You've stitched a gorgeous embroidery, but what comes next? Now you get to experience one of the best things about folk embroidery--it's meant to be used and enjoyed! There are so many wonderful ways you can incorporate folk embroidery into your daily rhythms and rituals, from waking up to see a beautiful table mat finished with a Drawn Thread Hem on your bedside table, then tossing your little essentials into a Drawstring Bag and heading out into the world in your Folk Flourish shirt. After a long day of being amazing, you come home and relax into a couch full of cozy cushions that you stitched and finished with an easy envelope back method. Look at you living your best folk embroidery life! Let's talk about all the wonderful options you have for finishing your folk embroidery. You can find each of these finishing techniques on the How To page.
First up is the classic Drawn Thread Hem, shown here with the Florina folk embroidery design. Notice that lovely finished border all the way around? That's Drawn Thread Hemming and it's a traditional hem finish that is made by pressing over fabric to the wrong side of the embroidery, folding over a double hem (that's when you fold a section of fabric once and then fold it again--hence, "double"), removing three threads along the hem on each side (stay with me--this sounds scary but it isn't), then working this fabulous little whip
stitch around a few bars of the threads that are left so that you end up with a beautiful repeating ladder effect. It produces a hem that's not only sturdy and looks great from front and back, but adds another layer of texture to your embroidery with the hem acting like a little "frame." I love Drawn Thread Hem for finishing table mats, table runners, basket cloths, and even little BitKits. Pressing the hem into place can take a little practice, so I suggest practicing on some waste fabric to get the hang of it first. The drawn thread hem stitch itself is easy-breezy and I think you'll love the peaceful rhythm of it as much as I do. I've finished over 80 folk embroideries with this technique and I never get tired of it--it's like stitching meditation with its restful rhythm.
The next technique I recommend learning is How to Sew a Folk Embroidery into a Cushion Cover, because no folk embroidery home is complete without a pile of vibrant cushions! In fact, in Greek villages, a family's status was denoted by the number and complexity of the cushions they owned--stitching as investment strategy? Count me in! There are many different ways to sew a cushion cover, but I like the super-simple envelope back method because it doesn't have any Velcro, zippers, or fastenings which can snag on hand embroidery, and you can sew it by hand or machine with just three simple seams. All of the cushions in the photo below were finished with this method and don't they look snazzy? Because folk embroidery is such a visual feast with its complex patterns and vibrant colors, there's really no need to get fancy on the back of the cushion. More time for stitching, I say!
Now, of course, sometimes you're going to want a finishing technique for smaller projects, especially around the holidays. My go-to stitchy gift is always a drawstring bag, because you can stitch a motif or little border in an evening or two, and with less than an hour of sewing, you've got a beautiful gift that shares your stitching with those you love. I first saw this lined bag technique in Greece and I thought it was genius--stitch your embroidery and lining fabric together, turn inside out, fold in half and sew together along the sides, then remove a few stitches to create a casing. I even used it for not one, but two of the Essential Projects in my book, Everyday Folk, because I thought it was such a practical way to enjoy folk embroidery.
If I want something a bit more complex, then I finish my folk embroidery into a Wall Hanging. I love how you get to see the texture of the fabric on your wall, without having it obscured behind glass (my motto is "Free the embroideries!") and wall hangings let you display your stitching without losing any of the texture that is so much a part of folk embroidery. Wall hangings are incredibly versatile, too, and can elevate a room with a wonderful Mediterranean vibe (like the photo below), add a bit of folk flair to your kitchen, or bring cozy charm to a child's room. All you need is a bit of lining fabric and a tapestry rod. I offer one type of tapestry rod on the Fabrics & Notions page, but I encourage you to check Etsy's wonderful tapestry rod options (there's wood in all sorts of finishes and colors, along with metal options which can be beautiful paired with folk embroidery).
Looking for something more on-the-go? While not technically a finishing method so much as a simple stitching technique, my Folk Flourish kits bring a little folk embroidery to garments and household objects. I stitched most of the samples in just an evening or two, so these work up fast, often with garments and items you already have in your closets and cupboards. When I saw my littlest granddaughter sporting the olive linen shorts this summer that I had stitched with the deer from the Woodlands pattern, I thought I was going to swoon, it was so adorable!
What I like about all of these methods of finishing your folk embroidery is that you get to interact with your embroidery in a tactile fashion long after you've finished it. When you drop onto your couch after a long day, you can feel the cozy texture of Traditional Groundcloth or appreciate the smooth finish of linen. No more stashing an embroidery in a drawer because framing is too expensive and you don't know what else to do with it!
I would be remiss if I did not address the elephant in the room: I know what you're thinking--isn't all this using and enjoying of folk embroidery going to result in some dirt or stains? Alas, stuff happens and before you know it, your drawstring bag has a smudge, your dog got mud on the cushion, or a bit of wine was dripped on your table runner during one of your feasts. But here's the good news! Because folk embroidery fabrics are designed to be used, these evenweave fabrics are milled to be durable and can be washed. Hand washing is best (cool water and a neutral soap like Dr Bronners), but I've been known to throw my cushion covers in the washing machine when I'm in a hurry and they've turned out fine (one caveat: never put hand embroideries in the dryer). I take them out promptly and lay them on a bath towel and when they're still damp, I lightly iron them with a medium iron. It's best to iron them slightly damp and if you want a little more control over that process, you can take them after they've been washed and are wet, roll them up in a towel to absorb most of the water, and then wrap them up in a new, dry hand towel, and stick them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer--this will keep them damp for when you do have time to iron. Regular washing will take out most dirt and stains, (for stubborn stains, try Z'out enzymatic cleaner), but occasionally there will be a stain that just won't budge and for that, I want to conclude with a little story:
The Christmas my daughter brought home our new son-in-law for his first holidays with us, I had put out my Byzantine Rose Border embroidery, which was a glorious 3 feet square of very expensive linen that had taken me 9 months to stitch. After dinner we were opening gifts, and our new son-in-law set his coffee cup down on it and it left a slight ring. At first, you could hear the silent yet collective gasp of my family because We. Appreciate. Textiles. And. Know. How. To. Use. Coasters. but then I paused for a moment and thought about how happy we were to welcome this new member to our family. Our son-in-law was kind, intelligent, and clearly loved our daughter. Our daughter was glowing, and we were all healthy and well. What did a little coffee splash signify with everything we had to be thankful for? It was in that moment that I realized that folk embroidery was not meant to be tucked in a drawer, never seen or enjoyed for fear of just this coffee stain, but instead, it was meant to be a witness to the happy memories, the splashes of coffee, the growing family, the journey of life.
Years later, each time I set out that embroidery, I see the tiny little splash and I'm reminded of all of this and of how I want folk embroidery to be interwoven with all of my life, not just the clean, pristine, picture-perfect moments, but the real, day-to-day, authentic living of life, lending its color and vibrancy. I hope you agree and that these finishing techniques will help you surround yourself with the beauty and cheer of folk embroidery. Happy stitching!
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