Real antique gold metallic thread.

Have you ever bought a really old piece of embroidery and found that it needs a little restoration work doing on it in gold metallic thread? I have and found that all of the modern gold metallic threads stood out like a sore thumb. Well you don't have to look any further. Tomorrow I will be adding some gold metallic threads that are very old, yes antique. They have that wonderful tarnished hue that only age brings. Whether you are restoring old textiles or trying your hand at gold metallic embroidery yourself and wanting to capture the antique look, these threads will enhance your work. 

I have a lot more bobbins of different sizes and types and will be listing a few each week. The ones above are being sold in one metres lengths at an affordable price.

All to be found tomorrow at 7am BST on the Rag Rescue website

pretty vintage lace and embroidered hankies at Rag Rescue tomorrow.

Rag Rescue website

DID YOU KNOW? - No.1 - Ayreshire work

As I am not listing new items on the website at the moment I thought I would start a
'DID YOU KNOW?' section here on the blog.

Ayrshire white work.

Ayrshire work is one of the most beautiful of embroideries bequeathed by the 18th century. It originated from Ayrshire, also the west coast of Scotland and from Ireland. Its heyday lasted from about 1795 to the late 1850's.
The patterns were often floral and enhanced many christening gowns and bonnets.

Unfortunately blindness in women increased dramatically when Ayrshire white work was being embroidered. In Ayrshire and Western Scotland agents travelled around cottages where the women and daughters were only to pleased to take in needlework to eke out their menfolk's meagre wages. The embroidery was so fine and was executed by candlelight. In Winter they used to work in the cow sheds to keep warm from the heat of the cows. As they were so poor they needed to work very long hours working on the embroidery and when they got tired they bathed their eyes with whisky to give them a few more hours clearer vision. Eventually they went blind.