As Soft as Eider Fluff!

I have always loved the soft chintzy cotton fabrics used to produce the covers to vintage eiderdowns - Years ago, before the 'craze' for these lovely old quilts really took off, I was able to buy many at fairly reasonable prices. If some were a little past their best, which couldn't be remedied by a cycle in the washing machine, I would carefully unpick the stitching along each channel, until I was left with two usable rectangles of pretty fabric.

Years later, I still have quite an array of these fabric panels left from that time. I've always used them sparingly, as the designs of many of my favourite floral ones were printed with spriggy motifs, which would lend themselves to be included in patchwork pieces and smaller works, making them look all the more precious and special.

Today I selected one of these fabrics for my latest handmade item...

As I was adding the finishing touch to it, of a c1930's wooden button, a visitor to my shop wanted a closer look at what I was doing. She thought for a moment and then asked, 'Where have I seen this sort of fabric before?' I explained that it originally had been the cover to an eiderdown. Her face lit up as she remembered her own childhood eidy and tried to recall the floral design that it featured. Its always lovely to share stories with the visitors to my shop and to jog a memory of something that they may not have thought of for many years.

How lovely that something as simple as the touch of a soft cotton fabric can trigger this.

As I have only finished making one item today (I have also been working on three fairy dolls to take to the Vintage Bazaar on Saturday), I shall leave you with some very old photos of a few of the items that I made when I ran my first shop in 2003.

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Niki x