At almost 96 years old, my mother-in-law, Dorothy, still did 'fancy work'. As a someone who taught herself to sew, to quilt, to embroider, to applique, crochet, and knit, she had always made homemade gifts and loved her very last Christmas holiday at almost 97, just as she had for all of her life.
By the end, her hands lack the agility and skill she once had and, one finger has a snapped tendon, and she hadrecuperating from two mini-strokes or TIAs. But up until age 96, she was still embroidering 'tea towels', hot pad/potholders, pillowslip/pillowcases and much, much more. And she gave us one last homemade Christmas before everything in her life changed forever.
So, for Dorothy, and for that time in her life and all time in ours, I am sharing a small list of free redwork...or embroidery patterns
shown above:
one little 'hotpad' that Dorothy made, and I received years ago. Isn't she just sweet?
To connect to the patterns click here:
Free Redwork and Embroidery Patterns : Michele Bilyeu Creates *With Heart and Hands*
Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts, prayer flags, and comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns Help us change the world, one little quilt at a time!
