This wallhanging started with several handkerchiefs that belonged to my mother and grandmother. The hankies are collage-pieced together with small bits of fabric, ribbons, laces, and trims. Special mementos include a few tatted and crochet flowers that my mom made, along with glass ladybugs, which is the symbol for our daughter. It is featured in my book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New, by C&T Publishing.
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 Watermelon and Lime Zinger, an unexpected blend of hibiscus with notes of watermelon and lime, well just like the name I guess it is a “Zinger”. I paired it with some oatmeal and fruit today.
Today’s Tip: Is one that I think is worth repeating, keep those you love, close to your heart, treasure and treat any gift given to you as one coming straight from their heart.
Lady RoseLizbeth’s’ Dress for FebruaryRose MarieLast of the Red Hot Lovers!
Lady Rose
Is an art doll that I made from a variety of components. The base of the body is made from felt, with two heart-shaped crochet doilies, and one embroidered heart shape pin, all made by my mom. I painted her face, and added ballerina shoe and hand-shape charms to the body, as well as crochet roses with leaves, also made by my mom. She is embellished with satin ribbons in a variety of widths and colors; vintage rickrack trim and rickrack roses; and vintage and new buttons.
Lizbeth’s Dress for February
Lizbeth is an art doll that I designed, several years ago, for a monthly challenge called Dress UP. The goal was to create a mixed media dress each month. I decided that I wanted to make a mannequin form first, and then create an ensemble for her each month. Her dress for February is primarily made from French wire ribbon; the accents are made from silk bias, velvet, and satin ribbons; with a bit of pink lace, and a heart-shaped button (from my guy).
Rose Marie
This is an art doll that I have made using a paint brush, this one was actually our basting brush from the kitchen. I soaked it too long in the dish pan and all the bristles came out. OOPS! No worries, I knew that I could make something from this fiasco. I painted the brush-base, the wooden heart-shaped body, and the cardboard backdrop with acrylic paints. I painted her face, and added in the “Carmen Miranda”-like tiara made from some crochet flowers made by my mom, and some ribbonwork leaves. On the backdrop, I added in a vine and leaf trim, additional plastic flowers, florist wire leaves, and lady bugs. Why? read on!
Happy 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.
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.
Country Hearts
Country Hearts
All the promises we break From the cradle to the grave When all I want is you
-U2, All I want is you.
Happiest of heartfelt wishes for a wondrous day! ~Christen
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.
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller, Author
Happiest of heartfelt wishes for a wondrous day! ~Christen
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!
Happy Valentines Day!
Tea today is especially fitting as it is Hibiscus, it is a slight ruby red, almost magenta color, and tastes a bit like cranberries. This white cup and pot set has a special memory attached to it, as it was given to me by a friend when I was 18. I shan’t tell you how many, (MANY), years ago that was, but one thing to admire is that it survived all of the moves that I have made in my lifetime. I wouldn’t give it away for the world!
Today’s Tip: Is a simple one, keep those you love, close to your heart, treasure and treat any gift given to you as one coming straight from their heart.
Gwen’s Heart
The first image is a heart that was embroidered by my mom. The middle image is a heart that our daughter Gwen made for us when she was in grade school, she is 40 now, so this tells you how long I have kept this treasure. The last image, is a pillow made from ribbons that my husband found at Target for me, what a guy, and a treasure himself!
A Heart a Day: 14
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.
Primarily Crazy for Kevin, the man that I have loved for 39 years, and will so for the rest of our lives!
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” – Mignon McLaughlin, Journalist
Happy Valentine’s Day, 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.
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
Straight From the Heart Sampler is a sampler that I created for Joggles, over 10 years ago. I was asked to create a simple pattern with a simple stitch. I used a variegated cotton floss, and the running stitch, pretty simple, and doable! It is my pleasure to offer this as a fee gift to you, from my heart to yours.
Color, color, color and more colors. I love them all. When I work, I let the fabrics and other components tell me what they want to be when they grow up. Today, I am going to share two pieces from my cream and beige collection.
9″ x 10 1/2″
Creme de la Creme
This piece was featured in my book The Embroidery Book, by C&T Publishing. It was an example of a monochromatic color palette. There are shades of cream, off-white, candlelight, beige, and pearl. The base of this piece is a doupioni silk, layered with many treasured bits of lace, that I had collected over the years. The embroidery was worked in silk ribbons and perle cotton threads. The embellishments include, beads, mother of pearl buttons and charms, and fresh water pearls. The frame is comprised of carved bone purse handles.
13″ x 13″
Splattered Scattered Tatters
This piece is from my new book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old with the New. I crazy pieced the base using odd scraps of muslin, added batting to the back and quilted a random pattern with perle cotton #12. I gathered small bits of machine made lace, tatted and crochet lace, and appliques. Some of the tatted and crochet pieces were made by my mom and myself. I also found a home for a collection of crochet and thread woven buttons, mother of pearl buttons, and bone underwear buttons. The embroidery is very minimal, so that the lovely components could speak for themselves. To bring all of the shades of cream together, I spatter dyed the base with Colorhue dyes.
I hope that your day is colorful! Happy Stitching to you all! ~Christen
This felt project is fun, fast and easy to make for yourself or someone you love! Use up your tiny bits of precious lace, appliqués, and trims to create a hand-sewn collaged tree. The lace tree can be embroidered and embellished with stitches, buttons and more. It can be used as a pillow, or you could add a piece of ribbon to the top, for wall hanging.
I have always loved old doors. The more worn the better, because this signified that they had been used, traveled through, experienced. And then of course, I love the accessories that a door needs, such as door knobs and keys.
This is picture, was drawn by a friend. He drew it as a wedding gift for my husband and I. I framed it with this old music sheet, that I found on The Graphics Fairy.
The romantic in me thinks of castles, and knights and damsels in distress. So I to created an image of an old castle door that had been weathered, with a big door knocker, a brass knob and big hinges. I found this old, large key on eBay, and used it for the hanger. I also found a few old skeleton keys to add in here and there, and grouped them with my newer keys and heart shaped locks. The base is machine pieced and machine quilted. The charms, keys, and buttons are attached with embroidery floss.
This is a digital image that I created, using many images that I had found on Pinterest. If you like to look at photographs of old doors, windows and Greece may I suggest the artist Tolis’s Flickr photostream with this door as my favorite.
I gathered this group of batik fabrics that varied from rust to brown, and thought, well this would make a cool door! I found these wonderful blue buffed celluloid buttons, which I paired with brass buttons, buckles, and both vintage and new keys. The rust and vintage blue ribbons just keep the colors flowing. The base is machine pieced and quilted, and the hand embroidery is worked in perle cotton.
Ceramic door KnotsOld KeysGlass door knobs
If you like fairies, old doors, and wonderfully illustrated books may I suggest “A Knock at the Door” by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball.
Christen's Creations 