vintage embroidery: the saral paper way

It's no secret I love Saral paper.  I've used several times, including these two projects. 

This time, I wanted to do a little embroidery.

 

 

This project completely took me by surprise.  I had intended on embroidering one towel. But after finishing the first flour sack towel, I felt compelled to do another, and then another!  So now I'm thinking I'll go ahead and do my last two dish towels as well. 

For the embroidery patterns, I wanted to do something a little different.  So I found some images of vintage signs to trace.  You can find loads of vintage sign images here.  I also came across doe-c-doe's website (I ad libbed one of her patterns for the salt and pepper shakers), she has so many cute patterns!   

So today, I'd like to walk you through a brief "how-to make an embroidery pattern" from an image you love. 

What you will need:

• embroidery thread (I used Lecien Cosmo samples that they sent to me a while back.  It's amazingly silky and has a wonderful sheen to it!)
• embroidery hoop
• image you love
• tracing stylus
• saral paper
• fabric to embroider image onto

 

 (Bob's cafe photo found here)

 

To make your pattern, layer your fabric right side up (once again, I used flour sack towels that I dry dishes with), saral paper right side down, and the image you're tracing right side up.  Then use the stylus to trace around the parts of the image you'd like to embroider.

 

 

 

Now place your hoop around the image, and embroider. 

It's that simple!

 

 

 

If you decide to use this technique on an image that's special to you, I'd love to see it!  Please add it to my flickr group here!

Happy Monday to you!

xo,

Penny

Comments

[Suzanne]

That's a very fun project, Penny. The towels are almost too cute to use.

[elsa]

It would be fun to take a few signs from around town that are my favorite places to eat and embroider them on towels ~ what a great idea! I've never used Saral before but do have a few samples of them.
Thanks for the inspiration!

[Beth]

Looks fun and easy.

[Amanda Rose]

Wow I love embroidered tea towels!

Amanda Rose
http://sewmuchtosay.blogspot.com

[anna]

oh I love that!!! way cool using a picture. :)

[nicke]

i love these penny! i saw them on instagram this weekend and i want to do the same to all of my kitchen towels now too! saral paper here i come! ;)

[gina]

so flattered to have my photo be part of this adorable project!

[Carla]

Great idea! BTW, I have those same exact vintage trays....they belonged to my MIL.

[Thimbleanna]

Those are adorable Penny. And what a great idea to use the saral paper!

[Siobhan]

Love the tea towels! I had no idea that there was transfer paper like that for embroidery--it seems much more user friendly than my 'tape design to window, try to hold fabric against window while tracing with a pen...' method. Thanks for the tip!

[CItricSugar]

These are so cute! Great idea.

[nanette]

Penny every thing you do is fantastic. These are darling.