Ginny Singer Creations

09/02/2022

08/31/2022

This beautiful piece of goldwork and silk shaded embroidery is the work of embroidery artist Cyndi Jackson of Gutter Lane Embroidery.

The title of this piece is 'Invenire Gaudium' and it also features stumpwork flowers and a glorious butterfly.

Image courtesy of Cyndi's website at https://gutterlaneembroidery.com/

Cyndi is also on Facebook at Gutter Lane Embroidery

08/27/2022

08/22/2022

Here’s an Attire term that has essentially vanished from usage. These very capacious trews are called plus tens. They were a variant form of plus fours golfing knickers. They were so named because of the amount of distance past the knee they hung. Initially promoted by the Prince of Wales and film stars in their plus four version, they became terrifically popular. They were made up in a wide range of fabrics and were eventually picked up by daring women.
This image taken in 1926 shows a pair of Cambridge undergraduates wearing plus tens. Quite a departure from how university goers dress these days.

08/18/2022

Commonly called shot silk, or change taffeta this particular material gains its iridescent look by weaving one color on the warp and a different color on the weft. A “shot” is a single throw of the bobbin that carries the weft thread through the warp. Using silk to create this fabric achieves the most spectacular results since silk fibers are a natural prism when viewed in cross section. Undyed silk is also translucent, allowing light to refract through the three sided form of the fiber.
A remnant of a clerical vestment from about 698 CE lets us know that this method of weaving has been around since at least the 7th century.
This delightful portrait got me thinking about shot silk. No surprise there.

Portrait of a Lady, 1837, by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller.

08/16/2022

Beloved English author Beatrix Potter in the bloom of youth, holding her canine, Spot. This portrait was taken by Beatrix's father, Rupert, when she was 15.