Valerie part-embroidered tablecloth shirt

Vintage tablecloths with part-finished hand embroidery have to be my favourite materials to work with as they have just the right amount of asymmetry and randomness to the pattern, plus a thought-provoking back story.

Usually the maker remains anonymous, lost in the mists of time, but in this case I was lucky enough to find out some info about Valerie Carmichael, who part-stitched this beautiful tablecloth around 1950 when she was a teenager in Liverpool, and has only parted with it now she is 91 and downsizing. I really think knowing the history of a vintage textile like this makes it even more special.

The vibrant embroidery is on a background of natural linen and I finished off the shirt with a hanging loop, side splits, found shell buttons and a small patch on the front which conceals a rust mark. The transfers faded a very small amount when I laundered the tablecloth, so I'd expect them to become a little less distinct with each wash but not disappear altogether.

As ever, this one-off piece was lovingly made by me entirely from not-new materials - I'm calling this one a Circular Story x Valerie Carmichael collab.

Roughly size M-L (UK14-16) - please see measurements in the dropdown menu.