earthly treasures
January 21, 2014
yesterday was one of those perfect Spring days
clear blue sky, sunny and crisp
time to dig, weed and add compost to the indigo patch
the smell of fresh earth was full-of-wonder
then a visit from a weaving elder
to pass on a treasure
a very old length of linen damask yardage
66″ (168cm.) X 3.6 yd. (312cm.)
it has been folded for many years, I have no idea if the fabric is permanently damaged
it feels like parchment
difficult to photograph, the pattern is a scroll and large poppies
I’ve rolled it onto a tube for the time being
it is large enough to do a test sample in the indigo vat?
there are also six fine linen napkins
two are discoloured – good for the dye pot
the handwork is beautiful
10 Comments
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Beautiful textiles and they look very delicate. Snow forecast for the weekend, so no Spring here yet either!!
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Hi Lis – while it is definitely nice not to have a Canadian winter – it is also a part of the world wide extreme weather pattern. We live in a temperate rain forest, if we don’t get rain soon the summer will be very dry. The linen is so fragile it feels like paper, but has a sheen like silk.
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How lovely, these treasures! I cherish the cotton damask napkins, tablecloths and good-for-everything-and-nothings (such bizarre sizes) I inherited from my grandmother…
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Iris – I love to hear that. So many people are just not interested.
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Absolutely gorgeous! Poppies are my favorite. Can’t wait to see what you do with this.
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Kristin – only time will tell.
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You have spring already?! That is so not fair. It’s -10 (F) here and no end in sight. Your linens are gorgeous–will you tell us what you end up doing with them?
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The linen damask should look beautiful when dyed with Indigo. What a lovely gift. Looking forward to seeing what happens with it in the future.
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Barbara – the fabric is very old and very fine, need to talk to some linen experts before I do anything.
Kerry – yes, I know the polar vortex has arrived again, I seriously considered not telling you Eastern folks what it is like here – and we still have a way to go before it is officially spring.
Oliva – nice to hear from you.
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Enjoy your photos and messages. Thanks for sharing!
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