antique treasure

When I was very young, just after WW2, my mother did beading for one of the big fabric shops in the city. She stitched beaded motifs on to crepe fabric. This work was done on the end of the table in the dining room, which was spread with a clean, white sheet over a blanket.

The motifs were supplied by the fabric store, and were placed at the spot where they would sit on the finished garment. Whenever I see old photos of that style of dress, with the beading from the shoulder down the front, I think of mother.

The beads were all on strings, and the beading was done through the tissue paper patterns. Then came the job of removing the tissue after the beading was completed, and sometimes if we were very good, and very very clean, and very very careful, we were allowed to help with with part.

However, not one of us would have been game to go within cooee of the table if there was a skerrick of dirt or dust anywhere on us....it was definitely a "no go" area otherwise.

From my memory the designs looked very complicated, with flowers and scroll work. The finished article was wrapped carefully in tissue and then brown paper, and taken back to the store. The beading was absolutely beautiful.

I don't know how much mother was paid for this, but probably not a lot.

I still have a few of her beads pictured above. I noticed today when stitching them onto my work that there were some that were smoothly bevelled instead of being round on the outside. Are these still available today. They have very smooth edges.