When I saw the gold work turtle in the Inspirations book, A Passion for Needlework vol. 3 by Georgiana Bellamy, I knew that it was on the to do list. Instead of purchasing the kit , I was able, with a little help from my friends to gather the many shades of purl, felt and gold to make her.
Sewing through the 8 layers of a combination of 3mm and 1mm felt for the shell was not for the faint of heart. I finally found that I could use a long size 13 beading needle and a pair of pliers to get through all of the layers. Sometimes it took 8 or 10 stabs of the needle from the bottom to get the needle to come out at the correct spot on top. It was worth it and she is wonderful.
Several years ago, my sweet daughter brought me a candle in a wooden bowl from Hawaii. The wood was grown there and is native Hawaiian. The candle is gone but the upside down bowl is the perfect resting place for the the turtle.
I have several other projects in progress, actually 4 or 5 but that is normal. Sometime at the shop we get women who shyly admit that they have more than one project going at a time. I think that it is an achievement to celebrate. No need to ever be bored when there are so many wonderful things to read and do.
I am reading a very interesting book about the relationship of restrictive foundation garments and the status of women in Early Modern England. It is called Shaping Femininity by Sarah Bendall. This book brings together some of the things that interest me: English history, historic clothing, material culture and the restrictions placed on women throughout history by men who fought against the idea of a equal partner instead of a chattel.
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