Sunday, June 7, 2009

Redwork Pillowcases

Here’s a close-up of the thank-you gifts I’m making my daughters’ teachers.

I like to embroider on vintage pillowcases (with white tatting trim) in what nineteenth-century embroiderers called “turkey red” floss. Obviously, everything is drawn freehand, so nothing is "perfect," but I always prefer things that are a little "off."

One pillowcase has the teacher’s name, with an apple in the middle; the other has our school’s name, with its crest in the middle.

This image is a literal scan—I placed the pillowcases directly on the scanner!

6 comments:

Henry and Mom said...

Lucky, lucky teachers! My kids' teachers received necklaces from an Etsy handcrafter -- that was as close as I got to creating something special for them, and it's pretty far off!
The pillowcase you made for MJ is still one of my favorite things (notice, I consider it mine!). BTW, she is 11 years old today! How can she possibly be that old?

K.Line said...

Your work is excellent! I really can't get over how you manage to do this and everything else. I know you enjoy it - that you aren't some martyr to the cause of modern lifestyle and parenting, but I honestly don't know where you get the energy. I give soap and hand cream - every time. At least it's French.

Miss Cavendish said...

Thanks for your kind words, all . . . I find embroidery to be super-relaxing, though this week it *is* competing with both a copyediting and a writing project with deadlines. But c'est la vie!

Mary-Laure said...

I'd LOVE to learn how to do redwork.

materfamilias said...

Lovely! The teachers must vie to have your daughters in their class.

Disneyrollergirl.net said...

Love, love, love!!