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.