Sunday, October 11, 2009

Swimming Beauty


Swimming Beauty
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Sadly it wasn't quite the right time to go swimming in Hanoi in spite of the very inviting pool in the Somerset Westlake Serviced Apartment we stayed at. But any excuse to buy this bag will do and I was delighted not just with the gorgeous girl embroidered so delicately but that they had put in a waterproof lining and the zip was a hidden one. This little shop of embroidered treasures where I discovered this, is called Tan My Embroidery

Naturally after being enchanted with that bag, I rifled greedily through their carefully laid out selection of bags and selected a few others as gifts for people I knew back home. I have to say what I liked was the marriage of a 700 year old traditional craft in Vietnam to comtemporary designs and objects which can be used. Useful art or design is a whole lot easier to buy than something which simply hangs on one's wall, although that certainly has its place too and the embroidered art pieces were certainly stunning.

I'd say this shop isn't cheap. I guess the picture of Laura Bush shaking the hand of the proprietor should have given me a clue as to why all the items were priced in USD so don't expect a bargin. However, they do deliver high quality contemporary embroidery that can be put to good use whether it's duvets, bedsheets, pillow cases, a blouse or two, or a shoebag.

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