Leather and Lace Book by Mo Orkiszewski 2013
antique lace from Germany, vintage cat scratched leather, bone button, parchment cut from a legal document from 1812, tea stained papers, 4 ply flax cord, vintage threads from Margaret Johnson, clay beads from Africa
love the pattern of the cat scratches on the back
spine with knotted headband
the handmade antique lace is the finest I have ever had the pleasure to use
the pattern of the stitching down of the lace from the inside is like a map of the stars
Thanks to Karen Ruane’s Simply Stitch 3 class that gave me the courage to cut that old lace!
leather and lace
Posted: November 24, 2013 by Mo Crow in It's Crow Time, LaceTags: bookbinding, thread, works on paper
Comments
It's Crow Time 
Absolutely gorgeous Mo, love the way you’ve used the lace!
This one flew together all in one day, the lace is such a treasure!
love seeing the different angles. it is gorgeous. do you have plans for the pages?
I left the pages blank as it’s for Renate who gave me the lace, leather and buttons, she has had such an amazing life I hope she writes it all down in this book!
What a beautiful work of art! Love the inside of the cover too showing the stitching!
I often like the reverse of embroideries & patchworks better than the front!
Just gorgeous, Mo! You’re right, the lace is just amazing. Lucky Renate, though after supplying such beautiful materials, she will doubly treasure your book!
Renate had a second hand shop in Berlin in the 70’s she has some amazing treasures!
really beautiful. i love the contrasts of leather and lace , dark and light . straight line and curved.
Thanks for visiting Roz it’s a breakthough piece will be interesting to see where this goes
Beautiful! I kept hearing the word “relic” when looking at it.
Relic indeed! all the materials are so old, the parchment is so perfectly smooth like silk it will be a beautiful surface to paint on and the lace is heirloom quality. It was hard to cut both of these things as they reek of history but now that I have made the first cuts it’s easy! This piece allows the cutting up of the fancy hankies and table runners people have been giving me in this year of looking at lace!
Whew……this post is so elegant it kills me! Wouldn’t this lace and leather creation be just perfect for Ronnie Specter?! Meanwhile, Velma is going to Australia in February…You read her blog, don’t you…
Velma Bolyard at wake robin at blogspot – ” i will be teaching three classes. the first will be at amazing and wonderful BEAUTIFUL SILKS in Melbourne”.
Ha yes the Ronettes! I must hop over and read Velma’s blog! Your beautiful beads arrived today thank you lovely lady~!
every thing is here. stunning. and the inside stitches in the last pic look like crow tracks in the snow
Ah crow tracks in the snow… the next crow drawing has crow tracks in the sand at the beach and am busily stitching crow feet into the crow scarf that I want to have finished enough to wear by Sunday for the opening of the Xmas Show!
love this piece. … and the xmas show? when where what? (please)
Artsite Gallery Collectors Choice Xmas Show preview Saturday 11-3 opening Sunday 3-5
I have two pieces in – the Magic Feather & The Pentacle Pincushion
thanks, just found it anyway, as I saw the flyer for it on Facebook, I will try really hard to get there.
see you there!
Just beautiful, love the leather and lace and the stitching inside.
Beautiful, really lovely.
be still my beating heart….this is divine…..happy to hear I gave you courage but the beauty belongs to you…..
Thank you for sharing all the the amazing things you do with lace Karen!
Mo, your book is so beautifully done that it makes me want to try more bookbinding. And that lace is to die for! I wish I could see the whole thing in person!
The leather & lace work so well together! Renate bought the leather years ago to make a dress with that lace but never got around to it. She found the lace dress in Germany 40 years ago when she owned a second hand shop. The skirt between the lace panels was covered in sequins that she discovered were made of gelatin. It was very dusty so she soaked it in a cold bath but the sequins dissolved instantly, thank goodness the lace survived!!
it is so great when something so ‘right’ comes together like this! love the reverse stitching of the lace — stars? crows’ feet? secret runes?
yes I have been thinking a lot about how the back of the work is often more interesting than the front in this world of digitally manipulated perfection…