Still My Favorite Silk Ribbon Embroidered Roses

 

 This is what is left of an embroidered piece I did in 1995.  It's the circle placed on this lace doily. 

Here's the story:

At that time, I was highly interested in silk ribbon embroidery and I did several pieces of it over time, but this particular piece was my favorite.  Why?  Well, it was those Roses! 

 

Which roses, you might ask.

  

 Well, these five roses right there,  to be exact.  Made with a variegated hand-dyed ribbon. 

I was crazy over them. 

And, so, I still am.

But, I decided, way back then, to cover a box with fabric and use this piece to make the lid.

I hesitated, but did it anyway.

I wrote along the edge, finished the top and used it in my classes as an "example."

And, then, one day.....an accident occurred.

The box was crushed.  There was a simultaneous spill.  

I had no choice but to lose the box and remove the embroidery from the lid.

So what you see here is what is left.  

I've saved it because they still are the favorite of all the silk ribbon roses I've made. 

Thinking one day I would find a way to use them in another project, they would be brought out on occasion and looked at, mulled over and then put away again.

So, now, they are a reminder of what I used to do and I'm ok with it.

I have other finished silk ribbon projects, some much more complex than this.

But, this little four inch circle of embroidery...well...sometimes it still calls my name.

  

 (By the way...the light here tonight did not cooperate with me...in reality, this ribbon is a much softer color, making it much more delicate looking.)

What would you do with it?

And, here's the wording I wrote along the edge...I don't remember where I got this, but I thought it beautiful:

Thus musing in a garden nook each flower is as a written book.

And rich the stores of holy thought that by these blossoms fair are brought. 

 

 until next time 

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️ 

Roses on Wednesday

 

 I am certainly missing the boat getting things posted by Wednesday night aren't I?  So, I'm thinking Thursday is much more realistic.  This photo is showing some things I managed to bring home yesterday...with a few from past visits to the flea market as well.  On Sunday, I will have a post about the flea with an amusing story to go along with it...but, for now, I hope you enjoy seeing a few new treasures keeping company with some of my older treasures.  

 

 This was the last thing I chose that day.  Because, as you know, I'm a fool for a beautiful rose.  The artists name is on it, but it's too faint for me to read.  I think it is beautiful!!!  $1.00

 

 This platter and the buttons I'm using as a nest here came from The Junk House in earlier times.  I don't remember where the bird flew here from, but she seems perfectly at home in her button nest!

 

 OMG!  I can't even tell you how I really feel about that jar.  It was love at first sight, but I didn't buy it the first time I saw it, or even the second for that matter.  After a few weeks, apparently no one was going to buy it but me....so it came to my house and I began to fill it with buttons.  Last summer when I was in San Francisco visiting my son....well, I happened upon a box of buttons...mother of pearl...and I bought it, knowing full well it would just about fill up that jar.    The jar is embossed with flowers, but with the buttons, it doesn't really show up well.  No matter....I'm nuts over it anyway.

 

 So, here's more gorgeousness....this lovely book, a vegetable bowl and a decorative box.  But, first the book:

 

Last year it was Paris in Bloom.  This year, New York in Bloom.  Think next year is London in Bloom.  I'm looking forward to San Francisco in Bloom, fingers crossed.

 You can almost smell the flowers.

Of course, it didn't come from the flea market....but I had to show it anyway.  Because of that rose plate!  Look at all that pink!  Oh, yeah.....you know I'm going to say it...always makes me think of French Knots!!!

 

 I've had this pin for a very long time....so cute.  To me it just looked like it could roll right through  Central Park!

Since there is no bookstore here (yeah...sure rubs me the wrong way!), I ordered this one from amazon.com.  Well, what's a girl to do when she wants a book?

 

 Then, there is this decorative box....so feminine and fussy.  It will definitely make another appearance on the blog at some point....I'm searching for the right words to add the perfect "finishing touch" to it.  And, by that, I mean the perfect embroidered words.

 

 Love the detail and that lining is in pretty good shape, considering.  I love the edge on it.

 

 Even the bottom is pretty.

 

 And, here is the vegetable bowl.  So pretty!  I loved the shape of it.  Perfect for serving a delicious green vegetable...let me guess, Cabbage?  But many others too. 

 

 And, it's marked. 

 

 There are three of these with the cutest little feet.  You could use them for a multitude of things, but I imagined a little bar of fragrant decorative soap there.

 

 And this vase.  Another embossed clear glass beauty.  And BIG.  I'm going to put some actual real flowers in it soon........It's going to be one of my favorites, for sure.

 

 So, how am I supposed to resist a thing such as this?  A beautiful garment made for a child.  Although the bodice and the skirt have been separated from each other (why?), and it's stained, it's still beautiful.  

 

 And, this crocheted trim is fabulous.  Looks to me like it was crocheted with a size 0 hook.  Just lovely.

 

 There was also a small embroidery hoop.  An older one and with a bit of crochet in it.  So very cute!

 It's about four inches.

 

 The front of the bodice is so cute...maybe I can improve it a little bit, although to me it is special just the way it is.

 

 And, the back.  Adorable!

  

 And, the hemline.  Gorgeous!

 

 And, here's the dress in a lovely basket tote.  Who can resist those?  Not me.  

  

 And, once again.....more words cut from books.  I'm not sure, but I don't think I'm going to be able to stop doing this for a while here....it's so much fun! 

 So there.  This week's flea market update, I guess.  I'll have more on Sunday...an amusing story, and some very old photographs.  

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️

 

HAPPY EASTER

 

  🌸  HAPPY EASTER  🌸

 

  

until next time

 BE WELL 

from

Bird Nest Cottage

 ❤️❤️❤️ 

 

The Adventures of a Serving Spoon

 

 This serving spoon is from last week's flea market visit.  I may have two more posts from that visit.

Kathy and I both remarked about this spoon....it's long (13") and neither of us had seen one with such an obvious bend in it.  It looked awkward to us.  But, because I seem to love the perfectly imperfect thing or two, I brought it home.

 

On the back.  For whatever it's worth.  (By the way, I think the background fabric is from an antique petticoat or skirt.  Lovely, whichever it is.)

 

 Here's a better look at how it is bent.  And, it sits perfectly still, no wobbling.

That's what gave me the idea of seeing how many different things would fit in the bowl of the spoon without it tipping over....or, just how many different things could I find to show off in this spoon.

Thus, the spoon's adventure began.

 

 First thing I thought of was buttons.  There are zillions of them around here.....

 

 some of which are mother-of-pearl.

 

Here's a good photo of the spoon sitting atop one of the drawers of an old box which held letters for signage, but now holds many of my 'good' buttons.  (I think that is copper (?) showing on that spoon.)

 

 And, here's the back of the spoon.  See that ridge along the bowl?  That helps the spoon to sit firmly without tipping.  Interesting.

 

 There's also glass buttons too.

 

 A mother-of-pearl heart.  Well, there just had to be one of those!

 

A heart bead and some tiny buttons.  Beautiful!!!

 

 And, I mean TINY buttons. I'm not sure what they are made of.

 

 A sweet little doll.  I can't remember where I got it or if someone gave it to me.  Chalk it up to my age, I guess.  Adorable anyway.

 

 And, here is another doll.  She's cute.  Fully dressed and all.  

 

 In a pinch, you could use the spoon as a candle holder perhaps. 

 

 My daughter gave me this omg!  It's an eraser.  But here, I'm pretending its a small bar of soap.

 

 I have a lot of old photos.  You know that.  And, among them is a little box of tiny photos.  So,

I thought I'd put a few in the spoon.  Oh, why not?

 

 I have no idea who they are.....but they are cute!

 

 Here is a bird nest.  I try to label my bird nests with where they came from...this one was given to me by my son-in-law.  He found it in their backyard on the ground.  (Bird nest on the ground, right?)

 

  I don't know which of us was the most excited about the find!

 

 One of my old dried roses.  It works for me.

 

 Ok...a little hand shaped ash tray.   Why not put it into the spoon?  

 

 Why not add a little compass pin?  I bought this ages ago.  It works.  I'm sure these are 'out there' someplace, but this is the only one I've ever seen.

 

 One of my very favorite pins of all time....naturally, a basket of flowers.  So sweet!!!

 

 So.  Can a spoon have adventures?  Seems like it can if it lives at my house!  I think I've come up with a pretty good assortment of ideas for using this spoon.  And, if all else fails, I can always dish up some food with it!!! 

I have been known to take pages from old unimportant books and use them in various ways.  One is to cut apart words and/or phrases from the pages and randomly choose a few, then put them together to make a thought or poem, or a title for a collage.  Today, I just wanted to use the spoon to display what I thought were a few words explaining my serious flea market addiction.  Today, spoons...next week, who knows? 

Dusty treasures, 

like the color of a flower which fades, 

are dreams passing through a second door.

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️