Work in progress…machine shadow embroidered spoke collar, definitely not-yet-ready-for-prime-time. The fabric is coffee dyed Swiss organdy. The dress will be made of burgundy velveteen.
I’m busily working on Christmas outfits for my grandchildren and have started with a shadow work collar for Laurel. Pictured above, it is fresh out of the embroidery hoop, in need of a good soak to get rid of the blue Dixon lines and the UltraSolvy water soluble stabilizer. But you get the idea.
collar with hand stitched shadow work
Shadow embroidery is one of my favorite needlework techniques. Several earlier posts feature this technique both by hand and by hooped machine embroidery.
machine shadow embroidered baby pillow
As I sat in front of my big Brother Duetta (as opposed to Laurel’s little Brother 300SE), watching it do all the work, I recalled that readers have commented that they cannot find machine shadow work designs for sale. So I did a little sleuthing before writing this post and located some sources.
Suzanne Hinshaw, who developed and patented this technique, no longer sells them. However, a few of her collections are still available at AllBrands, including gorgeous Shadowed Bouquets and Charming Embellishments, which is the source of the designs on the collar. FYI, it is my understanding that when these few sets are gone, there will be no more.
A set of two of Suzanne’s designs for holiday towels (linen) are available at Heirlooms Forever at half price.
Brer Rabbit Designs now has a variety of lovely shadow work designs for sale. This site belongs to Laurie Anderson of Southern Stitches, who regularly contributes to Sew Beautiful magazine. Everything she makes is beautiful so it’s probably a safe bet to say that her shadow work designs are too.
So for those of you who might like to try shadow work by embroidery machine, you can purchase designs at these sites. There is an excellent tutorial at Nancy Zeiman’s site, along with information about her new book with a gorgeous shadow work floral heart design included.
I look forward to telling you more about my grandchildren’s Christmas outfits. There is an interesting story about the spectacular lace for Laurel’s collar and a recipe for dying the organdy to a soft ivory. And I would love to hear about your projects.
What are you making for Christmas?
