted May 25 2009, 08:14 AM by Edey with 2 comment(s)

• A Comment on E-bay and Craigslist selling

  As I've mentioned before I have a hobby of finding and fixing old sewing machines.  Everyday I look on E-bay and Craigslist, among other sites, for sewing machine related items.  One of the most frustrating things about searching thru these sites is to find a listing with no picture, and worse no description of the item being sold. Just saying "sewing machine - $40.00" doesn't do much to peak my interest in purchasing. But another thing that is annoying is when someone lists a sewing machine but only shows the table that it is in. If I was only buying the table that would be okay, but if it comes with a machine I want to see what it looks like before taking the time to call or e-mail about it.  I've seen often seen listings in which they show 2 or 3 or more pictures - all of the same view - from the back.  For someone interested in buying they aren't seeing what they need to make a decision about purchasing.  Think about the pricing when you list something.  Look at what others have listed and sold for. A common item, whether antique or vintage, unless it is in absolute pristine like new condition with all of it's parts and totally functional, should not have an outrageous price on it if you are serious about selling it. Putting $1000.00 on a common sewing machine of which literally, millions were made, is outrageous. So here are some suggestions that can be used for listing something for sale, whether a sewing machine, or anything.  1. Take at least one clear close up picture in good lighting. Two or 3 pictures at different angles will be even better.  2. Do a little research about your item and write a good, and honest description of the item when creating the listing. In the instance of an old sewing machine, to list a machine that weighs about 40 pounds as being a Singer Featherweight solely for the purpose of misleading that purchaser because Featherweights bring in higher prices - that's is highly dishonest.  A Featherweight weighs about 12 pounds.  That's a big difference in weight from the 40 pound machine.  3.  If it is missing an important component, like the cords needed to run it, - say so. If the wiring is bad, and that would be obvious, say that too.  4.  Dishonesty in listing something for sale gives places like E-bay and Craigslist a bad reputation - if everyone did that the purchaser would turn away and not bother with either site, and then we wouldn't have their services anymore.   5.  Clean up, as much as possible, what you are selling.  Dusting, gently wiping down with a damp cloth, putting some furniture polish on a cabinet or table will make your item interesting when you take a picture and make your listing. In using the damp cloth, first try it on a small area to see that it won't damage the surface of what you are wiping down. You don't want to make your item worse than it already might be.  Putting some thought into what you are listing will go along way to getting it sold, put money in your pocket, and make the purchaser a happy person.   Edey Posted May 20 2009, 10:16 AM by Edey with 1 comment(s) Filed under: honesty, sewing machine, craigslist, selling, e-bay

• Don't Forget About RickRack

  Rickrack makes a very charming, quaint decoration on projects.  It comes in many widths from baby sized to jumbo.   Aprons have become popular again; when sewing your own add it around the perimeter for a cute accent.  If you are edging the apron with bias tape, tuck rickrack just under the edge of the bias tape as you sew it down. It makes for a very cute touch.   Two pieces of rickrack can be braided together to make a different look, then sewn down.   Rickrack can even be made into flowers.  Search around the internet for instructions and samples; you can make roses, daisies, flower stems, forget-me-nots and several other kinds of flowers just by stitching together the points, braiding two strands together, or rolling a strand together then stitching in place.   The origins of rickrack supposedly came into being as the result of a broken machine that made braided tapes, when the machine malfunctioned rickrack was the result. After that it became a popular decoration for sewing and crafts.  Edey Posted May 01 2009, 09:13 AM by Edey with no comments Filed under: braided tape, rickrack, rickrack flowers