Crystal Miller
Winter seems the ideal time to do hand work. With more time spent indoors I find the need to stay busy and keep occupied with productive things even when we are sitting and visiting or watching a video or what have you. One of the skills that can seem forgotten today is embroidery. With the popularity of counted cross stitch, embroidery has been almost a forgotten art. I did this as a young girl and remembered enjoying it quite a bit. I also remember seeing many pretty things at my grandmother’s home that she had embroidered. Things such as tablecloths, pillow cases, etc.
I started a project some time ago and then had to put it down to plan my daughters wedding but as of late was able to pick it up and finish. It was fun and rewarding. I purchased a sweat shirt for my daughter Sierra and a package of Aunt Martha’s iron-on transfers (available in many places such as Wal-Mart for around $1 a set) and used one cute design for the front of her shirt. I sewed interfacing on the back of the sweat shirt to stabilize it so it would not stretch and then I used a basic outlining stitch on it. After it was finished I removed the interfacing by cutting around my embroidery work.
I was given a nice web site by a lady from the message board and it has some step-by-step pictures of basic stitches for anyone wanting to try out some embroidery work for themselves. http://www.yesterdayscharm.com/embroidery_lessons.htm .
What I really enjoyed about this project is that unlike the counted cross stitch I did not have to concentrate a lot on it, which makes it easier for me to do this while visiting with my hubby and children, listening to a book being read or even watching something on TV. I can pick it up anytime and don’t need a pattern nearby to keep on track. I still enjoy counted cross stitch, but enjoyed a change from that to do this project.
Now my plan is to teach my daughters how to do this and let them make a sampler or a design on a shirt or a project of their choice.