Simple embroidery? It’s just ducky for beginners.

Janeray’s wonderful day-of-the-week dishtowels reminded me that I’ve got some darling vintage embroidery pieces in my stash that are bound for September’s Vintage Bazaar.

I think all of them are easy enough for even a beginning stitcher to enjoy making.

Like this sweet cotton towel with a little Dutch washerwoman. Isn’t her flowered skirt adorable?

Splash! goes the water. One of our grandmas had a wringer-washer just like this.

It’s mostly outline stitch with a dash of straight stitch thrown in. Somebody did a lovely neat job of it—look how even the stitches are.

One of her eyes is a diamond, the other is an oval, giving her a certain squinty charm. The colors are so cheerful!

How about this ducky farmyard scene embroidered in one corner of a cotton baby towel?

When I found this baby towel, somebody had sewn scratchy modern polyester lace all around the edges. I think it’s much cuter without it!

You’ve got four complete ducks here, and a mere suggestion of everything else: the lines of a barn, an angle of a hill, a bit of a tree branch, a sketch of grass, and a splash of water. All in outline stitch, not the most expertly done but it’ll do.

One more: a linen hand towel, the kind you put out for guests even though guests think it’s far too nice to use.

She seems surprised to see you! Meanwhile, the fat little bluebird appears to be stealing a ribbon from her giant hat.

Lots of backstitch and straight stitch here. The blue and yellow is very pretty together, and it looks like the yellow is variegated—see how the color shifts on her hair and at the scallop on her dress hem?

I’m going to scan all three of these designs for my sewing students to try.

If you’re a novice embroiderer, would these designs appeal to you?