Embroidery – The Oaxacaborn Blog

I was raised in a home where Charles Dickens was quoted often — not the beautiful literary passages, but the little phrases uttered by quirky characters. These lines have been woven into our family throughout the years and pop up at the most hilarious times. So when I wanted to embroider some tea towels for my mom recently, I knew I had to start with a quote from Mr. Smallweed in Bleak House.

Smallweed Quote from Bleak House -Shake me up, Judy- Embroidered onto Striped Linen Kitchen Towels via Oaxacaborn
Charles Dickens Quotes Embroidered onto Striped Linen Kitchen Towels via Oaxacaborn
Joe Gargery Quote from Great Expectations -What Larks- Embroidered onto Striped Linen Kitchen Towels via Oaxacaborn
Quotes from Books Embroidered onto Striped Linen Kitchen Towels via Oaxacaborn

I’d love to make more of these. There’s no end to phrases from great books I could envision stitched out like this. And couldn’t we all use a little beauty infused into everyday chores?

What sort of words would you like to see on a linen towel?

Monday's Pretty Things

MONDAY’S PRETTY THINGS :: Hope is the Thing with Feathers

October 29, 2012November 2, 2012 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Feather Table Runner by Michele Varian

“Story Time Print” by Arian on Etsy

Owl Portrait Pillow by Coral and Tusk as sold on Sweet William LTD

“Hope” Print” by Arian on Etsy

Want to know a fun fact? Arian, who illustrated the two prints above, is the same artist behind Josh Garrels’ “White Owl” music video!

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P.S. Even more pretty things.

Handmade, Little Style, Poetry & Words

thoughts on a cloudy and tired january morning [& a whimsical embroidered onesie]

January 7, 2011March 21, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

it’s cloudy this morning. a touch of grey fog, quiet and calm. the dampness clings to the long slender shoots of grass and wraps around the tired oak fingers. the earth seems to sigh, and the clouds heavily roll along, lumbering, as if even they are too tired to take another celestial step. the occasional hum of a passing vehicle sounds far away and distant, the sound too weary to cut through the morning grey. inside, the dog rests his furry head between his paws, his eyes half open and lifted, watching me as a he fights a losing battle to stay awake.

me? in keepin’ with the situation, i try to eat my cereal with a fork. i feel clumsy, sleepy, already ready for a nap.

i wonder how much longer it will be before baby girl makes her debut. today we’re just three days away from 40 weeks.

Handmade, Little Style

newborn baby onesie: embroidered owl applique from upcycled tshirt fabric

December 17, 2010March 21, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Squee! Just finished making this little owl applique for a newborn onesie. I had an old green t-shirt that was destined to become a rag, so I used a piece of that fabric for the owl’s body. I used standard thread for the embroidery. It’s not perfect, but then again, baby will only wear this for the blink of an eye before she outgrows it.

[Update: Owl baby hats are now available via my Etsy shop!]

Handmade, Little Style

Hand-embroidered, Japanese, and Mexican Baby Girl Clothes

December 16, 2010March 21, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

It was deliciously cold this morning: 27 degrees. (Go ahead, you Midwesterners, laugh at me. But this IS California, after all.) I woke up to the little dog curled up tightly in his bed…and my husband outside in shirt sleeves and wet hair — taking photographs of ice and frost. Brrrr. Even the sunlight looked cold this morning…icy blue and shivering. I grabbed my camera too (well, eventually; after reveling in the warm covers for an rather lovely amount of time), but didn’t leave the warm house. No sirree bob. Instead, I stayed inside and took some photos of lovely baby clothes. Ohhhh, I can’t wait to put a tiny little human into these clothes!

Hand-embroidered onesie in progress

Infant sleep sack from Japan

Little Girl’s Dress/Shirt from Oaxaca, Mexico

Handmade

a foray* into embroidery

November 21, 2010March 21, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

i had some fun with an embroidery needle, a white onesie and some thread which belonged to my husband’s great-grandma. and don’t laugh at my stitches. i haven’t embroidered anything since i was twelve years old.

pink embroidered flower on white baby onesie