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!

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.

New Igne Oyasi (needle lace) Scarf ready for ETSY!

So this will be the first time I'll be selling an Igne Oyasi scarf on etsy, considering the others I have made have always been sold before I even get the chance to put one up!  All up it took me about 4 days to complete and I'm extremely happy with the end result.

Usually when I aquire a scarf ready to be adorned with oya, I assess the colours that are present on the scarf and usually I'll either use colours that match the scarf, or colours that go with the colours of the scarf but stand out more-  This is typical in turkish handicrafts, especially oya.  This scarf is brown and white with rose motifs and flowers.  I love the subtlety of this scarf and so I decided not to go with anything too eccentric and stick to more soft tones, but tones that stood out from the scarf to make it noticeable.  I think that white and lilac were perfect colours to go with this scarf.  I used dark green thread to begin with just to take your eye off the brown when you look at the scarf, then the eye moves to the lilac and notices the white.  So I think these colours were perfect to adorn this scarf with.

The last side felt like it took forever for me to finish, and I finished at 2am yesterday morning, looked at it, folded it, and went to bed haha.

This scarf is available on my ETSY page