Category Archives: home dec

Monogrammed Napkins “rCr”

Posted on December 28, 2009 | Leave a comment

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.– Peg Bracken

Those same basic ingredients of time and love are stitched into gifts from those of us who love to sew. This gift set of 12 monogrammed linen napkins were embroidered with both time and love for my daughter.

Rebecca loves to entertain, especially if the occasion warrants use of china from her grandmother and sterling silver from her godmother. She was delighted to be hosting the family Christmas day festivities and began planning and decorating just after Thanksgiving. I knew these napkins would give the finishing touch to her holiday table.

The napkins themselves are “blanks,” ready for embroidery.   I have to mention that the scalloped edges are really very rough.  I’ve never been fond of cutwork because there are always eyelashes poking out from the button hole stitched edges.  Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in home dec, linen blanks, machine embroidery

Squirrely Christmas Stocking

Posted on December 23, 2009 | Leave a comment

This stocking was made for Laurel’s first Christmas. For years before Laurel was on the way, her mother had fostered hundreds of orphaned squirrels. As a safety precaution, she had taken a short break from handling rodents during pregnancy and nursing. So she particularly enjoyed the squirrel theme.

The Woods Stocking cross stitch designs from ABC Embroidery, www.abc-machine-embroidery-designs.com are absolutely charming.  The cross stitch looks exactly as if it were done by hand.   The collection includes the actual stockings pattern, sized for the designs to fit perfectly. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in baby accessories, Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery

Washaway Tangerine Towel Bag

Posted on December 22, 2009 | 5 comments

Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone. – Charles Schulz

UPDATED 12/23 

There are so many people who touch our lives, though they are not major players. “Something extra,” can be a small remembrance, a gift to acknowledge but not to oblige.

For our family, fresh fruit from our citrus trees has often filled the bill for small presents. But this year I wanted to focus a little more on presentation.

I thought the addition of an embroidered dishtowel would be something extra. I could have just slipped it into the brown paper bag in which I normally pack the citrus. But then I thought of this specialty thread and decided that a washaway bag was just what I needed.

Continue reading →

5 Comments

Posted in bags, Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery, serger, techniques

Peace on Earth

Posted on December 21, 2009 | Leave a comment

Yet another gift has been completed for in-laws of my in-laws.   This relatively quick and easy project can serve its original purpose as a linen guest towel or as a Christmas banner.

The linen guest towels come in a variety of styles. Some have hemstitching at both ends while others have only a 1/2″ turned hem at the plain end. This one, with hemstitching forming the casing at the top and three rows of hemstitching, met my need for a decorative casing as well as hemstitching suitable for a few rows of ribbon.

The embroidery design, Peace on Earth with Dove Tree, is from one of my favorite design sites, Embroidery Library www.emblibrary.com Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in embroidery blanks, Holiday Projects, home dec, linen blanks, machine embroidery

Crazy Patch Stocking

Posted on December 16, 2009 | Leave a comment

 

I have always loved crazy patch quilting but hadn’t used this technique for several years until I began this project.  Made for my dear friend, my daughter-in-law, it was a perfect diversion from my sewing marathon of baby/children’s items. 

There are so many things I love about doing crazy patch.  I like combining fabric with a variety of textures like silk dupioni, corduroy, velvet, satin.  I can’t think of another kind of sewing that would allow that. 

Adding little snippets of interesting lace, odd buttons, special ribbons and all the decorative stitches available on our sewing machines transforms crazy patch into a potpourri of sewing delights. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery

Special Angels

Posted on December 12, 2009 | Leave a comment

During the Christmas season, references and images of angels are as pervasive as Santa Claus. They appear on greeting cards, holiday attire, tree ornaments and home decorations. It is not surprising that there are so many embroidery designs and projects that reflect the public’s interest and fascination with these celestial beings.

In literature, angels are equally prevalent. There are Biblical references, such as, “For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11

And tongue in cheek references, “A baby is an angel whose wings decrease as his legs increase. ~Author Unknown

We just can’t seem to leave angels alone.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in antique textiles, baby accessories, Holiday Projects, home dec, linen blanks, machine embroidery, quilts

PGM Gingerbread Aprons

Posted on December 7, 2009 | 2 comments

 

Gingerbread houses are truly old fashioned projects for old fashioned Nanas.  It can be one of the most lasting Christmas memories for your children  or grandchildren.

Since my children were old enough to lick the mixer beaters, we’ve made Christmas gingerbread houses.  And all the PlayGroup Mamas made gingerbread houses with their children (see earlier post, PGM-PlayGroup Mamas ifor explanation of PlayGroup Mamas).

 

PGM Arlene made four every year, one for each child.   Striving to make the best house or the best fire station or the best school or whatever,  they were fiercely competitive.  Each child  had a big idea and a big time.

A few Christmases ago, when a few of the PlayGroup Moms started backsliding in this time honored tradition, Arlene gifted each of us with an unadorned but constructed gingerbread house. We gathered together to decorate our cookie houses, each bringing a variety of decorative candies, a box of 10X confectioners sugar and extra electric mixers. Like Arlene’s children, we each had a big idea and a very big time. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in embroidery blanks, Holiday Projects, home dec, linen blanks, machine embroidery, party accessories and ideas

Santa Claus is Coming

Posted on November 27, 2009 | Leave a comment

With Thanksgiving over, it’s time to pull out the Christmas pillowcases. This bedtime message gives children  something to think about before  “visions of sugar plums dance in their heads.”  It is just one more element that adds to the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming festivities.

Before I had grandchildren, I made this pillowcase for a special little boy whom I love very much. His intelligence, imagination and grasp of fantasy delighted me then and continues to do so now. Years ago, 5 year old Grey and I were discussing  Santa’s amazing ability to deliver toys to children around the world.  This led to further discussion that showed an amazing understanding of geography for a child so young.  Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in Holiday Projects, home dec, machine embroidery

Patient Pillowcases

Posted on November 19, 2009 | 4 comments

Everyone worries a little–or a lot– when a loved one is admitted to the hospital. Often, flowers are sent to express love and concern, but I don’t do that. Instead of sending a floral arrangement, I sew.

Embroidering a personalized, pima cotton pillowcase does a lot for the patient and offers me a modicum of peace of mind.

What can it do for the patient aside from the cool comfort of that  silky fabric against the face? It draws attention. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in heirloom sewing, home dec, machine embroidery

Nana’s nursery window shade and valance

Posted on November 8, 2009 | 3 comments

Valance is made from antique bassinet skirt.

Have you ever bought something just because you had to have it, even though you had no idea what you would ever do with it? I’m pretty sure most of you have.

About 20 years ago, a vendor at a doll show had an elaborate display of antique textiles. Among her wares was a bassinet skirt, cut in half. In her opinion, bassinets were no longer in use so she cut it in half to make the price more reasonable. I thought it was far more likely that one doting grandmother would pay a good price for a breathtaking skirt than it was for two creative sewists to pay a little less for a chopped up bassinet skirt.  But maybe she was right—I was one one of those “sewists” (I really don’t like that word, but it beats sewer) and she had already sold the other half to another like minded lady.

valance top

Maybe I was on a rescue mission, but I knew it was mine and it came home with me. And then it rested in a drawer for all those years. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in antique textiles, baby accessories, heirloom sewing, home dec, Nana's nursery