rose hip : Liberty and Linen...

...yes, it's been a little while since my last post and, no, I haven't deserted my blog, but I've just had to slow down and focus on doing things in a way that lessens my hip, lower back and leg pain; my physio sessions have really made it clear that sitting triggers my pain, so I've been trying to sit less throughout the day and for shorter durations at a time... Unfortunately, that has meant that I've had to slow down on my blog-writing, crocheting and sewing activities and so, while I'm still getting things done, it's just taking me much longer...

Along with many lovely get well messages and helpful tips on how to ease my aching body (thank you so very much!), I have received many queries as to when I will start listing some new pillowcases in my Etsy shop... Well, new listings are coming very soon, in a few days or so, and I will notify you with a quick post as soon as I'm at the point of re-stocking my shop. I'm actually quite excited about some of these new listings because I've come up with something a bit new...

For quite a little while now, I've had in my fabric reserves several bolts of stunning Liberty cotton fabric from the Art Fabrics Lifestyle collection; now, in case you don't know it, the fabric in this collection is not the lovely Tana Lawn cotton one expects from Liberty, but a quilting weight 100% Egyptian cotton printed in Italy. Liberty first introduced it in, I believe, 2012 with the Bloomsbury collection, inspired by the historic Bloomsbury London district. As you can see if you take a look at the prints in the collection here, they are gorgeous and very "Liberty", and I think the cotton itself, while heavier than lawn, is silkier and finer to the touch than standard quilting weight cottons which makes it perfect for pillowcases! So, I sewed up a few sample pillowcases with the fabric and tried many different yarn options for the crochet trim, looking for something really special given the loveliness of the fabric... After coming up with a few possible options involving different cotton yarns, I decided to also try trimming the pillowcases with some 100% linen yarn I just so happen to have lying around... and I'm so happy I did because the pairing could not have been more perfect!

For one, the crocheted linen yarn has lovely stitch definition which complements the finely detailed Liberty florals just beautifully...

The finished linen trim has a pretty airy look to it due to the inherent stiffness of new linen which hasn't been washed yet; stiffer than, for example, cotton yarn, linen yarn when crocheted gives stitches that are less taut, still nicely shaped but definitely looser (bigger holes). I think the resulting delicate lacy trim partners perfectly with the Liberty fabric as it brings out the daintiness of its floral print...

Linen yarn also has a lovely silky sheen to it, very subtle and natural-looking, unlike that of yarn which gets its sheen from synthetic ingredients. I think this delightful attribute nicely complements the fine nature of the Egyptian cotton used in this Liberty collection, which I believe has a hint of pleasing silkiness to it, perfect for resting a tired head on...

Now, the beauty of linen yarn is that, despite it being delicate and lacy-looking when crocheted, it is a rather durable yarn that actually improves with machine washing over time. Along with flax and hemp yarns, linen yarn softens and still looks very beautiful (some would say even more beautiful!) after being washed, a good thing when used to adorn pillowcases you would like to have around for a while!...

So there you have it, my first Liberty and Linen pillowcase, which I will be stocking my Etsy shop with as of next week (I will post exactly when)... I decided on using a Bloomsbury print in a pretty colour stream with pink as the background for my first Liberty and Linen pillowcase as I find it's very soft and summery, perfect to make one daydream about the lovely season awaiting us just around the corner... I'm expecting new linen yarn samples any day now which I will be matching up with more pillowcases made from other yummy Liberty prints in different colour streams and patterns; as soon as they're done, I will show you them to you...

Thank you so much for checking up on my blog despite my latest prolonged absence -- I"m still here and very willing, just moving at a slower pace for, hopefully, not too much longer! I hope you enjoyed this post and I do hope you come by again for a visit!...

Comments

Another dreamy pillowcase! Such pretty fabric. Take good care of yourself and those achy bits!

Posted by: mrs robinson | May 08, 2015 at 03:42 AM

Your pillowcase is beautiful, I've never crocheted with linen, I must try it. I get a lot of neck pain so you have my sympathy, there is nothing to do but slow down and do a little at a time, hope you feel better soon. Hx

Posted by: Helen | May 08, 2015 at 04:20 AM

The pillow case is beautiful. I love the colour combinations with the yarn. I hope you get better soon and can get back to all your lovely craftiness.
Rosie

Posted by: Rosie | May 08, 2015 at 12:51 PM

ahhhh .... that is a beautiful combination! I hope you are feeling better soon.

Posted by: Mary @ At Home on the Bay | May 08, 2015 at 05:17 PM

Beautiful photos! and pillowcase, of course!

Posted by: Kristi | May 09, 2015 at 11:52 AM

A perfect pairing! Wishing you continued rapid healing!

Posted by: Angela-Southern USA | May 11, 2015 at 10:20 AM

Beautiful post glad I stopped by x

Posted by: Joy Abbott | May 13, 2015 at 11:59 AM

I was wondering how you were doing. Yes, sitting - UGH! is hard. I have heard that standing is better for us in so many ways. A custom table for your machine, perhaps?

Isn't the drape of linen just beautiful?

Posted by: Tina | May 16, 2015 at 04:51 AM

Your pillowcase looks beautiful - really nice choice of colours. How lovely to imagine a whole bed set made of this :)
Kate
www.loopandbar.co.uk

Posted by: Kate Beverley | May 29, 2015 at 02:43 AM