Archive | May 2009

Victoriana- silk ribbon embroidered vest

May30
Victoriana- silk ribbon embroidered rvest

Victoriana- silk ribbon embroidered vest

This is a collaged montage of a few of the embroidered sections from my Victoriana vest. This vest is shown here in it’s second incarnation. The original was a solid piece of fabric with the manipulated ribbon work sections, lace sections, and ribbon embroidery, similar to The Edwardian, and was the original sample for Vintage Redressed pattern. Sadly the vest had an accident with the iron, and several sections of ribbon work melted! Yikes!

So I cut out the sections that I could save, found a compatible fabric to the original, and crazy pieced the front sections with the saved embroidery, and simplified the back by just using the dyed lace pieces, buttons and beads.

The silk ribbon embroidery sections were worked with 2mm, 4mm, and 7mm silk ribbon, vintage ombre ribbon, and buttonhole twist thread. The ribbon worked flowers are made from satin ribbon. I added in seed beads in sizes 6,8, and 11 for details. Metal charms and vintage buttons complete the details.

Victoriana- vest

Victoriana- vest

The beret and purse that I wear with this vest are made from the original fabrics, and the Lady Alexandra is the jewelry that is worn with this outfit.

Enjoy your day, happy stitching… Christen

Rosette Corsage Medley- ribbonworked flowers

May30

Rosette Corsage Medley- ribbon worked flowers

Rosette Corsage Medley- ribbon worked flowers

This is a sampling of some of my favorite corsages and by changing the colors and leaves they each have a unique look.

Starting from the top left:

  • The flower is made from a 3″ wide vintage French ombre ribbon with vintage velvet leaves and a vintage glass button center.
  • The flower is made from French wire ribbon the center is full of stamens with a glass button.
  • The flower is made from French wire ribbon with a velvet rosette and vintage button for the center and vintage stamens. The leaf is made from 3-1/2″ wide French wire ribbon.

Happy Stitching, Christen

Strawberry Fields- crochet purse

May30
Strawberry Fields- crochet purse

Strawberry Fields- crochet purse

This crochet purse was so much fun to make. It is stitched in rows of double crochet using bits of this color and that, added in when one color ran out. I stitched a row of treble crochet close to the top for the cord to run through, and ruffled the top edge.

I am a fairly neat person but when it comes to skeins of pearl cotton, I tell myself I must wrap it in to a ball before I start stitching, but I rarely do. So the odd bits and messy balls end up in an old glass candy jar, at least they look pretty while stuffed in there.

So this was a project meant to untangle my bird’s nest full of pearl cotton #5 skeins. They were hopelessly tangled and mangled and seemingly knotted beyond recognition.

I spent a few nights in front of the TV, and a few long car trips (I was a passenger, not the pilot) and untangled and sorted the mess that I had created. I think that the untangling process took longer than the crochet stitches.

Hope that you too can create something from your tangles and mangles! Happy Stitching, enjoy- Christen

Persephone’s Bell Tassel- ribbonwork

May27
Persephone's Bell Tassel

Persephone’s Bell Tassel

I love tassels or furniture jewelry if you will. I like to create them from unusual components, and have hung them throughout my house. This example is from my Persephone’s Bell pattern and definitely belongs in a fairy tale.

The top of the tassel is a dyed gourd with the stem still attached, too cute! The gourd is embellished with French wire ribbon leaves and a silk cord is used for hanging.

The gourd was pierced at intervals to hang the tassels and vines below the opening. French wire ribbons were formed into gorgeous fuchsias and hang from ruched Hanah silk bias ribbons. Flowers made from Hanah silk bias ribbons are hung from wrapped Artistic wire, and further enhanced with beads and charms.

This is a pretty addition to hang from any fairy garden trellis!

Happy Stitching! Christen

The Cotillion Tassel- ribbons and beads

May27
The Cotillion Tassel

The Cotillion Tassel

This tassel is a most feminine tassel, perfect to adorn that special armoire or chest of drawers. I have made several tassels in my time, and I hang them on an old fence post that my husband attached to the wall.

This tassel is a sample from my Cotillion Tassel pattern. The tassel is embellished with hand made flowers and leaves using a variety of ribbons and trims including:

  • Rayon Velvet
  • Vintage French Jacquard
  • 10mm French Ombre
  • French Wire Ribbon
  • Hanah silk cord
  • Rococo Trim

The velvet ribbons were stitched into leaves and used at the top of the tassel as well as the calyx for the modified fuchsias which are made from the French wire ribbon. The vintage French jacquard has a disc at the bottom and is embellished with seed beads. The rococo trim is wrapped around the silk cord which is further embellished with beads and charms. Flowers made from the wire and the ombre ribbons are sprinkled around the top of the tassel.

To finish off the embellishments I added in stamens for the flowers, glass butterflies and leaves, and metal flower shaped charms.

Enjoy! Christen

Currents- free form embroidered vest

May26
Currents- free form embroidered vest

Currents- free form embroidered vest

The vest is made from a Hoffman Bali Batik fabric, in the colors of a rich cranberries and currents, shot with hints of mango, teal and mustard. I used these accents colors for the fabric yo-yo’s made from cotton velveteen, and metallic silk fabric. This was the sample for my Currents class.

The cotton base fabric is machine quilted with a double needle in some sections and free form stipple quilted in others. Machine embroidered sections of covered yarn resemble branches or vines (teal green), and provide an anchor for the additional embellishment of hand applied rayon cords.

Hand embroidered shisha mirrors are seen amongst needle lace embroidery. Beads and buttons are used along with metal charm embellishments to compliment the sea theme.

Happy Stitching, Christen

Brigadoon- silk ribbon embroidered vest

May26
Brigadoon- silk ribbon embroidered vest

Brigadoon- silk ribbon embroidered vest

Being an artist I am inspired by all that I see, past and present. One of my favorite things to do is turn on an old movie, a classic, such as Brigadoon for instance with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. The colors of the fabrics used in this vest reminded me of the tartans worn in the movie and of course my mother’s own Scottish heritage.

The vest which is a sample of my Quelque Fleurs class and purse is from my Fleurs de France class. These are both made from silk, dyed cotton and tapestry fabrics that are curved pieced to fit the shape of the pattern. The ribbon flowers and ruching are made from satin and velvet ribbons. The vest has a few pieces of vintage lace around the seams and in the back with additional hand tatted flowers that I made from a vintage spool of buttonhole twist.

The flowering gardens of silk ribbon embroidery are embellished further with vintage sequins, glass charms shaped like lilies, buttons and beads; also used were new glass beads and glass charms. The back of the vest displays a vintage button, that had been a gift from a student. The button had previously been owned by her great aunt quite a lady who had traveled to the west coast on a covered wagon in her youth!

Happy Stitching, enjoy your memories, write them down! Christen

Mariposa- free form crochet shawl

May26

Mariposa- free form crochet shawl

Mariposa- free form crochet shawl

This shawl started out as a learning project. I was taught how to crochet in high school, but never really experimented with it until much later. I always had a problem following a pattern, a common enough problem.

The shape began as a circle in the center, and I stitched in a circular motion adding thread as I ran out. The yarns that I used in Mariposa are the Watercolor yarns because they are so soft. Watercolor is a 3-ply yarn that I split into single threads (tedious yes, but worth the end result) and just started stitching.

Often I switched direction, working my way around the shape using single, double and treble crochet stitches. I just loved the freedom of not working with a pattern, and soon I had a piece that grew into a butterfly shape. It took about four months to finish the shape.

I folded over the top portion to fit around my shoulders as a shawl. In a sweet, serendipitous moment I found a hand dyed metallic rayon fabric that matched the Watercolor yarns. I stitched four rolled roses from this fabric, and several leaves from French wire ribbon. These I added as a front detail, and use as a closure for the shawl.

Vintage Crochet Gloves and Embroidered Handbag

Vintage Crochet Gloves and Embroidered Handbag

I found these vintage cotton gloves at the Rose Bowl Flea Market that is held once a month at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. My husband gave me this monthly trip for my birthday last year, we drive up, have lunch and just look at the goodies. I dyed the cotton gloves to match the shawl.

The vintage cotton purse is embroidered with lovely shades of rose and magenta, with olive colored leaves. The frame is decorated with peach and carnelian pieces of glass.

I have a program titled Vintage Redressed where I have created ensembles using vintage and new pieces, giving them new purpose, this piece is included there.

Happy stitching to all, enjoy your day. Christen

Lobelia Corsage- ribbon work flower pin

May21
Lobelia Corsage

Lobelia Corsage

I have long admired Candace Kling’s work, and I often peruse through her book The Artful Ribbon it is such a beautiful book, and it makes me happy just looking through it.

The flower here is of my own design, similar to the Cloche Rose,but made from silk ribbon rather than French wire. The leaf is from an article that Candace wrote for PieceWork Magazine July/August 1997 (which is no longer in print), but you may find something similar in vintage millinery books.

The flower is made from my selection of Hanah silk bias ribbon and the leaf from grosgrain ribbon.

Happy stitching, and enjoy your creative adventures! Christen

Celtic Flowers Pillow- traditional embroidery stitches

May19

Celtic Flowers Pillow

Celtic Flowers Pillow

I have two book shelves on either side of my sewing table, and I placed an old pantry door on top to create a shelf. I placed many of my dolls in groups on top of this shelf, and the smaller pillows such as this one reside there

The fabric is a silk shantung, embroidered with pearl cotton thread. The stitches I used are:

  • woven rose
  • whipped spider web rose
  • cast-on buttonhole stitch pansy
  • lazy daisy
  • straight stitch
  • detached chain stitch leaf
  • chain stitch
  • Chinese knot

After the pillow was sewn and stuffed, I added a rayon cord to the edges to finish off the piece.

5-1/2″ wide x 6 ” tall

Happy stitching, enjoy your creative adventures! Christen