I found this on eBay in the U.K. It was advertised as a sampler, and the auction picture displayed it in a frame. I emailed the seller and asked if she would send it to me minus the frame if I bid and won the auction. She agreed to do so, so I put my bid in, and won it for about A$12 because nobody else bid for it. The seller emailed me to say she had taken it out of its frame to post, but as it was very fragile, she'd had to pack it in cardboard and bubblewrap. The total including postage came to just over A$20, so it was fine with me, although I couldn't understand why she couldn't roll up a piece of linen, even if it was fragile.When it arrived on Friday, at first I didn't realised what it was, and it took about ten minutes to unwrap! When I saw it, I knew why she had warned me. It isn't linen, it is perforated paper - something that was used in Victorian times instead of fabrics. I am very grateful this eBay seller was so careful - it is started to break on some edges, and it is watermarked in some places, but my God, when I think how old it is, and how beautiful the stitching is....I'll be taking it to the Guild to ask the Collections manager if she can tell me more about it.
10 comments:
Gosh, that is beautiful. Are you going to get it reframed ??
How lucky you were to find it.
Take care, Meow
Hi Gina, We were at a barbecue recently at the home of a co-member of DH's choir, and on the wall in her front hall she had a piece hanging which was stitching on perforated paper like your lovely new treasure. When I asked her about it she just shrugged and said that she'd inherited it from her grandmother or something and didn't really know too much else about it. How sad. I was hanging over it and admiring it, and she didn't seem too interested or fond of it at all. I think it said Welcome Friends on it. By the way Gina, The Bookshelf pattern is your's when I'm done. Cheers.
Hi Connie! Yes, I will certainly be having it reframed, as soon as I've shown the Guild experts to ask their opinions on preserving it.
Judy - that was quick! You must have been online while I was commenting on your blog! Thanks so much in advance for the BookShelf :-)
Gina, and we will all be waiting on what the collections manager has to tell you! every word of it.............it is SO! SO! beautiful I look forward one day to seeing it but not touching it.
Have a great week my friend
Lee-ann
Hi Gina What a beautifull piece of work I would definately get it reframed with non reflective glass. Eagerly wait to see cooments from the guild.
Beautiful acquisition!
Wow! What an incredible treasure, Gina!! I can't wait to hear what the Guild experts say!!
Kelli
Wow, what a FIND! Tell us when you find out more about it, please! :o)
I can't wait to hear what the Guild has to say about it - I've seen many of these paper embroideries and they are mostly 'mottoes' like this one.
You can get some modern reproductions these days - but this is just a goregous thing - lucky you.
Hi Gina in your response to your comment on my blog - the pattern catelogue I wrote about is of stamping designs definitely patterns for embroidery rather than an example of this type of work - I have a post this morning about perforated paper work this morning - with a few links if you are interested
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