Moment of Zen: TL’s Great-Grammy’s Embroidery

by Ivory Soap on 07/18/2009

in Chat

Where did she find the patience?

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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Willa Jean 07/18/2009 at 2:41 pm

She didn’t find the patience. She developed it. By doing embroidery, among other things. With no TV.

2 AuntiePatricia 07/18/2009 at 6:27 pm

life used to be more peaceful on planet earth, darlins! people had plenty of time to smell the roses and to do many things today’s leisure society has not enough time for. :)

3 Janice Redinger 07/18/2009 at 6:43 pm

The work is quite beautiful! I have some left from my grandmother. It is stored in acid free paper and sealed in seal a meal bags to keep it fresh and clean. I want to take it out and hang it in the living room, as soon as I find a framer that will use glass that resists light and ruin. I know that she did her best embroidery in her youth to middle age while shew was traveling in the carnival with my grandfather. And it the “mug joint” where he took all the pictures and did all the work.

4 AG Ambroult 07/18/2009 at 7:07 pm

Beautiful–really, and all by hand! wow.
I always look forward to reading your blog!

5 Fran 07/18/2009 at 8:04 pm

Absolutely gorgeous!!!!! Talent like that is to be admired and praised.

6 Carla 07/18/2009 at 8:25 pm

I don’t think I lack the patience but I honestly can no longer see well enough for tiny work like this. And I suspect I don’t have exactly the right tools lying around either. Surely the needles were quite small as was the thread. I should have attempted it 40 years ago. Beautiful, beautiful work your grandmother did!

7 Lindsay 07/18/2009 at 9:54 pm

I found some old tea towels with hand embroidery on them and thought, “what a fun hobby to start.” Then I remembered all the other stuff I have to do, and the patience involved, and the fact that rushed embroidery probably looks horrible and is NOT passed down through generations and decided to just keep looking for old tea towels. It is fun to look at though!

8 Alexis 07/18/2009 at 10:19 pm

I LOVE this kind of thing, and I learned it from my grandmother. I have the patience, but not always the time. This is a good hobby because unlike jewelry-making or other activities involving tiny parts that require a big flat workspace, you can do this while sitting on the sofa in front of the TV as long as you have good light.

9 Ali 07/18/2009 at 11:14 pm

Beautiful handiwork!

10 Portia McCracken 07/19/2009 at 9:09 am

For TL: There’s even more evidence of talent & patience here. These pix appear to be embroidery on appliqué–the flower heads look like they were appliquéd to the background fabric, then they were embroidered and embellished after. Your heirlooms are a gorgeous example of a difficult art. You are rightly proud of them.

11 Tomato Lady 07/19/2009 at 10:16 am

Portia–I can see you’re right about the applique. She was a wonder. I’ll have to take a photo of her full-size crocheted coverlet to show off. Or one of the quilts. I’m crosseyed just thinking about it. Fairly typical of her day and age, though, I’m thinking?

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