June is here! It finally feels like summer is on the way. I just delivered several Christening gowns and other exquisite items to our new Southern Highland Guild Biltmore Gallery in Biltmore Village across from the entrance to the estate. We are looking forward to the opening the end of this month. Still lots of(…)
Heirloom Heritage Techniques
Welcome to the heart of Heirloom Treasures, the Heirloom Heritage section! What differentiates my work from other fiber artists is my specialty of combining several of the original Heritage Techniques, described below, in any given project.
Heirloom Restoration
Working with thread is my passion and a technique not often seen any more. Many heirloom pieces are still appreciated as reminders from the past and they are sometimes in need of repair. I am familiar with the patterns and techniques of old and, providing I can match the thread or yarn to the original(…)
May Musings
May is here but cool days are still around. Mother Nature is putting on a beautiful show, with help from frequent rains the azelias, wisteria and dogwood welcome early visitors to our Western North Carolina mountains. Several events are on the agenda for May. The Blue to Black Studio Tour will be held May 4th.(…)
April Musings
The last of March gave us another taste of winter but now we are ready for spring! Several exciting happenings are in the works for artists in our area. The Arrowhead Artisans League is in the final preparations to open a Gallery in Old Fort, NC. We have our monthly Arts Mart there in the(…)
March 2013 Musings
March is coming in like a lamb with a lion’s spirit! Just north and east of here winter is still reigning but Asheville has been blessed with another mild winter and not many interruptions in our busy schedules. Our Winter Retreat went off without a hitch and plans are already under way for our(…)
February 2013 Musings
Exciting news from the Heirloom Treasures studio! We have started to video tape my workshops to create the Heirloom Treasures Instructional Video Library. “Continental Knitting” and “Crochet for Knitters” as well as the first four “Let’s Start to Crochet” videos are completed and will be available on this site very soon.
January 2013 Musings
Happy 2013! Things are getting back to normal after the holidays and all the company is behind us for another year. Now my focus is ready to shift to January chores. By next week I will pick up my “Surrender to the Irish” piece from the Folk Art Center Black and White Exhibition. (See article)(…)
Surrender to the Irish, a Rita de Maintenon Original
The Black and White Exhibition at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville features my designer piece “Surrender to the Irish”.
Zzzizzling with Zeal and Zest
Preserving vintage patterns for tomorrow’s heirloom treasures By Marilyn Sprague-Smith, M.Ed. This article was originally published in the NC Journal for Women, November 2005. Once upon a time, a young girl with an indomitable spirit lived in post-World War II Frankfurt, Germany. Ravages of war obliterated outdoor play areas, yet idleness was taboo. Fibers and(…)
Artist of the month: April 2012
Rita de Maintenon, Heirloom Treasures Fiber Arts: Reprinted from the Mc Dowell County News My story is not so different from many artists I have met over the years – I learned my art by default. Being raised in Germany just after WWII required my strict mother and grandmother to keep me busy indoors; the(…)
Rita’s Wonderful Christening Gowns
Hi Rita, I just wanted to write and thank you for the beautiful Baptism dress. We love it!! We tried it on Claudia and it fits great, there is some room for her to grow a little more. We are so excited for her to wear the dress, she looks so cute in it!! It(…)