Embroider my World Heliotrope
Dewhurst's have a wonderful range of bright colours in their range of sewing cottons like this reel of vibrant pink, which has been blessed with the delightful name of "Heliotrope". The colour Heliotrope, is a light purple with an overlay of magenta named after the Heliotropium flower. The color heliotrope is the vivid complement to softer hues of purple inspired by flowers, like orchid, lavender, and lilac. The magenta influence in heliotrope color is what gives it its vivacity.
When it was last my birthday, a very dear friend who enjoys photography as much as I do, and knows that I collect beautiful and vintage pieces, gave me a wonderful selection of antique ribbons, buttons, buckles, lace and other fine notions. She also gave me three follow up tins of similar delightful gifts for Christmas.
Those wonderful gifts are what has inspired me to create this series of "Embroider my World" images featuring my vintage bobbin collection. I happened to be out antiques and curio shopping with that same friend a few weeks ago when I came across some beautiful Heliotrope coloured vintage lace appliqués of roses and a tiny 1920s German half-doll wearing a Heliotrope coloured blouse. It seemed appropriate to use these items together with a Dewhurst's Sylko "Heliotrope" reel of cotton from my collection. It dates from between 1938 and 1954.
The "half-doll" is a dainty porcelain or bisque figurine, fashionable in the early Twentieth Century with an upper body, head, arms, but no legs. These dolls were produced in the thousands at the height of their popularity by German factories such as Dressel and Kister, Heubach, Goebel and Kestner. Later they were produced in France, America and later still, in Japan. They commonly served as handles and toppers for fabric covers made for powder boxes on ladies’ dressing tables and small brushes, however they were also made for jewellery boxes, pincushions, tea cosies and other covers. In this case, my German half-doll is decorated in fashionable contemporary (for the time) Art Deco style dress with an Eaton Crop hairdo. She is the smallest of my half-dolls, standing only one and a half inches in height, so I imagine that she would have been made for a lady’s boudoir and was most likely the topper for a small powder bowl or even a powder puff. She has been hand painted.
Belle Vue Mill, commonly known as Dewhurst’s, was built by Thomas Dewhurst in 1828. It opened in 1829 as John Dewhurst & Sons and was one of Skipton’s largest spinning and weaving mills. The mill’s position next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal meant that raw cotton could be shipped in by boats from Liverpool. Finished goods would then be sent back the same way ready for distribution. Coal to power the machine’s steam engines was also delivered by barge. In 1897 Dewhurst’s was bought by the English Sewing Cotton Co. It continued to produce Sylko, one of the mill’s most famous products. It was produced in over 500 colours and sold throughout the world. Sylko cottons are still available at haberdashers today.
Embroider my World Heliotrope
Dewhurst's have a wonderful range of bright colours in their range of sewing cottons like this reel of vibrant pink, which has been blessed with the delightful name of "Heliotrope". The colour Heliotrope, is a light purple with an overlay of magenta named after the Heliotropium flower. The color heliotrope is the vivid complement to softer hues of purple inspired by flowers, like orchid, lavender, and lilac. The magenta influence in heliotrope color is what gives it its vivacity.
When it was last my birthday, a very dear friend who enjoys photography as much as I do, and knows that I collect beautiful and vintage pieces, gave me a wonderful selection of antique ribbons, buttons, buckles, lace and other fine notions. She also gave me three follow up tins of similar delightful gifts for Christmas.
Those wonderful gifts are what has inspired me to create this series of "Embroider my World" images featuring my vintage bobbin collection. I happened to be out antiques and curio shopping with that same friend a few weeks ago when I came across some beautiful Heliotrope coloured vintage lace appliqués of roses and a tiny 1920s German half-doll wearing a Heliotrope coloured blouse. It seemed appropriate to use these items together with a Dewhurst's Sylko "Heliotrope" reel of cotton from my collection. It dates from between 1938 and 1954.
The "half-doll" is a dainty porcelain or bisque figurine, fashionable in the early Twentieth Century with an upper body, head, arms, but no legs. These dolls were produced in the thousands at the height of their popularity by German factories such as Dressel and Kister, Heubach, Goebel and Kestner. Later they were produced in France, America and later still, in Japan. They commonly served as handles and toppers for fabric covers made for powder boxes on ladies’ dressing tables and small brushes, however they were also made for jewellery boxes, pincushions, tea cosies and other covers. In this case, my German half-doll is decorated in fashionable contemporary (for the time) Art Deco style dress with an Eaton Crop hairdo. She is the smallest of my half-dolls, standing only one and a half inches in height, so I imagine that she would have been made for a lady’s boudoir and was most likely the topper for a small powder bowl or even a powder puff. She has been hand painted.
Belle Vue Mill, commonly known as Dewhurst’s, was built by Thomas Dewhurst in 1828. It opened in 1829 as John Dewhurst & Sons and was one of Skipton’s largest spinning and weaving mills. The mill’s position next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal meant that raw cotton could be shipped in by boats from Liverpool. Finished goods would then be sent back the same way ready for distribution. Coal to power the machine’s steam engines was also delivered by barge. In 1897 Dewhurst’s was bought by the English Sewing Cotton Co. It continued to produce Sylko, one of the mill’s most famous products. It was produced in over 500 colours and sold throughout the world. Sylko cottons are still available at haberdashers today.