Here are a few colorful blooms to cheer up the week! Happy May Day!
Happy Stitching, ~Christen
May Day, Spring Flowers
Tag Archive | ribbon
Friday’s Favorites: Vintage Notions
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. Some of the pieces are gallery examples, some are examples of the projects included in the book.
Create, Sew And, Stitch, And Play Garland: is a Stash Inspiration Idea, that I created for the book. I had been collecting vintage notions for a long time, and wanted to have a use from them other than sitting in a vintage sewing basket, ignored and forgotten!
Vintage Sewing Collection: This sewing kit and needle keep were stitched from a scrap of vintage flannel fabric. The embellishments include a vintage measuring tape, soutache trim, woven rickrack, buttons, sequins, beads, and sewing notions. Also shown are a collection of well-loved vintage sewing tools. The Needle Keep on the right is a “Free Project” that I created and wrote directions for, that can be found on C&T Publishing’s website.
Ugly Bug Ball: This is a Stash Idea Inspiration piece, that uses the ideas from the Hoop Frame Stash Project. The base is a piece of cotton fabric with a hand-stitched web of variegated rayon embroidery ribbon, and cotton rickrack trim. My “ugly bugs” are embroidered with vintage sewing notions and glass beads. The embroidery stitches are included in the book.
Scrap Pins: These are examples of the Scrap Pin Stash Project, which starts with a base of wide ribbon, or fabric. The base is then hand-stitched with embroidery, buttons, and all manner of gathered ephemera. An old knitting pin, laundry pin, or other type of pin is used for the hanger.
Happy Stitching! ~Christen
Tea and Tips on Tuesdays and A Heart a Day: 21
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 an old-time-favorite, Red Zinger, from Celestial Seasonings. This tangy fruity tea is flavorful beautiful blend of of hibiscus, peppermint, sweet orange, lemongrass and wild cherry. Kind of a crazy mixture, that somehow works, sort of like today’s post.
This wallhanging was made from a collection of greeting cards that came from the two loves of my life, my husband and daughter.
Today’s Tip: Re-purpose those fun little Jello-O mold tins, and cookie cutter molds in fun ways! You remember in December, I had a post on re-purposing tin Jello-o molds, and one on tin cookie cutters. Here are a few more from my collection and ideas on how to use yours.
I fill the tins with fun little treasures that haven’t found a home on a wallhanging or other project. Sometimes I fill them with buttons, charms, ribbons, or whatever strikes my fancy. For the Cookie Cutter Wreath below, I took a collection of aluminum cookie molds, and wrapped them with ribbons and trims. I then glued them together, and added in a collection of flowers made from burlap ribbon and zippers. This piece is featured in my book, Creative Embroidery, Mixing the Old With the New, by C&T Publishing.
A Heart a Day: 21
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.
Home is where the hearts/hearts/hearts and more hearts are!
Happy tea drinking and heartfelt wishes for a wondrous day! ~Christen
PS: If you have any questions or thoughts, just leave a comment! See Tips, Tricks, the Basics, for more helpful ideas.
A Heart a Day: 13
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.
It takes more than lace and ribbons,
And lovely verses too,
To make a Valentine that is nice enough for you.
It takes a world of special thoughts,
Tucked into every line,
And that’s exactly what you’ll find inside this Valentine.
Happiest of heartfelt wishes for a wondrous day! ~Christen
Friday’s Favorites: Scarves
I love scarves! And with the cold weather still out, I am constantly in search of that little bit of extra warmth and color. Being allergic to wool can sometimes be a challenge to find just the right thing for an outfit, so I am always on the lookout, and often I make my own accessories or re-style or revamp an already made item.
This chiffon scarf was a gift from my husband and daughter, along with a box of Godiva chocolates. How could you go wrong with yummy chocolate and my favorite color purple! I added satin rosettes and posies using the directions from my book Ribbonwork Gardens, by C&T Publishing.
This is a scarf that is entirely made from Hanah Silk bias ribbon. Several different widths were used, and stitched together on the sewing machine. The ruffled roses are hand-stitched, and are also made from silk bias ribbon.
This is a scarf that I knit, using yarn that was made from silk sari borders. It has a lively color combination, lots of colors and fun nubby sections. I made folded edge rosettes from hand-dyed silk velvet ribbon. The centers of the flowers are abalone shell buttons.
This scarf was purchased many years ago at Cost Plus, now it is called World Market. It is incredibly detailed with rickrack ribbon stitched into flowers, sequins, and beads! To top it off I made another flower from my book Ribbonwork Gardens, using ribbon that came off another box of Godiva chocolates.
Happy Stitching to you all, and Enjoy~ Chisten
Friday’s Favorites: Numbers and Measures
The montage has a collection of a few of my favorite things. The jewelry pieces are just fun, with both new and old typewriter keys, and charms. The dog tags belonged to my mom’s dog when she was growing up, my dad won the medal in a model airplane contest for one of his own designs. Other images are my dad’s actual dog tags from WWII, coins (from my grandpa), a wooden nickel I got a Knot’s Berry Farm as a kid and more buttons.
Shown here is the bracelet close-up. I started with a very well loved, tape measure that belonged to my Grandmother. I paired it with grosgrain ribbon and a few buttons that I found at the thrift store. The small button at the right has my mom’s initials on it. When I found it I thought must save this for just the right project, I think that I did!
The first bracelet was found on eBay, it was made with vintage typewriter keys. The necklace is made from new two-hole beads, with typewriter symbols, that have been strung on a rayon cord. The last bracelet, is made from new charms, that are attached to a vintage chain bracelet.
Numbers can be viewed differently by the way you present them, such as “I HAVE 5 weeds!”, or “I only have five weeds…”; vice versa: “I only have five roses…” or “I HAVE 5 roses!”… you get the point. Numbers can also relate to how much money you have, or how wide you are by the inches on the tape measure, or the accumulation of years that equal your life.
Measuring up can mean quite a few things as well. With New Year’s Eve looming, and resolution lists waiting to be written, for me it means gauging my accomplishments, successes and triumphs. Did I spend my time wisely, did I make a difference, did I contribute?
Whatever your answers are to these questions, I hope that you enjoy the days, hours, and minutes to come! Be happy creating or be happy creatively! Enjoy- Christen
Friday’s Favorites: Decorating with Lace and Jewels
I love to decorate for the holidays. I have quite a collection of lace, buttons, and old jewelry bits, and try to find ways to incorporate them into my holiday decorations.
The first tree here, is actually a metal jewelry holder, with a bowl to catch your loose bits of stuff. I have used it to display my collection of vintage mercury glass ornaments and garlands. I placed vintage tinsel garlands in the bottom of the bowl, then nestled a collection of vintage swan shaped clip-on tree ornaments around the base of the tree. I gathered together a collection of vintage dress pins and single earrings, and added these throughout the branches.
The Lace Cone Trees, are resting in a silver leaf tray, with a garland of bells wrapped around the base. There are two vases flanking this group, filled with vintage mercury glass ornaments and vintage glass beads. See my Tips and Tea on Tuesdays post December 6, 2022, for directions on how to make a cone tree.
The Lace Christmas Tree hanging at the top of the picture is comprised of bits and pieces of lace that had been a salesman’s sampler. I added additional pieces of lace, and some vintage buttons. This project is a free handout that I am offering to my readers as a gift, from me to you.
Happy Stitching to you! ~Christen
Friday’s Favorites: Old Doors, Knobs, and Keys
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.
If you like fairies, old doors, and wonderfully illustrated books may I suggest “A Knock at the Door” by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball.
All Friday’s Favorites posts.
Enjoy your day, go on an adventure through a door that you have never been through! Imagine, dream, knock and enter! ~Christen
Perky Pincushion: class/tutorial
Perky Pincushion: 1 lesson/$10
This petite pincushion is the perfect size for your travel sewing kit. The base of the pincushion, flowers and leaves are made from grosgrain ribbon. A scissor fob can be made using the same flower and leaf that adorns the pincushion.
Skill Level Beginning: hand-sewing knowledge needed
Class Information
This class can be purchased at any time, there is no set schedule. The class can be ordered by contacting Christen: thestoreonthecorner@gmail.com. She will send you an invoice through PayPal.
Once the class is paid for, the supply list and handout/s will be sent out.
A high-speed internet connection is recommended, and you must have basic computer and internet skills. You will need to be able know how to download and save a document to your computer’s hard drive, open it, and print out a copy.
You can contact Christen with any questions pertaining to the class/class information throughout the length of the class.
Class fees will not be refunded.
Happy Stitching! ~Christen
Stitched Adornments
Vintage Floral Embroidery
Floral embroidery is a descriptive term that was used for both thread embroidery (silk, wool or chenille); and ribbonwork flowers (a piece of ribbon or fabric that was stitched with a needle and thread). The flowers were arranged in sprays, or as a single bud on men’s waistcoats, ladies gowns, shawls and other accessories. Popular stitches for the embroideries were satin, long and short, and stem. The chain stitch that could also be worked with a tambour needle is often used as the only stitch in the design.
Ribbon work flowers such as aerophane or crepe floral embroidery (used in the late 19th century) had the details of leaves and stems stitched in with thread embroidery. The ribbon, a thin silk gauze or crepe would be cut then gathered with stitches to form each petal of the flower. Narrow silk “China” ribbons were available in shaded colors, and were first used in ribbon work floral embroidery. This narrow silk ribbon could also be threaded into a large eyed needle and stitched into flower shapes (usually a straight stitch) with added silk thread embroidered accents. The combination of ribbonwork flowers and silk ribbon embroidery gave the design dimension. The top image is from a satin purse, with the ribbonworked flowers and leaves of stitched chenille. A gift from my husband for my birthday, probably circa early 1900’s. It is incredible in person.
Vintage Floral Sewing Bag
The second image with the whimsical floral vignettes was made, I believe as a sewing or knitting bag, but I use it as a purse, circa 1940’s judging from the fabrics used. Some of the flowers are made with ribbon, some with fabric scraps, some with added felt details. Primitive embroidery and beading were used to enhance the floral sections. I found this lovely treasure on eBay, and I adore it.
Happy Stitching! ~Christen
Christen's Creations 