glassbird

I have been all over the internet, googling like a crazy person, but am not finding what I need...which admittedly is pretty specific. I need redwork (bluework?) (penny squares?) type patterns in the PES format that are at least somewhat authentic to the mid-to-late 1800s. I have found some, but they are so perfect that anyone looking at the finished product would know that they were NOT done by hand.

Ideally, the designs would be nautical or military (i.e. Civil War) in nature, but really I would be glad for anything that looks as if it was made by hand. If not redwork, then just simple embroidery designs, that again look hand made. Primitive, maybe?

I intend to add these designs to a quilt that I am making from Civil War repro fabrics. I have made a few blocks with my own designs, by hand, but each takes me so long to do...I will never have the patience to make much more! Any suggestions or links would be be SO much appreciated.

eparys

Sounds really neat. I would think, however, any redwork done by a machine will look "perfect" unless you actually draw it by hand and digitize it with some errors or deviations drawn into it.

tallchick

I love to get designs here......

http://www.designsbysick.com/search?firstword=redwork

Gay

After a quick search I just found these, perhaps too much stitching for what you want? If you scroll down at the bottom there is a free download of a cannon.

http://www.sewterific.com/patrioticredwork2.htm

mermaid

something like this, that looks like it was done by hand? 4x4 pes...can emb in all red?[ATTACH=CONFIG]560793[/ATTACH]

Quilting Grandma

Have you checked the Embroidery Library? The have a whole section on Redwork, including a Vintage one.

hybearn8er

You might look at birdbrain designs she had some machine red work designs last time i visited her site . Good luck Anna

CanoePam

Take a look at Martha Pullen's website. She is more into Victorian designs, but there might be something there appropriate to the period.

1000scraps

Did you look at Pinterest: search for "redwork embroidery vintage" or civil war embroidery or similar keywords!

glassbird

Thank you for all the replies!

tallchick...I had not found that site in all my searching, and there do indeed appear to be some designs there that will work. I will be exploring that one more fully, very soon! Thanks! (edited to add...holy moly! Yes, lot's of what I need there...shells! Light houses! sewing images, oh yay!)

Gay...I had found that site, and have already purchased the Lincoln head, the single flag, and the marching trio. I downloaded the cannon too, and will be stitching it out without the wording. The marching trio is a little too ornate, but I might use it elsewhere.

Mermaid....yes, that design is very useable...not too perfect, and could be done all in red or blue. Where is that from?

Quilting Grandma...I have quite a few non-redwork designs from the Embroidery Library, but their "redwork" designs are far too perfect. Still, I have bought a few, and may use them if I can't come up with others.

hybearn8r and Canoe Pam...I will look into both of those sites...thanks!

and 1000scraps.....unfortunately I can not access Pinterest from my work computer, which is where I do most of my internet searching. I will check that out at some point when I have a spare minute at home.

Again, thank you all!