Wednesday 21 July 2010

Gertie's Little Industrious Cottage ~ her dresser!

'Gertie was an industrious soul and loved to sew, her dresser was stuffed with fabrics ready for hat making, silver bobbins full of thread, wool to knit a new blanket and of course her favourite mushroom book and wood turnings.'

 
Last night after catching up on emails and blog posts, I decided to dress Gertie's sewing dresser. It's not entirely finished as I wanted to leave some room for button cards, scissors and some special buys in the future.

 The dresser came from Ebay and I had already tea stained it to age it.

On the bottom shelf, I made 3 leather books, these were just super quick makes with a little block of balsa wood cut to size and I used a beige felt pen to colour the top to look like worn paper, I then glued a strip of thin leather to the wood and used a thin black lining pen to mark the book spine. Perfect for the bottom shelf of the dresser as they won't be pulled out, so you wont see that they are super quick makes!! Then I made a little canvas basket for some wools I had and added a little set of silver scissors. Next I made up a little pot of knitting needles and plonked a couple of roses in the pot too. The knitting needles in the pot just wouldn't sit right, so I put a thumbnails amount of florists oasis in the bottom of the pot and now they stay where I want them :0) Next to them is a beautifully turned dark wood bowl, which I have had for some time and now has a home.I have filled it withe silver beads and butterflies. There is also one of my silver cotton bobbins which I have wound some cotton around, a little key and a tiny shell :0)

On the middle shelf, I have put the lovely mushroom book from Kate and some of my bowls and a wood turned vase bought in a local craft fair a while back.

The top shelf houses a little red owl button which used to be on a cardi I knitted for my eldest daughter some 18 years ago!! When she grew out of it, I cut all the buttons off and kept them!! The there is the lovely teapot I bought in Miniatura this year, a little wood turned goblet full of tiny gold stars and I made up a glass jar of frog flavoured gobstoppers! :0)

Behind the cupboard doors there are bundles of fabric, with some bits of papers and scrolls pushed in higeldly pigedly, Gertie is not the tidiest!! The papers and scrolls were made for me by Janice and I have put in one of my handmade wicker cane baskets which I just filled up with the little trimmings and offcuts of leather from the book making.

The rug on the floor is 30 yeras old! It is the piece of canvas which I learn't how to sew different stitches on when I was 12 years old, yes, I've been sewing that long! lol  My mum had put it away in a box and it turned up about 5 years ago when my mum and dad where moving house. It is now Gertie's old and very battered rug :0)

Julia xxx


11 comments:

  1. Gertie is certain to be happy with her sewing cabinet, it's the perfect place to display all your (I mean Gertie's) little treasures and the rug makes it look cosy and homey!

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  2. Ooooh, Gertie's a witch after my own heart! This is a fab dresser - absolutely love the colour! - and everything in it is just perfect!!
    I've spent a happy time looking through it :))

    Drooling happening here . . . It's lovely!

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  3. The dresser looks great Julia. But my favourite bit is that you've used your canvas as the Rug. It must evoke some wonderful memories. My Mum used one of my towelling Nappies to make some towels for her Dolls House..xxxx

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  4. Thankyou Margaret and Glenda, I'm sure it will soon fill up with all my.. cough, I mean Gertie's favourite purchases ha ha :0) The colours in the dresser are the colours I am using throughout the cottage, they are my favourites too :0)

    Hi Debbie,
    It's great to have our childhood memories wrapped up in our houses. Gertie's cottage is going to be full of childhood makes and fellow peeps wonderful makes from our swaps, so it's really going to be a work of love. I love your mums idea of using your old nappies to make towels for her dolls house. I have one of my old nappies, but its busy wrapped around my old childhood teddy bear who lives on top of my wardrobe :0)

    Julia xxx

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  5. This is a lovely dresser Julia xxxxxx

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  6. Hi Julia,

    The dresser look so homely and so suited to Gertie!

    I remember working with 'binker' and practising my embroidery! I knew what it was even before I saw what you said! The owl button is great and with such cherished memories too! I have a few mini's in my projects that I had as a tiny child, they do make certain projects extra special.

    Michelle xxx

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  7. Gertie's, seguro que sera muy feliz en su habitacion de costura.
    Una gran idea poner tus regalos, sera una habitacion llena de tesoros.
    La alfombra es preciosa, una gran idea.
    besitos ascension

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  8. I love the colours of the dresser Julia and Gertie has good taste its filled with lovely minis, they all fit in so well. My Gertrude is a hat maker/ seamstress too, must be a good with 'thing' !

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  9. Hi Julia, I think you can tell that Gertie has collected lots of things that hold memories for her and are much loved.
    The dresser has been put together with love and care.

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  10. Hi Kate,
    It must be a good witch thing, they all love to sew and make things ;0)

    Thanks Janice, Ascension, Debie and Michele,
    It is put together with love and cherished memories, the horrorbag kids are already debating who gets to inherit it after my days!!!
    Julia xxx

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  11. it is looking wonderful Julia.

    I also love that you've used the canvas...that is so sweet.

    My Mom was a knitter and made us all our jumpers and cardies so I remember buttons like that owl well. I wonder if people still use them. I remember being all excited about being able to choose my own buttons.

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