New Monthly project

My Mom did a lot of embroidery when I was young and even though I don't remember her teaching me how to embroider, I'm sure she did. I feel like I have always known how to embroider and until the late 1970's I did quite a bit of it. Now after a thirty year layoff you've probably noticed that I'm back at it. I have a box of my Mom's old linens that are embroidered and/or crocheted. Most of the ones I have left are either very worn or stained, but I've kept them. Recently I decided to use them in combination with some of my old jeans. My Mom never wore jeans and I almost always wear jeans, so my plan was to combine the two; her linens and my jeans. This was to be my monthly project for the year. I have spent most of the month struggling with how to combine the two, finally I realized that it just was not working.

Yesterday it finally hit me that my embroidery looks nothing like her embroidery. She always followed patterns or iron on designs and was very neat and precise. I on the other hand make it up as I go, generally with not so perfect stitches. So I've given up on including my jeans and I'm just using parts of her pieces, some plain cotton and my stitching, then mounting it all on an eight inch square canvas.

January, Mom and Me

I'm not sure if I'll do a whole years worth or just a few and then move on to something else. I'll just see how it goes. So far I like how my big chunky stitches contrast with her very fine delicate ones.

Weekly Leaf
This week I used a rubbing of a large (10"long) leaf tjap.

I did the rubbing when I first got the tjap using a black paintstik on silk broadcloth. Then recently while dyeing some threads I also dyed the rubbing.

I use a viewfinder to pick the area to use.

Fused flannel to the back and then added lots of stitching
Week #4

Line Dance #21 - #27

Indigo and Rust #314 - #320

Linked to "Off the Wall Friday"