Archive | May 2023

Tips and Tea on Tuesdays is taking a break…..

May23
coffee break

I have enjoyed posting this weekly installment on my blog, and I hope that you have enjoyed reading them, however I think that it is time to take a much needed break… This year has flown by for me, and I frankly have no idea how it became May 23, 2023.

I started the year, upgrading my teaching skills, to this century, and learning how to navigate the process of “video-style” learning. I created a class for Creative Spark, Upcycle it with Embellishments, and enjoyed the entire process.

I spent February through April of this year, promoting my newest book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New. I was able to have many friends involved in the series of blog posts that I wrote for C&T’s blog, as well as my own. In addition my newest line of Embroidery Stencils, Crazy Quilt Seam Designs debuted in March. I designed a Free Project, and wrote a series of blog posts to help introduce the readers, to this product.

I also created a lecture and class for C&T’s symposium, Embroidery Extravaganza, which was held on a Zoom platform, May 11, 2023. I needed to learn even more “tech skills”, which was a bit scary at times. Throughout the process I began to realize how much I needed to learn, and that this was going to be a challenge, as well as a humbling experience, due to my lack of tech-savvy knowledge.

That being said I have new projects on the horizon, that I will need to spend time on, and turn my focus to these. I will not be posting on Tips and Tea on Tuesdays for the summer, and probably through the fall. I will also be cutting back on my other two weekly posts, but may occasionally install a Friday’s Favorite, or a Slow Stitchin’ on Sunday Mornings entry.

New things to look forward to:

  • I will be giving a series of short lectures for the Quilt Festival Long Beach, July 8, 2023.
  • I will be creating a series of embroidery classes for Creative Spark this summer, and will update you all on the availability of these classes.
  • I have a new product coming out, Periodic Table of Embroidery Stitches Poster, available for pre-order through C&T Publishing, and will debut in stores after September 24, 2023.
  • I will be giving a series of short lectures for the Quilt Festival Houston, November 2-5, 2023.
  • I am writing an article for AQS Magazine, which will be featured in the March 2024 publication.
  • I am also working on a new product, that will be available next year, June 2024. Details will follow.
  • Lastly, I am also working on my next book, this will be available sometime in 2025. Details will follow.

Tips:

Be kind to yourself, be fair, and understand your limits.

Happy tea drinking and stitching to you, I have enjoyed meeting and talking to you all! ~Christen

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

Slow Stitchin’ on Sunday Mornings

May21

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. The piece below is form my book Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New.

Bella Fleur Mouchoir, 25 1/2″ x 21 1/2″

Bella Fleur Mouchoir (Beautiful Flower Handkerchief): The base of this wallhanging is made from a group of vintage floral printed hankies that I found in a green satin bag in my mom’s “delicates” drawer. I combined the hankies with scraps of vintage feed sack and cotton fabrics from the 40’s, with new cotton fabrics. I created a border of crazy- and strip- pieced fabrics, and I used satin ribbons to hide the raw edges. I embroidered stitches around the edges of the hankies and ribbons and the seams of the pieced fabric.

I embroidered this piece over several months, making sure to add embroidered and embellished details to each seam and open space. I was able to use almost all of the embroidery stitches that I included in the book, that utilized the threads that I chose to work with.

I made ribbonwork flowers using vintage cotton bias tape and woven ribbons, and fabric yo-yos from the left-over bits of vintage feed sack and cotton floral fabrics. This piece is adorned with vintage and new plastic buttons, and new novelty buttons.

Materials Used:

  • Perle Cotton: #8 and #12
  • Cotton Floss: 2 or three strands
  • Additional threads: tatting and crochet cotton in various weights; cotton floss
  • Embellishments: Glass seed beads, plastic charms, vintage and new buttons
  • Flowers and Fabric: Rosette, crinkly flower, fuller flower, yo-yo

Embroidery Details:

  • Border Row Stitches: Backstitch, blanket stitch, blanket stitch up and down, blanket and chain stitch, blanket stitch closed, blanket stitch up and down, chain stitch, chain stitch double, chain stitch spiny, chain stitch zigzag, chevron stitch, coral stitch, cretan stitch, cretan stitch looped, cretan stitch up and down, cretan stitch with chain stitch, cretan with feather stitch, crossed wing stitch, cross stitch row, feather stitch, feather stitch cobwebbed, feather stitch double, feather stitch looped, feather stitch single, fern stitch modern, fishhook stitch, fly stitch fancy link, herringbone stitch, herringbone stitch twisted, shell stitch row, snail trail stitch, stem stitch
  • Detail Stitches: Cross stitch, cross stitch twisted, fleet stitch, fleet stitch with loose knot, fly stitch, fly stitch with French knot stitch, fly stitch with lazy daisy stitch, French knot stitch, lazy daisy stitch, lazy daisy with bullion tip stitch, lazy daisy with French knot stitch, looped tendril stitch, pistil stitch, shell stitch, stamen stitch, and straight stitch
  • Flower and Shape Stitches: Bell flower stitch, buttonhole circle stitch, fly stitch flowers, French knot stitch flowers, lazy daisy stitch flowers, spiderweb: corner stitch, straight stitch flowers, whip-stitch star
  • Embellishment Stitches: Clustered buttons, curved wing butterfly, embroidered buttons, single bead stitch, stacked bead stitch, stitched 2-hoe buttons, stitched 4-hole buttons

Happy Stitching to you all! ~Christen

Friday’s Favorites: Repurposing Vintage Ties

May19

If you follow my blog, you know that I love to repurpose, rescue, and re-use discarded and forgotten items. Today’s post is no different. I have a collection of pieces to show you how I have done just that.

Victoriana, The Crazy Lady

Victoriana, the Crazy Lady: This piece was created as I taught my in-person class, the Crazy Corner. I used several vintage ties, and the tie linings, satin, rayon, and silk fabrics to create the crazy-pieced base. The center section was pieced first, then I added crazy-pieced borders. I used a vintage satin ribbon to hide the seam connections for the base and borders. The embroidery stitches are worked in silk embroidery ribbon, perle cotton, cotton floss, and seed beads. Embellishments include ribbonwork flowers, fabric appliques, vintage buttons, and charms.

Kimono Ties

Kimono Ties: The crazy-pieced and machine quilted base is comprised of silk fabrics, men’s ties, and pieces of kimonos, haoris, and obis. The embellishments include vintage glass, celluloid, and inlaid buttons, fabric yo-yos, fabric circles, and embroidery. This is a gallery example from my book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the old with the New.

Mary Margaret’s Pretty Purse

Mary Margaret’s Pretty Purse: The pieced base of silk ties and a scrap of silk fabric features a small purse with steel cut beads and a metal frame. Embellishments include silk ribbon and ribbonwork embroidery, vintage gimp and rickrack trims, fabric, metal, crochet, and glass buttons, and glass beads. This is a gallery example from my book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the old with the New.

Hollywood Rose Bracelet
Old Rose Corsage
Hollywood Rose Brooch
Vintage Ties use for Adornments

Here are a collection of adornments made from vintage ties. The Hollywood Rose Bracelet and Brooch are made from a tie that my dad had worn, and the label was Hollywood! Loved the kitsch of it all! Instructions for the Old Rose Corsage can be found in my lecture/class Upcycle it with Embellishments.

Happy Stitching to you! ~ Christen

Tips and Tea on Tuesdays

May16

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!

may flowers

Tea today, is a nice soft green jasmine tea. Lovely aroma, and it is so nice to drink it from this lovely vintage tea cup that my friend Jeri gave to me many years ago. Pictured here are the flowers that my guy bought me for Mother’s Day, and vintage iron that my daughter bought for me. The lovely tablecloth belonged to my grandmother.

Tip:

Today’s tip is another simple one, treasure your past, present, and leave something for the future.

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.

Slow Stitchin’ on Sunday Mornings

May14

Happiest of Mother’s Day to you all!

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 piece is from my book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New, by C&T Publishing.

Red Roses, Four Generations of Love

This wallhanging started with handkerchiefs that belonged to three generations, my grandmother, my mother and myself. The hankies are collage-pieced together with small bits of vintage floral and feed sack fabrics from the 1940’s, and newer floral prints from my first job, working at Woof and Warp Fabrics Torrance, CA.

I included satin and jacquard ribbons, cotton laces, appliques and trims. Embellishments include tatted and crochet flowers that were made by both myself and my mom, ribbonwork and rickrack flowers and leaves, fabric yo-yo’s, fabric flowers and heart shaped appliques. There are vintage and new plastic, celluloid, and glass buttons and charms.

The fourth generation, my daughter, who was and is very much loved by the previous three generations, is represented as the ladybug.

Happy Stitching and Happy Mother’s Day to you all! ~Christen

Friday’s Favorites: Bouquets of Ribbons and Buttons

May12
Blue Jean Baby

Rococo Pillow was a gallery example that I created for my book, Ribbonwork Gardens, by C&T Publishing. I used a variety of ribbons in the piece including: silk bias ribbon, woven ribbon, and vintage jacquard ribbon. I embroidered the flowers with silk ribbon embroidery stitches.

Blue Jean Baby was also a gallery example that I created for my book, Ribbonwork Gardens. I used a heart-shaped applique for the base, and filled it with ribbonwork rosettes, posies, and leaves. The tiny quilted kitty was a gift, and I think that she is quite happy here in her forever home.

Lace, Doilies, and Appliqués, Block 1
Lace, Doilies, and Appliqués, Block 2

Lace, Doilies and Appliqués is one of the Projects by Design, from my new book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New. 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.

Champagne and Pearls
Welcome Home

Champagne and Pearls and Welcome Home are gallery pieces from my book Beaded Embroidery Stitching, by C&T Publishing. These pieces are variations of Feminine Fancies, Project A: Bouquet of Flowers. I used buttons for the base of the flowers, and embroidered the petals with beads, and beads, and well dare I say, more beads!

Tatiana’s Garden
Flowers in a Cuff
Sage and Cornflower

Tatiana’s Garden is a design example that I created for my book, The Embroidery Book, by C&T Publishing. I used two vintage cuffs and other pieces of flat lace to create the basket and the handle. I embroidered the piece with silk embroidery ribbon in sizes 4mm and 7mm, buttonhole twist, rayon twist, perle cotton #12, seed beads in a variety of sizes, glass charms, and buttons.

Flowers in a Cuff is a Stash Idea Inspiration piece, from my new book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New. I died a vintage lace cuff and grosgrain ribbon with Colorhue Dyes. I filled the basket with rosettes made from the grosgrain ribbon, cloth and mother-of-pearl buttons, and a few glass charms. I embroidered the piece with a variegated #8 perle cotton thread.

Sage and Cornflower is a new gallery piece that I created, based on the Projects by Design: Lace, Doilies and Appliqués, (see first row of images above). The base started as half of a stained doily, which I dyed with Colorhue dyes, as well as the lace and rickrack trims. I used Finca Mouline perle cotton, Valdani variegated perle cotton, and dyed perle cotton by Artfabriks. I embellished the piece with seed and larger glass beads; vintage glass and celluloid buttons; and brass charms.

Happy Stitching! ~Christen

Tips and Tea on Tuesdays

May9

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 and Blue Kitty

Tea today, is a cup of Jo, in a cup that I am feeling is really important today. It is hard to listen to the news, and understand that there are people who are full of so much hate. I personally am blessed, I love my husband, we have a great relationship. We have a beautiful daughter. We have a wonderful family.

Today my Tips are simple ones:

Think of small ways that will make someone you love happy.

  • Be kind.
  • Smile.
  • Say thank you.
  • Enjoy the moment.
  • Listen.
  • Laugh.

I know that these are sometimes hard to achieve, but a little encouragement may be all that you need, I know that it helps me.

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.

Slow Stitchin’ on Sunday Mornings

May7

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. The piece below is a new piece that I just created, based on a Project by Design, called Hankies and Lace Collage, form my book Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New.

In the Pink

In the Pink: This piece started with four sections of a printed hanky, that had a lovely little scalloped edge. I paired this with four tea linens, vintage jacquard ribbon, cotton lace, a cotton applique and a vintage tatted applique. The center piece, was embroidered by a dear friend Gloria Mckinnon, and I held onto it, until I found just the right project to use it in. I sprinkled vignettes of silk ribbon embroidery, throughout the piece.

Materials Used:

  • Silk Embroidery Ribbons: 2mm, 4mm, and 7mm
  • Perle Cotton: #8 and #12; tatting cotton
  • Embellishments: Glass seed beads and charms, vintage sequins, and vintage buttons

Embroidery Details:

  • Border Row Stitches: Blanket stitch, blanket stitch up and down, blanket and chain stitch, and chain stitch
  • Detail Stitch: Lazy daisy stitch, French knot stitch, and straight stitch
  • Silk Embroidery Stitches: Woven rose stitch, woven rose stitch variation, Ellen Matilda’s rose stitch, French knot bud stitch, ribbon stitch, lazy daisy stitch, and French knot stitch
  • Beaded Embroidery Stitches: Single bead stitch, stacked bead stitch

Want to learn more about embroidery, and specifically silk ribbon embroidery?

I will be the keynote speaker for the Creative Spark, EMBROIDERY EXTRAVAGANZA! I will also be teaching a class on SILK RIBBON EMBROIDERY.

If you click on the link, you will receive $20.00 off the price of the four hour event.

Happy Stitching to you all! ~Christen

Friday’s Favorites: Zippers and Tape Measures

May5

What more can I say? I have a selection of pieces to show you today, from my book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old With the New, by C&T Publishing.

Buttoned and Zippered Up front and back

Buttoned and Zippered Up: Featuring flannel fabrics, vintage tape measure, zipper, celluloid buckle, and variety of celluloid buttons.

Measured Party Fowl

Measured Party Fowl: A machine quilted base of pieces of left-over fabrics and a gifted bag full of selvage edge strips becomes the background for a collection of whimsical friends. An old tape measure was used for the body of each bird, with fun googly eyes, rickrack legs, laundry pin wings, shoe beads, and hat buttons. Other embellishments are rickrack and ribbonwork flowers, vintage buttons, glass mushrooms, vintage tin pins, and metal charms.

Bees Buzz on a Saturday Afternoon

Bees Buzz on a Saturday Afternoon: This patch- and strip-pieced grouping of cotton prints and vintage printed panels, with layered vintage rickrack trims, jacquard, and grosgrain ribbons, becomes the backdrop for a medley of vintage and new buttons, scatter pins, birds’ nests, and ribbonwork flowers.

Cookie Cutter Wreath
Buttons and Buckles Pin
Zipper Roses

Cookie Cutter Wreath: This is a collection of vintage cookies molds wrapped with a variety of burlap and woven ribbons, that were combined to create a wreath. The wreath is embellished with ribbonwork and zipper flowers, buttons, and other purchased ephemera.

Buttons and Buckles Pin: The base of this pin is a fast2fuse shape covered with grosgrain ribbon. It is adorned with mother-of-pearl and celluloid buttons, buckles, zipper roses, and twill tape flowers.

Happy Stitching to you! ~Christen

Tips and Tea on Tuesdays

May2

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 Celestial Seasoning’s Lemon Zinger! Flavorful with a bit of a zap! A bit like the color explosion in the photo. I love to shop thrift stores, and find wonderful bits of colorful pottery like the examples above. I have a collection of wooden boxes that I painted, and stacked into a shelving unit. I use these to store my collection of “kitchen” finds, and hand-me-down utensils.

Tip: Thrift Store Shopping

  • When you first start out, look for colors that you like, or colors that match some of the pieces that you already have on display.
  • Make sure that the pieces you are going to buy are in good condition, and don’t have any noticeable chips or big cracks!
  • When you get your treasures home, give them a good cleaning, preferably in the dishwasher.
  • When you are shopping, set yourself a price limit, that way you will still have money left over for a cup of tea or coffee!

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.