Silk leaves for restoring an antique piece

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I am sorry I have not posted in weeks. To start with we went for a fortnight to Russia to visit my family and have a change of scenery. And then for another three weeks I have been very busy working away on a pretty big, I would even say a wholesale order: I have been making 300 acer leaves for an unusual customer.

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The customer, one of London's antique dealers, will be using my leaves to restore a spectacular French timepiece featuring moving and chirping birds amongst acer branches.
 The antique piece dates back to 1880s, and to say that I was excited that my work would be used to revive such stunning Victorian object is a serious understatement.

All the leaves have been painted by hand. fully lined with an extra layer of silk, hand cut and individually wired.

In the pictures you can see my leaves and the antique timepiece before the restoration. I must say that the original leaves were not entirely handmade, but rather pressed and had no lining. That is why a lot of them lost their wires and looked pretty sad.
I am hoping to get a picture of a restored piece and as soon as I have it I will share it with you.

If you are interested in learning how to shape realistic looking fabric rose leaves using millinery tools please feel free to check out this photo tutorial of ours

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Now it is time to think about Christmas designs!