Hi,
My name is Diana and I have a vintage textile addiction. I’m just beginning to admit it. It’s a difficult disease. Old Linen and Ribbon, Trims and Passementarie of any kind are almost an obsession. Ragged bits and pieces of once elegant or funky finery seem to whisper my name as I wander through the usual haunts, the thrift shops, flea markets, estate sales. Beads and buttons ask to be given a home.
Looking at them, touching them, I can see the possibilities for embellishment from reconstructed clothing and accessories to DIY projects for “apartment therapy.”

I see the dolls, the fabric journals, the pillows and the art quilts someone could create. I imagine shrines and mixed media pieces. I create a lot of beautiful things, cutting up old table cloths and stitching them to cut down jackets for flounces and cuffs, covering a lapel with old lace and pearl buttons. All this creativity takes place not in my work space but in my mind’s eye.

I come by it honestly. It’s hereditary. It lives in the genes.

My mother was textileophile. Design, texture, color, clothes, jewelry and shoes. (among many other things) were an obsession. When she was 19 she opened a tiny shop selling accessories with her own handmade hats. She made the majority of her clothing or did DIY on purchased clothing as well as upcycling and remaking thrifted clothes. (way ahead of her time) She loved design even as a child and designed and handmade her own clothes, as many girls did back in the 20’s and 30’s. She also made most of my clothes… which could sometimes be a trial for a third grader wearing what was essentially a toned down two skirted cocktail dress to school.

MORE:

I’m a woman who enjoyed the 1960’s in the 1970’s.

I was a teen in the ’60’s. Loved the girl groups of that era with their co-ordinated clothing. Loved the Beatles and the English Invasion music. Loved the MOD clothing and Carnaby street influence. Moved into hippiedom with gusto and loved all the protest music I could listen to. Marched for civil rights, women’s rights, against the war. I’m still in favor of the first two and very much against the latter.

At one time I was a self employed jewelry artisan and apprenticed as a goldsmith as well. Using beads, metals, found objects and even textiles I created one of a kind jewelry pieces and purses. I haven’t made any jewelry in years except as gifts or something for myself but lately the sketchbook has been finding jewelry doodles. I think a new direction in jewelry and accessories might be opening up I don’t know how far along in that direction I’ll be going.

I also used to collect vintage clothing. I had a shop in the late 1970’s and early ’80’s where I sold vintage furniture, collectibles, clothing and other miscellaneous trinkets. I’m still besotted with beautiful clothing and accessories from those earlier era’s. The styles of the 30’s through 50’s are so WOW! Great stuff from these eras are so hard to find now and when you do the prices are astronomical. And of course the 1960’s are from my teen era, I love seeing younger people today wearing upcycled or updated versions.                                                             (gawd… younger people? that sounds so old)                                                I have a few pieces left and I am hunting down more so keep an eye out in my etsy shop to see what I come up with. I’m hoping to find some nice things at fairly affordable prices, or at least find the patterns DIY-ers can do their own take.

Well, that’s me in a nutshell. A very large nutshell I can’t stop talkin! Be thankful, there could be so much more. Where does one stop? Art classes, seminary, dance, marriage, lovers, acting school, spiritual quests, hope, love, anger, defeat, victory… the human things we all go through so why talk about it.

As my favorite entertainer/songwriter puts it:

“I’m just average, common too. I’m just like him, I’m the same as you. I’m everybody’s brother and son. I ain’t no different than anyone.       Ain’t no use talkin’ to me… just the same as talkin’ to you”

OOPS… the question begs to be asked: why start a blog then?

HA!