Thursday 4 July 2013

A Tale of Two Greens

Our Wednesday Knit Night is more than just a knit night.  We have all sorts of crafters who come, yes mostly knitting, but we have seen weaving, we have regular embroiderers, we have regular crocheters, we have spinners.  It is wonderful that way.  It is always interesting to see what people are up to.

Yesterday we we treated to two embroiderers.  Not cross stitch though we do see that regularly too.  The two ladies were working on stamped projects and it happened that they were both working on green. 

Paulette has been working on this project since she first started coming to the Wednesday nights.  

It is a very large tablecloth from a Mary Maxim kit from a while ago.   Since she first came, the green around the outside has been completed, as well as some of the middle.  Right now she is working on the second green on the outside.  I love watching her progress on this and I love that somebody I know is making this.  
It is just the prettiest red and white tiny floral design.  Delicate.  Perfect for a summer tea and yet absolutely right for dinner at Christmas.  

In my opinion it was the prettiest kit MM ever offered and I wanted it.  Badly.  Still do and I keep watching MM to see if it is back on their list for sale.  

Which brings me to the second of the two greens.  

Karin, who just completed first year university, has a passion for vintage and handmade and so do her friends.  This piece is a dresser scarf and will be a gift for a friend.  

This is where I started, oh so long ago, with a fascination for my auntie's work on tea towels and learning to embroider with some weekday ducks on tea towels.  Such as journey those little ducks led me on.  A lifetime of small joys and really, how often can we say that of things in this world.  

I love that after all these years, hand work like this is viewed as Vintage and therefore, a trendy accessory by the young ladies around.  I love that.  I love that they are smart enough to see what people my age cast off long ago as hopelessly old fashioned, has a charm all its own and they they work to revive it and keep it whole.  

No doubt this fashion for Vintage will pass, and they will find something else to love as we did, but buried in their hearts and in their memories is the skill of it.  Somewhere in the future, some other young person will find these treasures and be charmed and will find out how to do it.  And so it goes.  

Craft, carried on the shoulders of those who have worked it before, carried forward to find a place in the modern world, carried by the hearts and souls of those who love to do.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember that ducks. :) GD

Unknown said...

Ahh... I have a embroidered pillow that I just love, the cotton is so soft and the embroidery is so beautiful. Just like the ones on your blog