Restoring tossed and forgotten linens..........is my passion!.............

along with hand embroidery of course.........

About a year and a half ago, I found this wonderful vintage luncheon tablecloth

with cute vintage dish designs on all corners........two of the designs....... very faded

and the whole cloth..........full of holes. 

However, I fell in love with it.......rescued it from its dusty corner

 and embroidered the first motif..........then got lost on another project 

until now..........I embroidered each set of dishes in a different color

 I also worked eyelets on the scalloped part of the design to make it look like real lace.

After I completed the embroidery, 

(before)

I started working on each hole and rip

You can do this as well, if you have a piece you don't want to toss away.

(after--back side)

First, find matching fabric and cut a square a little larger than the hole. Baste it into place on the backside of damaged piece. 

(after.....front side)

then with matching thread, turn over to front side of damaged piece and  work stitches over and over the hole until it is completely sewn.

Sew the patch on the backside  with a blind hem stitch to secure.

The same can be done even if the holes run through the motif as it was here in the photo above. 

This was quite a large amount of holes, but I simply basted a patch of fabric on the backside of the tablecloth and design, 

 on the front side, I then patched the holes and worked the embroidery over the holes as well ............

 as you can see..........or cant see.........the patching is barely noticeable.

The tablecloth had such a pretty hand crocheted edging.........

and now the tablecloth is finished and looks beautiful. You can see a slight shadow of the patching underneath........but the tablecloth has been restored to be reused.

So worth the effort........don't you think?

My embroidered coasters have been published

in the spring issue of 

Crazy Quilt Quarterly.......

a lovely magazine full of beautiful stitches from many talented needles!

The reason the editor, Pam Kellogg placed them into this issue is because she thought they would be pretty pieces for crazy quilting.......

which is a great idea I think.........don't you?

Pam has such beautiful stitching ideas to share with you as well.

You can learn more about her and her magazine by clicking onto this link

Kitty And Me Designs

The magazine will be out Feb. 1, 2016

Do you like to find ways to use embroidered items in others ways than what they are meant to be used?

I would love to hear!

I made a crazy quilt sweater........out of a sweat shirt

I love sweat shirts...........

I love their bagginess, I love their softness, and I love their versatility.  

I also love collecting vintage embroidered linens. Some times these linens have so many holes and stains that they cannot be used as dresser scarves or towels.......

but the embroidery on them is still beautiful.

I keep these linens.............to cut and to use the embroidery in projects like this..........

I started working on this back in August of 2015 and I wanted to get it finished. 

I cut the sweatshirt down the front to make the sweater opening.

I then cut and shaped the pieces of embroidered linens around the neck line to form a yoke

and basted them into place with either a dark blue or black thread so that I can later take out the basting after the embroidery work is done.

I work the pieces all the way around to the back as well

adding crochet pieces when I am able to find them. 

I also add lovely floral fabric

so that I can embroider over the flowers to add extra charm

I also embroidered the phrase onto this one embroidered piece........

I love this phrase.........don't you?

There was room for one tiny spider web......

I also love the intricate crocheted edgings and keep them in tact with the embroidery when I can.

As you can see, I also added a trailing vine with a rose bud from the fabric embroidery

another floral piece of fabric with flowers to embroider. I also try to be creative with my "crazy quilt" embroidery seams

this pretty embroidered basket had lovely leaves

so I used that idea to embroider the top seam.

I decided to work with some little felt flowers on one block. I edge stitched the ends with a closed buttonhole stitch to prevent fraying 

this was some lovely floral red and white fabric that I had............

again, I embellished it with embroidery to make it pop

Somewhere in all of my embroidery work.........I add my name

This little doily made the perfect large size pocket for the sweater

and now it is finished..........

front.........

and back. 

So now it's your turn..........go through your closet to find your favorite sweatshirt......

or buy a new as I did here........they are usually under $10

and let your imagination and creativity fly!

"Garden Song" Jacket

It all started out with a box of  pretty denim jackets...........no longer wanted........

as I see it..........blank canvases..........in need of ......what else??..........

embroidery!

I used an embroidery transfer of a blue bird and flowers........

and decided on my colors......and started embroidering.

after I finished one front side of the jacket I drew on the flowers on the other side to match......

and stitched some more.

Now the front of the jacket looks pretty...........but I wasn't done,,,,,,,

I drew on and embroidered the same flowers on the lower part of one sleeve

The pocket edges also caught my attention............

and a small butterfly had to be stitched close to make it look as if it flew out of the

pocket

 

then my imagination kicked in full time and I carried the design over one shoulder and onto the back of the jacket........with the same flowers........but I had to add ......one of my favorite things.........

a garden spider web..........don't worry........no spider!

no garden is complete without a bee........

and an eye catching butterfly.

all together.........in embroidery floss

harmony!

I almost chose the traditional " yellow and black" for the butterfly..........

but decided on this color instead..............how I would love to actually see a butterfly in this color.....

wouldn't you?

The original tag is still on the jacket..........

I just placed my own tag over it....... 

It's been many weeks, a lot of hours  , and hundreds of stitches..........

and now the jacket is finished..........and for sale in my Etsy shop

Yesteryear Embroideries

and I'm off to design and to start stitching on another!

With all of the cold weather I am looking forward to flowers bees, butterflies......and the bluebird of happiness to come to door soon............

how about you?

Are you longing for spring?