I’ve opened a new Etsy store. It’s called “Of Shreds and Patches.”
I’ve had the name of the shop on my mind for some time now, though I had it wrong, which led to all sorts of creating of accounts and cancelling of accounts when I realized the whole world would be exposed to my inaccuracies.
Anyway, the phrase comes from a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta – The Mikado – and a song - “A Wand’ring Minstrel.” It starts out like this:
A wand’ring minstrel I -
A thing of shreds and patches
Of ballads, songs and snatches
And dreamy lullabies
My catalog is long,
Through every passion ranging
And to your humors changing
I tune my supple song
I tune my supple song
~~~
We had a record (yep, a vinyl record album) of songs from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas when we were kids, my sister and I. I remember it had some sort of line drawing with monkeys on the cover. Oh – wait, no, something to do with a pirate ship and a monkey…I don’t exactly remember. But it was from another song, which I also don’t remember either, though it’s RIGHT THERE on the tip of my tongue.
~~~
I FOUND IT!!
I was thinking – maybe it’s still at my parents’ house – and then I thought – maybe I have it here – so I went up to the music room, squished myself in between a huge amplifier and the shelf of vinyl albums we have here, and I FOUND IT!
Here’s a picture of the front cover:
And the back, which was meant to be framed and put up on your child’s wall, if you wanted to.
As you can see by the ancient masking tape along one side, this record was taken out and put back in a LOT.
Loved these songs. And, as I got older, I grew to love and appreciate the cleverness of Gilbert & Sullivan. The tongue-twisting lyrics delivered at breakneck speed. Such fun.
Anyway, that’s part of where the name of the shop comes from.
This shop is for hand sewn items. Little plush dolls…elephants…there will be dinosaurs. And any other sewn thing I come up with. I’ve missed the designing and sewing I used to do, years and years ago, and since I’ve got a TON of fabric – from my own collecting as well as inherited scraps – I figured it was high time I started using it.
My mother’s mother used to sew (and crochet and knit and draw and paint and play piano), and G&S influence comes to me from that side – my mother’s side – of the family as well. So…scraps of fabric…shreds and patches. That’s how I got there.
Anyway, I’m working on a third elephant to add to the store, and after that, probably some pillows…and some dinosaurs.
And that’s what I’ve been up to lately.
