Wedding season is rapidly approaching and just in time, I have met Deborah Blut of
Garter Mademoiselle and The Pink Birdhouse on Etsy.
There may be others out there, but Deborah is the first artist that I know of who is using supplies from Bumbershoot Supplies in some of her garter designs. Cool!
Garters are commonly thought of as a wedding tradition. Deborah was kind enough to provide me with some information, and I also did some research on my own and here is what I learned about the history of wedding garters. Apparently the tradition began back in the 14th Century in Europe. It was thought that having a part of the bride’s clothing would bring good luck. This resulted in some boisterous practices, as guests escorted the couple to the bridal chamber and then determined to obtain the bride’s clothes. Eventually, over time, the tradition has evolved to occur at the wedding reception, in which it is the groom’s task to remove the garter and toss it to the single men in the crowd, the idea being that the one who catches the garter will next marry, a tradition similar to the bridal bouquet toss.
If a bride chooses to follow this tradition, she will often purchase a pair of garters, one to toss and one as a keepsake. You can see how Deborah has designed beautifully complementary garters with this tradition in mind.
Of course, garters are functional items of clothing that were historically used, and sometimes still are used, to hold up stockings and socks. This pair is inspired by garters from the 1920’s, during which women would wear garters on each leg to hold up their stockings.
With the invention of elastic and pantyhose, they are not used as much, although since I am Canadian, I feel compelled to note that hockey players still use a type of garter to hold up their socks. Plus, garters and garter belts are still often worn for fashion purposes.
And you can completely understand that when you see Deborah’s garters. When I was a bride, I chose not to follow the garter tradition. I didn’t even know I might want a garter until I visited Deborah’s shops and saw her wonderful creations.
Part of the appeal for me is the quality of materials Deborah works with, including vintage laces, silk, and many different vintage glass pearls, buttons and baubles. The other part of the appeal is Deborah’s extraordinary design sense and craftsmanship, including her stunning ribbonwork silk flowers. They are just so pretty!
I hope you will enjoy a visit to Garter Mademoiselle or to The Pink Birdhouse to see all of Deborah’s beautiful and gorgeously crafted garters. Who knows, you might find yourself wanting one too!
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