I've been looking through Spring catalogs from some of our suppliers and I'm seeing lots and lots of damask patterns and designs.  It inspired me to think ahead to next year because I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of it too!  It may be a little late to get something done for this holiday season, but how would it feel to actually be ahead of the game for 2010?  And be ahead of the trend, to boot!?

I started with some basic linens that hang beautifully in your home.

I found a damask design that suited my taste and gathered up some coordinating ribbons from my stash.  And this is what I created in just a short morning!

Supplies Needed:

Embroidery Blanks of your choice.  We used Hemstitched Guest Towels, Border Guest Towels, & 8x8 Hemstitched Pillow

Medium Weight Tearaway Stabilizer, Temporary Spray Adhesive (Or Sticky Stablizer if you prefer that method), straight pins, a couple safety pins, and coordinating ribbons of your choice.

RIBBON ACCENTS:  Sometimes I stitch a design and it just needs a little something MORE, but you can't quite put your finger on it.  ALWAYS keep a stash of ribbons on hand.  They are fairly inexpensive if you buy them on sale, and you only use a little at a time.  It will last forever.  And usually it adds the extra something you were craving on your finished design!

GUEST TOWELS:  The guest towels are super simple to do!  Stitching the design is so easy when you print a paper template of your chosen embroidery design.  This helps me so much in placement choices.  I decide where the stitching should go and where I think the ribbon bow will look most pleasing to the eye.

Then it’s time to stitch.  I don’t actually hoop the linen towel.  I believe in using temporary adhesive spray on a medium weight tearaway stabilizer, or you can choose a sticky stabilizer if that’s the kind you like to use.  I also like to pin around the edges—it makes me feel like everything is nice and secure.  You avoid leaving hoop marks on the linen towel if you do it this way.

After your stitching is done, just pin the bow to the towel where it looks best.  That way, if it ever needs to be laundered you don't have to mess up that beautiful bow you just tied!  Just remove it and put it back on when the towel is clean.  Easy!

HEMSTITCHED PILLOW:  Pillows are a little trickier than guest towels-mostly because you have to open up a seam to make room to do the embroidery.  But don't let that frighten you.  It really only takes an extra minute or two and you're on your way to a beautiful project.

One word of advice---ALWAYS determine your design placement with the pillow insert inside.  What looks good on the pillow sham when it's flat, is very different from what looks good with the pillow form inside.  Once again..paper templates are the best way to go!

Here's what my pillow looks like before stitching. It's supposed to be 8" square, but honestly, it had a mind of it's own.  It looks more like a rectangle to me. So I turned the design around so it "fit" the personality of the pillow. Every pillow is different! That's why it's so important to determine design placement with the pillow form inside.

Next, open up a seam on the back of the pillow sham so you can get the area to be stitched down onto your hooped stabilizer.

Stitch your design.  When complete, thread your machine with white thread, switch to a simple straight stitch, and top-stitch the back flap of the pillow sham into place so it’s back where it started.  Just follow the line of the hemstitching and you’ll make a perfect row of stitches.

Pin the ribbon into place and you’re done.  GORGEOUS!!!

These projects are exceptionally trendy and modern---you’ll start seeing more of the damask patterns in both housewares and fashion accessories.  But don’t limit yourself to just damask.  These embroidery blanks lend themselves to any style…it’s all about what YOU like!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Susan