finishes and photography

Recently I’ve had a few days of finishing projects off for “Early-Style Hardanger”. Last week I finished the blouse – although I still have to sew on the buttons.

Today I constructed the biscornu. I discovered that while silk satin fabric is gorgeous, when it is flimsy, it’s very hard to work with to create something as structured as a biscornu as it slips all over the place. Take two involved backing the silk satin with some cotton to give it more body. It was a much more successful result!

As I am writing this, The Gymnast just picked up the biscornu and said “Yes! Yes! Wow! I want that!” She then discussed how she likes my embroidery but usually doesn’t want it. But this one she likes enough to want it! 🙂 Might have to put her name on the back of it, ready for my eventual demise (a long way away, thank you very much!) Tomorrow I’ll see about photographing it.

Yesterday I went to the second-hand bookshop to buy some nice looking old books as props for the photograph of the bookmark. That’s tomorrow’s job also.

On Saturday morning I got a bee in my bonnet about photographing the cushion. I set up the lounge in the lounge room with a temporary cover, and arranged white board around it to reflect more light. I asked The Husband to take a photograph of me photographing the cushion, so that you can see the sort of strange setup that I have! You might think this is all done in some nice studio somewhere, but no, it’s in a corner of our lounge room!

Yes, on the left, they are the two candlewicking cushions that were projects in Inspirations Magazine some time back. And the fabric that is temporarily covering the lounge is the Florence Broadhurst Peacock Feathers fabric that I made a dress out of. (You can see the cut out shapes of bodice pieces!) And that’s me holding up a big piece of white board to reflect more light back down onto the cushion.

I also have two Christmas stockings to photograph, and an apron, and if I put the buttons on the blouse, then there’d be that too. But I don’t think I’ll fit all that into tomorrow! After all, I’d like to do a bit of sewing as well. 🙂

If you’re interested in knowing more about how to photograph needlework, why not sign up for my course at the NSW Embroiderers Guild in November? You can find more information here.