When my Grandmother passed, she left behind a large collection of old, transferable embroidery patterns.  Most of the patterns were odds and ends of larger embroidery packets or projects that were never fully completed.  At one point, I think, she may have been receiving embroidery patterns through the mail, like some sort of embroidery pattern of the month club.  Anyways, I ended up with a bunch of vintage embroidery patterns, in a range of different subjects and styles, that served no cohesive purpose.

After a few months, I decided that I either had to do something with the patterns or get rid of them.  I ended up transferring the patterns onto some cloth napkins.  I figured that even though they would not form a cohesive set, they could still be used to line bread baskets or to add some color to my table settings.

It has been an ongoing project of mine for the past few years.  I buy a set of cloth napkins, transfer a different pattern onto each one, and then take my time embroidering them.  I even hand dyed a few of the napkins myself before embroidering them.

I have found that doing this on lazy mornings, as I drink my coffee and catch up with the daily news, is a soothing way to start engaging my brain for the day – sort of like coloring or building a puzzle.  It is also something special to gift bake goods in.  An easy and personally significant way to pass along the patterns so that others may enjoy them too.