The simple beauty of Redwork...

I cannot sew, embroider, quilt or anything else that requires patience and intricacy. I've said it before: I'm a same-day craft girl; that is why I love glitter and scrapbooking. Both can be done quickly and that immediate result is very satisfying. Sewing overwhelms me because I make a lot of mistakes when I sew, and removing thread with a seam ripper is one of my most despised tasks.

That is why I am especially drawn to Redwork. I love the simplicity of it, and the thought that a little girl sitting near her mother embroidered those wonderful patterns for me and you, years later. I own only one piece of it, and I treasure it immensely. I hope to stumble upon some more...

According to Barbara Parrish of Redwork.info, Redwork became popular in the late 1800's because of a colourfast thread from Turkey, that was made using a secret recipe (I don't have said recipe...). Up until that time, coloured threads did not hold their colour in the wash, thus they weren't suitable for use when making everyday objects like tea towels or bedspreads. The simplicity of redwork designs, coupled with the fact that they were embroidered with very basic stitches on inexpensive muslins, meant that most households could have decorated linens. Children often learned to embroider on "Penny Squares", little designs printed on muslins and sold at the general stores for a penny. Redwork quilts were mostly "summer weight" linens, meaning they had no batting.

What happened to Redwork? When synthetic dyes began to be manufactured, their popularity faded. Everyone wanted to embroider with the "new" coloured threads. Redwork is like everything - it had it's day in the sun and it is now a popular collectible. What was old is new once more. Have a look on your travels for some of this lovely embroidery. Happy hunting!!

Tying one on...an apron that is!

I love these aprons! I hadn't planned to start a collection when I wandered into the local Value Village in my mum's town, unaware I was about to find such treasures. I have certainly never had a long love affair with aprons. My mother-in-law has always tried to get me to wear one but I resisted her attempts as I always feel frumpy when I put one on. Some women look so pretty wearing one, I just feel conspicuous and matronly. No, my aprons are for admiring from a distance only.

Just how to display them, I'm not yet sure. I love the look of them tied to the back of kitchen chairs, but I'm afraid they would look too cluttery on mine as my kitchen table is in direct view of my front entry. They would also look nice hung on the wall pegged on some sort of line... but again, I don't really have the wall space. Oh well, for now they hang nicely pressed in my linen closet, patiently awaiting a permanent home. Every now and then I peek in on them, waiting for a creative solution to my apron dilemma to come to me. If you have any display ideas to share, I would be very grateful. Until then, I will continue collecting. Likely, a few more will be added to my small collection this summer on my trip home to New Brunswick.

Here is more of a close-up of my pretty little aprons, and a few pics of some I have found elsewhere. Enjoy!!

My sister's great style!!

Wanna see a pretty little girl's room? Hop on over to my sister's blog, This House We Call Home, and have a peek. She has a great writing style and brings you along on her journey to renovate her cape cod home on a average person's budget. You'll enjoy the visit...