Sampler WIP: Band 10 Grapes

I've been in a cross-stitching mood this past week, and tore through band 10 on my ongoing sampler-in-progress.  Son says he really likes this one, and hubby concurs.

Grapes and leaves cross stitch band/border

It looks busy but stitches up rather quickly.  The colors are a smidge off in the pic as I had to play with the levels to get it to show up properly.  It is also the first band past the halfway fold on the cloth!  Here's all ten bands.

Sampler bands 1-10

I've picked out a floral band for #11, in (of course) shades of pink.

Band sampler WIP band 7

While I was working on band 7, hubby came in and saw me putting the "finishing touch" on it, and remarked how much he thought said finishing touch added to the design and made it "Wow".  So I grabbed the digicam to snap a pic to share, and am glad I did:

Adding blackwork style detail to band 7

The book mentions backstitching the dark green curlie-cues on, but other sources say a double-running stitch, also called a Holbein stitch, would be used because so many also did blackwork embroidery (which is supposed to look the same front and back).

Hubby's praise for this floral band makes me think I should use this one to stitch up a hatband for my grey linen sunhat ... although I do have another I am also considering, I need to stitch it out to check the scale first.  I don't want it too wide.

Speaking of the sunhat, I wore it yesterday to the library to return/renew/check out more books.  One of the books I returned was titled Hats Made Easy! and when I handed it to one of the ladies behind the desk, she asked if I had made my hat.  I told her yes, but from a Vogue pattern .... the book is actually a good one but mostly focused on drafting your own hat patterns.  Given my stash of hat patterns, this one - while good - is not useful for me at this point.

I'll wait and make a separate post for my lace-making efforts ... and I started band 9 last night on the sampler. It's a little past lunch time, and I feel productive already today ... here's hoping the energy level stays up!

Torn table runner

This is from my grandma, given to me by my sister who ended up with it even though she had no idea what to do with it.  It's an old table runner, and not in the best of shape (large pic alert):

Grandma's old table runner

Here's the mystery: This grandmother was not the packrat - that's the other side of the family.  Along with the table runner were cloth napkins, and a couple are "orphans" without matches, so she didn't keep things just because.  So why did she hold onto this damaged, torn, and fraying table runner?  Was it made especially for her?  Was it a special occasion gift?  Did someone special give it to her?  I need to email my aunt and ask ...

So why am I so thrilled to have a torn and unraveling table runner?  At one point in time, this was a very beautiful thing!  It has cutwork embroidery all through the cloth section and is bound by what I now recognize as crocheted lace.  I'm not sure if it's linen or not (duh, have NOT done a burn test) but it feels possible.  I'm not sure if the cutwork embroidery is done by machine or by hand, but here is a closeup of it:

Cutwork embroidery closeup

If this was done by hand, the work was very meticulous.  The back side looks very similar to the front, although I can tell a difference between the two.  Now, for a closeup of the damage:

Damage to fabric and lace

I don't think I can repair the damage to this ... but I am wanting to make a replica of it!  I'll need to get a lot better with surface embroidery, practice cutwork satin stitches ... and figure out how to crochet lace.  Here's the funny part - last night I was watching YouTube videos for beginners how-to-crochet, and can't help but feel I have done several of the demonstrated stitches.  I know my mom crocheted, as well as knitted ... in fact there aren't too many textile crafts that Mom hasn't at least learned how to do.  While all the crochet tutorials feel familiar, I cannot for my life remember any object I crocheted.  I do know it was never lace ... I might have kept at it if I had learned to do lace.

So I have a long-term goal of learning enough to make a replica of this table runner.  This should make for an interesting adventure!

Band sampler WIP

I finished up band 6 this afternoon, and even got a bit of sunlight to snap a pic of it!  This is actually a lot of fun doing all these different border designs, although I am having a bit of trouble starting the bands out because of color contrast, or rather lack thereof.  Some of these borders are shown on colored cloth, which makes them hard to see on white.  So the lefthand side of the sampler has different colors than the right ... I am only showing the right side for now.

band sampler, first 6 rows

Bands 3,4, and 5 use a thicker thread, similar to the more expensive cotton perle 5 I also have, which is matched to colored aida cloth.  I'm happy the white-on-white band 3 showed up in the pic ... it's hard to see even in person!  Those 3 borders are described as whitework, but after the difficulty seeing it in white I switched to colors.

Before I finished up the last few acorns in band 6, I snapped a pic because I wasn't sure the dark green and black for the acorn caps would show up:

color acorn cap detail - black and dark green

My son said he actually likes the colored acorn design (band 6) even more than the whitework style monocolor acorns (band 4) ... just not enough to have me stitch a band onto his new black backpack.

Now, to pick another border design for band 7!

Try, try again

As y'all recall, I abandoned the first version of the latest cross stitch design after noticing too many counting errors, and mentioned I would redo it with different colors.  I didn't goo too different on the colors - instead of black and red I used dark grey and pink ... and managed to stitch it out without any (*permanent*) errors this time!

cross stitch counted right this time

Everything lined up this time ... although I will confess I had to pull some out and redo.  However this is an improvement to not noticing the counting errors until it was too late to fix.

So now I am up to four completed squares, although the first one is smaller than the other three.  My idea was originally to do up a small wall hanging with four designs mounted on some cotton muslin ... but that was before Hancock put even more of the small kits on the clearance table for only $1 each.  Now I am wondering if I should do up nine total ... although next I want to start a small band sampler for borders of different heights.

It's been a cross stitch week for me, not only because I felt so determined to do this design correctly, but because I have sounded like a bowl of Rice Crispies ("Snap-Crackle-Pop") pretty much all week.  I do have a sewing project ready to cut after trimming the pattern and picking out the mockup fabric ... I just haven't felt up to cutting it out yet.  So, once again, I am saying: "Hopefully tomorrow!"

Now for the close-up of the latest cross stitch for those interested:

Cross stitch - it reminds me of wrought iron

Cross stitch ain't always easy

... and I take back what I said in chat about counted cross stitch being more forgiving than freestyle/surface embroidery now.  Even threatening to take my socks off to count (since all my fingers are busy with cloth, needle, and floss) didn't help on this project.  I managed to pick a design even more intricate than the thistle flowers on my English rose design ... and while I messed up one corner design I figured I could just get the other three right.  Oopsie!

Here's the pic of the piece I am abandoning due to multiple mistakes (marked by red "X"s)

multiple counting errors in cross stitch

So I have a new square of Aida cloth hooped up to start this one all over.  I am going to use different colors, as I discovered I don't have as much black floss as I thought in all these clearance cross stitch kits.  Hopefully I get this new version counted correctly, because I really do like the design and want an example/sample of it.

Since I call my mistakes "learning opportunities" what have I learned other than counted cross stitch isn't always easy?

1. I need to stick to easier designs when on my good pain meds.
2. Dark color charts are difficult to read ... I may need to get one of those magnetic boards with a line bar magnet to keep track of where I am on it.
3. On difficult or dark (or both) charts I should probably count three times instead of two.  Then again, even that doesn't help when I accidentally skip a line.
4. Definitely let the floss untwist more ... those twist-tangle knots are extremely irritating.

On the bright side, I received my own copy of The Embroidery Stitch Bible.  I like it enough to buy one, and returned the library's copy yesterday while renewing the Elizabethan Cross Stitch design book I am working out of.  I checked out another embroidery reference book to peruse, Embroidery Techniques & Patterns by Marie-Noelle Bayard.  So far I've only skimmed the table of contents, so no opinion on the actual book yet.  If any of y'all have it or have read it, I'd be interested in your opinions of it.

Now to choose a color I have a lot of on hand this time ...

Still cross-stitching instead of sewing

Since hubby got off work early, we combined errands ... and now I'm wiped out again.  I could have sworn the temp hit triple digits while we were out, but the weather page is saying only the heat index did.  So instead of pulling out a sewing machine, I finished up my current cross stitch:

Strawberries motif cross stitch

This one is page 94 in Elizabethan Cross Stitch by Hammet, and the other night while surfing around I stumbled on the original it is based on ... the pattern apparently was first published in 1598 in the Jane Bostocke Sampler and was a blackwork design.  Nice webpage on it here, with the blackwork pattern plus a modern stitching of it.

I made a counting error in the top left leaf, but that is mostly covered up by the second green which does not have enough contrast (second oopsie).  So I left two of the leaves "open" ... and as luck has it, those two were done right.

On the same page as this strawberry motif is a very similar design with acorns and oak leaves.  I'm tempted to do that one up also.

I have declared tomorrow a sewing day, because as I was out and about bareheaded today I realized just how badly I need another sunhat with my hair cut short.  Hubby is also wanting a lay-about-the-house day where we don't hassle with errands ... so I may finally break out a machine.

Oops, one more pic of the strawberries, a little larger for Gloria:

Elizabethan era strawberries motif

Still no sewing

I'm beginning to think I need to hide out in the Witness Protection Program just to get some quality time with my sewing machine.  Before I get rolling on my vent about this, I should note that I have been going great guns on the latest cross stitch project in the evenings and a bit in the morning while chugging down coffee, so there IS a needle moving this week ... just not any of the ones loaded into any of my machines.

So Monday I hinted at some "life" happening ... an appliance I ordered online was scheduled to be delivered in the afternoon so I couldn't leave the house until that was taken care of.  About an hour after getting the call to schedule a delivery window, my son came home and announced my car now had a flat tire.  *Sigh*  Once the portable dishwasher was inside and out of its box, hubby came home to change the tire, and we discovered a jagged hole in the sidewall of the flat.  This was of course after many tire places were closed.

So I spent Tuesday afternoon getting new tires on the front of my car.  While waiting, I got my hair cut short.  I still don't have a pic of it yet - hopefully tomorrow.

Wednesday afternoon and early evening involved braving Crashville traffic to pick my friend up from the airport ... with his flight scheduled to land during the rush hours.  I've never understood why it's called "rush hour" when even the interstate traffic is often at a complete stop!  I took my cross stitch with me in case his flight was delayed (it wasn't though).

As for today, we just spent another six hours trying to locate a car for my friend after the sudden demise of his last car right before his vacation.  This is on top of five hours of car hunting before he left on his trip.  I never thought I'd see the day when it is a challenge to find an ugly-but-running small beater car for daily driving - especially in this army post and college town where there are arguably as many used car lots as there are bars!  It may have been quicker to locate hens' teeth ... but we finally accomplished the mission, just in time to get soaked in one of our infamous summer squall thunderstorms.

Tomorrow I only have two errands planned, with a third as "maybe" ... so hope springs eternal that I will FINALLY get to sew together the sunhat pieces.  I really do want to get it sewn up, as right now my only sunhat is a screamingly obvious "Florida tourist!" one that I had to buy down in St Augustine, Florida once I realized just sunscreen wasn't keeping me from sunburning.

Cross your fingers and knock (or touch) on wood that I can finally power up one of my sewing machines.

Elizabethan rose cross stitch done

Not what I planned to post up as finished, but here it is:

Elizabethan rose cross stitch design

Obviously I made no progress on the sunhat idea.  A whole lot of life got in the way today, along with my back still acting up.  I can always hope for tomorrow to sew ...

Just for the observant (and history geeks!  LOL) this isn't quite a Tudor rose.  The Tudor rose has a white inner rose with the red outer rose.  On top of that, I just couldn't do red thistles like the book showed ... to my USA-born and raised eyes, thistle flowers should be a light purple/lavender color.  The first thistle flower was a challenge, but they did get easier and faster to do.

In-progress cross stitch Elizabethan rose design

So yesterday I was playing with my new iron, some linen, and pattern tissue.  I took a break after lunch to run an errand to WalMart, intentionally going the one that is located two blocks from Hancock's Fabrics, with the goal of scoring all the rest of the $1 clearance cross stitch kits like the one I had already stitched up.  After completing the dreaded WM run, I headed into Hancock's, and was delighted to see a local unadvertised sale flyer as I walked in ... not many things make me happier than to see a better sale on the stuff I am going in to peruse!

While leaning over to inspect items on the bottom hang rack (barely a foot off the floor) I moved wrong and my back started hurting.  Oops.  I didn't even spend 20 minutes inside Hancock ... which was pointed out to me at the register.  Returning home, I hit the pain meds and waited for them to kick in ... and waited ...

As I mentioned in my previous cross stitch post, hand embroidery is something I can do when my back is acting up.  Since my meds didn't kick in enough to return to linen and pattern tissue, here is an in-progress pic of what I accomplished yesterday evening:

Elizabethan rose cross stitch design in progress

What you see is page 93 of the Elizabethan Cross Stitch book I checked out from my local library.  Since there is a limit to how many times I can renew it, and we are planning large nonsewing projects for the house instead of hobby purchases, I am going to attempt to work all the designs in this book that I like and keep them on hand as samplers ... the historic purpose of samplers.  I'll probably transform these small ones into a wall hanging, incorporating the decorative purpose of samplers into it ... but my goal is to have the patterns on hand to work from after the book of patterns is returned (and someone else grabs it up).  Meanwhile, to relatives and close friends reading this: This book is on my wishlist for the holiday and birthday season!

Along with pretty motifs, there are also border patterns that I will make into a traditional band sampler, and be able to use on future garb projects.  There's even some lovely Elizabethan blackwork patterns, which was used for fancy smocks and shirts.  Those are definitely "must-have" for when I get to a really fancy outfit like a court gown!  I haven't even begun to intentionally brainstorm on garb uses for these designs yet ... just trying to get ones I really like onto Aida cloth for future reference right now.

The good news is today my back is feeling good again, so it's back to playing with linen and patterns ... I'll post something on that project later on as I don't want to interrupt the mojo too much for this afternoon.  I'd like to achieve some progress, as it's been a while since I've posted a completed sewing project!

Cross stitch and hand embroidery

Maggie has been waiting (im)patiently for this post for the past couple days, because she is still floored by the idea of me doing hand embroidery when I just don't like hand-sewing in general.  But earlier this week (or was it the end of last week?) I hit my local library in search of fitting books, since I do need visual help with that, and stumbled on more textile craft books than you can shake a stick at.  That combined with a massive clearance sale on needle arts supplies at Hancock have nudged me back into this idea ... and let's just admit that my embroidery machine is the high-tech way of mimicking hand embroidery.  Ok, ok ... the pic:

Cross stitch - Tudor period design

That is my little piece of "Can I still do this after all these years?" cross stitch and page 88 of Elizabethan Cross Stitch by Barbara Hammet ... which is a truly inspiring book for a Ren Faire geek like me!  All the designed are sourced to extent originals, including a large sampler.  Given its price tag, check your local library first.

I used to do counted cross stitch, after graduating from plastic canvas needlepoint and what is apparently called "surface embroidery" as a kid.  The last time I can remember doing cross stitch was either my freshman or sophomore year in high school, when I drew a design onto graph paper to make my own.  I chose something small ... mostly because the kit I picked up off the clearance table for $1 had a 3x3 inch aida cloth and a little hoop/frame.  If I had bought the hoop by itself, it would have cost me $3 ... instead I got cloth, floss, hoop, and even a needle in one cute little kid's pack.  Have I ever mentioned just how much I love a good clearance sale?

Now for another local library find: The Embroidery Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden.  This one does not appear to contain any patterns or designs - just all the different stitches.  A whole lot of them ... more than I knew about, that is for sure!  Even better: the version my library has is hardback spiral-bound, so it will lay flat open to easily refer to while both hands are holding cloth and needle.  It has both how-to diagrams as well as pictures of what the finished work should look like, great for visually-oriented folks.

Now, for the truly important question: How many times can I renew these books before my local library says I must turn them back in?  LOL

Last note on the whole "I can't believe she's hand embroidering" bit ... when my back acts up, I cannot even sit in front of my sewing machine (much less cut anything out!) so if I want to get any progress on those days, it's hand-work in my ergonomic computer chair or nothing.  Of course, the big trick is how to keep my embroidery floss away from my nosy cats.

For those of y'all who want some immediate gratification, I have an awesome link: Needlework Tips & Techniques.  It doesn't have as many stitches as the little "stitch bible" but it does have quite a bit, including some free patterns to download and print for those of y'all who can keep a printer working.

(Amazon link note: Yes, I am an affiliate and have been for about a decade now.  I get 1-2% commission on Amazon purchases made through my links ... given the price tags on several of the books on my wishlist, I could use all the help I can get!)

More fuzzy floral embroidery test pics

Is it me or the camera?  My son says it's me ... and a quick note since I have learned some of y'all don't actually read to the bottom: I will be roadtripping this week to visit family in Indiana, and doubt I will have time to post.  Now, for more fuzzy embroidery pics:

This one down on the hem - looks sideways

A splash of orange just for fun

This one looks upside-down - just how it stitched out

All four done so far, out of ten

So I am almost halfway done stitching out the ten designs in the decorative floral design set.  I intended to do some pattern tweaking yesterday ... but the emb machine looked so happy to be still set up, and darn it but it is still cool to watch the needle bouncing up and down as it stitches out a design.  Besides, if I get all ten designs stitched out, then I can take samples up to Indiana with me to show off what my expensive toy can do ... and get sister's input on what designs she'd like up on the yoke and on the sleeves, along with color selections.

Deco floral stitch-out

I finally sat down and played with the embroidery machine this morning, then I spent time trying to get a clear pic of it.  My teenage son ribbed me about fuzzy pics, but here is a mostly clear one:

Decorative floral emb test stitch-out

Believe it or not, this is only my second multi-color design ... and I have a few tips that should probably go into the Sgt. Obvious file.  The most important being that in between colors, it's a good idea to clip the bottom threads from jumps as well as the top threads.  Otherwise, it can get tangled and try to go under/into the throat plate ...

Maybe not a Sgt Obvious observation, but along with tweezers, the blunt side of a seamripper is great for getting tearaway stabilizer out of the inside parts of the design.

The little sets of dots are supposed to be different colors, but as these were the last three and I was tired of changing the thread ... I made them all that pretty pale blue.

While stitching, it occurred to me that the rayon embroidery thread (that I bought for the silk charmeuse tunic) would probably work better on this rayon challis than the polyester thread that I used on the stitch-out test.  The Sulky thread isn't on sale at Hancock until next weekend, so it doesn't look like I will get this tunic done in time to take up to Indiana on Monday.  I think I'd rather be "late" with it and make it as awesome as I can.

Tunic for little sister Simplicity 2635

I actually started pattern work on this yesterday while waiting for feedback on my fitting issue.  As usual, one of my first steps is to trim the pattern tissue pieces ... and also as usual, my cats try to "help".  The crinkle of pattern tissue is as irresistible to them as the sound of a can opener on a can!  Before starting, I looked all around the room to ascertain the complete absence of the little fur monsters.  Half a minute later, as I had cut about six inches away from the piece ... I had my Cuddle Kitty on the other end of the long rectangle-shaped piece trying to pin it down to the carpet!  By the time I had the long side trimmed, I had all three gathered around me.  They don't take "No" for an answer, and didn't shoo further than five feet away.  I did manage to trim the pattern without needing to tape repairs.

S2635 and fabric - it is a bit more green than this

Third time was not a charm in my attempts to get a clearer pic of this ... meh.  I have seam allowances drawn onto the pieces, with measurement notes written on also.  I am embroidering on this tunic!  :)  Yes indeed, my embroidery machine is once again grumbling about too much time off, and my sister likes embellishment as much as I do.  I have enough room to stitch out 8 5x7 designs from this open decorative floral set.  I plan to embroider the front yoke on both sides of the keyhole slit, and above the hemline around the body.  Since sis wants the elastic-bottom sleeves, I will leave those undecorated ... maybe.  I haven't completely decided on that.  If I put a design on each sleeve, that will mean I use all ten in the set.  It's an attractive thought this morning.

But first will be a test stitch out to make sure the stabilizer and colors work.  Sis has asked for lots of spring and summer colors, and this design set has 6-8 colors per design.  Along with a nice vibrant green, I am thinking pink, yellow, white, light blue, lavender, and maybe even a cheerful orange.

Simplicity 2621 smock put together

It's put together ... now I need to figure out how I'm going to finish the embroidered trim around the neckline.  The embroidered trim for the sleeves came out perfect ... the neckline trim ... not so perfect.  First, the pics (it's very grey today ... but at least it's not green or yellow clouds!)

Simplicity Tudor chemise front (in progress)



S 2621 Tudor "shift" back (in progress)

 

Elizabethan smock - neckline detail (in progress)

OK ... geek time (just because I AM one ...) I'm mixing terms here because there is no one single, agreed-upon term.  Time period is Renaissance (broad category), Tudor period (a bit more specific), and Elizabethan (more specific).  Elizabeth I was the last of the actual Tudors, who refused to marry because that would be giving up her authority.  The Tudor period saw the Renaissance reach England, so this smock is from the Renaissance - Tudor - Elizabethan period.

So ... is it a smock, a shift (as the pattern calls it), or a chemise?  I've seen all of those terms used ... along with spelling variations to boot in contemporary quotes!  Just like there are variations of how Shakespeare himself spelled his own name (he was also Elizabethan period), there just weren't set spellings at the time (tyme?) so the different terms may have had subtle differences in the garments described ... or not.  It could just be regional variances within England (kind of like the regional difference between y'all and youse guys and you, the unspecified plural).

While I tend to use the term smock, shift is probably more appropriate for this particular garment, as the handkerchief linen is very lightweight and as the pics show, it's pretty see-through.  Either way, the actual construction part is done.  It does still need another pressing/attack with hot iron.

Now I need to unhose the neckline trim ... I'm not sure what exactly happened, but the trim pieces ended up just a smidge too short.  So time to trot out my mom's "greatest secret of sewing": the secret isn't perfect mistake-free sewing ... it's knowing how to cover up your mistakes or, if they can't be covered up, how to make them look like intention design details.  Right now, I am leaning towards seeing if I have green fabric that matches the embroidery thread to make squares in each corner, then satin-stitch them on with the white.  Maybe even put a little white-stitched flower in the middle ...

More embroidered trim for smock sleeves

I forgot to mention (actually, post!) yesterday I discovered the embroidered trim I made up didn't fit the sleeves for my S2621 smock ... it's just too short.  So yesterday - after the power was restored from the storm - I fired up the daily driver Brother to start putting the smock together, then brought my emb Brother back out to redo the trim for the sleeves.

This time, I used the smaller version of the Forget-Me-Not border and repeated it twice.  This makes for narrower trim, which will probably look better on a narrow-hemmed sleeve bottom.  It occurred to me today someone somewhere might want to see an in-progress pic of this - here is after the embroidery with lines added to put on the satin stitch (zigzag, a bit narrower and short enough to look satin-stitchy).


Small vs. large Forget-Me-Not trim



Small Forget-Me-Not embroidered trim

I have the larger design at the top of each pic as a reference point between the 4x4 small and the 5x7 large designs.  I hooped the small set looser, since last time hooping tighter didn't get rid of the wrinkles ... and the wrinkles are still there.  *Sigh*  Hooped regular, tight, and loose ... without noticeable difference in wrinkles ... leaves me with the conclusion it's either the linen or the thread or both.

Now, to finish sewing this smock up ... I am getting tired of moving the pieces from the table to the ironing board to an unoccupied chair and back!

Embroidered trim finished and a tip

First up, I figured out why I have been getting the little wrinkles around the embroidery design ... other than the possibility of the cotton thread shrinking.  I hadn't rinsed ALL the stabilizer out.  I discovered this when reaching for my press cloth, and it was stiff ... since I had to rinse out the fabric marker anyway, I soaked the trim pieces again.  And here is the "done" pic for my trim:

Custom-made embroidered decorative trim

I made one extra piece of single-design trim on purpose ... just in case I oopsie something.  And while this last extra one was stitching out, I was reminded just why I sit and watch the the embroidery needle hop along as it stitches out ... the thread caught on itself.  When the top thread broke, the machine sensed it and stopped itself before I realized the thread was broken.  However, when the thread caught on itself, I stopped the machine before it "realized" there was a problem.  Closeup of the oopsie:


embroidery oopsie - thread caught on itself

It's not overly noticeable since I caught it within a few stitches of it happening, then the machine stops two stitches after I hit stop (which is a fast response given how fast the needle is hopping on it) so the piece is usable if need be ... but it is sitting off to the side of the others to be used last (or hopefully not at all!).

Now ... this Brother "country yarn" embroidery thread is very messy!  I probably should have snapped a pic of the fuzz bunnies I pulled out of the emb after this project was done, because it was massive.  Then before I started up the daily driver to satin stitch, I cleaned under the hood on him as well ... canvas fray bits and more fuzz bunnies.  I hope I don't dream of fuzz bunnies under the bobbin holder thingy tonight ...

Custom embroidered decorative trim!

Happy!  Excited!  IT WORKED!!!!!!  My custom embroidered decorative trim for the neckline and sleeve edges for my Elizabethan smock (Simplicity 2621) has turned out the way I hoped it would!  Happy dance time!


custom embroidery trim: Forget-Me-Not



Forget-Me-Not custom trim

 Sometimes ... well, often ... my experiments don't turn out as I hoped.  So when one actually does come out looking like the picture in my head, I get very very excited and happy.  This embroidered decorative trim idea is exactly what I wanted ... well, it will look much more like planned once I wash the fabric marker off the edges.  I used a very short zigzag to create the satin stitch at the edges, and the pinked ends will be inside seams, folded under, or covered by a cross piece of trim.

OK, *now* I am excited about making this smock!

Machine embroidery embellishment for S2621 smock

I've mentioned my embroidery machine has been whispering to me about inactivity .... I played with it on and off yesterday and with a little sunshine today have pics to show off!  My embroidery machine is far and away my most expensive machine ... I paid more for it than all three sewing machines combined but am quite happy with it.  It's a Brother PE-770 stand-alone that uses a USB flash drive/stick, so I shouldn't outgrow it for quite a few years.  Not to mention, I adore the results ....

Forget-Me-Not test



Forget-Me-Not in the hoop




Forget-Me-Not shoulder pieces

 I had thought about using a Foxglove design, just to see who might recognize it, but then noticed the Forget-Me-Not border design and fell in love with it.  I still have one more shoulder piece to do, then the front and back of the neckline which is wide enough for two of the design (which will require me to rehoop ... this should be interesting!).  I had originally planned to embroider the facing, then have it on the outside, but as I mentioned yesterday my air dry marks disappeared, plus on the test the fabric pulled and wrinkled too much with just a single layer of the handkerchief linen.  However, using two pieces of hankie linen and three pieces of Solvy worked better in the hoop ... except a smidge of wrinkling which I suspect is the thread shrinking.

I plan to satin stitch the edges with white, and sew in on like decorative trim (err, it actually is decorative trim, just the kind I've made myself!) and I am seriously thinking of measuring the bottom of the sleeves and putting some there as well instead of a fabric ruffle.  The benefit of this idea: it will keep my cuffs out of my food!  LOL  Not only is Ren Faire either muddy or dusty (there is no in between, it seems) but I often end up wearing my condiments for half a day ... and I am not the only one.

The emb machine is calling me ... although the cast iron skillet is also ...