Items need for project:
1. Regular dotted fabric (not dots that are completely irregular) measure your yardage by the size of the project. This will work for pillowcases, tablecloths, cloth napkins, aprons, pinafores, etc. etc.
2. Embroidery floss (I prefer to buy mine online (they couldn't do that in the 19th century. Sometimes they even spun their own from wool). DC size 5 or 8 embroidery floss...you don't have to figure out how many strands of floss you wish to use...it's already intertwined) 5 is a little coarser, 8 is a little finer.
3. Embroidery hoop (If you are making a larger project like a tablecloth you may wish to have a larger hoop. They come in all sorts of sizes.
4. Crewel embroidery needle (This needle has a bigger eye, and the point is not as sharp). You can use about any needle as long as the eye is big enough for the floss that you choose.
5. Sewing machine (unless you wish to hand seam the seaming part of this project)
6. Sewing machine thread. Choose a color that either is the same as the darkest part of the fabric, or contrast the color if you wish. You don't need any special type of thread for this part of the project.
7. Sewing machine needle. Again this is if you sew the seams by machine.
So...you want to make a gift for Christmas, or for a wedding, birthday, anniversary, etc. etc. Find some fabric with a regular polka dot pattern. The smaller polka dots would suit this purpose the best. You can make pillow cases, dresses, cloth napkins, tablecloths, aprons, pretty much anything your mind can think of. First you figure out the yardage that you will need depending on the end product. For example, pillowcases--two yards of fabric should work great. For larger projects measure...for a table, measure the table. For an apron, that is just below your waist 1 yard, for a pinafore 2 or 3 yards. (You can refer to my post about making a pinafore if you wish a cute pattern to follow).
The next part will be simple straight seaming (unless, of course, you are making a round tablecloth, but even then if the table is too large for the width of the fabric). For a pillowcase you simply turn right sides together, and then seam the side and bottom. Measure the pillow size that you wish to cover (so you don't wind up with a pillow case that is more like a tube than a pillow case). You can also machine stitch the hem at the bottom by turning the seamed pillowcase inside out, and turning the fabric so that the rough edge is under and then seaming it as well. (Be careful, don't accidentally sew through both thicknesses of the pillowcase).
Now, if you are making a tablecloth, again, seam it, hem it, and then we will embroider it.
The fun part comes now. Put your embroidery hoop on the section that you are going to start embroidering. Thread your crewel needle with your floss. Now you get to look at the pillowcase or edge of whatever you choose to make. You will have the fun of designing this pattern. Take the needle from the unfinished side of the project (or whatever type of project) coming up next to one of the dots. If you choose you can simply take the floss from dot to dot side by side, and then come back and cross the dots. Or you can just make a line coming up at the lower portion of the dot and then spanning the dot and going back down in the higher portion of the next dot.
Some people prefer to get grid paper and make their pattern using the little boxes to mimic the dot patterns. You can make this very simple (even simple looks adorable in this project), or you can cross stitch, or simply create other types of designs.
You can edge pillowcases, tablecloths, aprons, any project that you choose to make with dots can be designed and edged with this simple embroidery project. The ladies of the 19th century did not have television, radio, or any of the forms of entertainment that we enjoy today. So they loved creating beauty for their world. They also had very little in the way of cash money. Often they purchased things through barter, or kept a tab at the general store in town. They could NOT sign up for the registry at Bed Bath and Beyond, or Target, etc. etc. So they usually created the presents they gave to friends and family.
Creating beauty, even through simple polka dot stitching, has always given me joy, well wait, not so much until I was 13. Before that I couldn't be bothered with something having to do with a needle and thread. Since then I have definitely made up for those 12 years of non-creation. So I hope that you ENJOY this idea!
P.S. Embellishment if fun to create with this work. Put grosgrain or velvet ribbon on the hemmed edge, and possibly tie a really cute bow and sew it down so it stays tied on the pillowcase. You could add sequins, or buttons, but keep it rather simple because you may not want to sleep on a pillowcase with a huge, hard bow, or great big buttons, right?
By the way some of you may now know what you are getting for Christmas...or maybe not? lol
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