<h1>Embroidered Heirlooms</h1>

Those who follow this blog regularly might have realised that I do love embroidery. Handmade embroidery is especially exciting to me - the idea that somebody painstakingly and patiently worked their way through the cloth with thread and needle, bringing out colour and design.
I don't know why this fascination really, but some fine embroidery is really worth keeping and enjoying as often as possible. I don't snob machine embroidery when it's well done however, but obviously, handmade is always much finer.

Take this dress which you can see better here.....

I think it is particularly suggestive of the era it was made in. It combines two of my favourite characteristics when I'm out hunting for special vintage finds - it belongs to the 1950s, and it's including embroidered floral designs. This would have been the kind of dress that required you to wear a slip underneath just not to have anything seen through, or a frothy underskirt that would have also plumped out that skirt exquisitely. I still remember I used to play-act with one such skirt when I was a small kid - it was pink nylon, tiered with lace and some soft netting.

I thought this delicately made billfold is especially cute. Check it out here. From this listing I found out that this type of embroidery is called hardanger embroidery but also whitework embroidery since it is done with thread of the same identical colour to match the pale fabric.

 Something contemporary like this sweet blossom bag which you can view here
is hand felted and adorned with ribbon embroidery and brass flowers. I think it is adorable and quite unique. Felting is a very particular technique which I've been seeing used quite frequently lately.

I must say that I once owned a blouse somewhat similar to this one, though not so colourful. Unfortunately I must have given it away many summers ago. This unique vintage item comes from the early part of the last century (1930s) and apart from embroidery includes other special hand-made techniques such as smocking. You can see it better here

These slippers I had included in a Treasury some time back when I was still bemoaning the arrival of winter and tried to create a cheerful Treasury with alternative ideas to drab winter wear and most of the items actually sold, so I assume visitors to that Treasury really liked what they saw.

I find these slippers particularly pretty with their sequined leafwork. Check them out here

And then there is this awesome dress....

you can see more of it here

Very bohemian, it also includes, apart from the embroidered floral designs, also

crotchet trimming and satin ribbons... Isn't it simply fantastic? I love it. Isn't it fun?

Thanks to the Etsy sellers who allowed me to use images of their wares, namely

Stellahsgroove, Jeanjeanvintage, StarBags, Gemma2010, Naranja37 and Vdingy.