Threads and Roses

Embroidered Word Pillow

 

My sister Judy loves all thing French. When daughter Anna sent her this special pillow we could only dream of what it might look like in a room we'd never seen.

Conjuring up pretty chandeliers and antique samplers don't seem to be part of the process though. So when I visited my sister in Oregon, last December, it was a special joy to be able to photograph Anna's FLEUR pillow in Judy's guest bedroom. I couldn't wait to show the pics to Anna, and now you.

More lovely details in the room

 Antique button cards look wonderful propped up on the moulding.

And a portrait of our mom, on our grandmother's lap, makes the room extra special.

 

Lavender Sachets

"I scrubbed both rooms floor to ceiling, cut new liners for the drawers, and replaced the lavender in the sachet I keep with my underclothes," said Bess.

~ The day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan

In another passage, Bess's sister hides a note from her lover in a lavender sachet. What a good idea.

How often do I read about lavender sachets in a novel? Never, but I did last week while Anna and I were making these.

  

Fragrant, freshly harvested lavender from our garden fills Anna's soft handkerchief linen sachets. The luscious scent lasts for years. I've had one in my drawer for more than three, and it still smells wonderful.

Anna's embroidered bees head toward her signature French knotted lavender blooms. 

Lavender's green, dilly, dilly, Lavender's blue,

If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you.

Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, And the lambs play;
We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm's way.

~17th Century English Nursery Rhyme

 

Monogram Daisy Hankie

I'm flummoxed-- what can I say? there are no words-- daughter Anna's love shines through so strong in her work-- I should let the pictures do the talking. Besides A's, fleurs, French knots, and bees, she also love's kitties, and small earrings.

Feverfew flowers are our favorite daisies.

 

 

 

Embroidered Name Pillows

Pillow cases were daughter Anna's first embroidered pieces. Such a free hand she had– starry nights, volcanoes, houses with picket fences, sweet sayings like, for the love of creation threaded their way under her sleepy head at night. Flowery vines and bees became her signature design, decorating our shirts and blouses.

Then one day Anna showed me the little white scrap of fabric, above, with her name and birth date embroidered in pale letters.

Visions of gorgeous linen pillows came to mind, and I asked if she'd like me to help with a more formal template. Together, we made a design for a larger version of her name. Then she made a pillow for me,

and one for our family.

Before long, Anna began making them for friends.

SPECIAL TEMPLATES

Each pillow requires a hand-drawn template.

Hundreds of colors are at her fingertips. Anna has ten boxes like this!