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 Sangria Zinger, a combination of tangy hibiscus, blood orange, pineapple, and additional citrus flavors. Doesn’t the color look so pretty here, in my vintage daffodil china cup? This is one of my mix-matched sets, with a beautiful floral saucer that lost it’s mate. They don’t match exactly, but I think that the colors blend well, and they seem happy teamed together.

Speaking of color, do you sometimes struggle putting colors together? Me too! So what do I do to address this hurdle, so I can get down to stitching???

Pistachio Moss, is a gallery piece that you can see in my new book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New, by C&T Publishing. This piece was a bit of a challenge, and became a large growling monster, as I gathered my materials. I was working with small bits of fabric, and finite amounts of lace and ribbons.

Tip: Begin at the Beginning

Once I had my color palette selected, I found anther fabric that matched the first. Then I chose colors that matched and blended with the two fabrics, to use for the remaining materials. Before I stitched the base, I dyed the center section of silk fabric, the appliques, some of the silk bias ribbon that I used for the flowers, and all of the vintage laces.

Final Tip for Today: In my new book, I have included directions and tips on dyeing with Colorhue dyes, in the chapter Altering the Past. I also made a video introducing the book, and you can see this piece “up close and in person”!

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.