Hypotrochoid hankies

Hiya Christmas Crafters!  Stitchybritt reporting in for duty.  I see you're all pumping through your Christmas to-make lists.  Well done!  Only a month to go now, which on one hand is scary, but on the other - I can't wait!  Yay!

Hypotrochoid hankies were an idea I had ages ago but only just got around to making.  What's a hypotrochoid, you ask?  Remember these spirally things you used to draw as a kid using a special wheel with holes for your pen inside a circle stencil?  Yeah, those!  They are a bit cool and scientific looking, and I've got a friend who's into both sciency things and crafty things, so I thought some of these embroidered on some hankies would make a great Christmas gift.

I actually made the hankies using soft cotton from a screen-printed pillowcase that didn't quite make the grade for a Christmas gift last year.  I just cut up the pillowcase and hemmed the edges, then proceeded to embroider.

To get the hypotrochoid shapes I got out my trusty Tate Modern Hypotrochoid set (I knew there was a reason I bought it as an adult) and drew a whole bunch of hypotrochoids, experimenting with different wheels and 'gauges' (holes that you put your pen in).  When I had chosen two that I liked (and wouldn't be too intricate to embroider) I traced them onto the hankies and embroidered away.

I hope this encourages you to do some wacky Christmas embroidery of your own!

Stitchybritt xx