Welcome to Elsie Eleanor Designs!


The love and skill of designing and sewing has been passed on from my grandmother, Elsie Eleanor, to my mother and on to me. I was fortunate enough to be taught not only about the mechanics of sewing but also about fabrics. How they will drape, how well they will wear, what would work best in certain designs, and how to pull together different colors, patterns, and textures. It has been instilled in me to strive for perfection. Like my grandmother and mother, I like detail. I will search for the perfect trim, antique button, or unique antique jewelry piece to add to my design to make them one-of-a-kind pieces.

I hope you enjoy reading here about what goes into some of my designs and where I find and how I use some of my unique finds!



This hobknob is my interpretation of a snapshot of an exotic bird caught in a moonlit evening. I chose the black and white fabric to represent the backdrop of a starry night and combined it with the cheetah print and  flowers to create the feel of an exotic atmosphere. The large black and rhinestone antique button plays the part of the moon and the over sized trim gives it added dimension.
                                                                                   

Close up of the button. Notice that it is missing one rhinestone. I considered replacing it but in the end opted not to because I liked the added character the missing rhinestone gave the piece.









I like the way the gold tone of this vintage bird pin contrasts against the blacks, whites, and silvers of the piece. He appears to be caught in the moonlight, bathing in it and glowing from it.















View of the back.













I like to name all of the hobknobs I create and this one is called "Through the Looking Glass".

This pillow was made for a client and was designed around some pictures she had sent to me of the room the  pillow was intended for. The decor was beautiful and the main pieces consisted of a camel colored couch and a blue chair. I chose the fabrics used here not only for their color but for the movement in them too. The burgundy and brown fabric has a damask chenille print, is very rich looking, and would pop off of the camel colored couch. The blue paisley patterned fabric pulls in the chair in the room and the movement in it adds another layer of visual interest. The golden yellow fabric in the middle has a diamond pattern stitched into it with a golden fleur de lis in the center that has a burgundy tip to it. Adding the geometric shapes of the diamonds here kept the movement in the piece but at the same time grounded it. The sides of this area are finished with a burgundy piping. The button in the middle is actually much larger than it appears in the photo. It is a silver antique button with two fleur de lis on the sides of it and a blue stone in the middle.

When planning and cutting the fabric for this piece I decided to take one of the large damask prints and split it down the middle, attempting to create the illusion that the center area is emerging from within it. The center area of the diamond fabric was carefully planned out too taking care to have an exact center point which to place the button on.

This is definitely one of my favorite pillows that I have designed and made. The fabrics in it are truly gorgeous! The button is one-of-a-kind, flows beautifully with everything, and was the finishing touch in making this piece very unique.


Close up of button.  Notice the fleur de lis?










Back of pillow. This is the the same damask pattern that I split down the middle on the front.







I wish I had taken a picture of it with a white background rather than sitting on the turquoise and gold silk cushion here. I wish too I had the skill to take a better photograph! Hopefully you can still get a good idea of what it looks like.
I chose the deep raspberry colored fabric here because it contrasts well and jumps off the yellow damask background creating a dramatic yet elegant piece. It is gathered in the middle with a soft black rhinestone buckle, giving it more texture for added dimension. Framing it in the black and gold dotted fabric makes both fabrics pop and coordinates well with the rhinestone buckle.






Detail of the rhinestone buckle.







Here it is paired with the coordinating Three Flowered pillow and the Paris pillow. Notice too how this grouping has a play on shapes. Each pillow has, in some small way, a square, round, or rectangle detail.






Detail of the three pillows together.







Shown on a small settee.
This small pillow is truly a one-of-a-kind! I mixed a deep raspberry silk like fabric that is embroidered with dragon flies, with a yellow damask fabric, and complimented them both with a black fabric with golden dots. Two rows of deep raspberry pom pom trim separate the two sections and three antique buttons adorn the top of the trim. The flowers on the right of the pillow were each handmade. I used several fabrics including an off-white/grey toille, a black, off-white, and grey fabric that has a large flower print, a red organza, a solid black taffeta, and a black taffeta with a velvet damask pattern. Each flower has a rhinestone button in the middle of it, one of which is vintage.


The detail of the flowers is hard to capture, but here is a close up of them.









I paired it with the two pillows shown here. I like the way the Paris pillow gives the grouping an unexpected twist. Notice too how this grouping has a play on shapes. Each pillow has, in some small way, a square, round, or rectangle detail.






Detail of the three pillows together. This photo gives a good view of the antique buttons on the Three Flower pillow.





Shown on a small settee.
This is one of my favorite smaller pillows. The framed image on the front of it reminds me of a spring day in Paris. The different textures of the fabrics combine to give it a shabby chic feel but still allowing it at the same time to be elegant.
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