Monday, June 21, 2010

Not your granny's circles


Let me preface this post by saying: DON'T GET ANY BRIGHT IDEAS.

Just because I am posting photos of bridal-type stuff does NOT mean I'm intending or planning to wear any of it any time soon. I just saw this on Sunday and had to share it because it certainly made me look at granny circles in a whole new way.

I gave up the better part of a perfectly good sewing Sunday and went downtown in the 90-plus degree heat to attend a friend's book-signing. Somehow the bus got me there early, and rather than wait around, I wandered around the neighborhood and window-shopped.

This dress was actually in the front window of a flower shop that specialized in bridal flowers, and there didn't seem to be any information on the maker that I could see. I crossed the street to look at it - my first thought was, "Pretty, let me see what the embellishment is." When I got there and realized that the entire train and a good part of the dress was made up of granny circles in silk and organza and tulle and random other fabrics, you could have knocked me over with . . . well, a granny circle.

I've seen them upscaled before, but I have to say never to this extent, or with this much sophistication (did you ever think you'd hear that word applied to a granny circle project? Really?) The colors were so muted and lovely, and the thick application of circles made them look like something other than what they are, at least from a distance of a few inches.

From across the street, I have to say it was stunning.

There were a few other stores in the area, and I did take a few more photos of interesting embellishments, but I'm going to save them for a day when I can't think of anything else to say.

For now, I have to say that while I don't have a use for this technique, and certainly can't imagine decking myself out in what has to literally be thousands of granny circles, I appreciated the opportunity to see something I've never taken seriously in a whole new light.
What about you? What do you think of when you see granny circles? Kitsch? Fond memories of grandma? Wedding gowns?

5 comments:

Karen Minturn Brown said...

Time suck. There is no way to do them fast enough to use a lot, and a lot are required for impact. Pretty, though.

Myra said...

Beautiful on that dress. With regard to circles, I see a clown doll my g'ma made decades ago that sits in my sewing room.

Rose said...

when I see those things (I call them yo-yo's), I think of the little clown doll that someone made for me when I was a kid. The doll's arms snd legs were made from yo-yos from bright gaudy fabric. I like the effect--and I appreciate how the designer used only on the train and part of the back. I'm surprised by the effect when it's all done in shades of one color (in this case, white).

Little Hunting Creek said...

Very pretty! Jennifer Stern did a tutorial in Threads not too long ago on how to make the yo-yos faster with an embroidery machine. For thos eof you who like doing things over and over again. I would go insane after three and say - enough!

meredithp said...

That is the most beautiful effect with those yo-yos. Really stunning. Thanks for posting.