The Tea Towel Swap

The washing of dishes does seem to me the most absurd and unsatisfactory business that I ever undertook.  If, when once washed, they would remain clean forever and ever (which they ought in all reason to do, considering how much trouble it is), there would be less occasion to grumble; but no sooner it is done, than it requires to be done again.  On the whole, I have come to the resolution not to use more than one dish at each meal.

Nathaniel Hawthorne - 1844
 [written while Mrs. Hawthorne was away!]

The tea group, Afternoon Tea Across America, conducted an embroidered tea towel exchange several years ago. Some are requesting that we do it again, so I thought I would find pictures of some of the tea towels that I stitched or received so that any newcomers might see what we did. Each month, each participant would exchange a hand-stitched tea towel with their assigned partner. These heart tea towels were the first ones that I stitched.

This tea towel was one I stitched for Val for our November exchange. I chose a Christmas theme in keeping with the holiday season. I enjoyed stitching in "redwork". The towel is hemmed and then trimmed with red, checked bias tape and narrow lace trim.

Stitched for Karleen

This tea towel is stitched on linen. Usually I embroider tea towels on thin "flour sack" fabric, so it took me awhile to get used to the feel of the needle through linen, but I ended up really liking stitching on linen once all was said and done.

Here is the same pattern, but stitched on flour sack type fabric. The stitched design has been colored with colored pencils which were heat set after stitching.

And yet another of the morning glory pattern. This was stitched on cotton and colored with wax crayons and then heat set.

I stitched many primitive teacup tea towels. Each was unique with details that varied. This one has my initial stitched in each circle.

The vintage lady tea towels were stitched on linen. Vicki was my swap partner for each of these months. I found that stitching faces was a bit more challenging than flowers. But I really liked how these turned out.

A button on the top completed this teapot tea towel. I think this may have gone to Patricia.

Another teacup tea towel. This time stylized tulips were stitched instead of roses. I think this was an Easter exchange.

Same pattern, with colored roses and a new design in the teacup.

Stitched by Val

Stitched for Gwen

Stitched for Val

Stitched by Patricia

Stitched by Val

Stitched by Sandra

Blossom & Bear

The ornamental crabapple blossoms are so pretty in vibrant pink! I decided to bring some inside and pair them with a pink blossom teacup and saucer so I could enjoy them in the house. Dusty miller provided some contrast to the vibrant pink and bright green leaves. The arrangement is more whimsy and casual than symmetrically formal or elegant. But, it was fun to create!

The pictures are of my Blossom Bear. She's just the right size to sit on a chair and to look pretty on display, but she's really not stylish any more. Trends have changed from the days when bears were so ultra-popular. But I don't mind. She is special to me. My mother made her about twenty years ago. The fabric is an embroidered 1950's luncheon tablecloth that had been a wedding gift to my parents. Mom kept it as such for about 40 years. Then she decided to re-purpose it by dying it pink and using it to make a bear out of. She strategically positioned the embroidery on the body and face so that it would be featured well. Isn't she sweet? I thought you might like to see her. I love Blossom Bear because she has become a family heirloom.

Are you familiar with the crabapple tree? I have memories of my father raving over how good crabapples were. My grandmother would stew them or can them in his childhood and he developed a fondness for crabapples that has never gone away. I like them too, but not well enough to put up with their messiness in the lawn when the apples fall. So, our crabapple tree is ornamental. The apples are very small; similar to berries. They are a popular ornamental tree used in landscaping, having beautiful blossoms that announce spring so loud and clear! Their blossoms are beautiful even before they open. The bud stage is called "balloon". Flowers in the balloon stage are often a different color than the open blossom. The leaf colors can vary from tree to tree.

Today I paired this teacup with Blossom Bear and my ornamental crabapple blossoms (top photo; lower photo is shown with dogwood blossoms).  The teacup and saucer are Peach Blo Limoges, Silver Moon pattern. They are American made and feature a square plate with scalloped corners. The teacup and saucer are platinum trimmed with a pale pink background and have pastel blossoms and foliage. It was manufactured from the 1920's to the 1940's.

The tea is Adagio's Ceylon Sonata, a black tea from Sri Lanka. Grown on the Kenilworth Estate, it is fresh, citrusy in aroma and has the sweet, juicy notes of mandarin peel or grapefruit. It is quite balanced in astringency and has a refreshing, smooth texture.

It's been fun to look around my house and the garden, finding things that go with this and that. Today is the day for pink! I hope it is a wonderful one for you!

Ribbon Paradise

Ribbons made from silk and satin are so inviting with their gentle patina or glowing sheen. If you love textiles like I do, I'm sure you understand the draw to admire, touch, and create. Making flowers and trims out of ribbon isn't something I have attempted, but I do admire those who have the patience and skill to create with such beautiful materials.

There are images galore of flowers made from ribbon in Google. And here's a Pinterest board of ribbon and fabric flower ideas. But none are nicer than the ribbon flowers and trims made by Deb, a woman who recently spoke to the local quilt guild. It was a chilly winter evening and the meeting room was filled with women who arrived wearing hats, coats, and gloves. We were met by a beautiful display of colorful hats, gowns, and ribbon boards designed and fashioned by Deb. They were exquisite! Such patience and such ability she has! 

Have you made ribbon roses or other flowers before? My mother did some ribbon embroidery (a similar art) and was skilled at making ribbon flowers. Her favorites were always pansy's which she used to adorn baskets, candles, pillows, and more.

Click on the photo montage to enlarge and get a better look.

A Tag Tree

Meg has a beautiful "tag tree" in her studio at Crabapple Hill.  Large, sweeping swags of twigs are secured in a container.  Their branches sweep across a counter top, creating a focal point and arch.  Her tag tree is not only beautiful, but provides a place for written notes and meaningful words to be attached.  Manila tags are tied to the branches, each with stamped words, autographs, or notes from friends and clients.  Mixed among the tags are samplers of her typeset ornaments. The effect is neutral and serene.  The tree holds a plethora of meaningful memories for her.  A delightful focal point.

Maybe it is time to create a tag tree at home.  With twigs gently swagging across a piano, tags signed by guests who come to visit would create an object of interest.  A tag tree at a bridal shower or wedding could be a place to exhibit congratulatory messages from family and friends.  Blessings could be written on tags and hung on the swags for a baby shower.  And a twig tree could be used in a children's church class as a place to display memory verses after learning.  The ideas could keep going on and on.  How would you use a tag tree if  had one?  Will you be making one soon?

Pretty & Serene

Sometimes it's nice to take a break and look at something pretty. Pictures of pretty things help make the day serene when life's duties start to grate on the nerves. I love this idea for a bulletin board! A wire gate with pretty papers clipped on with clothespins and the word PINK on a yellow wall; wow! How about those fabric covered photo albums? They make a great place for pictures, recipes, or notes you want to keep.

Pincushion, anyone? The Knoty Girls Stitchery Club thinks this one is perfect! So do I!

Plain buttons and old dishes make a perfect combination, especially when paired with a vintage napkin.

An old sewing machine on a drop-leaf table, surrounded by beautiful lace curtains and a soft, embroidered quilt creates a scene that would make such a good story starter. A writing project, perhaps? Or should I say: A stitching project perhaps?

Exquisite quilts, all carefully hand-stitched in flosses and colors that create heirlooms for favored family and friends. In this case, it looks like life is a bucket of cherries, not a bowl!

Breath deeply. Relax. Content.

Pictures of Meg's studio at Crabapple Hill

Tea Party Redwork for Black Friday Give-away!

progress on Tea Party pattern

Fay Merritt Iseminger Designs is having a give-away!  Fay has been working on a pattern for an embroidered tea party redwork design.  Her pattern is just about ready to go on the market --- just as soon as her sample piece is done!  She says:

I am going to introduce this pattern by posting the finished sample on Black Friday, November 26, 2010. The first person to leave a comment on my November 26, post will win a free Tea Party pattern. This was a fun pattern to create. I'm excited to be able to share it with you!  Remember to look for my Black Friday post!

  

The Art of Redwork Embroidery

I am in the mood for redwork!  It's a beautiful form of embroidery, especially for the holiday season.  Not only is it pretty, but stitching redwork is quite simple and fast because you do not have to change thread colors, but can stitch away until your thread runs out!


A college friend is a designer of beautiful things, and has created an embroidery design for redwork called "Tea Party".  Her pattern will be for sale soon, and while waiting for pattern publication I am inspired by a photo of her sample piece on her blog.  I know a few of you are waiting along with me.  Stitching on a chilly, winter evening is a relaxing event and I am looking forward to quiet, cozy times in front of a warm fire while I stitch.  I'm eager for Fay's design, but in the meantime may start a few redwork tea towels while I wait.  The winter is long enough for more than one embroidery project


Redwork is the art of embroidery using only one color: red. I used to think the idea was quite boring, as I tend to like selecting color families that work together in a project. But, recently I tried my hand at redwork and have enjoyed both the process and the cheerful finished sampler. The redwork tea towel in the picture above is one I recently embroidered for Val, a friend in the tea towel exchange group I belonged to.

Originally, red dyed cotton threads were not colorfast and the colors tended to bleed when they became wet. Embroiderers tended to select other colors or stitch red's in silk threads that would not bleed. Then a red dye was developed in Turkey that did not bleed or fade when washed. Soon, Turkey red thread became a reliable and popular choice for stitching decorative patterns on household items.

In 1876 The Royal School of Art Needlework from Kensington, England produced a booth at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. American women were charmed by the intricate embroidery and were ready to try their hand at it. It soon gained popularity, as more and more stitchers created embroidered samplers and quilts using this process.

Redwork designs range from very simple to elaborate and intricate. Over time, pictures of nursery rhymes, people, buildings, animals, and flowers have been depicted in this art. In times past, squares of preprinted patterns were made available for redwork. These squares cost a penny apiece, thus the name penny squares became a common term when describing these blocks. Completed blocks were used for many household projects, but became especially useful and popular for bedcoverings. Blocks were sewn together and a feather stitch or cross-stitch was used to cover the seam line.

Stitches especially common when stitching redwork are backstitch, outline stitch, and the stem stitch. The stem stitch is also called the South Kensington stitch or the English Kensington stitch, a name that probably took hold because of the popularizing of this embroidery style by The Royal School of Art Needlework in 1876.

Stitched On! Blue!

 "In the last room a young woman in a gown of deepest garnet-red was seated upon a wooden stool with her back to the window. She was sewing. Spread out around her was a vast and magnificent piece of embroidery. Reflections of its rich hues danced upon the walls and ceiling. If she had held a molten stained-glass window in her lap the effect could not have been more wonderful."

Susanna Clarke

Redwork Embroidery

Redwork is the art of embroidery using only one color: red. I used to think the idea was quite boring, as I tend to like selecting color families that work together in a project. But, recently I tried my hand at redwork and have enjoyed both the process and the cheerful finished sampler. The redwork tea towel in the picture above is one I recently embroidered for a friend in the tea towel exchange group I belong to.

Originally, red dyed cotton threads were not colorfast and the colors tended to bleed when they became wet. Embroiderers tended to select other colors or stitch red's in silk threads that would not bleed. Then a red dye was developed in Turkey that did not bleed or fade when washed. Soon, Turkey red thread became a reliable and popular choice for stitching decorative patterns on household items.

In 1876 The Royal School of Art Needlework from Kensington, England produced a booth at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. American women were charmed by the intricate embroidery and were ready to try their hand at it. It soon gained popularity, as more and more stitchers created embroidered samplers and quilts using this process.

Redwork designs range from very simple to elaborate and intricate. Over time, pictures of nursery rhymes, people, buildings, animals, and flowers have been depicted in this art. In times past, squares of preprinted patterns were made available for redwork. These squares cost a penny apiece, thus the name penny squares became a common term when describing these blocks. Completed blocks were used for many household projects, but became especially useful and popular for bedcoverings. Blocks were sewn together and a feather stitch or cross-stitch was used to cover the seam line.

Stitches especially common when stitching redwork are backstitch, outline stitch, and the stem stitch. The stem stitch is also called the South Kensington stitch or the English Kensington stitch, a name that probably took hold because of the popularizing of this embroidery style by The Royal School of Art Needlework in 1876.

Visiting Meg at Crabapple Hill

Last week Karleen called and asked, "What are you doing today?". "Hmmmm, dishes, some laundry, and a bit of weeding in the yard. Why?" She responded with "How about coming with me on a part of the quilt hop? Crabapple Hill Studios is open to participants this week." That's all it took! I forgot about everything else. Crabapple Hill Designs are my favorite embroidery designs and are especially famous in our area. Meg's studio isn't open to the public, selling instead to quilt shops and online internationally, but she made an exception this year for this special event. It was even better than I imagined! Our adventure started when Karleen picked me up and we headed for a quilt shop in town. There we received our 'secret' instructions and an address. Using the GPS TomTom really helped as we maneuvered from one freeway to the next, finally taking a winding country road until we saw the sign "Quilt Hop" printed on a banner and attached to a fence! A long driveway wound about until we ended up in front of an inviting and cozy studio. Flowering plants and a sign welcomed us from the outside. Inside, cheerful voices and smiling faces greeted us with graciousness. Yes, I was welcome to take pictures for my blog! Yippee! I knew that blog readers would enjoy this little tour. I especially thought of Elizabeth from Turtle Cottage, who stitches daily and loves Meg's designs. Displays of beautiful designs and sample projects, patterns galore, three types of embroidery floss in any color you could imagine, and more were a feast for the eyes. It was difficult to choose between serious shopping and visiting with the pleasant ladies who were working there. I left feeling I did a little of both, but not near enough of either one! Crabapple Hill Studios is my kind of place! Please check out the Crabapple Hill Studio website for awesome designs and project ideas. And if you really love hand-stitching like I do, you'll enjoy Meg's blog, Knot-y Girl's Stitchery Club as well. Now, off to start a new embroidery project --- shall I start on tea towels or a wall hanging? I'm trying to decide. In the meantime, enjoy the slide show. Be sure to go 'full screen' and turn on the sound!

White Linens

Do you sometimes find yourself doing things that are productive, but not absolutely necessary, simply because they bring you joy? Washing and hanging white linens is something that does that for me. Crisp, white, clean, and fresh; table clothes, pillow cases, and guest towels blow in the breeze, absorbing the fragrance of the late spring day. Handwork done by others, embroidery, crochet, or applique embellish each piece. They represent hours of love meant to bless those whom these will pieces serve. Whites are my favorites. Years ago I gave away all the colored, printed sets of sheets and now use plain-white, crisp cotton instead. It's a perfect way to use sets of embroidered pillow cases --- and now they always match the sheets!

Have a refreshing, joyful 'white linen' day!

Free-form Embroidery

Free-form embroidery is fun, but scary! Stitching without a pattern and creating your own designs does give much creative freedom to a project, though. The general outline of the teacup on this tea towel started out as a pattern, but the more of this design I stitched, the more fun I had making each tea towel unique! Different styles and shapes of flowers and a variety of trim on the teacup changed each tea towel into it's own unique creation. Sometimes they didn't end up completely 'even' or 'perfect' in design, but the end result is somewhat like a china painted plate. The little flaws made it all that more special and unique. At least that's what I like to think!

Buttons & Embroidery

In addition to crayons and floss, other embellishments can make a simple, hand-embroidered tea towel pretty. Buttons make a simple, yet effective touch to tea towel decor. Used as a teapot lid topper, or the center of flowers, old-fashioned shirt buttons take on new life as they are used to add interest to common things. This is a tea towel I stitched for a friend --- I hope they are enjoying it.

Colorful Tea Towels

Embroidered tea towels are fun to stitch, but sometimes a bit more color is desired. There's an easy way to fill in the stitching lines with shades of pretty colors. Here's how:

After tracing the pattern onto the flour sack fabric, color the design with regular coloring crayons. Color gently, but with an even stroke. Areas that you want shaded can be colored with a heavier hand or colored in a darker color. Then cover the pattern with a piece of paper and iron with a warm iron. This sets the color. Then, stitch as desired. Coloring crayons work well for this effect, but pencil crayons will work as well. You can wash and dry your tea towels as usual.

Happy Stitching!