The moment I spied this little bit of fabric in the charity shop I came over all nostalgic - not actually sure why! Think my Gran may have had a "pinnie" in this fabric, but it just seemed so familiar.
I think it is too small to be an apron, or perhaps it was a child's apron, but it could also be an old fashioned lap bag. These were for wearing like an apron, but you kept your knitting or sewing in them so that it was always handy. I remember making one in primary school. It was pink fabric with simple embroidered stitches around it. Each year after that, we kept our knitting in it. Did anyone else make anything like that in school? (Perhaps I'm just really ancient!)
I love the paisley pattern and the hollyhocks (such a great word)!
The town of Paisley is just abut 15 miles from Greenock and it gave its name to that particular pattern. The pattern actually originated in fabric work in Kashmir, but during the 19th century, the town of Paisley became one of the major producers of shawls which contained this pattern and they were known as Paisley shawls.
Paisley museum has a wonderful collection of vintage shawls with paisley pattern which were made in the town and were popular with Victorian women. Their displays are fabulous, and show how the shawls changed with the fashions of the day, for example when the bustle was introduced, a shawl would have covered this, so shorter jackets became more fashionable and there was a decline in shawl making.
There are some wonderful examples in Victorian art.
Hope you've enjoyed this little sidetrack from my nostalgic charity shop find!
Love, Liz
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