What more can I say? I have a selection of pieces to show you today, from my upcoming book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old With the New, by C&T Publishing. Some of the pieces are gallery examples, some are examples of the projects included in the book.

Doilies, appliqués, and wide flat lace can be used as a starting point to make a pretty basket that you can then fill with ribbonwork flowers, buttons, embroidery, charms, and beads.

Notions of Spring: A Stash Idea Inspiration piece. I cut a large doily in half, and used one half for the base. I cut a smaller doily into four sections, which created the heart shaped pieces in each corner. I filled the vase with the flowers and leaves included in the chapter Altering the Past. I even used and old tool that belonged to my mom, called the “Daisy Maker” which was used to make a flower from yarn. I substituted a lace hem tape for the yarn, and it worked out perfectly! I embellished the piece with several sizes of rickrack, a vine trim, a coronation cord, sewing notions, buttons, charms, and bells.

Lace, Doilies and Appliqués: Is one of the Projects by Design. I combined ribbonwork flowers, with fabric yo-yo’s, buttons, charms and beads to create a floral display. The project has two block designs, which are repeated, and then stitched into a 4-block wallhanging.

Flowers in a Cuff: Is a Stash Idea Inspiration piece. I hand-dyed the cuff, and the grosgrain ribbons that I used to stitch the ribbonwork rosettes. I had been saving those fun character buttons for years, waiting for just the right project to come along. I also used vintage dyed mother-of-perle buttons for the centers of the flowers.

Aunt Murt’s Garden: Is an example of the Stash Project called Scrap Pins. I used a section of vintage crochet lace for the basket, and stitched it onto a dyed silk base, finished with vintage flat lace. I stitched machine-made appliqués, vintage buttons, plastic leaves, glass roundels, and glass beads into and around the basket. I used a vintage knitting pin for the hanger.

Hoop Frame: This is a Stash Project. The base is a piece of decorator fabric set into a vintage hoop frame, which is adorned with a beautiful lace doily, and another piece of vintage crochet lace. I embroidered stems with the feather and couched stitch, leaves with the lazy daisy stitch, and French knot stitch details. The flowers are vintage mother-of-pearl and muscle shell buttons, with ladybug and dragonfly charms sprinkled throughout the bouquet.

Happy Stitching! ~Christen