In the Historic Savage Mill Antique Mall, there's a wonderful little shop called Treasure Trove Antiques, owned by Marie Neumann who specializes in vintage linens and laces.
Over the years, we've developed a friendship. One day I asked if she had any fragments or remnants of lace or beading since she tends only to put items in her shop that are in top condition.
She said she had a beaded "remnant" she would share with me next time. Would I come back?
Two weeks later, she uncovered this Victorian beaded pillow cover and my breath left my body.
This was the bitty remnant??
Embroidered and beaded onto chocolate silk velvet, the piece is in amazing condition for its age.
And the pattern is lovely.
There are a number of threads that need to be re-secured and reinforced...
But all in all, it is exquisite.
When I showed it to my crazy quilt friends, they noticed how the white beads gave the antique silver some "pop" and reminded them of native American beadwork...
And I noticed that the vines are mostly beaded feather stitch which is so easy to do...
I plan to tack it carefully to another backing and frame it to protect it from further deterioration.
So happy to get to photograph it and share it with you today.
Happy Monday everyone.
Bird love is definitely in the air.
oooh! what a beautiful find!
ReplyDeleteI love how it is so well preserved!
though that color was probably a lovely forest green to start with, it has mellowed into the same chocolate brown a pair of silk bunny ears I had as a child (my mom was a playboy bunny and managed to exit with her ears and tail!)
they started out life a luscious forest green and ended up a chocolate very similar to your pillow.
what a show piece!
Flora
I can see why your breath left your body! It is exquisite. I can just imagine seeing someone, undoubtedly a lady, so carefully beading each little stitch. What a treasure. Please let us see it after you have it mounted and framed.
ReplyDeletexo Linda
Wow! Stunning!!!! What a treasure you have found there.
ReplyDelete–Cassandra
Thanks for sharing an amazing piece of work. I'm happy you're saving it for 'future drooling'. Have a simply fabulous week !
ReplyDeleteWhat a special treasure! So glad it wound up with you where it will receive the proper care.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, this piece is bringing tears to my eyes and they are starting to spill over.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this beautiful piece.
FlowerLady
Lovely lovely not enough hours!! I have a ton of those tiny vintage clear glass beads that are probably a size 18 or so if you need any for your repairs let me know.
ReplyDeleteI love that shop! I spend lots of time admiring its contents every time I am at savage mill. The powder they sell for whitening old linens is fabulous too. I love this piece and you are lucky to have it.
ReplyDeleteStephanie
Oh, be still my beating heart!! That is just exquisite! You must be thrilled to have it. Thank you for sharing it with us Susan.
ReplyDeleteBe still my beating heart. I think my jaw hit the floor. I shall spend hours studying these pictures, looking at the techniques used. Thank you for sharing such amazing pictures of your beautiful find.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me wonder how women had the time to do this? Did they ever cook and vacuum???
ReplyDeleteHow lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how one's person view is 'this old little remnant' and another's is 'holy crap I can't breathe!'
Perfectly shown to a woman that does work of such beauty herself.
What a nice find. Enjoy.
What a magnificent piece! How perfect that it has found a home with you!, who will treasure it, care for it, be inspired by it and share it's beauty with all of us!
ReplyDeletewow so pretty x
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure. It was fate that put it in your capable hands.
ReplyDeleteWow, simply WOW!
ReplyDeleteAnd so inspirational . . .Wow!
Amazing... This is so beautiful. Thanks to share this....
ReplyDeleteThnak you for sharing this. It's beautiful - interesting to see the padding in the roses.
ReplyDeleteThis is so lovely... Could you share the size of the piece and what do you consider the size of the beads to be??? Do you think the velvet is silk? I would love to be able to reach out and touch it... Please... Ger
ReplyDeleteSwoon worthy to be sure! This is such a glorious treasure! Stunning! Lucky girl you are to find such a treasure.
ReplyDeleteWOW - what a spectacular piece! If you ever have a class for the LOVE bird, please sign me up, it's fabulous.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
Oh, wow! One glance and I was smitten. What a wonderful piece!
ReplyDeleteOh my! What a find and so wonderful that she told you to come back for it!
ReplyDeleteCirca???? You think?...
Such a lucky find. Not lucky to have, but lucky to be able to save and perserve. Looking at it, its hard not to wonder who did the stitching and the history of the piece. Those roses are amazing.
ReplyDeletexx, Carol
Queen Bee -- I really do think it is Victorian which would place it end of the 19th/early 20th century. I think it's pretty old and I can't believe what wonderful condition it is in.
ReplyDeleteGerry -- piece dimension are 16"x16". The beads look like they are size 15 or 18.
And thanks to everyone else for sharing the loveliness of this treasure with me.
Wow what a stunning find! Your photography is so beautiful as well. Thanks for sharing, Shirley
ReplyDeleteWhoa! That's really something!!
ReplyDeleteWow! Just WOW!!!!! the angels were smiling on you for sure.
ReplyDeleteHow especially wonderful your friend has entrusted this treasure to you for preservation. It is stunning. Each stitch and each bead part of a beautiful love story. Blissful Dear...
ReplyDeleteSo glad this bird found a safe harbor!
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! How lucky to receive such a precious gift!
ReplyDeletea wonderful piece of beading, it is so good that you are going to restore it. I should think it is quite heavy with all those beads
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic piece - and if that's her idea of "bitty" I'd love to see what she considers a reasonable piece!
ReplyDeletethis is stunning! The work that has gone into it, and it still looks like it could have been designed today. thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteYour photography is beautiful. I can only imagine how much more stunning this piece is in person. Thank you SO much for sharing this. I have never seen anything like it.
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful! Those white beads work so well to lift the piece, don't they!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely piece. So glad you will be able to help preserve it.
ReplyDeleteTeresa's Heartfelt Stitches
Amazing indeed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Michele
Absolutely beautiful ~ me can look at these pics a dozen times and see something different each time!
ReplyDeleteThis is a gem of a find! Thanks so much for sharing. I have done some beading over padded shapes, thus this piece is of particular interest to me!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing piece of needlework, simply beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWow What an exquisite treasure!! It certainly found it's way into the correct hands to lovingly care for it!!!
ReplyDeleteUtterly stunning and your superb photographs make me feel close enough to really experience it. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteExquisite indeed! Thank you so much for sharing this beauty! We are all blessed and inspired by it!!
ReplyDeletethis is done in the Iroquois raised beading style. I do not think it was a native who did it though, as at the time , we would never have used what this sewer did to support the raised beads.( or at least would have been unusual) Everything else though...EVERYTHING...is typical of Iroquois beadwork...the colours, the style, the subjects..many of which were seen on the whimsies sold to tourists around Niagara Falls at the time...so - who knows???
ReplyDelete