Tag Archive | wooden spools

Friday’s Favorites: Attic, Garage and Junk Drawer Finds

Apr28

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.

A selection of orphaned and discarded items, waiting for a forever home!

I love to re-purpose items, and give them a new or different home, other than what they were intended for. Here are a few examples of how you can take orphaned or found items like this odd selection above, and repurpose them into something useful.

Aunt Murt’s Garden
Auntie B’s Finest
Black and Creme

These are Stash Idea Inspiration examples of two of the Stash Projects in the book, Scrap Pin and Hoop Frame. I re-purposed old knitting and jewelry pins and a wooden embroidery hoop.

UPcyCleD Jell-o Mold
Cookie Cutter Wreath
Spools and Tools

The first picture is a Stash Project in the book, that uses and old Jello-o mold for the base. The next two images are Stash Idea Inspiration pieces. I incorporated a collection of heart-shaped cookie cutter molds, that I wrapped with ribbons, and added in ribbonwork flowers to make a wreath. The next wreath started with a base of vintage wooden sewing thread spools. It has vintage sewing thimbles filled with ribbonwork flowers, and old pair of scissors, trims, and metal butterfly pins.

Vase of Flowers
Wooden Spool Vase
Salt Shaker and Inkwell Vase

Here are a selection of vases, made from unexpected finds. The first two are Stash Projects in the book. In the first image, I used a vintage china creamer that had belonged to my husband’s mother, Virginia. Filling the vase are flowers and leaves made from a variety of ribbons and zippers. In the second image, I took a wooden spool from my mom’s old stash, and filled it rosettes made from hand-dyed ribbon, and a group of vintage French beaded glass leaves. The last image is a Stash Inspiration Idea, where I took a saltshaker and inkwell and used them as small vases filled with flowers.

The book has a chapter called Altering the Past, where I give you instructions how to make the ribbonwork flowers and leaves, the rickrack and fabric flowers, and the penny circles.

I hope that this inspires you to find and repurpose those abandoned attic, garage and junk drawer finds, and get creative!

Happy Stitching! ~Christen

Tips and Tea on Tuesdays

Apr11

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 a light Jasmine green tea, with a bit of orange honey, freshly made locally. I am also munching on a slice of carrot cake left-over from the weekend. The lovely china cup was a gift from my dear friend Jeri, and I treasure it. She introduced me to all things feminine, like drinking tea in beautiful vintage cups, playing with lace, and collecting mother of pearl buttons.

She also was a staunch believer in re-cycling. Her workroom was filled with all manner of collected treasures, displayed in jars, boxes, and tins. Her spirit lives on here in my collections.

re-purposing vintage and new glass jars

Tip: Repurposing Glass Jars

  • Wash your glass jar thoroughly in hot water, preferably in the dishwasher, this will remove all leftover food or oils.
  • All manner of collected treasures can be stored, I usually leave the lid off.
  • Store buttons made from glass, metal, shell, and wood.

Note: Do not store vintage plastic buttons in glass jars with the lid on, as the materials and chemicals have a tendency to breakdown. If you ever wondered why those buttons have a funny smell, that is it! I store vintage plastics in a cardboard or wood box.

re-purposing vintage and new glass jars and salt shakers

Here are some additional ideas for ways to use unusual vessels:

  • Fill a spice jar with flowers from Michael’s or your local craft store and place it on a doily.
  • Keep a jar for all of those bead blips, broken buttons, odd pits of ribbon, stuff you don’t want to throw out.
  • Fill the holes of a salt shaker with hatpins, or remove the metal top and fill it full of hat pins.

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.

Friday’s Favorites: Rust, Wood, Bark

Nov11

Fridays Favorites is all about natural rustic decorations. I love to collect things, and I am sharing some of my favorite treasures with you today.

This is one of my favorite boxes, it rests on our mantel year long. I change the decorations according to the season. Here I have lots of wooden spools, keys, dyed gourds and cool treasures.

The first image is a grouping of rusted tools, in a really cool woven container. The second is an old wash board, with a very well used wooden pole.

paper wasp nest
antiques

This is just a collection of more of my treasures, and all of them make me smile!

All Friday’s Favorites posts.

Well I hope that this inspires you to be creative with your decorations, and that you are enjoying this time of year.

Happy Stitching! ~ Christen