Antique Embroidery

Antique Embroidery

Handmade Bags, Embroidered Antique Fabric & Bohemian-Chic Style

Handmade bags are all the hype these days. Designer is great, don't get me wrong, but there is nothing like a one-of-a-kind handmade bag with hand-stitched leather and patches of colorful embroidery. No two handmade bags are the same and their designs are often inspired by the craftsmen who make them. So if you're looking for a chic conversation piece you can carry around with you, try making your own handmade bag or buying one from a talented craftsman. Your handmade bag will be sure to have a one-of-a-kind story you can wear on your arm on your next night out.

Many of these handmade bags incorporate colorful antique fabrics into their designs. This is a clever and creative way to reuse old fabrics, many of which are magnificent works of art. Antique fabrics were handmade by women weavers long before machines were around to do the work for them. Textiles were hand-dyed, hand-woven and hand-embroidered by the women in the families and often passed down from mothers to daughters for generations.

Antique Japanese kimono and Hmong tribal costumes from mountainous regions of Asia are some of the most exquisite embroidered fabrics being incorporated into today's trendy, bohemian-chic handmade bags.

In Japanese culture, traditional kimono designs were rich in cultural, political, social and religious symbolism. The colors, patterns and particular motifs of a kimono were carefully selected to articulate the wearer's status in society as well as his/her personal virtues and desired attributes. In wedding ceremonies and other celebrated festivals kimono symbolism was used to confer blessings, well-wishes and good fortune.

Today, Hmong costumes are still a very important part of Hmong culture. At a very early age, young girls begin learning the elaborate needlework and traditional designs needed to create each Hmong costume. This skill is valued so highly in Hmong culture that a woman's desirability to a suitor is measured by the beauty and intricacy of her needlework. A different costume is made for each milestone event in Hmong culture. The finest, most ornate work is reserved for marriage and death. The celebration of the New Year is also a significant event, and fresh new costumes must be worn as an auspicious welcoming of the new year.

Patches of these colorful, hand-woven and hand-embroidered intricate works of antique art create a chic contrast when hand-stitched onto leather and hemp fabric contemporary handbags and purses. These works of art are traditionally passed down from generation to generation, making them rare finds in the fashion world. You certainly won't find many of these handmade embroidered bags on a department store rack, if any at all.

Handmade bags with unique, antique embroidery are truly one-of-a-kind. Within each patch of antique fabric are generations of family, culture and tradition. How's that for a conversation piece?

About the Author

Incredibly Handmade is a one of a kind shopping site with unique handmade bags, embroidered bags and other handmade accessories from around the world. Feel free to visit our online store at http://www.incrediblyhandmade.com/

How can I clean an antique rug?

It's wool, with crewel embroidery.
I've already taken it to a dry cleaner and it came back looking exactly like it did before I brought it.

Take the rug to a professional cleaner. Dry cleaning will only handle surface soil, it will not get the grit out of the base of the rugs foundation. A good cleaner will "dust"
the rug first. Then he will test the rug for dry rot and color fastness, inspect the overall condition of the rug to determine whether the rug will withstand the rigors of cleaning. Washing the rug is the best method for getting the rug cleaned. Are you sure the rug needs cleaning? Most people clean rugs too often. A good cleaner will also advise you on whether the rug really needs the cleaning.

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