Lost Arts of Sewing: Vintage Style Embroidered Pillowcase by A Jennuine Life

Lost Arts of Sewing Title

Welcome folks!  I’m kicking off the series today with my version of a project that started this whole idea whirring in my head:

 

Pillowcase 2
I posted about this embroidered pillowcase my Mom had given me from my Grannie’s linen closet after she passed away.  At the time I wrote about it I asked “Does anybody actually hand embroider borders on pillowcases anymore?”  Our grandmothers and perhaps our mothers used to do things like this on a regular basis.  Now, many of my friends have never used a sewing machine outside of 7th grade Home Economics class.
That thought stewed for almost two years until I decided to kick off this series to find out if these talents are lost, or merely just a bit more uncommon.  I think you’ll find from the great lineup of guests sharing their “lost arts” that they are, in fact, not lost!
 
As part of the series, I’ll be sharing a little history or fun facts about the style being shared.  This particular style of embroidery has be stumped – it’s a combination of hand work on a foundation of machine stitches.  I googled my fingers off and asked around to my friends who are true artisans of embroidery to no avail.  I think it’s a simplified form of surface embroidery.  My Grannie did a lot of chicken scratch embroidery and I have two large quilts from her so I’ll talk a little about that similarly simple style:  
 
Chicken scratch is an easy type of embroidery typically worked on gingham which gives the impression of applique’d lace.  The origin of the style is unknown, but it dates to early America.  Early settlers traveled across the sea and land to settle into their new homes and the craft came with them.  It’s known by different names: Amish embroidery, cross-stitch on gingham, depression lace, gingham lace, gingham tracks, lace stitch, and snowflake embroidery.
 
 
Source:

Here goes my take on Grannies’ vintage style embroidered pillowcase:

 

Vintage Style Embroidered Pillowcase Title

I have two pillowcases from Grannie in this style and I use them for Arden’s bed.  Even though they’re vintage, I would rather use them and risk stains than have them sit untouched and pristine in my linen closet.

 

Vintage Style Embroidered Pillowcase 1 (1)

I began by inspecting the pillowcases from Grannie.  I can see that she used pearl cotton instead of multi-strand divisible embroidery floss.  The pattern is worked on the surface of the pillowcase, using two parallel lines of machine stitching in a manner I find similar to couching, only sort of reversed as in couching you lay a yarn on top of the work and tack it in place with small stitches through the piece.

 

Vintage Style Embroidered Pillowcase 2

I pulled out a plain white pillowcase and ran an additional line of stitching parallel to the factory stitches.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to match the stitch length since I did this in a hurry, and my line has much shorter stitches than the other.  This might have worked to my advantage as I very likely wouldn’t have been able to match exactly and keep them in sync, so this way I could choose from among which stitches to pick for one side to best match the other.

Vintage Style Embroidered Pillowcase 3

From there it was a simple matter of working a zig-zagging stitch with each point bridging two machine stitches.  I tried my best to keep the stitches even and they’re not, but isn’t that part of the charm of handwork?  After once around the case, I ran a second zig-zag intersecting the first creating the x-stitch pattern from my Grannie’s pillowcase.

 

Vintage Style Embroidered Pillowcase 4

All done!  Not too shabby from this angle.  This did not take that much time to complete – maybe three hours’ work in total.

 

Vintage Style Embroidered Pillowcase 5

I think mine will get knitted together more like Grannie’s after a couple of trips through the washer and dryer.  Now I’m off to embellish some more pillowcases or even a skirt hem or two – won’t you give it a try?

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4 Responses to Lost Arts of Sewing: Vintage Style Embroidered Pillowcase by A Jennuine Life

  1. OnceUpona Sew May 21, 2013 at 4:03 AM #

    I’m excited for this series. What a great inspiration point.

  2. Karen May 21, 2013 at 10:28 AM #

    Jenn, I have not seen this type of work before! I can’t wait to try it! I think it would make a lovely finish on the shoulder frills of a pinafore. Hmmmm….. I think a baby pinafore with this embellishment will be added to my ‘to do’ list. Love it!

  3. Virginia Megin Gallagher May 28, 2013 at 2:35 PM #

    This is so pretty!! I’m visiting you today from Sugar Bee. I co-host a Linky Party Tuesday (open thru Sat) and I’d love for you to link up! I hope you get a chance to stop by, link up and leave a comment, too!
    ~ Megin of VMG206
    Join me each Tuesday for Brag About It Link Up Party

  4. Ash @ Uratex Foam July 8, 2014 at 3:34 AM #

    Glad I can still follow your series Jenn. This one is really beautiful. I loved it. I actually remember my granny doing the same hand stitch.

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