Category Archives: Binche Lace

Lion and Mouse Suit

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Janice| 3 Comments

Do little boys in your area wear heirloom clothing? I hope so. This little suit is for my 18 month old grandson who will wear this as soon as he grows into it. I am always so pleased that my daughter and her husband enjoy seeing Alastair in classic clothing.

The blue suit fabric is a very fine wool challis, no heavier than broadcloth. It is lined with blue microcheck and closed at the shoulder and side tabs with pearl shank buttons. I was tempted to embroider a little mouse on the front of the suit, but chose instead to leave it plain so that it would be more versatile. I may make another shirt, perhaps with a wide, embroidered collar.

The shirt is made of ivory combed batiste. A box pleat at center front allows for more ease of movement. Pearl 4-hole shirt buttons close the back opening. Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, Binche Lace, clothing, girls, heirloom sewing

Picture Lace Pinafore

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Janice| Leave a comment

Finding this dress and pinafore made me so happy. I had long since thought the fall Liberty print dropped yoke dress was lost. As it turns out, I had forgotten that my friend Suzanne Sawko had made another pinafore to go over the dress for a Sew Beautiful photo shoot some time ago. Both garments were recently retrieved from the bottom of my antique blanket chest where specially sewn items are stored.

The dress was originally made to go under the Little Fawn Pinafore, shown in the post of the same name in the Smocking category.

The picture lace pinafore shown above is made of a medium weight champagne Swiss batiste and edged with ivory lace tape and antique picture lace or AEsop’s Fables lace. It’s unique characteristics include the colored cordonnet that outlines a figure and is worked into the lace edge. It is an antique Binche lace, made some time prior to 1926, though the exact year is unknown. Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, Binche Lace, clothing, girls, heirloom sewing, lace tape, techniques

Second Hand Roses

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Janice| 5 Comments

I’m really into recycling Rebecca’s dresses that have been packed away for 25+ years. It’s amazing how timeless a smocked dress can be and how well they hold up.

Some, like Barbra Streisand, may turn their noses up “second hand,” but neither Laurel nor I mind.

I had to drop the hem, as little girls’ skirts are longer now. Fortunately, when the dress was made, I followed the standard recommendation of putting in a 6″ hem so I had a good 3″ to drop.

This basic yoke has a sash that ties in the back. It is smocked to just above the waist and meets the back yoke at that same depth. The sash snugs the dress up and feels more like a big girl dress.

The intriguing smocking plate is Chinese Chippendale by Barbie Beck, an almost ancient design. If you blow up the photo on the left, you will see how interesting the design is. Continue reading →

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Posted in Binche Lace, clothing, girls, heirloom sewing, smocking, techniques

Pin Pillow

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Janice| Leave a comment

This is my favorite kind of crazy patch quilting,using otherwise useless pieces of old needlework. One reason is that I love antique textiles and another is that I like to recycle.

The Victorian style dresser pillow for favorite mementos was created from a medley of vintage handwork, from doilies to table linens, antique laces, ribbons and trims.

This 8″ x 10″ oval pin pillow, outlined with piping and antique lace edging, is a daily reminder of happy days in the past. A felt pad cushions the pin backs and prevents scratches on the dresser. Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, Binche Lace, home dec, lace tape, quilts

“In the Pink of Life” Quilt

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Janice| 4 Comments

NOTE: This post is from an article I wrote for Creative Needle magazine some time ago. Made for my daughter Rebecca, this is one of my favorite projects.

French ribbon, Swiss basket embroidery, Grannie-made tatting

Heirloom Sewing Goods and Techniques~~~Long identified as the preeminent tone of femininity, pink is often the color of the daygown, embroidery, hair ribbons and other loving embellishments in a girl’s life. The pieces used for the crazy patch squares in this quilt include pink remembrances of my daughter, Rebecca, as well as other gourmet leftovers from earlier projects.

Chinese tatted medallion, pink lace tape, silk rosebud, antique lace

The pink damask napkins represent adulthood–the pleasures and responsibilities of hospitality, graciousness and family celebrations.

antique lace, Swiss butterfly, drawn thread napkin lined with pink batiste

The quilt shows extensive lace-to-lace joining, tucks and other techniques long-practiced by heirloom stitchers. Bits of leftover handlooms and embroideries from baby dresses, lengths of tatting from Easter dresses, pieces of a fancyband of champagne laces and pink lace tape used in a pillow, and salvaged pieces from Grandmother’s cutwork tablecloth are joined in crazy patch harmony, much like crazy patches of memory. The resulting patchwork creation is of a very different genre than the countrified bed coverings shown in living color in quilt magazines.

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Posted in antique textiles, Binche Lace, heirloom sewing, home dec, lace tape, machine embroidery, quilts, techniques

AEsop’s Fable Quillow

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Janice| 2 Comments

Quillows have been featured in previous posts, but most were of polar fleece. I find quillow projects to be universally useful and always fun to make.

Recently, while plundering through my Liberty of London scraps, I was reminded of this little quillow. It is currently among the missing and presumed to be residing in the depths of one of my grandchildren’s dressers. An all-points-bulletin has been issued and I hope soon to have news of its whereabouts.

Some time ago, it was featured in an article I wrote for Creative Needle magazine. All of the photos and parts of that article are included in this post.

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A uniquely contemporary version of the Great American Quilt, a quillow is a small quilt which folds up into its own pocket to create a pillow. One of simple design, such as a whole cloth with no piecing, can be made in as little as three hours.

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Posted in antique textiles, baby accessories, Binche Lace, home dec, quilts

Memories in Lace Quilt

Posted on January 10, 2010 by Janice| Leave a comment

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present and the promise of the future.~ Author Unknown

This is certainly true of my daughter Rebecca, though she has alrealdy fulfilled all the future promises for which I had hoped—and more. This quilt holds happy memories of the past, some mine, some hers, some which she cannot possibly recall.

Made in the traditional snowball pattern, this quilt is composed of alternate blocks filled with applique’d hearts. Lace scraps from skirt fancybands and remnants of Rebeca’s little dresses make up the bulk of the hearts. Continue reading →

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Posted in antique textiles, Binche Lace, heirloom sewing, lace tape, quilts

Binche Elephant Doll Bib

Posted on October 16, 2009 by admin| Leave a comment

Binche elephant lace

I came across this little doll bib today as I was going through some old teaching samples. This will be included with 5 year-old Laurel’s Christmas doll, the American Girls Molly.

Made on my Elna Diva, circa 1994, the bib was, to me, a miracle of machine embroidery. I know I am easily impressed, but the perfect decorative stitch of elephants was strong testimony to the quality of the sewing machine. It still is a fine machine, but its embroidery has long been surpassed by hoop embroidery capability.

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Posted in antique textiles, Binche Lace, doll clothing and accessories, heirloom sewing, lace tape

Liberty Goat Dress

Posted on October 13, 2009 by admin| Leave a comment

little goat girl and grumpy little guy

Visions of a “goat dress” had been dancing in my head for many years. In 1985, after purchasing Sarah Howard Stone’s first book, French Handsewing, I studied it with a passion. One page, in particular, spoke to me. It showed row after row of antique laces, including what I call goat lace. I had to have some of this.

At that time, I was in the middle of my Mother Earth phase. Perhaps some readers recall the publication, The Mother Earth News, or Carla Emery’s Old Fashioned Cook Book. These were daily reading for me.

On our 3 acres stood a 50 year old, formerly upscale, two-room chicken house, where our cocky Rhode Island Red rooster and his girls bunked. The adjoining room housed a gaggle of geese and a few white Peking ducks. Next door to the water fowl was the pony. Her stall looked out over our 60’ x 60’ vegetable garden and adjacent to that was the goat mansion, my favorite place in the world except for my sewing room.

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Posted in antique textiles, Binche Lace, girls, heirloom sewing, lace tape, smocking, techniques

Wedding or Holiday Chair Backs

Posted on September 9, 2009 by Janice| 6 Comments

Sewing for a wedding is just about as much fun as sewing for babies. It’s like the prelude to grandchildren.

When our daughter was married at our home three years ago, the sewing/embroidery machine ran almost non-stop for the 10 months we had to get ready.

Arrangements had already been made for the standard white chair covers with gold organza bows. But I wanted something special for the bride and groom.