Couture and textile products

Photo shows five different images of silk broomstick lace wraps arranged on a mannequin against a gray gingham background.

from the sewing room

In this room you’ll find Couture and textile type products. If it involves fabric, yarn, or thread it’s here! Crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail, each piece is designed to be beautiful and long-lasting. These items are made from the finest yarns and fabrics.

The silk wraps are handmade with luxury, lace weight silk yarns. Lace weight is like a very heavy thread. Broom stick lace wraps made of crochet requires an additional apparatus of either an adjustable loom, or a rod or broomstick, for which the lace was named. A wrap of 20” wide by 60” long takes approximately 130 grams of yarn and over 50 hours to create, one stitch at a time, using a single hook.

Photo shows broomstick lace crochet on a hairpin lace tool with three crochet hooks two stitch keeper a small pair of scissors and a metal bowl with a skein of yarn in artyarns brand scarab blue silk essence lace weight 100% silk yarn.

Due to the time investment to create a wrap, high quality materials are sourced.

Prices vary, based on cost and availability of materials.

Certain hard to find colors cost more, because of how much time it takes me to acquire them.

Photo shows a broomstick lace crochet wrap made of alternating of Artyarns lace weight silk essence yarn in Ombre Rose pink with tan highlights and burnt orange which is a very soft bright brown.

The smaller loops take an extra hook to work, and are far more time consuming, yet the effect is spectacular. 

In this piece, the brown rows alternate between twisted loops and crossed loops. 

Look for directions on how to create these yourself, in the parlor.

Photo shows a 12 inch square of handkerchief weight 100 5% linen with the corners clipped and a line along the four edges 1/4 inch from the edge, where a single thread is pulled out. The missing thread shows a line that is followed to crochet a lace border onto the fabric, after the edge is rolled to the line.

These handkerchiefs were a specialty in my younger days.

Cutting handkerchief linen into square handkerchief “blanks” to required making a short clip in the fabric, to pull a single thread.

Linen is a very straight weave, and once a thread is pulled a very straight cut is made following the vacancy. Additional thread pulls are made, for hemming the for edges with lace crochet. Approximately 1/4 inch of fabric is rolled to forma bead, and then crocheted in place along the four edges of the handkerchief.

The photo shows a crocheted border on a cut lace linen handkerchief. The lace is 100/2 fine linen lacing making thread and incorporates size 16 hex cut glass beads, very small freshwater pearls and antique size 22 gold plated seed beads into the lace pattern.

This is my wedding handkerchief, made in the late 1990s. The lace incorporates very small freshwater pearls and antique 22K gold plate size 22 seed beads on 120/2 linen lacemaking thread, edging an antique linen handkerchief with cutwork lace work.

This piece took over 60 hours to create, and I poured my heart into it. Notice the holes where the lace attaches to the cloth.

Below you’ll find a variety of items from the sewing room. Please use the form at the bottom of the page to make an inquiry or start an order. 

Silk Couture Wraps 

Exquisite Japanese silk and fine Italian cashmere are the prime fibers from which Jennifer’s Broomstick Lace couture wraps are made. Already created piece range in yarn weights and blends in stunning colors and include natural undyed silk and silky mohair wispy whites, quite suitable as a bridal accessory.  Silk couture makes for a lovely summer wrap that doubles as a luxuriant cozy winter neck scarf. As the wait time is long for a custom-made broomstick lace wrap of couture, classes to master this skill are coming to New Kent Parks and Recreation (New Kent County, VA) in 2024. Custom yarn kits are available in limited quantities and require a non-refundable deposit. Kit prices vary depending upon the color selection. Some silk and cashmere lace weight yarn is available today. Contact me for more information!

Custom Couture is wearable art and requires discussion, for one who seeks that ultimate add to their wardrobe, or spectacular gift for someone special.  The simple elegant (award winning) pattern is Scappoose Women.  A more brilliant and sophisticated wrap is the custom -made Crimson T-Square.  Unlike a Hermes Scarf, which is printed in limited quantities, these pieces are individually made, and can color customized.

More information on ordering kits can be found in The Parlor room.

Hand Laced Linen Handkerchiefs

Heirloom beaded hand laced linen handkerchiefs

Jennifer has the copyright for a crochet lace pattern called “Victorian Ages” in the Library of Congress, granted in the early 1990’s. A yard of handkerchief linen will yield 8 – 12 squares, depending upon the finished size of the handkerchief. The fabric is cut to size pulling a single thread as a guide, and then threads are pulled to guide the crochet straight along the edge of the fabric where the edge is rolled under and secured with crochet, not hemming. Linen is a very straight weave that does not stretch. It takes about 9 hours to cut a yard of linen into 6-8 blanks, depending upon the finished size of the handkerchief. Thread pulling is very tedious. It often breaks somewhere in the fabric and requires use of a fine tipped (0.5mm) crochet hook to tease out the broken thread further into the weave. Threads are pulled to cut the blanks. Inside the blank threads are pulled to guide the crochet hem of the lace. The lace is made using linen lace-making thread, anywhere from a 40/2 weight to a very fine 120/2 weight.

The thread and beads are selected based on the lace pattern. Thread thickness governs (restricts) the size of the beads. Microbeads (A.K.A. “Dust with holes in it”) require a 100/2 or a 120/2 fine thread and are so thin the bead will break if pushed into a thick spot on the thread. Lace-making thread is equally hard to source. Then stringing the beads onto the thread is next, and takes a very fine needle, to avoid breaking the beads. This is tedious task of love. The beads must be pushed back on the thread several yards as most patterns take only one bead for every four inches of thread, and some rows of lace do not have beads-requiring those beads to be pushed back many yards further. Crocheting elegant linen lace borders on handkerchiefs is truly a labor of love for the craft.

A future wearable-art project will be “Here comes the Bride” Ensemble. It will feature an heirloom handkerchief, a silk and silky mohair wrap, a string of cultured pearls, and a beaded lace pocket purse.

The Photo shows a window, through which a setting sun can be seen, over low crops in a field.

See something you’d like to know more about or purchase?

Reach out via the form below! I will reach out to discuss delivery dates and pickup options, and will send an invoice for payment. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

See something you’d like to purchase?

Reach out via the form below! I will reach out to discuss delivery dates and pickup options, and will send an invoice for payment. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.