Pink of Perfection Primer: Embroidered Handkerchief
Jenny Hart is, of course, the empress of embroidery. Julia is the master of fine cooking, M. F. K. is the goddess of well-crafted words. The ladies of Craft, Craftster, Supernaturale, and Get Crafty inspire and motivate creativity in countless astounding ways. In each of our efforts to live creatively, thoughtfully, and beautifully, there are teachers and experts all around us.
But I am not an expert. In all my writing and in each of our videos, I hope you'll remember that's exactly the point of this blog. If you, too, are not an expert, you're in good company. None of us needs a degree from Le Cordon Bleu to cook delicious food or enjoy stepping into our kitchens to prepare dinner (although, man, wouldn't cooking school be a blast?). Fine cooking, in my estimation, isn't about trickery, slight of hand, or even accomplishment, so much as providing for yourself and the people at your table and warding off more than one kind of hunger. Likewise, you needn't have your own Etsy shop to get your hands dirty making things. All of us can apply our personal brand of whimsy, imagination, and curiosity to the day to day in order to make the business of living more fun and more beautiful. What you'll find on this blog is what I believe to be the stuff of small, everyday magic. And any of us can do it.
And so here is my little embroidered handkerchief. I simply can't walk into an antique mall without squatting next to a basket filled with these pretty, cheerful relics of the past. I love their primness but also how evocative they are. With such a personal item, it's impossible to not think of the previous owner using it to clean her glasses, wipe her nose, or entice suitors. In order to put my personal touch on it, I stitched my initials onto this square of cotton. One evening, I just sat down with my thoughts and my hands and altered an item to make it seem more special to me. The time I spent pulling thread through fabric became richer and more meaningful in the doing. And I just felt better, during and after. It isn't perfect, but nothing I ever do is. And that's what the pink of perfection means, exactly.
Embroidered Handkerchief
What You'll Need
embroidery pattern or fabric pen to draw your own
embroidery floss, needle, hoop
vintage hankie
With fabric pens, you can simply draw on the shape you'd like to embroider. When you wash it, the pen marks come right out. Pretty nifty, right? I don't see why you couldn't use a ballpoint pen in a pinch, though. I always use the split stitch because it's the first one I learned and it just couldn't be simpler. Write our your initials or draw out your pattern, and stitch directly on top of the lines.
If you're just learning to embroider, I can't recommend Jenny Hart's ready-assembled kits of everything you'll need to get started (patterns, instructions, and materials) highly enough. You can buy them here.
Embroidered Handkerchief
What You'll Need
embroidery pattern or fabric pen to draw your own
embroidery floss, needle, hoop
vintage hankie
With fabric pens, you can simply draw on the shape you'd like to embroider. When you wash it, the pen marks come right out. Pretty nifty, right? I don't see why you couldn't use a ballpoint pen in a pinch, though. I always use the split stitch because it's the first one I learned and it just couldn't be simpler. Write our your initials or draw out your pattern, and stitch directly on top of the lines.
If you're just learning to embroider, I can't recommend Jenny Hart's ready-assembled kits of everything you'll need to get started (patterns, instructions, and materials) highly enough. You can buy them here.
Comments
How lovely!
I'm not an expert at anything either... my blog is "domesticity by trial and error" and I kind of like it that way.
It definitely feels good to make something prettier, more personal... leave your mark on the world in a beautiful way. Fantastic work!
Posted by: Joyful Abode | June 22, 2007 12:15 AM
Can it be? 2 of my favorite blogs have just intersected. I'm finishing up my pillowcases with their sushi theme. I share your passion for antique embroidery. Your piece looks just lovely.
Posted by: cz | June 23, 2007 10:58 AM
Sounds a lot better than those scary towels at the gym.
Posted by: Bethany | June 23, 2007 4:05 PM
S,
What is the perfect picnic menu? Or the near-perfect? Something I've always wanted to do is happening soon: We're all going Fort William Park in Cape Elizabeth, on the coast of Maine on Friday evening to hear the symphony play, have a picnic, let the kids run around, and then enjoy the fireworks. I'm so looking forward to packing my picnic basket (which was a perfect wedding gift years ago), but with what would you suggest I pack it?
Thanks!
Maureen
Posted by: Maureen | June 26, 2007 2:08 PM
Maureen, I have been trying to answer your question for the past 24 hours, but I don't think Moveable Type likes my lengthy reply. Sorry for the delay.
On your picnic, I think pan bagnat would be delish (it gets better as it sits), a big green salad that you can toss with vinaigrette once you're on your picnic blanket, peaches, grapes, and nectarines, fancy rosemary-spiked potato chips, and Heidi Swanson's amazing mesquite chocolate chip cookies. You can get the recipe here. Have a wonderful time -- sounds like a perfect summer evening!
Posted by: Sarah | June 27, 2007 10:44 AM