Kitty in Redwork

Maybe you have to be a certain age to remember this.

Going to the five-and-dime store to get muslin cloth, embroidery floss, needles, a wooden hoop, and a package of iron-on transfers.

On long summer days, one way to stay occupied was to sit and embroider pillowcases and hand towels.

When the floss is all one color, like red or blue, it's called "redwork" or "bluework."

I couldn't find the iron-on transfer patterns in a cute design, I had to locate them online. There are some great designs available for free, if you search for them. And here's another location for patterns, if you're getting an itch to stitch, too.

Here is my old wooden hoop, with the transfer drawn on plain cream muslin cloth in washable blue marker stretched in it, and I've started stitching a second kitten. 

These old patterns are very quaint and child-like. I'm not sure I remembered exactly the right technique for stitching. I decided to use two colors of floss, a tomato red and a darker crimson, to give the design some depth. I think this needs to be put onto apron pockets in a child's size.

Do you remember doing these when you were a child? Maybe you never stopped.

When I finish the red kitty blocks, next I'm going to do some "Farmer Joe" blocks in bluework.

There's another grandbaby coming in July, a little boy.

Have to finish the quilt I'm making now for the granddaughter, and start one for the next little one.

It takes a while to make one, and I want it to be ready.

When he comes along!