LUDLOW QUILT AND SEW
Redwork Embroidery Eagle Wall Hanging
Treat yourself to the kit to make your own redwork embroidery eagle wall hanging.
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REDWORK EMBROIDERY EAGLE WALL HANGING
Redwork embroidery has become very popular again. It is thought that it first became popular in the mid 19th century when it was seen as a welcome alternative to the very fussy and elaborate quilting that was being done at the time. The designs are usually just outlined which makes for lovely simple and clean looking blocks.
Interestingly, the reason for the 'red' part is almost entirely because the turkey red dye was the first colourfast dye to be widely available.
I have made this redwork embroidery wall hanging on white silk with a calico backing (muslin in the USA) and black binding for the panels. I've sewn the panels together with black ribbon running up the back of the panels in two lines. This also provides the loop to hang the redwork from. The designs are of three eagles: one in full flight, one beginning to land and one that has landed. For these designs I have an old school friend to thank - I lost touch with June Malone for quite some years and I am so pleased that we found each other again. She is a very impressive artist - do go over and see her work at http://junemalone.com/
I printed the design on a normal sheet of paper (A4) and taped the paper to the window so that I could trace the design on to the silk panel. I cut the silk about 10" by 15". Altogether you will need three silk panels this size, three panels of wadding and three layers of backing all the same size. I used 80" black ribbon and about 160" of 2.1/2" wide black fabric for the binding. That is all that's required.
Place the silk panel over the paper and trace the design. I used a sharp pencil because I didn't think that my fabric markers would outlast all the handling. My embroidery stitches covered the pencil markings.
Lay the wadding panel down with the silk on top. Leave the backing until after you have done the embroidery so that it covers the back of the stitches. Begin by tying a knot at the end of the thread. Bring the thread up from the back of the wadding. I used backstitch which is based on running stitch but you take the needle back to the previous stitch each time so that the stitching line is continuous.
When you've finished stitching over the tracing of your redwork embroidery design, lay the backing fabric with right side down and add the redwork and wadding panel with right side up. You will need two lengths of 2.1/2" black fabric cut across the width. To join these two strips lay them with right sides together but at right angles to each other and stitch along the diagonal as shown. Cut off the excess triangle of fabric.
Embroider and bind all three redwork embroidery panels.
I think this is a good place for the video. I haven't made it completely clear in the video, but the redwork embroidery is stitched on the silk and wadding only, with the backing added afterwards.
Join the three panels together with black ribbon. I used one 80" length of ribbon and began sewing at the bottom of the third panel, taking care not to catch the front of the panel in the stitching. Measure from the side on each panel to make sure that your wall hanging hangs straight.
I sewed the ribbon to the backs of the three panels, starting at the bottom with each end of the ribbon. That gave me a loop as shown at the top. I thought that this would be okay to hang it from, but it wouldn't hang straight so I sewed the loop to the top of the panel from each side so that only a small loop from the middle of the top remained. Then it hung beautifully straight.
Overall, I found this a really relaxing project. Each panel was quite quick to make so I could see it growing quickly. I've made the panels into a wall hanging, but a lot of redwork embroidery panels are included in quilts - you could choose a design that would make a really personal quilt block for a memory quilt.
Return to free quilt patterns
Visit my blog
rose@ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk
www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk
Redwork embroidery has become very popular again. It is thought that it first became popular in the mid 19th century when it was seen as a welcome alternative to the very fussy and elaborate quilting that was being done at the time. The designs are usually just outlined which makes for lovely simple and clean looking blocks.
Interestingly, the reason for the 'red' part is almost entirely because the turkey red dye was the first colourfast dye to be widely available.
I have made this redwork embroidery wall hanging on white silk with a calico backing (muslin in the USA) and black binding for the panels. I've sewn the panels together with black ribbon running up the back of the panels in two lines. This also provides the loop to hang the redwork from. The designs are of three eagles: one in full flight, one beginning to land and one that has landed. For these designs I have an old school friend to thank - I lost touch with June Malone for quite some years and I am so pleased that we found each other again. She is a very impressive artist - do go over and see her work at http://junemalone.com/
I printed the design on a normal sheet of paper (A4) and taped the paper to the window so that I could trace the design on to the silk panel. I cut the silk about 10" by 15". Altogether you will need three silk panels this size, three panels of wadding and three layers of backing all the same size. I used 80" black ribbon and about 160" of 2.1/2" wide black fabric for the binding. That is all that's required.
Place the silk panel over the paper and trace the design. I used a sharp pencil because I didn't think that my fabric markers would outlast all the handling. My embroidery stitches covered the pencil markings.
Lay the wadding panel down with the silk on top. Leave the backing until after you have done the embroidery so that it covers the back of the stitches. Begin by tying a knot at the end of the thread. Bring the thread up from the back of the wadding. I used backstitch which is based on running stitch but you take the needle back to the previous stitch each time so that the stitching line is continuous.
When you've finished stitching over the tracing of your redwork embroidery design, lay the backing fabric with right side down and add the redwork and wadding panel with right side up. You will need two lengths of 2.1/2" black fabric cut across the width. To join these two strips lay them with right sides together but at right angles to each other and stitch along the diagonal as shown. Cut off the excess triangle of fabric.
Embroider and bind all three redwork embroidery panels.
I think this is a good place for the video. I haven't made it completely clear in the video, but the redwork embroidery is stitched on the silk and wadding only, with the backing added afterwards.
Join the three panels together with black ribbon. I used one 80" length of ribbon and began sewing at the bottom of the third panel, taking care not to catch the front of the panel in the stitching. Measure from the side on each panel to make sure that your wall hanging hangs straight.
I sewed the ribbon to the backs of the three panels, starting at the bottom with each end of the ribbon. That gave me a loop as shown at the top. I thought that this would be okay to hang it from, but it wouldn't hang straight so I sewed the loop to the top of the panel from each side so that only a small loop from the middle of the top remained. Then it hung beautifully straight.
Overall, I found this a really relaxing project. Each panel was quite quick to make so I could see it growing quickly. I've made the panels into a wall hanging, but a lot of redwork embroidery panels are included in quilts - you could choose a design that would make a really personal quilt block for a memory quilt.
Return to free quilt patterns
Visit my blog
rose@ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk
www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk