Awesome x 8

x1 - They're totally useful

x2 - They're pretty

x3 - They're a VINTAGE design

x4 - They're hand stitched

x5 - Food is involved

x6 - Something to do while watching (listening to) TV

x7 - I'm NOT giving them away

x8 - Making other people jealous

So the new-ish-est project to come across my hands are some cloth dishtowels. Mom has a TON of them and she loves em! I've always had a place in my heart for the nostalgia of days gone by and old dear traditions. My papa and mama bears are making me a big ol' cedar lined black walnut hope chest in their wood shop and I'm working on things to put in it. (traditionally they were filled with a woman's linens, which were part of her dowry and essential to her new home)

A few months back (or so) I found a collection of spice patterns and decided to put them on my cloths. The first one I stayed up all night to finish....I then slept the entire next day away.

The second I was a bit more judicious about and took my sweet time working on it when I had some spare time here and there. I now find that I feel antsy if I'm on the sofa in front of the tube without anything for my hands to do.

Anyway, I thought I'd just do a little show and tell of the two I have done and share the patterns with you all so you could use them if you wanted to. There are 8 patterns in total: four leafy ones, and four flowered ones. As I get them done I'll put more of the patterns out there for your enjoyment and usage (unless you e-mail me cause you want them all at once). That's a little trick to keep you visiting me old blog.

If you're unfamiliar with how to use these never fear! I'll tell you! So you print off the design to whatever size you so desire. Then you trace them onto a piece of well...tracing paper. Go out and get yourself a heat transfer pencil. They're typically red and sold in specialty shops....or Wal-mart (that's where I got mine). Then trace the reverse side of the tracing paper with the red pencil. Use a warm/hot/dry iron to transfer the design onto the fabric of your choice. The bigger your piece of tracing paper the easier it is to keep the paper from shifting while you iron (and the less likely it is you'll burn yourself). Other than that follow the directions on the pencil case.

Have fun embroidering! And try out new stitches or perfect old ones. That's what I'm doing and I already have some new favorite techniques.