1st Post In The New Year

Hi everyone,

Its been a while since I have blogged, and my God has it been extremely hot here in Melbourne.  We got up to 46 degrees at one stage and it was practically impossible to sleep.  Luckily for me, the heatwave for now is over and I'm back to making things, collecting antique textiles and whatnot.

                                         















Above we have some of the things that I've done this year.  I made 4 oya lace scarves, some eye glasses cords and a cross stitch pillow case cover with lace edging for my spare room which I have matched the colours to.

I still cant believe I now OWN these beauties.  These cloths are HUGE, and are embroidered with metal using a special technique called "Tel Kirma" in Turkish.  Each stitch is individually done and there is no moving between stitches.  You finish one stitch and then start another.  It is very pain staking and comes from the northern part of Turkey from an area called Bartin.  These 2 cloths are antiques and would've taken the woman who made them 6 months at least for each one, so I'm quite happy to have these in my collection now.

Ahiretlik Oya- "friends to the end Oya"

Zeki Muren Eyelash

Deer Horns

Wasp Oya

Leblebi (roasted chickpeas) Oya

Above we have some new comers to my collection.  The first one Ahiretlik Oya is from Kutahya, Turkey.  A girl makes this for her friend on her wedding day to signify that they will be friends no matter what.  We then have some bead oya scarves from Balikesir:  Zeki Muren Eyelash,  Deer Horns and Leblebi oya, while Wasp bead oya comes from Namrun.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this, my first post for the year.  Don't forget to visit my facebook page and give me a like (click HERE to be redirected to my facebook page)

Till Next time! Take care!

Socks Finished!

I feel like these took me forever, but they only took me a little over a week doing bits here and there.  I'm quite happy with the results.

Socks

No 2nd sock syndrome for me!  The worst thing about socks is you have to make 2.  Not if you do half of one, then start another!  I'm working these socks in the Turkish style, except from the cuff down.

Newbies!

Chilli Oya, Nallihan

Carnation Oya, Possibly from Kastamonu

Ivy Oya, Nallihan

Hello new comers to my oya collection.  Each of these types of oyas have a story behind them, and for that you should like my page on Facebook to learn more about OYA!

Click Here To Be Directed To My Facebook Page!

You're Missing Out IF You're NOT following me on FACEBOOK.

So I've been a bit lazy with blogging recently, due to some orders and trying to maintain my facebook page.  But basically everything I do and find in regards to Turkish Needle Lace (Oya) I post there.  I'm very happy to announce that I've hit over 600 likers which is pretty amazing, if I don't say so myself.


So the above photo is of a recent order that this lovely lady placed.  She asked for a "hibiscus flower brooch" so heres my adaptation.  She was so pleased with the final result that she asked for another!

I've learnt alot about oya since I got back from Turkey, and since we brought my partners mother back from Turkey with us, not only in technique but history and differences with the lace from region to region.  I even started my own antique oya collection.

I hope you'll all like my page on facebook so you can keep more up-to-date with my oya adventures.

You can click HERE to be taken to my facebook page!

FACEBOOK!

If you haven't already liked my page on facebook then you're missing out! Ive been uploading various oyas and their meanings to my facebook as well as some new products listed on etsy.

If you'd like to like my page please click HERE

I will hopefully be uploading all about my oya journey to Turkey, and my MIL after I've finished my orders that I have at the moment.

Much love xx

Name Change!

So after careful talks with my M.I.L (ok she just told me to change the name) We've changed the name of the shop and the facebook page.  We're now AnatolianCollections!  I have made another blog under that name so I'll be posting the same things on both blogs now.

I hope you'll all still continue to follow and keep up to date with our works

Thanks for the on-going support!

Oya Lace Glasses Chain

I haven't finished it yet, I need to put some more flowers on it, but heres an idea I saw in a Turkish craft magazine.  I chained a chain and then did oya on it and added some flowers.  I'll add some more and then put it on ETSY probably.  Let me know what you think!

Meadow Grass Oya

This to me is the epitome of Igne Oyasi.  This is Cayir Cimen Oyasi which is made by a daughter in law for her mother in law.  This one was made by my M.I.L god knows how long ago.  This oya is famous in Konya, and no other place in Turkey makes this type of Oya like this.

At first you're probably thinking why the whole scarf isnt done, and just 2 sides plus 4 corners are done.  In Turkey they believe in "dort dortluk" which is like "nothing is perfect (except god)" so this scarf and Mezar Tasi (Grave stone) Oya they never did the whole scarf.

Theres also a great story behind this Oya.  Before the wedding, a girl will work tirelessly on this scarf to put into her mother in laws "bohca" (which are presents for the grooms family etc that are prepared before the wedding) in which she is trying to show her mother in law how diligent and skilled she is, and how her son will be happy with such a careful, patient and good worker.  After the wedding ceremony, The mother in law prepares a meal for them to eat, and the new bride is praying that she likes the scarf or something bad will happen.  If the mother in law doesnt like the new brides oya work, weather it be too lose, or not fine or whatever, she will make a yogurt soup, and finely cut the oya off into it.  This was a sign to the new bride that she needs to be more diligent and careful when she makes it again.

This is my most favourite scarf so far, and I'm so happy to have it in my collection.

Collection!

So these are some of the things I was given by my M.I.L while I was in Turkey, So within 4 days of us arriving I'd probably already had half of my baggage limit.  Some of these things were given to her, and some made by her, but the ones I've chosen to start a collection with were the ones that she didnt really want to sell but didnt want to keep them either.  So I got them as presents :)

This is part one of the things that she gave me.  There will be more to come of course!

These 3 pictures are of scarves that were made by my M.I.L's neighbour
who moved to Konya from Izmir.  Only 2 of the sides are done with Igne Oyasi, which means
that some rural parts of izmir dont fold their scarves in half, they put one side of the oya to the front and the other
goes around their neck.  One possibility also as to why they do this is because of a saying in Turkish "dort dortluk" which is like saying "nothing is perfect (but God)"

This scarf was given to my M.I.L by a woman from Kutahya, she says she cant remember what flower
its supposed to be, but I think its Costuran, one of the oyas given to the sister in law.  You can tell that this is from Kutahya or around Kutahya because Kutahya oya always has intermittent motifs (cit)

This scarf is made with a mekik or a shuttle.  This one my M.I.L made.  This oya is called "Karpuz cekirdegi"
or "watermelon seed" in Konya

This scarf was also made by my M.I.L's neighbour from Izmir.  Its crocheted with beads and it is "orange flowers"

This scarf makes me laugh.  My M.I.L says that women back in the olden days didnt have
perfume so when men would come to the house to ask for their hand in marriage she would wear this sort of
scarf so she'd smell nice.  As you can see this scarf has cloves on it.

This oya was made by my M.I.L and is a pomegranate flower.  Its made by  bead weaving on a crochet chain.

This oya was made by my M.I.L, its a version of Kasla Goz (eye lashes) most old style scarves with bead oyas on them
were normally made for plain white scarves.

This is a prayer scarf or namaz ortusu.  My M.I.L made this one with beads.  She put this in my bohca (trousseau/sack thing pictured below)  This isnt like a normal white scarf its quite long in the shape of a rectangle.

This is my bohca!  Although the picture isnt the right way haha.  These are the sorts of things that M.I.L's put their daughter in laws, son in laws, in laws etc things that she makes for the wedding day.  Sometimes they are decorated with cross stitch flowers instead of igne oyasi like this one is.