Now I'm Happy!!!

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I'm finally happy with these pillowcases.  The bright solid color works great and the threads on the back don't show through like they did on the white.  I'm sure no one will notice the threads on the white borders but I SAW THEM.  I have another monkey print and one girlie one that will say "Sweet Dreams" with a cupcake. 

Today I preparing for the granddaughter's sewing day on Wednesday.  Yesterday we purchased their fabric.  I'll cut the pieces out so all they have to do is sew straight seams.  I think I'll do all the serging on the seams.  I think the serger might be a little too much for beginners.  Don't want to take a chunk out of their skirt or p.j.s.

It's a lovely spring day here in the desert.  Orange blossoms on the the trees.  Allergies acting up!!!

More Hand Embroidery

I finished another pillowcase today.  This one "Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite".  I found the fabric at JoAnns and the bug design in a coloring book.  I'm still not pleased with how the thread tails show through.  I even purchased a high quality quilter's cotton for this one. 

I was reading a book on redwork and the author suggested lining the white fabric with a muslin to prevent the tails from showing through to the front.  A friend suggested interfacing but I'm afraid it would wrinkle over time from washing.  For the moment I have decided to ditch the white fabric and use a matching solid for the borders.  We'll see how that works.

Below is a cute pillow my friend Susan made me for Christmas.  She and her DH are our partners in Diamondback Season Tickets.  I just love this pillow.  I think she had a pattern but again it would be easy to duplicate.  It seems that hand embroidery is making a comeback. 

Pillowcases for the Kiddos

My sister and I went shopping this past weekend.  She wanted to check out a Scrapbooking store and there was a quilting shop in the same strip mall.  Of course, we had to visit both.  They had the cutiest embroidered pillowcases in the quilt shop.  They used themed print and then had an embroidery design and wording related to the print on the border.  I thought they would make great Christmas presents for the nieces and one nephew.  They were selling patterns but my sister said: "You can do this without a pattern".  So I gave it a try and found  monkey print and a monkey design in a coloring book.  My only complaint is that I didn't use a heavy weight fabric for the embroidery.  Some of the threads on the back show through to the front.  Since I've been accused of being a perfectionist, I'm not pleased and will shop for a new white fabric.  Otherwise I very pleased with the results.

I'm planning a "Sweet Dreams" with a cupcake design and "Don't let the bed bugs bite" with a bug fabric.  Hope the ladies who designed the pattern don't mind me copying their ideas.  It's been a number of years since I did hand embroidery because I have my embroidery machines.  It was fun to do it the "old fashioned" way.