Not only have I decided to continue the series of embroidered drawings on vintage napkins but I have found my theme: for the next several weeks - maybe months - I will be exploring how women relate to their clothes and accessories.
So first, the darlings of our closets: shoes.
Whether you are a shoe addict or regular Jane, I bet you, like me, own at least a dozen pairs of shoes, if not more. I know several women who have a whole wall of shoes and one who has a two-story tower full of them.
Me, I love vintage shoes. It's just fun strutting around in a pair of leopard pompom vamp heels.
This week's story is about the first fun shoes you buy on your own. A first love of sorts.
The artwork was drawn and hand-embroidered on a very thin cotton handkerchief. Technically, the thinness of the cloth made the work harder: I had to embroider very lightly and use the thinnest ink pen I could find so the ink would not spread out through the fibers. I drew the girl based on a picture in a 1960's catalog. The girl in the catalog was a thin moody girl. I wanted my drawing to be a regular girl but I kept the cocky pose, elbows on knees.
Finally, I want you to know that, as part of the project, I will be making at least two pairs of shoes that will also be hand-embroidered. One pair will be given away, the other will be put up for sale. I will keep you appraised of the project as we go along.
Why make shoes: because it's hard. Because hardly anyone does that sort of stuff. I want to try it and see what comes of it. I am bringing you along for the journey.
Follow the story.
Tell your friends about it and most of all, enjoy!
