Wednesday 4 May 2016

What's on my workdesk

 Did any of you guess what this thingymebob was last week ?
Well it could be for putting your bits of thread 
in while you are sewing
 or keeping the dust off the end of your parasol
 as my friend Vix suggested, but its not.
It's a Hair Receiver.
Victorian ladies saved the hair from their brushes and used it to 
stuff into pincushions or pillows. 
As hair was washed less frequently the oil in the hair lubricated 
the pins making it easier to pierce material.

It was also used to make "ratts" a small ball of hair that was 
inserted into a hairstyle to add volume and fullness.
I wonder if that is where the saying "hair likes rats tails" came from.
All sounds a bit yuck to me.
Moving swiftly on here's what's been happening at the desk this past week.
A bit of handstitching and fabric sorting
A bit of rearranging on the Wall of Influence & Inspiration.

And finally a good talking too, to stop flitting from one thing to another and commit to finishing the HOME cushion and converting that crotchet trim into an embroidered shelf edging.

But first there has to be a bit of deskhopping and a lot of willpower drawn on  to not be influenced and sidetracked by what everyone else is upto.

I hope you won't ask me next week if I stuck to my resolve.
Have a great creative week everyone.





25 comments:

  1. Now that was an interesting thing about collecting hair - and it makes sense of the 'rats tails' now I used to wonder when rats tails aren't that hairy. Carry on converting x Jackie 18

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  2. OMGoodness the hair collector thing oh is incredible. Who would of thought hair could be put to such a variety of uses. Not that I am going to copy any of those ideas but I have to admit I am amazed. Influence and Inspiration will is very interesting... like a static pinterest.
    sandra de @14

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  3. Your Wall of Inspiration etc etc would make an awesome crafter's jigsaw puzzle! Sorry but it just struck me as I was nosing around it :-). And I was highly disappointed that the pointy white thing wasn't Madonna's bra, something I think would be preferable to the real answer. EEeewww, there's something really bleurgh about dead hair. Still, I suppose it was in different times.
    And you're very welcome to come down any time you like! My husband is resigned to me asking various deskers to come and stay/have dinner. Diana is a gorgeous lady, you'd love her!
    Hugs, LLJ 2 xx

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  4. Goodness, Lynn. Were Victorians crazy, or what? What a surprise as to the use for that little crochet thingy!! Be encouraged, I too, flit from one thing to another - I like to have three or four things on the go at the same time! Trouble is, I then hit overload, and John has to sit me down and talk me through priorities.... yet again!
    Take care. God bless.
    Margaret #5

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  5. It sounds yuck to me too Lynn. Anyway, I love what you are doing with that crotchet trim. And no, I guess I won't ask you next week whether you stuck to your resolve, as I think I already know the answer ... xxx

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  6. I feel we are both butterfly crafters Lynn so you will always flit from one project to another....and of course when you are living next door I will be flitting through that gate with Milly to check out what your latest project is hehehe
    Hope you have a great week.
    Hugs,
    Annie x #9

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  7. That hair collector is fascinating - I don't own any but I love Victorian brooches with hair woven in them - I find them intriguing and slightly macabre, but I'm drawn to them - I have a feeling I might start collecting them one day!!
    I love your inspiration board and all your lace bits - last week I was embroidering cross stitch onto some tablecloth edging - the crochet had been made to look like little squares rather than the usual circles - it seemed perfect for that - and now I find you embroidering onto a similiar thing - we are often on the same wavelength aren't we!! Spooky!
    Have a great week,
    Diana xx

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  8. Gosh Lynn, haven't you been busy, lots of lovely stuff there, especially like the red stitching on the lace, gorgeous.
    Chris #10

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  9. Your slow stitching is gorgeous, I love that chair and the wall of inspiration is indeed a wonderful thing! You are clever and, when you've got a million idea in your head it's hard not to start them all when you think of them.
    I've only seen those hair savers in china or tortoiseshell as part of dressing table sets - I've come across a few filled with hair at car boot sales (yuk!) xxx

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  10. I'm always amazed how much hair the hoover collects, but I never thought of stuffing it into a cushion. Missed opportunity there, LOL! Fascinating insight into the Victorian era! Lovely things and projects all over your place! Happy WOYWW! zsuzsa #32

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  11. I may have planted a seed for you Lynne but you have returned it and planted one for me. I MUST finish one thing before starting another - I need to talk to Myself too.
    At least I kept with the hair thing last week but I would never have thought of that. Not sure I fancy it either - but if it keeps the pins lubricated ...
    Hugs, Neet 3 xx

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  12. Good morning Lynn. I am trully blown away with your work and it is so beautiful. I do so love the Victorian era in all it's elegance that came with it. Your picture of all the odds and ends had to stop and just admire it for sometime. So interesting fun fact about the hair collecting..... How creative for the day to use what they had. Thanks for visiting me earlier and anytime you want to sit and play the door is open. Have a great week and happy national scrapbooking day. Hugs~Anne L#8

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  13. This is my first visit to your studio Lynn and I LOVE YOU ALREADY! grin I would be honoured if you wanted to pop by and have a peek at mine (smile). The hair collector, while looking quite lovely, really kind of creeps me out...eeeeeew... Especially the oily hair keeping the pins slippery... I won't be looking at my pin cushion in quite the same way from now on... Scrapbook Lynne WOYWW #43

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  14. Very pretty creations!

    Yuck to the hair thing too. Sounds...not nice

    I love your wall of Influence and Inspiration. I might just have to 'borrow' that idea lol. What a great way to keep you inspired!

    Sharon K #39

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  15. Well I think that I just might need one of those hair receivers. :-) At the rate that I'm losing hair it might be a good idea :-)
    Love that inspirational wall!!
    Wishing you a creative WOYWW!! Hope to see you again next week!
    Hugs, MiSchra ♥ #4 - Thanks for stopping on over to my place earlier

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  16. Well I never would have guessed that one! Your lace n'stitching looks lovely and so does your influence wall - it's a brilliant idea. x Jo

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  17. I don't know where you find these snippets of information! You're been very busy and I love the wall. Thanks for stopping by earlier. Helen #1

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  18. Great handstitching. Such fun with your brain teasers. Not sure if want a pillow stuffed with hair. But then again we use bird feathers!!
    Have a great day.
    Diane - WOYWW #30

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  19. Wow, beautiful creations, you are super talented, wonderful works! Interesting about the hair, I love all things Victorian and didn't know that..thanks for sharing!
    Happy May and thanks for visiting me!
    Victoria

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  20. That's really interesting about the hair receiver. The rat's tail though is a style where the hair is worn plaited or just hangs from the back of the head so it looks like a rats tail. Have a great woyww and happy crafting, Angela x 24

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  21. That's so cool about the hair receiver. I love learning things like that from our past. Thanks for sharing that. Happy Wednesday, LisaDV 36

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  22. Well, who would have thought! That's very interesting (but still yucky), about the hair collecting business :)
    Hope you have a good week, with not too much distraction :)

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  23. Very Eeeeuuuww! but very interesting too. Love your inspiration wall.
    Jo x

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  24. Some beautiful things to see here... I really love that chair.

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  25. Ooh, I'm not very keen on the whole greasy hair saving thing, yak!!! However, that chair is flipping divine! Did you cover it yourself? I love it! The shelf crochet is so pretty. I love red and white, it reminds me of French linen. I won't be judging as I do the same thing myself, but with fewer results! Xxx

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