Working on my new shelf...

Mr. Wild put up a new extra long shelf for me a few weeks ago and I'm trying to make it useful yet pretty (it's part of my sewing room).

Then Carol at The Polka Dot Closet had a dress form party last week which inspired me to work on my small pin cushions dress forms. Prior to that they were just sitting on the shelf bare.

I picked up 3 on closeout at JoAnn's way last winter. They were covered with a lime green black and white fabric. I wasn't about to try to recover them and then it dawned on me that I could use my fabric paints and paint them.

I did have to put on about 3 coats to cover the black and with that much paint it does make them a little stiff but then I'm not really handling them anyway once they are on my shelf.

All I will show for now is the right side of the shelf...the rest is still questionable because it takes me so long to decide.

But at least I finished 'dressing' my dress forms and am happy with this part of the shelf.

My large jar of very old lace that I found at a flea market for a super good price and there are yards and yards of it.

I just started collecting a little bit of vintage ribbon...

I can see now why everyone likes it so much, the silk is just beautiful along with the pretty labels.

Now if I can just get the rest of the shelf they way I want...I'll post it next week.
(If you click on the photos you can see the 20 cents written on the cream silk ribbon!!!)

Thanks for taking a look!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Linking to;
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
From My Front Porch To Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
The Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

2805 for Potpourri Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

1920's Beautiful Vintage Wedding Dress and other pieces...

This has got to be one of my very favorite finds!!!

Saturday, as I was on my way to a flea market, I saw several garage sales in my neighborhood. I knew I should stop but instead I went to the flea market

The signs were still up when I came home so I checked one out and this is part of what I found!!!

Beautiful ribbon roses on  a 1920's wedding dress...

It's a cream color although it picked up a bluish cast outside...

The dress.... It was in a plastic bag, inside a plastic bin with more stuff piled on top. I peeked inside and saw the ribbon flowers and knew immediately I had to have it. The woman said it's a wedding dress and would I like to see the picture of the woman wearing it so I said sure! 

When I finally took the dress out of the bag at home I was so surprised to find the brides silk stockings in great shape, they are hanging on the left side on the hanger. The wedding dress is terribly wrinkled from being crushed for so long.

I had to drape the enormously long veil with train over the hanger several times. The dark part is the headband of the headpiece and the entire piece is very fine and delicate.

Out she comes with this huge 20" x 30" photo! She said she would throw it in with the dress, the dress was very reasonable.

Please click on the individual images. If I post them original size, there are too many and it will take too long to load...but you just have to see this dress up close! Especially the image directly above.

I wish someone had written her name on the back...we will never know.

I'd like to frame the picture and somehow hang the dress along side, hopefully I can find just the right spot. I'd like to have all of these pretty things out where I can enjoy them yet take good care of them.

Update on Oct.6....I just researched more of this dress  because there are 2 hoops underneath. They are panniers, it's a c.1920's Pannier Dress and it is made of silk satin. Evidently the panniers brought the dress out at the sides and would show off the lace and silk ribbon flowers in the middle. Can you imagine wearing this!!!!

I have seen these beautiful 1920's silk ribbon flowers on Etsy and they are not cheap. I spotted this undergarment with this flower cluster attached at the top. The price was too good to pass it up.

It measures about 4 1/2" across!!!

There is pink ribbon encased in the edge of the lace, you can see a bit of it to the right of the ribbon flowers.

Look at all this gorgeous lace!!!

Then there was this long undergarment...again if you click on the image below you'll get a much better look...maybe this is older than the wedding dress?

Then there was this set of 3 pieces....

The camisole, slip and pantaloons...on the right...

Every single stitch on all 3 pieces is done by hand! All of the crocheted Irish lace and all the other laces are pieced together like a puzzle and every single piece is hand stitched with teeny tiny stitches.

And it's loaded with lace, all in very good condition.

Can you imagine work like this nowadays!!!! 

I don't know if all of these pieces belonged to the woman in the photo, I'd like to think they did.

I have much more from Saturday to post but it would make this post so long.

I wanted to get these beautiful pieces on here first. I'll add the rest tomorrow afternoon.

Update....They are posted now....here.

I started sewing when I was a little girl, clothing and quilts and now I hook rugs and wool applique. I love to make things using cloth and finding something like this is just a real treasure for me!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this little bit of history...thanks for stopping!

10/6 update on the wedding dress...this afternoon I discovered the dress was purchased years ago in St. Paul, MN. The woman that sold it to me thinks she may have the name someplace and promises to call me if she can find it. There's a lot of cool history in St. Paul back then...my mind is wandering...who was she!!!! 

Linking to:
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
2805 for Potpourri Friday
Common Ground for vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday