So, this is What a Double-tailed Mermaid Means, and other Textile News

I was flipping through this book – Embroidered Textiles from 1990, which is filled with photos and charmingly simple hand drawn illustrations – when this drawing stopped me in my tracks.

Illustration from the book, Embroidered Textiles.

We’re all used to the unusual double-tailed mermaid logo of a certain large coffee shop chain. But wow! The Coffee Shop Mermaid is giving birth?!  So much lost knowledge held in textiles.

Here are more interesting photos from the book.

On the left, this was labeled as a purse, but it looks to me like a tie on pocket. On the right, this was labeled “Woman’s blouse front, mola, Kuna Blas Indian, Panama. Layered and cut appliqué…”

The book is widely available online, second hand, if you want to find a copy.

Another interesting thing in the book, that I didn’t photograph, is an illustration of traditional body tattooing in a culture, which was later replicated in embroidery. As in, the arm tattoos became sleeve embroidery. Makes sense, but of course I’d never thought of it. I’d love for the podcast Haptic and Hue to explore this topic! I’ll suggest it. (I don’t own this book, but I’ll try to get access to it again and photograph that illustration.)

Lastly from this book, here’s a stack of aprons made for a trousseau.

Beautifully made aprons with judgey caption from book authors.

Let’s type up that entire caption here:

“159 Trousseau aprons, France.  The linen of Western Europe is marked in red cross stitch, reflecting primitive man’s marking of objects in blood.  This pile of aprons, made by ‘DJ’ for her trousseau, remains neatly folded and unused as her hand was never sought in marriage.”

Whew! Bit judgey, that. Maybe it was sought, and the suitor or suitors weren’t worthy. Maybe she looked around, decided the odds for dying in childbirth were pretty high, and she’d rather live, and maybe not need quite so many aprons!

I collect aprons, as you may know, mostly 1960s-70s gingham aprons made in 6th grade home ec, by unknown makers. Aprons are symbols of domestic labor, which is the subject of much of my art.

here’s how I’ve used those aprons:

“Time Cards for Mothers,” and found aprons with added text by Elaine Luther, 2022. Photo by Dulce Rodriguez.

And a more recent work, this quilt, finished earlier this year:

“What if aprons…” Quilt by Elaine Luther 2025. The fabric timecard in the pocket has a quote from Michelle Hiskey, it says, “What if aprons came with pockets for paychecks and 401(K) matches?”

Speaking of textile collections, here’s a doily I bought recently – when I bought it I had no idea what it said, but I like doilies with words on them, whether I’ve put the words there with Solar Fast dye, or the original maker put the words there. Here are some photos of it with a blue hankie behind it to make it a little easier to see.

Doily with words and an image worked into it.

Detail of a doily with text and image worked in.

Detail, doily, maker unknown.

Want to learn more about embroidery traditions from around the world? Abby Glassenberg of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast interviewed Krista West about traditional Greek embroidery, including religious vestments. It’s a fascinating episode.

Find it HERE.