I finally finished a bit of embroidery that has languished at the bottom of my sewing basket since first grade!
It's a style of embroidery I have not seen elsewhere. The fabric is printed with the small xs for crossstitch- almost like a fabric mimeograph. And, at last, it's done!
6 comments:
This used to be very common when I was a kid. I could go to the craft department in the Ben Franklin store and pick from a number of pre-printed pillowcase or tablecloth choices. (and floss was about $0.04 each) It was those beautiful displays of floss that got me hooked on needlework at a young age. So much potential for beauty for practically free! It was wonderful!
Joanie says...
I remember these as well.
Question: What iron do you find to be the best for linens and vestments. I'm planning to buy one after overhearing the altar guild ladies complaining about theirs. Thanks
Joanie,
What exactly was their complaint? I have to admit, I've been using a $10 WalMart iron for the past 7 years, and, while I could think of a feature or two I'd take, for the most part it's served me well.
I learned the art of embroidery on these tea towels, pillow slips, dresser scarves, and quilt blocks, too. "Stamped Embroidery." Thread a needle. Make a knot. Keep stitches even. One's true skills could be detected by how neat the back of the project looked: all pretty and smooth, or all snarly, knotty and yucky? To this day, I can recognize my mom's stitching like I can recognize her handwriting.
I love the non-stick coating on my iron and I have a love/hate relationship with the automatic shut-off feature. (Great for my peace of mind but it's a huge annoyance when I'm sewing and need to wait for it to reheat every time I want to press a detail into place.) My absolute best, best, best piece of advice regarding irons is to NEVER use tap water in them. The mineral deposits build up and spit out spots at the most inconvenient times! Even bottled drinking water is less desirable to use than distilled water. I always keep a gallon of it around specifically for use in my iron.
I have a Black and Decker Steam Advantage that I paid $40 for at Sears a couple years ago. I'm really happy with it.
The auto-shutoff is crucial for me, although I find it stays warm and reheats quickly after shutting off. I like the pointy nose which lets you get into pleats and narrow areas easily. The plate cleans really easily too, and the steamer is a dream. Having a little extra mass compared to other irons I've owned makes for less effort needed.
My mother-in-law has a Rowenta. I'm not surprised she loves ironing!
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