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Old Loves

Before I get into what I wrote for today, I've discovered a bunch of my pictures of the recycled linen quilt that I posted on Tumblr are being reposted by other people on Pinterest without my permission. I'm flattered by the interest, but not too crazy about having my pics there. I never joined Pinterest because of the rampant copyright infringement they enable, and I try very hard to stay away from it for the same reason. I'm not judging anyone else who feels differently; this is just one of my online habits. Anyway, I'm not going to do anything about it (for now), but it's another reason to stay off Tumblr.

Onto today's post: I love vintage textiles. There's something about old pieces of beading, silk, and small wearables that grabs my heart and won't let go. I've been sorting through some of the things I've collected over the years, and I admit most of what I own is unlikely to ever again serve a practical purpose.

This is a piece of beadwork that probably dates back to the forties or fifties, judging by the work and age. It's all hand beaded, and held together mostly by very thin cotton thread that was already fraying when it came to me:

This glove is a bit younger, probably from the sixties. The beading on it was also done by hand:

Then there is this roll of fabric given to me years ago in hopes I could find some way to use it:

It's pure silk, very fragile, and six inches wide by six feet long. I'll guess it was the sash for a Victorian-era gown.

So what does one do with beadwork too delicate to apply to anything, a single glove, and a length of silk that is on the brink of shattering? I think just having them to hold and admire and find inspiration from them is enough.

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Comments

Maria Zannini said…
I picked up a pair of fine white leather gloves at a garage sale for 10 cents. Truly vintage. I hadn't seen gloves like these since the 60s and then only on posh women.

When we were kids, my mom always had us wear white gloves whenever we went to church. I remember mine had tiny beads at the cuff.

re: Pinterest
I can't say I understand Pinterest, but I do know it's common for people to share photos. For this reason anything I post has my copyright. They can share it at will, as long as they know from where it originated.
March 5, 2020 at 5:36 AM
nightsmusic said…
I haven't used my Pinterest account in forever. I got tired of being bombarded by stuff all the time and frankly, I've installed an extension on my browser that eliminates any Pinterest anything from my search results. So much better.

I too used to wear white gloves to church. I have no idea what happened to them. I remember them having little pearls on them though.

I would take those things and make a rosette out of the silk, then put all of them in some kind of frame or shadow box. Nice to be able to look at them as you pass in the hall.
March 5, 2020 at 8:14 AM
the author said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
March 5, 2020 at 8:24 AM
the author said…
I'll have to see if I can put an extension on Chrome to weed out Pinterest results -- thanks for the idea, Theo.

That's also a neat thought on what to do with my old loves. I will give it some thought. :)
March 5, 2020 at 8:25 AM
the author said…
Weird. I deleted a duplicate comment and it took out both. Anyway -- replying to Maria -- I wore those white gloves to church, too -- and a veil.

I think today with everyone sharing so much on social media people don't even think about copyright infringement. I should probably watermark my pics now, but since I've gone private I don't think it'll be a problem anymore.
March 5, 2020 at 8:28 AM
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