an embroidered family history

I recently had the pleasure of adding some hand embroidery to a very special family heirloom. This baptismal gown, dating from the 1950s in France, is shared with family members when they baptize their children. Then the child's name and birth date is embroidered onto the gauzy slip. I added a few of these names with the most delicate hand I could.

I don't usually take on these types of projects because of the logistical difficulties, but this beautiful piece called to me. I love the story of this gown, an embroidered family history.

You know I'm a sucker for a good vintage piece too! Really enjoyed photographing it. Here are a few behind the scenes and details of this gorgeous gown. The details are amazing!

Does your family have any heirlooms that have been passed down through the generations?

testing, testing....

....colors for a custom request.

lost in a sea...

...of embroidery. thread and linen abound and am working, working, working on these hearts, stars and trees. here are but a few of the recent pieces i've completed....this one is kitty names. oh, how that kills me. somewhere there is a little cat named tater who loves a little cat named tottie. sweetness.

whatcha working on?!

the dog...

remember the drawing piece i was working on? well, its done and found its way to it's new home, so its time to share a six year old's anatomical drawing of a dog turned into an embroidery! i loved making this so much i thought i'd share the process...

i tried to stay true to her child lines. the layout needed to be modified a bit to fit into the circular hoop...

the original drawing with the finished piece side by side....

all done...i love that tail is spelled backwards!!ready to be framed and backed...midway throughthe first step is the hardest. transferring the drawing....

twerking it...

today and last night i've done one thing, work on my pieces for Gallery Hanahou's embroidery show, Forget Me Not. The show is an appropriately timed nod to Valentine's Day. I've got three pieces to finish and very little time. so all day i've been stitching up hearts and bees and wreaths of green...

work in progress... , originally uploaded by miniature.rhino.

...i'm so behind on my own work because i've been making these Custom Heart Samplers. This is my first batch and as soon as I finish the pieces for the show I'll work on the second batch. it's been great talking to people for these orders and putting an even more personal touch into my interactions with people on etsy. thats what its all about to me right- i'm just this girl in my bedroom in brooklyn making things that i love and wanting to share that with others. i totally forgot to take a picture of them all done-errr! but i loved seeing all the packages stacked and ready for shipping. what a great feeling...

custom pieces..., originally uploaded by miniature.rhino.

I've decided to keep this listing up in my shop as a regular item, but at the moment I can't take any more custom orders. damn you day job!