I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Saturday, December 5, 2015

Velvet Fruit



Hello out there! Since everyone was sweet and complimentary about my velvet fruit emeries and pinkeeps, I thought I'd show them off today in a bit more detail.

This was the first time I concentrated on making fruits like Victorian velvet theorem fruit. Here is my Pinterest board for you to see some authentically old fruit. here



Sometimes the Victorian fruits were intended to be pincushions, but often  a gathering of the fruits would be displayed in a bowl or basket. [you know how the Victorians loved dustcatcher-y things!]. Mine are meant to be functional, though the silver handled pieces maybe will be just for display?


This was my first pear. Isn't this velvet yummy. I wish you could fee it, it is silk nap on a cotton ground, and it's the most delicately soft velvet you can imagine. Like Mo's ears...so soft.












I cut my patterns by eye out of any old scrap of paper. The toile pear, below, was the second in the batch [sold]. The toile is a gorgeous vintage linen fabric. I weight the bottoms of the pears so they stand up nicely.


Then lots of berries, we all love strawberries, don't we. This is a prim wool applique berry.






Some strawberries are simple and inexpensive. These work well tied to your scissors handle.







And some are more elaborate. One of my favorite flea market quests is the hunt for good silver, or other material, handles for my make dos.
A silver baby spoon:





A silver plate vanity brush handle:







And candlesticks for pincushion bases.



Most of the fruits will be in my etsy shop, and maybe on eBay, for holiday gifting.



love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....