This was actually a damaged pillowcase, I turned into a 2-piece wrap tunic with asymmetrical seam. I dyed it and added just some silk ribbon and lace on.
60s turn to 20s
Once I was a rather boring but happy 1960s hat….until THAT WOMAN found me in a second hand store and turned me into one of those 1920s cloches of hers without asking !
Art Nouveau Cloche-Dream
This Time I wanted to try an early kind of cloche from the end of the Art Nouveau era. Fortunately I posses a hat block around 1917-1920.
The stunning brass stamping is genuine Art Nouveau and was meant to embellish books. When I saw it first, I knew it´s a must have for me!
It took me long to decide, which hat to garnish with and in the end it turned out to be this severe piece of millinery. The brass stamping should be the only “actor” on the stage of this hat. No further decorations, but vintage petersham and velvet ribbons in a matching shade.
Lacy Cat
Who says, cats don´t have a sense for vintage treasures? Mine has!
Gilded Fall Cloche
I know, I know…..it´s a BIT to much decoration for a little straw cloche like this….But I wanted something opulent and don´t forget- not every 1920s cloche was made in a minimalist style. Sometimes you can find vintage cloches in collections, witch are hyperbolic in decoration.
I took a new paper straw cone and a precious piece of gold ribbon with an egypt revial pattern from the 1920s and combined it with a selfmade trim from vintage goldbraids and velvet ribbon. The woven gold ribbon ist in a delicate condition, which makes it impossible to use it for bags or clothes. But it´s still good enough for millinery! The trim is inspired by the image of an antique piece, made of black Soutache, that I found on the web. I took only the shape and used completely different materials.
Lovely Lace
It took months to collect all the beautiful bits and pieces for this recycling project. Some of them had been used before and were slightly damaged. But isn´t the imperfection the really interesting thing? To my opinion it´s much more lively.
I made an overdress, like a poncho, so it´s not necessary to wash it often. And if it´s need to be done, handwash in lukewarm water will do.
So if you have any ribbon, lace, border or whatsoever, don´t throw them away, even if they are shabby, full of stains or have some holes. There is always a way to use them creative.
Dust and Doilys
For many years I found doilys beautiful but useless dust catchers. Until I saw, what other People could do with them. So I looked into the dark corner, where I had burried all those vintage doilys, that came to me over the years, added some pieces of a 1930s curtain and some vintage lace odds on and finally it ended up as a Kimono summer-wrap for partys.
Never too rotten to do something with it!
This was actually a beautyful Art Nouveau tablecloth. Shame, I had to cut it up. But it was heavily damaged. One corner and a side completely rotten, another corner slightly damaged and the middle area had some repairs from previous owners and thin sections.
But two corners and sides were still in good condition. So what to do with it?
I decided to make a Tunic, so I could safe both intact Corners and some of the fabric on the sides. First I had to dye it, then cut up and sew. The Edges trimmed with some lacy odds from other projects and ready is the next recycling tunic!