Saturday, April 25, 2009

Vintage Tatting Shuttles


This time we are taking a little look at
vintage tatting shuttles
found in a vintage
"Antiques Collector"
US magazine.

(click for larger image)

(click for larger image)(click for larger image)

*************


Wednesday, April 22, 2009

DAVE & JOANNA STANBROUGH (Part Two)

Being a collector of sewing items
under all the headings of -
vintage
modern
new
handmade,
the search will often bring
many pleasing results, and sometimes
something will just take your breath
away........... as when I discovered
Grizzly Mountain Arts!

If you have heard of Grizzly
Mountain Arts, then of course
you have heard of Dave & JoAnna Stanbrough,
crafters of the most beautiful fiber art
tools, jewelry, and baskets - "finding
inspiration from the natural beauty of
our local landscape" - Grizzly Mountain, Oregon.

(image used with permission from Dave & JoAnna Stanbrough)

(This is Part Two of my article on the amazing
duo of Dave & JoAnna Stanbrough.
Part One was posted on my other blog
- Spoolknitter - and covered the
magnificent spool knitters made by Dave
as well as his profile.
I decided to separate the two fields -
spoolknitters and needlework tools - so that
each of my blogs could carry each
corresponding subject.)

Dave and JoAnna are the perfect married
couple, soul-mates - complimenting each other,
giving of their expertise and ability to utilize those
elements found in nature turning them into
beautiful needlework tools,
necklaces, pendants, and baskets, etc.


With the list of items growing -
Tatting Shuttles
Scissor Fobs
Crochet Hooks
Thread Winders
Lace Bobbins
French Knitters
Lucets
Needle Minders
Drop Spindles
Ceramic Pendants
Necklaces
Rings
Ceramic Thread Waxers
Nostepindes
Niddy Noddies
Pine Needle Boxes
Hitty Dolls
and more ...............
their beauty and quality never falters!


They are truly an amazing couple and when you
look at the pieces yourself, you will see the incredible
artistry that goes into each quality piece.


About JoAnna Stanbrough

........." I studied musical performance in school with flute
being my principle instrument. Dave and I married in 1978
and so began our journey of moving around the country
living on various wildlife refuges. Our son was born in
1981 and I spent the next 17 years being a stay-at-home Mom,
playing music on the side. I had always done some kind of
craft, usually giving away anything I made as gifts.
It never even occurred to me that someone might
actually want to buy anything I made! LOL!
I still think of myself as a musician pretending to be an
artist :) My main medium is earthenware clay,
but I also work with ancient ivory, pine needles
and on occasion do rock mosaics.".......

JoAnna's talents are well and
truly evident in her beautiful jewelry so
feast your eyes and take a look at the
following sites -

Grizzly Mountain Arts Blogspot
Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy
Good Dirt Jewelry Etsy
On Flickr


-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Again, I want to thank both Dave and
JoAnna for affording me their time and
generosity and help in enabling me
to put this together.

*************




Sunday, April 12, 2009

KIT OR ETUI?

In my last post, I asked -

"What is the difference between a sewing kit, etui
and a sewing compendium"?

Well, not a great deal actually!
A sewing kit is explained as something used
as an aid in an emergency, designed to be
carried anywhere (holiday for instance),
handy to have in the car or handbag,
a container holding helpful sewing
accessories.

Etui is obviously French and explained as
a small, usually ornamental case for holding
articles such as needles.
They date back to the eighteenth century with
the custom of ladies taking these
and their needlework to large gatherings
or private social occasions and who would occupy themselves
with their embroidery or other work.
(Further information - Needlework and
Embroidery Tools - by Eleanor Johnson)
And ...... according to Nerylla Taunton (Antique
Needlework Tools and Embroideries) ........
it is often the central appendage of an 18th
century equipage. So from
that it would have been attached to
a chatelaine.

Compendium - a container fitted with a variety
of implements. (from Antique Needlework Tools
and Embroideries by Nerylla Taunton)

Another container from the 18th/19th century
is called a Ladies Companion.

Below is a picture of two of my own.


And in my last post, I also asked if my little tube
container would be called a sewing kit or etui?
Even if it is French and it has depose on the bottom
and it is an ornamental case, I would still call it
a sewing kit.
It couldn't be attached to a chatelaine.


Below - an untidy drawer of sewing kits!


>>>OOO<<<