the snowball cloth

Friday, October 28, 2011

snowball fringe


This denim feather is for Jude's Magic Feather Project -- its fringed edges inspired me to fill in one side with more threads. As I was stitching, the snowball bedspread came to mind...

I bought it at a moving sale about 15 years ago. As I recall, it was marked $20, I offered $5. It turned out the older lady selling this full-size "snowball" bedspread had also made it many years prior. She said she had spent dozens of hours making it and her best friend had made one at the same time. We settled on $10.


It looks like she first hemmed a large piece of cotton and then pulled 10 strands of multi-ply cotton yarn in and then out again an eighth of an inch away. Every two inches over the entire surface. There are no knots anywhere, the bulk of so many strands holds each snowball in place. From the looks of it, I'd say it was probably more like hundreds of hours.


I should've given her five times the asking price. At least.


Friday, December 9, 2011

vintage currier & ives pillow



I loved making this pillow cover. The Currier & Ives cloth panel from yesterday paired up nicely with the snowball bedspread. And I had no problem cutting into the snowball cloth, it had been sitting long enough. Even the thread was vintage and it didn't break once. Felt like a dream, it was so easy.

 Happy full-moon weekending! xo