Sunday, November 13, 2011

Table cloths..

This supper cloth is a Semco design. It was stitched by a lady in NSW who had three daughters, and kept them supplied in hand embroidered linens all her life. They ended up with so much, one daughter sold some of hers on eBay which is where I found this. She told me her mother was about 83 when she worked this cloth, and could still sew beautifully.

I bought this on eBay from a lady in Western Australia. Stunning embroidered Australian wildflowers.

A souvenir of Queen Elizabeth's first visit to Australia in 1954.
Another souvenir cloth to celebrate the Queen's coronation.

Budgerigars.


More budgerigars. Ever the purist, my husband commented that the colours are all wrong. My response is that like any artist, embroiderers create their own impressions of a subject.

Birds and animals were a very popular theme on linens in the early to mid 20th century. This cloth is unusual in that it combines cross stitched parrots with the foliage worked in other embroidery stitches.

Blue Wrens, Semco design.

Koalas, Semco design.
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2 comments:

  1. HelenApril 17, 2014 at 11:41 PM

    I found a Semco Map of australia tablecloth the same as the one in your pic at our local refuse tip years ago. Someone had used it as a grease rag. It had been completed and had a crocheted lace border but a small section of the border is damaged. I soaked it in napisan and thankfully all the grease was removed. I am thinking of donating it to our local Historical Society.
    What I'd like to know is how old that design is?
    Many Thanks, Helen

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 19, 2015 at 11:08 AM

    Hi Gina

    I have tried to send you an email but it has bounced back as not valid :(

    Karen

    ReplyDelete

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