A blog about couture handmade wedding silk flower jewelry, bridal hair accessories, dress embellishments, as well as casual fun pins and clips, handmade crafts, Israeli art, and Handmade Weddings! : )
This Blog has Moved to a new Location, please visit:
I am happy to announce that Floreti Designs™ is now a member of the ETSY WEDDING TEAM! visit our Team blog at EtsyWeddingTeam.blogspot.com. There you will find many unique sources for handmade wedding items from a carefully selected group of the finest wedding artisans on Etsy.
Here are just a few handmade treasures from our team:
Spraying fragrance directly on silk flowers can leave stains. Therefore, the best way to scent silk flowers is to spray the fragrance on a facial tissue or a cotton puff, and put it in a box together with your accessory. Cover the box and leave it for a couple of days.
Gallery of Silk Flower Jewelry from Floreti Collection. Available here.
After wearing silk flowers, you can leave the scented tissue or cotton puff in the box, or discard it. After a while your accessory will start to wear off the scent and you will be able to use a different fragrance next time.
Silk flowers are jewelry. They can serve for many years and be passed down from generation to generation.
Gallery of Silk Flower Jewelry from Floreti Collection. Available here.
STORING SILK FLOWERS
To properly store silk flowers, keep them in dark dry place at room temperature in sturdy box with enough space to fit in. Do not keep them where they are subjected to prolonged and excessive moisture, or direct sunlight.
CLEANING SILK FLOWERS
Dust: Use feather duster to gently remove it.
Stains: Stains on silk flowers should be professionally cleaned. In some cases restoration may be necessary.
I offer silk flower restoration services. E-mail me if you have any questions Info@Floreti.com.
I strive to bring something interesting and inspirational to my readers. When I first opened Floreti online shop in 2004, I decided to write an article about history and origin of silk flowers, since there was very little information available about this great art online. I set out to do my own research. Went through a number of art and history books, encyclopedias, back alleys of the library research rooms, and online resources; the article below is the result of my findings. I hope that you will find it an easy and enjoyable read. And hope that it will spark in you a greater interest in silk flower art. This article is also available on my web site at Floreti.com.
There are many different accounts of silk flower origin. The one that seems to be most accurate is this art has originated in China with proliferation of silk production.
SILK
Chinese legend attributes the wife of mythical Yellow Emperor, Lady Hsi-Ling-Shih, with the introduction of silkworm rearing and the invention of the loom around 3000 BC. Although, there are archeological evidences that sericulture existed as far back as 5000 BC. For thousands of years silk has been used for many different purposes from the creation of exquisite garments, in household, to utilization in medicine.
Silk was also used in silk screen painting or printing. Chinese learned to successfully use dye and ink on silk medium around 400 - 300 BC, during the Zhou dynasty.
SILK FLOWERS
Silk flowers are said to have originated around 1500 years ago in the imperial palace, in China. The flowers were created for and worn by the ladies at the palace. In Chinese, silk flowers are called Juanhua.
Closely to 200 BC, Chinese migration to Korea and open trade with Japan greatly influenced Korean and Japanese cultures, especially their artistic expression, even more so, after Japan reopened its border at the end of 11th century AD. Thus, allowing the art of silk flowers to travel to Japan and eventually to Europe, around 1500 - 1700 AD, with a growing trade with Portuguese. Finally, it came to France the heart of fashion then and now. From France this form of art had spread to many other countries.
Today, with technological advances most of silk flowers are made of plastic, polyester, latex and other manmade materials. They are not of real silk even though they are still called "silk flowers". The flowers are done on the scale of industrial production. Utilizing cutting molds, and press irons. There are very few places left where silk flowers are still done out of natural fibers and all by hand, the way Chinese and Japanese have done it more than 1500 years ago.
Hence, I am proud to bring you luxurious quality and unique design in this timeless form of art - silk flowers.
- Irina Floret
Bibliography
Tregear, Mary. Chinese Art. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc, 1997. Munsterberg, Hugo. The Arts of Japan an Illustrated History. Rutland: Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc, 1957. Stanley-Baker, Joan. Japanese Art. London: Thames and Hudson Inc, 1984.
Floreti Designs is a collection of couture handmade wedding silk flower jewelry, bridal hair accessories, dress embellishments, as well as casual fun pins and floral clips for everyday wear. Each piece in my collection is delicately handcrafted using the best materials available such as silk charmeuse, satin, chiffon, crepe de shine, and other natural fabrics. I like to incorporate in my designs gemstones, freshwater pearls, Swarovski Crystals, feathers, and precious metal findings.
Gorgeous "White Calla Lily Beauty Bridal Tiara" wedding hair accessory handmade by UpfromtheAshes.
Cozy "Jasmine Green Tea Shrug - Elegant Luxurious Organic Cotton Handmade Knitwear" handmade by TickledPinkKnits.
Mesmerizing "STAR custom slim line bridal gown with internal corset" handmade by Gracie's Treasures.
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