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: 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: 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: 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.

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