Heart Felt Wishes to you all! I love hearts, I love the shape, I love to decorate the house at Valentine’s Day, and I have a lot of hearts… so I decided to post A Heart a Day for the entire month of February.
For the love of embroidery, and threads, and beads, and silk ribbon, and buttons, and trims, and for all of the things that make you happy, and inspire you to be creative.
Happiest of heartfelt wishes for a wondrous day! ~Christen
Day 8
Question: Do you like to make and sew your own jewelry and adornments? I have a few suggestions including cuffs, bracelets and brooches, all use bits of this and that including fabric, lace, ribbons, and buttons.
Chantilly Lady’s Lace Cuff by Christen Brown
These are examples of what I call the wistful days gone by, reminiscent of tranquil days lounging on an overstuffed satin pouf, or demurely sashaying along a tree-lined avenue, parasol in hand. There are two styles to choose from that will be embellished with needle-tatted and crochet components, ribbonwork flowers, a few silk ribbon embroidery stitches, beads and buttons. The lace base and other components are dyed with Colorhue dyes.
Tandleton Rose Bracelets by Christen Brown
You have two styles to choose from, both using a Tandleton base (pillow). The “Ring of Roses” is made up entirely of embroidered ribbon pillows, strung with beads and has a glass button for the closure. The “Band of Roses” is made from a ribbon base, layered with vintage lace and a few of the embroidered pillows; a dainty embroidered button and hand-stitched button loop are used for the closure.
Scrumptious Hearts by Christen Brown
The base is created with bits of cherished lace and with silk fabric to form a beautiful heart shaped base for your floral design. Chose from a few different heart shapes and ribbon worked floral vignettes or create your own. This is an excellent way to use up small amounts of this and that to form an heirloom brooch to be treasured. The lace base and other components are dyed with Colorhue dyes.
Happy Stitching, ~Christen
Many of you may know of my love for jewelry, and you know that it also includes ribbonwork, laced and buttons. Here are the pieces that were included in my new book, Ribbonwork Flowers.
Chantilly Ladies Lace Cuff, started with a base of meshed lace and silk fabric. the lace, appliques, ribbons, threads and embroidery ribbons were dyed with Colorhue dyes. The flowers are “Knotted Posy”, “English Miss” and “Puck’s Rose:.
Daisy Chain started with a base of 3/8″ satin ribbon. I stitched “rosettes” made from satin ribbon stitched with a cotton ruffle edge lace. I stitched buttons in the center of the rosettes, and buttons between the rosettes.
Pretty in Pink collar started with a vintage crochet collar that I found at a thrift store. It is adorned with silk habotai ribbon “star point petal” flowers and satin “simple leaves”. These are stitched with acrylic flowers and leaves and seed beads.
Peapods and Roses bracelet started with a base of cotton grosgrain ribbon. I added “peapods” made from French wire and silk bias ribbon. The “English Miss” roses are made from silk bias ribbon, with satin and grosgrain ribbon flowers. I added in vintage stamens, buttons and strawberry charms.
Punky Rose necklace started with a base of velvet ribbon trimmed with velvet rickrack braid. The center is a “rose bud center” is made from silk satin ribbon; with “rosette” edging made from lace, satin and novelty ribbons. Ribbonwork “rosettes” adorned with vintage rhinestone buttons, vintage charms, vintage rhinestone trim and a little “bling” bee finish off the necklace.
Funky Junky Steampunky bracelet started with a woven base of satin, novelty ribbon and velvet rickrack trims. The posies are made with zipper trim and satin ribbon. Vintage buttons, cardboard coins, rhinestone trim, appliques, lace, and charms finish off the design.
Happy Stitching! ~Christen
Flowers are one of my favorite things to make. Daffodils however are not really my favorite flower, but they are my friend Phred’s favorite, and he is my one of my favorites.
My friend and his life partner Tom, are getting married this weekend, and he asked if I would be his flower girl, just because I could make the flowers! LOL. So it started with four flowers (one for he and his partner, my husband and me), and now we are up to 16 people and you guessed it 16 flowers.
My husband will be uniting the couple, Phred’s sister and friend will be the matron’s of honor, my daughter and her friend will be the “bubble girls” (blowing bubbles instead of throwing rice), and I will also pitch in as the photographer (because I have the camera).
Happy Life to you my friends!
With Love, ~Christen
This is a new class that I am teaching today, and next Tuesday for Joggles.com. The base of each embroidered button is made from Hanah silk bias ribbon, then embroidered with YLI silk embroidery ribbon.
This weeks class is all about making the ribbon bases. This is a sample of the three different roses that the students have to chose from.
Happy Stitching to all! ~enjoy Christen
Violet Gardens Brooch
This was one of two entries for the Piecework Magazine’s Excellence in Needlework 2009. This year’s challenge was to make a brooch no larger than 3″, in any needle art category. I chose ribbon work here and silk ribbon embroidery for my other submission Elizabeth’s Garden.
The base of the brooch is 18 gauge florist wire wrapped in cotton batting, then a silk bias ribbon. The brooch was fashioned into a spiral (see the bottom picture), with two loops. Tiny spirals of 22 gauge florist wire wrapped in cotton batting then 4mm silk ribbon peek out here and there, and add more dimension to the design.
The brooch was then covered in hand made ribbon worked flowers and leaves. I used 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″ and 5/8″ (folded in half); in a variety of materials including silk bias, rayon hem tape, ombre and taffeta ribbons. A few beads are sprinkled here and there for extra detailing.
back of brooch
The back of the brooch is almost covered with as many flowers as the front. I used a rococo trim to cover the bulk of the stitching, and then added in flowers and leaves here and there.
From this picture you can make out the spiral design of the base. You can see the tiny tendrils quite well here too, and if you look closely the pesky white batting wanted to peep out whenever it had a chance to from the 4mm ribbon, I fixed that before sending it off on it’s journey!
Both of my entries were selected by the judges to be included in a display of the brooches at The National Needle Arts Association’s trade show in Columbus, Ohio, June 13-15, 2009. They will also be on display at the Embroiderer’s Guild of America’s (EGA) museum in Louisville, Kentucky, from July 1 through September 23, 2009. For information contact EGA www.egausa.org (502) 589-6956.
Happy stitching, happy day, enjoy- Christen
Cobblestone Collar- Beaded Jewelry Ensembl
The necklace is made from a unique stitch that resembles wagon wheels or bricks placed into a pattern. It was a marvelous vehicle for these wonderful vintage and new Tahiti shell buttons that I had been collecting. The necklace made from size 8, 11 & 15 seed beads, is also adorned with fresh water pearls.
The first bracelet “Cobbled Cuff” is stitched with the free form peyote stitch. For the center piece I used a vintage Tahiti shell buckle found on a treasure hunt through my mom’s button jar. I stitched the bracelet with size 6,8,11 & 15 new and vintage seed beads along with fresh water pearls. A filigree bronze button is used for the closure.
The second bracelet “Velvet Cuff” is made with vintage carved tahiti shell buttons stitched with vintage glass seed beads onto a base of velvet ribbon. I especially love the flower shaped button on the left!
Cobblestone Collar- Beaded Jewelry Ensemble
Happy stitching, let the beading begin! Enjoy- Christen
Deco Plumeria by Christen Brown
The inspiration for this ensemble came from a wonderful group of old “confetti” celluloid buttons from the Deco era found at an antique show in Santa Monica, CA. The colors of the components I chose for this ensemble are so reminiscent of the “barkcloth” curtains of the 1930’s with large images of tropical flowers, that I just had to make a floral venue in which the buttons could reside.
The necklace and first bracelet “Violas and Peas” are made from a base of grosgrain ribbon adorned with individually stitched ribbon worked flowers and leaves, (and pea pods in the case of the bracelet). The second bracelet is made from vintage glass cabs glued to a metal base. The last “Ribbon Bracelet” is a vintage jacquard ribbon covered with vintage Bakelite and celluloid buttons.
I used a variety of ribbons in this ensemble including silk bias, grosgrain, French wire and even a ribbon that was tied to a box of Godiva Chocolates (a Valentines Day gift from my husband). You just never now what may come in handy some day….
Bracelets by Christen Brown
May you have many hours of Happy and Joyous Stitching! Christen
Antique Autumn Roses- by Christen Brown
This necklace was started in a class using my pattern “Entwined Roses”. The design grew with the addition of the wonderful wrapped metallic gold center piece given to me by a friend.
I had also just acquired a collection of vintage celluloid buttons, which found there way into major focal areas around the hand made silk ribbon flowers and leaves. Almost all of the buttons are made with vintage materials such as Bakelite, brass, molded glass, and cinnabar. Two other special components are the porcelain leaf button by Rama in the front, and a large flower shaped yellow bronze button from Worldly Good Buttons.
The other stunning components are the gold reflective glass flower shaped roundels, that really make the rest of the colors stand out. I used the peyote stitch to add in the vintage and new glass beads and charms; carnelian, Pyrex, cloisonne charms and dangles; and wrapped metal dangles.
Happy Stitching! Christen
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride by Christen Brown
“It’s never the wrong time to call on Toad.
Early or late he’s always the same fellow.
Always good-tempered, always glad to see you, always sorry when you go!”
excerpt from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
I really loved the illustrations, the title and the characters of this book. Oddly enough though this happens to be my least favorite ride at Disneyland and my husband and daughter’s favorite ride. I am not sure what comment this makes about us, (perhaps it is the fact that they both deal with chaos better than I), but I still think that it is a wonderful book.
This entire ensemble was created to display the gorgeous black glass buttons, one from the Victorian era, mixed with vintage sterling buttons and new picture buttons Dorothy (for my daughter) and Albert (for my husband) at the top of the picture.
The vintage green glass leaves were made in Japan and the round red glass beads were made in Czechoslovakia. Other beads and charms add a fun color mix which was actually inspired by an old set of bark cloth curtains that my grandmother owned. I wear this with a short sleeved jacket that was made with the bark cloth which also bears the name, “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”.
Bracelets: Toad Greens, Check It Out, African Stripes
“Toad Greens” is chock full of vintage glass beads from Japan and Germany. “African Stripes” is made with vintage African Trade beads. The beads in both bracelets were strung on Soft Flex, with crimp beads on the end.
The middle bracelet “Check it Out” is made from the “Chantilly Laced Buttons” pattern using vintage Czech glass and Victorian “mourning” glass buttons with glass seed beads. I had been collecting these buttons for both the necklace, where I used my “Vintage Bling Bling” pattern and this bracelet for many years, and am happy to say they are at home now.
Happy Stitching! Christen
Christen's Creations 