I’m sure you’ve all found those blogs that sort of keep nudging your subconscious – you notice cute things and great pictures popping up in link parties, sew alongs, etc. Then you start finding your favorite blogs contributing to really cool series and think “I have got to go check this girl out!”. That’s how I found An from StraightGrain. It began with this adorable dress, I think in a linky party with a catchy caption about how much her daughter loved the circle skirt on this dress:
She’s hosting the epic Kid’s Clothes Belgian Style featuring a laundry list of awesome contributors. An lives in Antwerp, a city I became very familiar with; living there for five weeks on a short-term work assignment. Such a cool city!
Belgium is a center for the lace industry, so I’ll share a bit about Belgian lace:
The intricate lace patterns in Belgium are unmatched in any other country. The lace trade rose during the early Renaissance. Emperor Charles V decreed that lace-making should be a compulsory skill for girls in convents and beguinages (similar to a convent except that the women dedicated themselves to God without retiring from the world) throughout Flanders. Lace became fashionable on collars and cuffs for both sexes. Trade reached a peak in the 18th century. Lace makers are traditionally women. Hundreds of craftswomen still work in Bruges and Brussels, centers of bobbin lace, creating intricate work by hand, often using over 100 threads per bobbin. Belgian lace is bought today mainly as a souvenir, but despite the rise in machine-made lace from other countries, the quality here still remains as fine as it was in the renaissance.
Source:
Here’s An:
Hi everyone! I’m An from StraightGrain, and I’m so happy to be partipating in Jenn’s inspiring series. When Jenn invited me, I almost immediately thought of my grandmother and aunts, who are very skilled needleworkers. One of the many things they (used to) do, is embellishing bed sheets with embroidery, cutwork, or crocheted strips. Now, with a kid and a job and a very time-consuming hobby, the idea of doing something of that order wasn’t really realistic for me, but I did take inspiration from their work for the blanket I’m showing today.
A few weeks ago, I bought a lovely piece of Nani Iro brushed cotton here (Fuwari Fuwari in cream, out of print), and I decided to turn it into a vintage-style blanket by embellishing the edges with piping and store-bought cutwork. Here is how I did this:
1. First, I made the piping, as I couldn’t find ready-made piping in the right color. 2. Next, I stitched both the cutwork strip and the piping on the right side of the bottom sheet. 3. At the (rounded) corners, I clipped the piping before stitching it to the fabric. 4. Then, I placed the bottom sheet on the top sheet, right sides together, and stitched right into the stitch line of the piping. I left a turning hole of about 15 cm (6″). 5. Finally, I turned the right side out, and closed the turning hole.
This is the first time I use cutwork, but I’m pretty sure I’ll use it again. It’s extremely simple to work with, and it gives the blanket a bit of a vintage touch. Thank you so much for having me, Jenn!
Thanks so much for contributing this great project An – I love that you were able to make something that looks so lovely and vintage, but is still very approachable.
I really love how piping and workcut looks together: I think I’ll do something similar on Marte’s Charles Pants Sew-Along!!!
Thanks for sharing….
MammaNene
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