On Tips and Tea on Tuesdays, I will cover a topic and hopefully provide you with some tips that will be helpful! And just as an afterthought, tea may occasionally be a cup of Joe!

Tea today is green tea, which is brewing in my little two-part cup, a gift from Diane, a friend and student. I am working on the project that is in the background, for a future post, but I wanted to share a preview, because the materials and the embroidery examples are part of today’s tips.

As I am sipping my tea, I was looking at one of my favorite pieces, Sweet Dreams, below. The center section was a gift from Christine, also a friend and student. This piece is featured in the gallery section of my new book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New, by C&T Publishing. The focus of the book, is to show you how to use and incorporate the variety of materials that you have in your stash. The projects and gallery pieces feature fabrics, linens, hankies, lace, appliques, ribbons, trims, threads, buttons, beads, and ephemera.

Often my students ask me how do you know what stitch to put where, or what stitch to use. I say to start with the stitches that you like, or are familiar with. Once you get a project under your belt, then branch out and try new stitches, and new ideas. The chapter on Embroidery and Embellishment Stitches, has a great selection of stitches using a variety of threads, ribbons, buttons, notions, and beads.

General Tips: Where to Embroider

This is an excerpt from the chapter Stitching Creatively, which also includes specific tips, and hand-drawn embroidery suggestions for each of the below ideas.

• Seams: The embroidery stitches can be worked on either side of a seam or straddling the seam. Begin with a continuous border row stitch, then add decorative and detail stitches.
• Ribbon: The embroidery stitches can be worked over the edge of the ribbon, through the ribbon, or on the outer edges of the ribbon. You can also add decorative and detail stitches.
• Lace: The embroidery stitches can be worked into the open areas of the lace pattern or along the outer edge of the lace.
• Rickrack: The embroidery stitches can be worked over the trim or between the curved wave edges of the trim.
• Hankies: The embroidery stitches can be worked around the outer edge, over the edge, or in the inside portion of the hanky.

Happy tea drinking and stitching to you! ~Christen

PS: If you have any questions or thoughts, just leave a comment! See Tips, Tricks, the Basics, for more helpful ideas.