The Garter

I'm sure I'm not the only one in Bloglandia that keeps a blog for more then one reason. I admit that when I decided to create a blog, the main reason was to connect with that small group of artists, junk-meisters, keepers of the flame of all things vintage. That merry band of folks that get it, who think it's quite normal to bend down pick up a rusty piece of ???, stick it in your pocket, and add it to your stash, just because it's cool, and it will look great... I also tend to use my blog to keep my family and friends who are miles and miles away up in the Northern Lands caught up with our "going ons". It works swell, When there is something I want them to see I can post a picture and like magic they can see it. This is perfect these days as Mette and Joe's wedding keeps hurdling forward. She calls and says "Mom can you....." or I call and say take a look at this and let me know. In case you didn't figure it out that's what I did with the dress I bought for the wedding :) So tonight's little show and tell project is the bride's garter.

Before we go any further I'm going to warn you that I'm more then a bit nervous about this. Like me, Mette has rather strong feelings about what she likes and doesn't. She is also 27 years old and 27 or so years younger then I am. I will confess that I have a fairly good idea of what she likes and doesn't. But where I'm the junk...treasure hunter in the family she is not. Soooooooooo here is the Bride's garter (how does that song go She's a little bit___ and She's (He's) a little bit rock and roll)

I started with 1&1/2 inch white silk ribbon sewn at both the top and bottom. I added 1/4 inch silk light blue ribbon a half inch from the top, which made the casing for the elastic. Then along the bottom I added a thin piece of vintage cotton embroidered edging.

There is a small fabric store that carries the beaded, silk, embroidered materials used for Quinceanera and wedding dresses. When they mark down their bolt ends I like to buy a quarter of a meter of different pieces. Then I can use the embroidered/beaded decorations as appliques in projects. That's what the center flower is. I cut 3 of the flowers out of the lace netting holding them Stacked then together and stitched a tiny pearl bead on the edge of each petal.

In the center of the flower I created a fabric wire wrapped bead. Mette had sent me a couple of small scraps of the fabrics being used in her gown. It's those scraps that are the fabric, I used sterling silver wire and small seed pearls to wrap with. In the center of the bead is a tiny blue glass heart.

On each end of the wrapped bead I attached cream colored freshwater pearls and small blue crystals.

At the bottom edge just under the flower I hung 2 links of seed pearls and blue crystals on one I attached a heart and key milagros On the other is a small pearl and gold pendent. This was my Christmas present from my Mother the year she died.

Around the sides and back I stitched embroidered flowers and leaves that were also part of the material that the flower was from.

When I finished, I had a bride's garter without frilly lace, bows or sequins. We, Mother and Daughter are in perfect agreement in our distaste of wearing those. I did manage to use something old , something new, something blue. All that is missing is something borrowed. The pearl is hers now and maybe there will be another young woman who will incorporate a final gift of love given by her great grandmother into her wedding :)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)