Seashore Theme Redwork

In my quest for redwork patterns, I found this wrapping paper and book. The wrapping paper is covered with pretty shells just the right size for embroidering onto tea towels or napkins. The book had the added bonus of crayfish, lobsters, and crabs.




So I traced six ideas with my bumwad.

I love that word.

And then I downloaded them to my new friend Scribd. And here they are for your enjoyment:

Crayfish

Starfish

Scallops

Redwork to share

Oh the places I've been trying to figure out how to share pdf files. I am obviously not a computer nerd or I'd know how to do this without even thinking! Anyway, here are two more. I settled on Scribd and uploaded a few there. I'll see how it goes for a while, and maybe do more next week. Let me know if it's user friendly, won't you? And if you have any particular requests.



First let's try a boy with a hoop.



Then let's try a girl at the shore.

Then I just had to share this photo of Teen2 helping the Lord of the Manor prune a tree last weekend. Here she is supposed to be operating the crane whilst her father is in the basket 40' off the ground, and she's on her cell phone! She certainly is giving him her full attention, isn't she? These are just some of the goofy things that go on here Amongst The Oaks.

Free Redwork Patterns

Remember yesterday when I suggested finding redwork patterns in books? Well I took my own advice and thumbed through this book looking for appropriate drawings. I found several that I thought might work and marked them with post-it notes.

Then I took some tissue paper and started tracing. I should talk about the tissue paper I use. It's called Bienfang bumwad (I kid you not) and it's used by architects. A roll 18" x 50 yards only costs about $10.00 and lasts forever. I not only use it for its original intention of tracing and refining floor plans, but also for tracing patterns and ideas from other sources. We've even used it to make patterns for custom clothing. If you can't find it at a crafts store, try an art supply house, or architectural printing service. (Look in the yellow pages under Blueprinting Equipment & Supplies.)

Back to the book. I ended up with several cute sketches
and thought I should share them with you. So I figured out how to use Google Docs, and Bob's Your Uncle! Now let's see if it works....

Kids1 Kids2 Kids3

I do hope you enjoy these patterns, and I'll try to make some more real soon. Any requests?

Apparently Bob is NOT your uncle, or mine either. I'm working on sharing the patterns. Please stand by.....

4:30pm: Ok, I figured it out. Just click on Kid1, save it to your computer, then print it as a pdf.

Redwork Patterns

I finally finished the Paris tea towel and realized I got a little carried away because it's way too complicated! I should have stopped at the Eiffel Tower, tulips, petanque and the Metro. I was so impressed with Paris I just wanted to squeeze it all in. Just like our trip, I wanted to see it all and do it all. Great for a trip, but not so good for a tea towel.


Here's my original drawing. First I printed out the words on the computer, then I sketched in images from the trip in pencil. When I was satisfied with the design, I darkened the lines with black ink. The cotton tea towels are thin enough to see through, so then I put the design beneath the towel and traced over it with the Mark-B-Gone pen. After embroidering the towel the marks disappeared with a few spritzes of water.

If you are not so artistically inclined, there are patterns available at the crafts store, online, or in books like this one my sister loaned me. It's full of beautiful examples of original pieces plus a history of the craft. It also includes a companion book with full size patterns of some of the most popular images.

Even if you can't find that book or these patterns, inspiration can be found all around you. You might find some cute little animals in a children's book. Or a motif to copy on some dishes. Or in a magazine or on fabric or wrapping paper. Those designs can easily be traced using tissue paper and resized if necessary on a copier or computer.

I hope you try some of this redwork. I've found it to be lots of fun and a great diversion. And you know what else? It keeps me from snacking in the evenings here Amongst The Oaks.

Paris Redwork

I've been working on the next redwork tea towel and this one is Paris 2001. I've included some sights that impressed me: men playing Petanque, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, the Metro and tulips. I've realized buildings are much harder to embroider than cactus.

First I drew my designs on plain white paper then I traced them onto the tea towels with this magic felt pen. After I finish the sewing, I'll spray cool water onto the towel and the marks will disappear. I love these felt pens.

When I took these photos this morning it was so dark and dreary outside I had to use my full spectrum lamp to get decent photos. It's the fog - it's horrible today. Honestly, I don't know why I stay here in this foggy old valley. Check out my drive to work this morning. It was so foggy I couldn't even see a block ahead! You're supposed to slow down and use your headlights, but some numb skull almost plowed into me as I turned onto a street in front of him, because he didn't have his lights on!

But I did manage to make out See's Candies there on the left. It was good to know I was on the correct street as I felt my way to work Amongst The Oaks.

Winter Crafts

One of my New Year's resolutions way back in January was to do more craft projects. And over the year I have done a few, but one I'd been wanting to do just never happened until we went to the cabin. My idea was to make a redwork tea towel of all our trips so I took these tea towels and some red embroidery floss and finally finished one. I had sketched them out and this one seemed easiest, so here is Mexico 2007. Ta Da!

We drove to Mulege in Baja Mexico and saw lots of cactus amongst the hills, and lots of shells at the beach so those are all the things I put in the design. Below you see my rendition of a jumping cholla cactus. I'm quite happy with the first one and have several others sketched out. I'll post photos as I finish them.


Another project that I finished was this SNUGGLE banner. When I found out about the cabin visions of red plaid started spinning in my head, so I got a few sheets of red plaid scrapbook paper and cut them into triangles. Then I glued them onto the stiffer white paper and cut out the letters. Unfortunately I used the wrong glue for the white glitter and they came out yellow! Awk! I tried to make them white again, but they were a disaster so I threw them out. So into my craft bag went the half-finished banner, some extra card, new white glue and the glitter. And on Christmas Eve there I was making new letters and finishing the banner. I'm glad I didn't give up and took supplies to finish it there.

And look, after seeing the banner day after day, Teen2 took its advice and snuggled up for a nap one afternoon. Under red plaid. Too cute.