Russian Scarf Seen Anew: A Puffer Scarf in Russian Patterns

I have been thinking much about scarves recently. We love making scarves from Uzbek silk or Russian shawls, but we were mostly making infinity or circle type. We love infinity - we adore infinity - but certainly there should be other options?

I was thinking of a practical scarf, easy to wear, not prone to wrinkling, sturdy and long lasting and warm. I hate scarves that can be ruined easily; graze them with your nail and there is a snug, touch them with your ring and there is a hole. Oh, no. I am for spending money in a reasonable way, at least this is what I try to do with mine. I also needed to take the latest fashion trends into consideration. Iceberg, Balenciaga and Chanel displayed puffer scarves in their Fall/Winter 2016-2017 collections.

(source: Pinterest) 

All these arguments combined, I came to a perfect decision (we'll see!) - a puffer scarf! These have been seen on runways lately, and they are just the perfect combination of practicality and beauty.

So... we came up with these!

Frankly, I think it is insanely beautiful.

This is a fantastic patchwork scarf made from various vintage shawls. My mother did her best to arrange a striking array of colors and patterns. I cannot even decide which side I prefer.



These flowers are so lovely.

The opening for the tail of the scarf is large and sturdy.

And this is the general view. I can tell my mother enjoyed making this scarf!

I think it is a unisex scarf; I can easily see it worn by a man or woman.

The scarf can be bought in our Etsy shop. I will list more scarves very soon. In the meantime, the sneak preview!

A Very Unique Dress from Uzbek Silk

...We are having a very busy spring; kids have Taekwon-do competitions, we have a lot of work to do, and I also resumed running and working out with weights. I feel a bit guilty about not writing, but not overly so, as I decided that, when choosing between writing and sleeping, I must sleep.

However, this is something I want to share. A new dress fully designed and made by my mother is always a bit of a special event to me, and this one is a very unique dress. It is made from highly unusual Uzbek silk with a very wild ethnic print - I have only seen a similar fabric once. It is many years old, was stored in a chest for ages, and it looks amazing. All these designs are based on ancient rituals and beliefs and are said to incorporate symbols that protect from evil and grant health and prosperity.

The dress is voluminous, flowing and gleaming. It has a deep plunging v-neck and kimono sleeves. I really, really like it, and I am a bit jealous of someone who will buy it. I love both the fabric and the design. But, realistically, I do not wear black and white, so I could not have it to myself, anyway. I hope someone who buys it will wear and enjoy it a lot. I will ask my mother to make a similar dress for me, in colors that will look good on me. She loves working with Uzbek fabrics, as did her mother and aunt before her - both were well known fashion designers here in Uzbekistan.

The dress is for sale in our Etsy shop, Mulberry Whisper, and I do not expect it to last long. It fill fit Large and Extra large sizes.

Rose Evening - a Real Hand Block Printed Russian Shawl

Many sellers on Ebay or Etsy will claim that Russian shawls they are selling are handmade or at least hand block printed. Well, in most cases that is a complete nonsense. The modern Russian shawls as we know them - those made at the Pavlovo Posad Manufacture - are not handmade. They are mass made at a large factory. However, the Manufacture produced hand block printed shawls till 1974: the last such shawl was Russia by Ekaterina Dadonova. As this was quite a long time ago, and Russian shawls, although strong, are made of wool which deteriorates with time and is beloved by moth, there are not too many around in our days. And I can assure you that in most cases the shawls stated to be hand printed are not. This can be a mistake or a marketing move, it depends on the person I guess. Actually I made this mistake myself a couple of times, thinking that vintage shawls printed by photo film method were hand printed (in all instances they were designed by Simeon Ryjov, and his designs always look like hand printed). Now I know better.  

This topic merits a separate lengthy post with examples of different printing methods, but now I just want to show a shawl which was definitely hand block printed. It is called "Rose Evening" and this was an antique design restored by Victor Zubritsky ("Розовый вечер", художник Виктор Зубрицкий, ручная печать). To me, it is immediately obvious that this is a hand block printed shawl: it has that living and breathing quality of print that I value so much. It is as alive as a watercolour, with same lovely imperfections. Some lines seem to be trembling, and dye can run a little beyond the contours, lending a very touching feel of alive beauty to this design.

This shawl is not for sale at the moment, but we have many others in our Etsy shop.

Venetian Glass Beads for my Russian Shawl

...So, I have this large Pavlovo Posad shawl that I adore - Fairytale by Sukharevskaya (шаль "Сказка", художник Сухаревская). It is in my favourite colours, it has a lovely intricate print, it is huge and silky to the touch and warm... my Precious! I love it so much, I decided that I needed a bracelet specifically for this shawl. I am sure you can understand.

This is me and Fairytale in Samarkand during the last weekend; a Russian shawl is a perfect travelling companion. You wear it when you are cold, and when it is too warm, you just fold it and put away in your bag, as it is so compact.

And can you see that bracelet? I feel that I could hardly find anything better suited for this shawl. I do not wear costume jewelry, but I cannot afford to buy emeralds and tourmalines in the size I would love to have for the shawl. However, I feel that murano glass with vermeil cores (that is gold over sterling) is jewelry enough, and this bracelet definitely suits my needs.



I must admit, I am very proud of how clever I was when I bought these beads. I was thinking about some Chamilia or Pandora charms, but I must admit that their glass beads are too expensive for me. And then I found these Perlavita beads here. There was a discount, so I bought six beads, most were about 5$, and only the 'wedding cake' bead - the one with painted flowers, it is called Serenissima on the website - was 14$. But I felt that I had to have it.

I was a bit confused when I received the beads (expertly packed, in perfect order, and there was a small gift, too). They are lovely, but rather large and cannot be combined with my Pandora, as I planned to do. They fit on Pandora and Chamilia bracelets, but look too bulky. However, I decided to wear them on their own, for which they are perfectly suited, and put them on the leather cord, to wear wrap style.

When I look at this, I am in aesthetic heaven. I think they look very festive, and provide the much needed splash of colour in the gloomy days of late autumn. I love the effect of foil under coloured glass, and I love the depth and richness of colour. To me, Venetian glass is as precious as gemstones. I do not wear plastic, as it is not jewellery to me, but Perlavita murano beads are very much jewellery - a real treasure.

You can see all of my Perlavita venetian glass beads here: 

And now I hope there will be a discount for the Serenissima beads, too, as I would love to have several more. I bought Chamilia teardrop earrings where you can put different beads, so I definitely need more beads! 

Waves of Uzbek Silk Ikat

Uzbek ikat silk is something I can look at forever, as if it at the sea or a meadow full of flowers. These are two expecially beautiful specimens I photographed for a customer today. You can click the photos to open them full size.

Close-ups of the same fabrics:

If you ever handled Uzbek silk, you will know that it is heavenly smooth and cool, like water in a river, or cream, or glass. It is interesting, that the pattern is not printed; the threads are dyed in a variegated manner, which makes them self-patterning, but not in a random manner. It is based on a drawing and the masters plan, calculate and dye the threads so that they form whatever pattern they should. I cannot even start imagining the complexity of this task, and to think that this technique was known for centuries!

And this is what my mother is going to make from the khan atlas: a wrap dress with kimono sleeves, very beautiful, flattering and easy to wear.

If you would like to have a similar tunic, you can order it in our Etsy shop here.

Silk Damask Made into a Casual Top

Silk damask is often seen as only fit for very formal gowns. Something long, narrow and stiff: beautiful, but not to be worn every day. Chinese gowns, in particular. I have been wanting one for years, but I know I would not wear it much. However, it can be used to produce something very easy to wear, too - like this sleeveless shell. My mother used beautiful vintage silk damask to make this little blouse for my sister. Katherine adores it and wears it a lot, to the great dismay of my daughter who hopes to inherit it in good condition. But then, damask is so sturdy - she does not need to be upset. The top still looks new despite extensive wear. It can be dressed up or down.

You can order a similar one here.

These are the pieces of damask fabric that we have in stock right now.

Lovisetto Butterfly Bib Necklace and Peter Pan Collar in One Piece Giveaway!

We are having another giveaway! It is a gorgeous necklace generously donated by Lovisetto on Etsy.

Necklaces by Lovisetto were featured on Vogue UK December 2011 Christmas issue,Vogue UK April 2012 wedding issue, and appeared on the Etsy Facebook page. 

...My dear friends! My name is Anastasia and I am a fashion accessories' designer. I have been making necklaces for the last five years and those of you who are familiar with Etsy community may recognize me by my Butterfly Necklaces. You might have seen them in fashion magazines, too.

I am starting my first giveaway to promote the fundraising campaign we are running together with Anya Hayiev (my friend and a very talented photographer). We have created a Gofundme campaign SaveUkraineCivil to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.

Our most important goal is to raise money to support activities of certain trustworthy volunteer groups working in that region. Those are the only people nowadays who are helping civilians - mostly unfortunate mothers with children trapped in the war zone in Ukraine.

____________________________________________________________________

You can win one of my Butterfly Necklaces worth $59 (for more details, please see the listing on Etsy) by doing the following: 

• Leave a comment under this post and then sign in the form below to provide your name and to state that you have commented (please use the same name).

After that you will see options for additional entries such as sharing on Facebook, blogging about the giveaway, sharing at Google+, etc.

Even if you are not interested in those additional options, you will need to at least register your comment. If you do not do that, you will have no chances to win, sorry.

You can get 5 more entries if you buy something from Lovisetto on Etsy. In that case, your chances are growing dramatically. Claim the entries and indicate your Etsy user name in the form.

And if you happen to win - we ship all items for free, including your purchase! (If you do buy something this time, please send to us at Lovisetto a note to delay shipping until the end of the giveaway).

Ends: March 24, 2015.

The donations starting from $ 1 to our SaveUkraineCivil fundraising page are very welcomed! 

If you would like to order a necklace from my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/lovisetto you can do so. 100% of the money you pay will be donated to Evgeny Kaplin's charity in Donbass - https://www.facebook.com/evgeny.kaplin

This giveaway is open worldwide and comes with free shipping as long as you have a valid address (no P.O. boxes please). You should be 18 years old and above to qualify. All entries of the drawn winner will be verified.

Another current giveaway is HERE! Welcome!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Misty Forest Moodboard

It gives me a lot of pleasure to browse beautiful handmade and vintage items on Etsy. Many of them induce interesting associations. Today I saw these beautiful felted flowers by Roltinica and thought of enchanted forest, full of milky mist and soft shadows, in the dim light coming from the white clouded sky. 

I had the irresistible urge to find a picture of forest to suit the description, and found just what I needed - a dreamy forest, where you cannot tell reality from illusions (www.khoras.net).

...After uniting the two images in a collage, I realised they needed something else. Something to gleam softly - a lost treasure - maybe a strand of pearls lost by a princess who travelled here or a nymph living somewhere deeper in the forest. However, no explanations are really needed; the pearls just needed to be there, and the lovely keshi pearl necklace by Arctida was perfect in its organic beauty. 

This is what they call "moodboard" - a funny name. To me, this is a more sophisticated stage of window shopping. I play with the items, put them close to each other and think about associations. I try to make a beautiful combination. Then maybe I will buy something (I know I can always find a use for a pearl necklace with great luster, and the flowers are lovely), or maybe not, it does not matter. It is the process that gives pleasure.

Pandora and Chamilia, my Dream Bracelets

Finally, I have received my Pandora and Chamilia bracelets. Here, in Uzbekistan, we do not have these brands, and I had to ask my US cousin to buy the components and send them to me. It took a while, but at last I have them with me!

I am afraid I haven't been much of a purist with them. I wanted a bangle, but Pandora's bangle is perfectly round and I do not like it. I have had round bangles before and they were not comfortable. So, I opted for a Chamilia Brilliance bangle, as it is oval and thus more ergonomic. I bought several charms: Birds of a Feather (a pair), Tree of life, Moss and white Fascinating Murano, and complemented them by spacers.

As I really loved the retired Wine charm with peridot, I bought it, too, and it has a personal bracelet - khaki multi-cord Pandora. It is quite comfortable, and with just one charm, I do not expect it to stretch.

Just as I planned, these two look lovely together and go well with mist items from my closet.

As I have never seen these pieces in reality before, I was a bit surprised: a) how small they were (that is usual when you buy jewelry online) b) how heavy they were; c) how sparkly they were; and d) how beautiful they were! 

I must say that the Bracelet Builder feature at Pandora's website is very useful. This is the design of my bracelet; there is no option of a bangle, so I used the classic bracelet, but otherwise this gave a very good picture of what the bracelet will look like. I called the design 'Dark Garden', although it is not very dark. But I think there is a certain enigma in it.

I do not expect to buy many other charms. Frankly, I have never been interested in these bracelets before, and always thought that Pandora was something full of pink Swarovski, I have nothing against bling, this is just not my style. However, these are perfect for me... but there are not many charms left in the collection which I might want. Most of the remaining ones are Swarovski (just joking!).

Silk Ikat Scarves on Sale at Mulberry Whisper!

All our ikat silk scarves are on sale now! We want to sell the remains of 2014 stock and bring in new colors, sizes and shapes, with new photos. This is an excellent chance to buy an infinity scarf from real Uzbek mulberry silk at a bargain price: cheaper than yardage! You can use them for projects, if you like, as essentially they are huge pieces of lush genuine silk produced in accordance with the old traditions of silk weaving.

We have more colors available at our MulberryWhisper shop on Etsy. Get yours while they last; new arrivals will be more expensive.

A Summer Twilight: Perfection of a Classic Russian Shawl

This classic Russian shawl is called A Summer Twilight. A very appropriate name, as it does remind of a garden where fragrant flowers are glowing in the dark. The artists' name is Klara Zinovieva; she was one of the most significant and prolific designers at the Pavlovo Posad Manufacture.

Klara Zinovieva was famous for her wildflowers and grasses. Of course, her roses are gorgeous in their regal beauty, but it is the smaller flowers that make this shawl so charming, in my view. I especially love this small golden branches which look so fragile and lend a lot of elegance to the design. 

And then there are paisley, another very favorite element for me. They make the scarf more festive, giving it that very folk look that I treasure so much. This is not just any botanical scarf - this is a traditional Russian shawl, which is something larger. An array of many cultural influences and layers of history. 

This is the case when I cannot ramble much. What can you say about a very perfect piece of art? Any words are less expressive and true than the shawl itself. I can only hope you like it as much as I do. You can buy the shawl in our MulberryWhisper shop on Etsy; we only have one, There are more photos of it, too.

Silk Ikat Infinity Scarf Giveaway

Ikat Silk Scarf by MulberryWhisper.Etsy.com

I think this silk ikat infinity scarf is a nice accessory for the coming spring. It was hand made by my mother in her studio at home. She used lush vintage Uzbek silk with luminous ikat prints to make this luxurious long circle scarf. You can take a closer look at the silk ikat infinity scarf here, at our MulberryWisper shop on Etsy. I hope you like it! 

All of our silk eternity scarves are either one of a kind or very limited edition, because we make them individually, from beautiful and rare Uzbek silks. We also sell rug pillows, wool Russian shawls, cotton Russian shawls (those are very rare as their production stopped more than 30 years ago); we upcycle damaged Russian shawls into wonderful scarves, and offer ready to ship clothing. We also take orders for individually designed clothing. We have some vintage silk scarves as well. We have recently started making a very fun accessory - a multi-purpose purse scarf which can also be used as a textile bracelet, hair wrap and many other things.

The giveaway works as follows:
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First you leave a comment under this post and then sign in the form below to provide your name and to state that you have commented (please use the same name).  
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After you indicate that you have left a comment on this blog post,  you will see options for additional entries such as blogging about the giveaway, sharing at Facebook, etc.
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Even if you are not interested in those additional options, you will need to at least register your comment using this form in order to enter, because the winner will be chosen automatically with the help of this software. If you do not do that, you will have no chances to win, sorry.
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You can get 5 more entries if you buy something from us on Etsy. In that case, your chances are growing dramatically - actually the first giveaway was won by my customer! Past customers qualify for these additional entries; just give me your Etsy user name and claim your entries. (By the way, our ikat silk scarves are now on sale!)

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And if you happen to win - we ship all items for free, including your purchase! (If you do buy something this time, please send to us at MulberryWhisper a note to delay shipping until the end of the giveaway). This includes our past customers. If you have already bought from us, you qualify for the additional 5 entries! Claim them and indicate your Etsy user name in the form.

Ends: March 13, 2015. 

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This giveaway is open worldwide and comes with free shipping as long as you have a valid address (no P.O. boxes please). You should be 18 years old and above to qualify. All entries of the drawn winner will be verified.

Another current giveaway is HERE! Welcome!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway is kindly supported by the International Giveaways Blog, Giveaway Monkey and Giveaway Promote - thank you! Also backlinked to http://www.internationalbloggersassociation.com

Your Purse Might Want a Scarf, Too!

I am not someone obsessed with purses. I do not have a huge collection - I would not have room for it, anyway - and just have several, to go with all my outfits. But, as there are a few of them, I cannot but think that some change would be nice. As I always liked the sight of beautiful scarves tied to stylish purses, I decided to take this route, and my mother made this silk purse scarf: 

This is a slim silk scarf made from real Uzbek silk with a tiger print. Not to be too boastful, I like how it goes with my Coach purse. I do not believe in synthetics, preferring natural materials, and here we have a very nice combination of luxurious silk and the famous pebbled leather by Coach. Both are heavenly to the touch.

If you like smaller scarves, neckerchiefs, neck bows and such, you can wear it that way, too. It has nice volume and comfortable length, to go twice around your neck.

We used to have very good textile designers here back in Soviet time. This fabric is vintage, many years old, but still looks very relevant. Big cat prints are always in fashion, and this is a fine way to show your admiration without actually hurting animals. Even more, when using vintage fabric, you do not impose any pressure on natural resources, such as soil or water, because this fabric is already there. 

So, this is our first purse scarf, which can also be used as a head band, bun cover, ponytail holder cover, wrist scarf or bracelet, belt... (now I am getting tired of writing... I am sure there are countless more uses), and which came out very nice, in our view. You can buy one in our Etsy shop, Mulberry Whisper, and there are more on the way! All of them will be limited editions as we do not have large supplies of those vintage fabrics.