Wedding and Baptism Display

I have been rather consumed with the preparation for a Wedding and Baptism Display as part of the celebrations of the bicentenary of our local church parish.  As I’ve mentioned previously, it is the oldest parish west of the Blue Mountains in Australia.

The whole thing came about as a result of a brainstorming session for ideas of events and muggins me suggested maybe some photos of people at their weddings or baptisms at the church and maybe a couple of christening and wedding gowns followed by Devonshire tea on a Saturday afternoon.

Of course, if you come up with the idea and it is accepted, you really do have to follow it through.  I put a call out for photos in October at the church fete and on facebook and had quite a few come in, but quite a lot of offers of dresses.  That was all very well, but how could I display them?  I had my antique dress form but that was all.  I would also need to find some standing panels to display the photos.

It was suggested that I contact the ladies from the Historical Society, so off I went, cap in hand.  I was hoping to maybe get a couple of mannequins, but when I asked, the reply was “How many would you like, we have heaps, and often actually make them to suit the smaller sizes”.  Oh my!  The ladies just also happened to be members of the Lapidary Club and had access to their display cases.  The other item I needed was screens to display the photos and the Arts Council let us use theirs.  

Now things were cooking.  This could actually turn out rather well and hopefully impress the people who come along to see it.  The next thing to do was to extend the event from just Saturday afternoon to all weekend.  This was not something to set up for just a few hours.  It did mean more volunteers and cooks, but that was easily managed.

So what was all the fuss about?  Let’s take a wander.  I had in my mind’s eye what the display would look like, but in the end it way exceeded my expectations.  To my delight, everything ran without a hitch.

All items on display are linked to weddings and baptisms held at Holy Trinity Kelso.

Sadly, I didn’t get a photo of the whole thing as you entered the hall.  More on that later.

The centre display was of the christening gowns.  This was so very well done and the way they did it was something that I would never have thought of.

We had two that were well over 100 years old.  Such beautiful details.

This one is more modern, being from the late 1990s, but has beautiful heirloom stitching.  It was made by the grandmother from the train of the mother’s wedding dress and the names of the four grandchildren (from two families) that wore it have been embroidered on a tuck on the petticoat.  A true family treasure.

As you entered, to your left there were the boards of photos.  All up we had about 120 photos, representing about 60 weddings and 20 baptisms.  For many years baptisms weren’t a big photo opportunity.

We had one family who are still active in the church, that had their first wedding there in 1828, at the parsonage, even before the church building was erected.  We were able to showcase their marriages over many generation using the old church records in lieu of photos for those early weddings.

We had the original 1826 Marriage Register on display.

A Family Bible dating from 1870.

As well as various mementos from weddings over the years.  Who remembers having a doll decoration on the front of  your wedding car?

Lucky charms and pew decorations.

Vintage cards.

Bouquets.

Now to the wedding gowns.

The centrepiece of this section was the earlier gowns.  The one to the right here is the oldest, dating from 1938, which was worn by the wife of one of our mayors.  Her father was also a mayor and her daughter-in-law has also gone on to be mayor in more recent times.

Betty’s dress was worn in 1941.  You can tell from the photos  it was early war years by the amount of fabric in the dresses.  The gown had the skirt modified by removing the train so that it could be worn again as an evening dress.

Joan’s gorgeous wedding gown is from 1956.  It is just stunning and was made by her aunt.  Joan’s daughter wore the same dress at her wedding in 1991.

Mary Jane was married in 1949.  Her gown with its beautiful panel on the bodice is held by the museum.

Now onto the more modern ones.

These dresses date from 1963.  The one on the right is the wedding dress with the bridesmaid’s dress on the left.  

We have a few from the early 1970s, which saw a slim, yet elegant line being the popular style.  The lovely lace was the feature on this one.

This bride from 1973 had a slightly different look with a train, chunkier lace and lots of pintucks.  The purple dress was worn by her grandmother to the wedding.

Now for a very delicate floaty gown from 1972.

Another wedding from 1973.  The bride made both of these gowns.  They are in wool crepe, as the bride grew up of a fine merino sheep property.  If you zoom in, you will see the delicate overall stitching in the fabric design on the bridal gown.  It is such a simple, elegant dress.  The bride from the 1972 wedding was the matron of honour at this wedding.

Next, we jump to 1979.  Sylvia saw a photo of a wedding gown in a magazine and then her friend’s mother made the outfit, sending fabric to Sydney to be sunray pleated for the skirt and bodice frill.  Absolutely gorgeous.  She also provided us with her going away outfit, something that doesn’t feature in modern weddings.

Now to the 1980s and a sweet little flower girl dress with the wedding dress from 1983.

And next, me.  I was married in 1986 and my dress design was chosen to suit the antique cameo brooch I wore.  Having my bridesmaid’s dress was a very big surprise.  You see, Joan (the 1956 gown) is the mother of my bridesmaid and when I went to collect her dress, she produced this dress as well.  To say I was surprised is an understatement.  I was thrilled to be able to display it alongside my dress.  My Mum made both dresses.

Finally, we have Jenny’s dress from 2000.  It was another elegant gown and made by the bride.  If you zoom in, you may see the beautiful hand embroidery on the bodice, train and ring cushion.  A talented lady.

So, all in all, it was a thoroughly successful weekend.  I am delighted in how it went off and I think everyone who visited enjoyed themselves having a look around and partaking in scones with jam and cream.

I always have to give a great shout out to the ladies from the Historical Society, as without their contribution of props and expertise it would not have been a fraction of the event that it turned out to be.

Now for the “Behind the Scenes”.

In the lead up there was plenty of matching gowns to mannequins down at the museum workroom.

Fiddle fiddling of photos on my floor to work out layouts.

We only had Friday to set up the display and worked from 8.30am to 7.30pm.  A big day.  

We then had to have it all pulled down on Sunday night, so the hall could be used on Monday morning.  It was all out in just two hours.

I said everything ran smoothly, which it did, except for two minor inconveniences.  Mick got gastro on Thursday night.  I had to drag him out of his sick bed to deliver the photo boards that were in his trailer.  I slept on the couch for two nights, as I COULD NOT GET SICK!  All was well on Friday and Saturday…….and then I got sick on Saturday night and couldn’t go along on Sunday, which was really disappointing.  Not to worry, everyone knew what they were doing, after Saturday, and all ran smoothly.  We are both well and truly better now.

It is really satisfying to have been involved in organising this event.  Something very different for me, but there was a real team effort from so many.  Now to try and sort out all the things at home I have been neglecting lately.  Oh, joy.

Another Finish for the Month

In among everything else that has been going on this month, I have enjoyed just sitting and knitting.

As a result, I now have another nice warm scarf for the winter months.  

This is the third version of this pattern that I have made and I use the other two in high rotation during the colder weather.

I purchased the wool last July, but was rather engrossed with hexies at the time, so didn’t get around to starting it then.  The colour for this version was chosen to be close to a fabric scarf that I wear lots.  I don’t think I need to make any more now.

Mystery Solved

Remember I purchased this large safety pin at the Newbridge Swap Meet on Sunday and had no idea what it would be used for.

It looks like a giant’s nappy pin.  It was suggested it is a kilt pin, but way too big, then it was suggested it was for keeping a cardigan/wrap closed, but once again too thick, as it would leave a gaping hole in any fabric.  Is it a stitch holder for knitting?  No, too short and once again too thick and difficult to open.

A google search using their image search revealed the truth.  It is a Risdon Key Tag, although this one is a different brand.

They were designed with the flat surface over the clip to enable a number or name to be stamped on it.  They had various uses, one being for sailors to close their laundry bags, another being to “lock out” machinery while it was being worked on, so that no one could accidentally start up the machine.

So, not at all textile related, but still an interesting talking point collectable.

A Busy But Fun Sunday

Our Sunday got off to an early start as we headed out to have a look around the Newbridge Swap Meet.  Our intention was to have a wander around, chat with people we know who are also wandering around and buy an egg and bacon roll and coffee for breakfast, and nothing else.  You can imagine how that went……

Of course we did buy and egg and bacon roll and coffee and chat to lots of people we knew, but there was a bit of other shopping as well.  

This is my little haul.  I know my sewing room walls are full, but I can always do a juggle to fit in another lovely old poker work doiley press.  I have Mum’s Dorcas pin tin, but it is scratched from use, so it was nice to find this one in great condition for next to nothing and how could I resist that safety pin.  No, it isn’t a nappy pin, although it looks like one.  It would have to be for a baby giant.  It was also suggested it is for a kilt, but would leave a huge hole in it, and I’m also sure it wouldn’t be a knitting stitch holder, as it isn’t long enough and it takes quite a bit of strength to open it.  

Mick bought an old oil can and a thingummy for a tow bar, which he was very happy about.

A few books also came home with us and this one was bought solely for the title.  I started to read it, then skimmed part of it and then read about the last third.  It was OK, but not really the sort of story I normally read, although it does get good reviews.  I have to stop buying books solely because they have a textile related title.  However, I will count this as having read a book this month.

That was the first part of the day.  After lunch we hopped in Rosie the Suzuki Sierra and went out to our mate’s place again to get more blackberries.  They were much more plentiful this time around.  Most of these have been frozen.

However, we did have some for breakfast this morning. Yummo!

Then, in the late afternoon and evening I went up to the church to assist with the Twilight Pioneer Cemetery Wander, as part of the Bicentenary celebrations.  This was to take place on both Saturday and Sunday evenings, but Saturday got washed out.  

We had a little rain at the start, but all went ahead last night. I think everyone found the stories of some of the area’s first settlers who are buried here to be really interesting.

The sunset we ended up experiencing, looking over town, was beautiful.

As we enjoyed supper in front of the church.

A lovely way to end the day.

I’m On a Roll - Chookshed Challenge Done

I didn’t have anything on today, so it was the perfect chance to play with my new Number 10 from the Chookshed Challenge.

My Number 10 (as switched out) is to MAKE A SEA GLASS MINI QUILT.  I had popped this little collection of crumbs in a container to play with.  Unlike most of my chosen projects, this wasn’t something that had been hanging around in the sewing room, rather something that I had just recently thought of doing.  It would be so nice to get it made while fresh in my mind.

I’ve taken lots of photos along the way, so be prepared, as I talk through the process.

I do love sea glass and have a nice collection that we amassed mainly on the Isle of Man in 2018.  It fits nicely in its pretty jar.

Well, I made a glorious mess.

The plan was to make a mini to fit on my little stand that Santa is displayed on each Christmas.

I figured that the best way to work this out would be to mark out the dimensions on my cutting mat, fiddle around to make a heart template and then fill it up.

Not only do I keep all crazy little crumbs of fabric, I also keep crazy little scraps of appliqué paper. You never know when you can use them for small appliqué shapes.  Well, I made good use of both in this project.  So many of the little pieces had their shape determined by the shapes of those scraps.  Did it make a dent in the scraps?  Yes, for the appliqué paper, as they are all used up.  Definitely not for the fabric crumbs, but that was to be expected.

Lou and I have been having chats about overthinking quilt layouts etc., and I was determined not to overthink this. Having said that, I cut out what I thought would be good colours and laid them out and then decided that there needed to be more contrast and rearranged, and replaced fabrics and generally fiddled around with the placement quite a few times before finally settling on a layout.

Next question was what background fabric to use.  I didn’t want to use white, it would be too stark.  I chose one fabric that I thought looked like sand, but when I placed a few pieces on it, it just looked dull and dirty.  Another looked good, but there wasn’t quite enough.  In the end I settled on a piece of seeded homespun that I had in a box.

Then I taped the heart templates to the fabric and filled it in, and yes, I tweaked it a bit more.

All ready to quilt.  But how? Most sea glass quilts that I have seen have the patches raw edge appliquéd.  But, I had seen one version where there were wavy horizontal lines quilts across it and I really liked that look.  A bit like ripples in the sand.  Besides, that would be much easier and this piece doesn’t exactly have to be durable.

I had great fun doing this and it didn’t take long.  Don’t you love the texture on the back. 

And the front.

Now, how to bind it?  With my Santa mini, I just bagged it out and added triangles to the back corners as I went to clip over the corners of the frame.  That was not going to work on this one, as the quilting goes right to the edge,  However, I didn’t want a normal binding, so it was time to learn how to do a faced binding. 

It wasn’t that bad, and a little different to how I expected.  I love to learn a new techinque when I work on a project.

And, here it is, all done.  A nice neat finish.  I probably don’t need the triangles on the bottom, but I can add a dowel if I choose.

Now for the front.

Ta da!  On my little shelf in the kitchen, together with my jar of sea glass and a framed picture, which is minuscule shells.

Perfect for summer and Valentine’s Day.  I love it.

This was such a fun little make.  Not my normal style of work, but something quick and a bit improv.  There was no stress or pressure to have it made for any purpose, or time frame, or to get a kit or UFO worked on.  So refreshing.

Oh, and it is primarily blue, so also ticks the RSC box.  Bonus.

Off to a Flying Start

After I added my post here yesterday, it was time to make those Rainbow Scrap Challenge Blocks.  

Ta da!  Nice and simple.  Pop over to So Scrappy to see what else has been achieved.

Then, it was time to start making a beautiful mess.  I’m having a lovely time playing with these scraps.

When the weather cooled down in the evening we ventured into the garden.

It was time to dig the potatoes we planted in the tyres back in September.  This was the first time we have grown potatoes, although my Dad always grew them, so I had been involved as a kid.

We filled a bucket with 6.5kgs of potatoes from five seed potatoes.  A lot of them are quite small.  Was it an economical project?  We probably broke even.  I think I paid about $7 for the seed potatoes.  However, we didn’t plant them all and gave some to out neighbour.  It would have been profitable if we had planted them all.  Will we do it again?  Yes, probably, as they are easy to grow and fairly maintenance free.  And of course, it is always nice to have home grown anything.  Now to enjoy eating them.

OK, back to the sewing room to play.

My Plans for February

Remember, in January, how I said I was going to wind back my goals?   Well, I seem to have quite a few this month.  That’s a bit silly, as the Wedding and Baptism display that I am organising is this month as well.  But, I do need something as a distraction.

So, what do I hope to achieve.

The first simple goal is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks in blue.  

Two more Split Nine Patch blocks will be made and I’ve already pulled the fabrics.

Deana has announced the Chookshed Challenge number, which is NUMBER 10.  

Mmmmm. For me that is the QUEENSLAND HEXY TABLE RUNNER. Now, there is a bit of work in that one.  I have to do the stitchery on the middle hexies, then the EPP, then piece it, quilt and bind it.  OK, not really a great deal of work and very achievable in a month, but not this month.  I want something that I don’t have to think too much about.

Therefore, I am going to switch it out with NUMBER 7, which is the SEA GLASS MINI QUILT.   That works on a few levels.  Firstly, it is should be fairly simple.  Secondly, the colours are blues to greens, so kind of fits in with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour and thirdly, I intend to place the sea glass pieces in a heart shape.  That works for Valentine’s Day, and also will suit my summer display on my little shelf in the kitchen.  I’ll have to try to have it completed before the 14th.

Of course, I need hand work to take to my stitching days.  I hope to have my autumnal knitted scarf finished in the next week or so.

I’ll see if I can get started again on the pouch for Scrub Stitchin’.

My final wish, which is the lowest priority, but I would really like to do, is to remove the two offending borders off my Blue/Hope Quilt and make them fit properly and then add the final border, which is all ready to go.  The ones I need to remove are the postage stamp one and a narrow one that I added after it.  They are rather wavy.  Wouldn’t it be good if I was to get that done in the “Blue” month.

It will be fun to see how many thread spools I can manage to empty in the process of all of these.

Although I’m not joining in officially, I still hope to achieve 15 minutes of crafting most days. I forgot to mention that I managed 27 days out of 31 in January, which is 87%.  Let’s hope I can get it up over 90% by the end of the year.

Time to get stitching.