Each month Heirloom Creations plays host to over 100 people the second Tuesday of each month for the live Sewtopia Sewing Club. Recently the Sewtopia Sewing Club topic featured “Cutwork” in all of its many facets. Above is a short video recap of the samples shown and the techniques used to duplicate what many have done for centuries before us by hand.
After delving into the numerous ways to replicate the intricate cutwork hand stitches, I have a much greater appreciation for the pieces I see made generations ago.
I quickly realized that using antique linens for my sewing samples for the Sewtopia Sewing Club was a great way of repurposing. Their beautiful hemstitched edges and lace additions will give your samples a border like no other. So the next time you need to test out a new design, try it on something beautiful!
I was inspired to feature this topic after recently hosting four Anita Goodesign “Cutwork Christmas Tree Tea Towel” embroidery workshops. You can see how we used the embroidery machine to stitch, cut and place fabric behind the cutwork to show through in the following video.
We also featured the Husqvarna Viking Embroidery Cutwork Needle Kit that has four specialty needles in four different angles. Specialty embroidery designs will ask for each cutwork needle in order to cut out the shapes. The kit contains 4 individual color-coded needles, as well as a multi-purpose tool for inserting the needles into your embroidery machine. Printed instructions plus a CD with an instructional video are also included, along with five free cutwork designs to get you started.
The “S” Mongram is from the Anita Goodesign Heirloom Canterbury embroidery collection.
I am also reminded of what a friend told me who had lost a home in a fire – get out all those great linens, the good china and grandmas favorite antiques and USE THEM! What good are they in a box in the attic. Enjoy them now, use them up and remember their history and the people who made them on a daily basis. Without there use, your children will have no connection to them once you have pasted on and will probably just discard them without a thought.
The Cutwork Corners by Anita Goodesign was another design collection we had fun with!
This one was from the Anita Goodesign Classic Cutwork Block!
