In these posts I want to share some of my favorite pieces, which will include wall hangings, small works, pillows, purses, and just because pieces. This month they are going to be from my new book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New, by C&T Publishing.

Don’t forget, there is one more day to leave a comment on Saturday’s post 3-25-2023, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New, Book Promotion, Day 6. Your name will be entered into a drawing to win the free ebook.

Denim and Dresden: The Dresden Plate block made from vintage feed sack and cotton prints was purchased at a thrift store for $1.00. It was originally sewn to a piece of muslin and embroidered with black floss, which really didn’t look that great! I removed the embroidery and background, and stitched the pieced block to a square of denim fabric, adding a fun vintage floral cotton fabric to the center of the block. I crazy-pieced each of the border strip sections with vintage feed sack and cotton print fabrics that I found on ebay, adding in a newer piece of fabric here and there. I hand-stitched yo-yo’s from the left-over vintage fabric scraps.

I embroidered each section of the plate block, then hand-quilted the denim fabric square. Because I had created the border strips separately, it made it much easier to embroider these sections. When the center denim square and each of the strips were embroidered I stitched in the yo-yo’s around the center of the block and added vintage buttons for embellishment on both the block, denim square, and the crazy-pieced strips.

Once all of the embroidery and embellishments were completed, I bound the inner edge of each crazy-pieced strip to finish off the raw edges. I stitched the center denim square onto a piece of batting, and then stitched the crazy-pieced border strips in place covering the raw edges of the denim square. Once this was done, I stitched in the yo-yo’s and buttons into the corners of the denim square. I added a backing made from left-over bits of cotton fabric, and bound the outer raw edges with the same vintage floral cotton fabric used in the center of the block.

Embroidery Details

• Embroidery Stitches: All of the stitches that I used can be found in Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New
• Hand Quilting: perle cotton #12
• Border Rows: perle cotton #8, #12, and vintage tatting cotton
• Decorative and Detail Stitches: perle cotton #8, #12, tatting cotton, and cotton floss
• Embellishments: Fabric yo-yos (directions can also be found in my book), and vintage buttons

Here is a video that I shot at the C&T Publishing Studios, that focuses on the new book, and some of my favorite pieces.

Happy Stitching to you all! ~Christen