Tea in the Rose Garden Tea Cozy: Front Finished

Well here it is! The front of the Tea Cozy with the embellishment finished!

I added simple stitches, beads and sequins to the lace to add color. I also used some square buttons with beads added to the middle.

I finished adding beads to the feather stitch. I also added a flight path for the butterfly and added some dark pink beads to the center of the floral print fabric.

I had used a vintage image from a CD I bought and added writing to the center with an editing program and printed it onto fabric. Then I just sewed it down applique style. I also started working on some pink clover tatted edging, I've never had to turn corners before so I need to look up something. Anyone have any clover corner links at hand? I'm tatting it up in size 10 Flora thread and wow am I not used to that large of thread anymore! It's so huge and bulky, but it looks nice around the label so I'm going to do it. And I'm waiting on a lovely hand painted Mother of Pearl button to arrive in the mail to add to a corner.

Have to share this Tatting Interview

Click Here to see the Interview about Tatting with Sharon on TV!

Sharon also has a wonderful website with videos to teach tatting too! Click Here to visit her website!

Tea in the Rose Garden Tea Cozy: Couched Bow

I'm slowly but surely working on the Tea Cozy more. Today I added in ribbon stitch leaves in 2mm silk ribbon to couch the bow even more. Also I added some little french knot buds to the upper part of the bow.

Wonderful Tea Shop!

I just have to mention this Tea Shop at Etsy.com it's called Tea Noir and she has the most wonderful artisan tea's! She also will create custom orders for you and samplers of her teas. I'm now a repeat customer, because her tea is unique and so yummy! I especially enjoy her Rose Tea, Chocolate Chai, and Carmel Apple Rooibos that tastes a lot like apple cider but with the benefits of being an herbal tea! Also her tea is packaged really well, I was very impressed when I saw it, very professional.

Dreams of Spring RR: Lyn's Block

I got Lyn's Dreams of Spring block yesterday and I was surprised at how small it is! The fabrics are wonderful and it's an unusual shape. The theme of the block is "Meadows in Spring". I thought some tatted clouds would be cute and some rain falling in the lighter blue patch that goes across the block. I ok'd my idea with Lyn first because I know some aren't too fond of rain, but she gave permission to do whatever I thought would be great!
The block reminds me of the scenery I enjoyed as a kid in Italy (military brat) I remember driving in the car and staring out the window at the rolling hills of meadows and vineyards and I remember seeing rain falling in the distance and asking what it was since it looked like a patch of blur from the sky to the ground and being told it was rain falling out there. Really beautiful! I've always loved rain! It was always special, as a kid I'd go for a walk with my umbrella and just enjoy the world to myself. Also rainy days meant crafts or cookie making too! LOL

I looked around for cloud patterns and most ideas were too big but then I saw a couple of edgings that looked like they would make good small clouds worked in sections. Here is the wave edging that this cloud is, and Here is another one that I'm planning on using. The only thing I'm doing differently is adding picots with every stitch to make them fluffy. I might over-dye them with blues too...not sure yet about that. I'm tatting the clouds in size 80 DMC white thread, and only working in 10 min intervals to not hurt my wrists.

Tea in the Rose Garden Tea Cozy: Bow and Tea Bag

I added more to the Tea Cozy yesterday. I added the pink feather stitch down the rose print seam, I'm going to be adding pink beads to the tips too. Nice and simple yet adds a little CQness and sparkle. I also added in a bow that is couched down with different color sweetheart roses. I'm also going to add little ribbon stitch leaves all around it too. I'm just kinda bouncing around going from one idea to the next and leaving the finishing of each idea for later! LOL

I also took 1 strand green floss and stitched on the lace fern to give it shading. I made it look darker to lighter by the lower leaves have 3 stitches fanning out and the upper ones only have a single stitch. I'll be adding a lot more to this lace too, just have been putting it off! LOL

Then I had been thinking for some time about adding a tea bag somehow but the right idea just hadn't gotten to me yet. Then last night I saw Kerry's Tea Bag and thought that was the perfect idea! I didn't do exactly like she did but I did use fabric (mine is organza) and beads in the inside. I just did a basic fold over pouch in organza, nothing fancy and added a mix of beads different colors and sizes and shapes. I wanted it to be like a fancy Chai mix since Christina and I both enjoy Chai Tea a lot. Christina even mixes her own Chai and likes to experiment with ingredients.

The bottom of the bag is loose and can flop, I wanted it to be like that so the beads can be tossed around. I couched some pink size 10 tatting thread for the string, and put little lazy daisies to look like a bow attaching it. For the tag I used silk ribbon in satin stitch and put a sweetheart rose on top and stem stitched around the ribbon in a pink floss that I also satin stitched around the tea bag in long stitches. I just love how it turned out! Just perfect! And it filled in that odd space nicely! My main thing about this tea bag was that I wanted it to look pretty like a fancy-pancy tea bag with a gourmet artisan tea. One time Christina had bought me some tea like that and it had organza for the bag and pretty colors of flower petals in with the tea, so that was my inspiration. In fact I still have one of those tea bags saved for looks because it's just so pretty! LOL

First Little Spring Bouquet

Today I had just enough flowers to clip the first little bouquet to enjoy! If you'd like to see how our garden is growing come visit our Garden Blog. Gerard is starting more seeds so pretty soon we will be overflowing with flowers to share!

Nephew Nathan's 1 year B-day

One year already since my nephew Nathan was born? Isn't he cute!?! Can't wait to see the embroidered Onesies on him, I made sure to get a large size so they will fit him! Wow you can just see our family resemblance it's amazing! I'd like to get a photo of him, my brother, and my dad all at the same age in either black and white or sepia tone all next to each other in a frame. That would be so awesome!

Tea in the Rose Garden Tea Cozy: Roses and Bees

I love how this Tea Cozy is coming along!

Finally finished that bead embroidery butterfly I had started working on!

I added this rose trellis seam treatment. It really is an edging from an Aunt Martha's transfer, I just traced part of the edging onto tracing paper and pinned it on the seem. I stitched in the thread parts with silk thread, 2 shades of green. The middle trellis area is light green and I used 2 strands of the silk thread it was a monster to work with doubled up, I wish I had just used floss for that part...live and learn! LOL Then the vine part I just used a single thread of a darker shade of green silk. Then I tore away the tracing paper and added 7mm Sweetheart roses instead of the daisies that were there originally and added 3 leaves pointing out in 2mm ribbon stitch. Also I changed the lazy daisy leaves into 2mm ribbon stitch leaves. Instead of knots I added size 10 pink beads. I just love how that turned out, just so pretty!
I also used the "bug" stencil to draw in a couple of bees and beaded them in using a variety of beads all different colors, sizes and types. I choose amber colors so they would be honeybees instead of bumble bees. They are just so adorable I'm going to have to make them again!

Wonderful Gift Thank You!!!

I just received in the mail the most sweetest gift made with love from Donna! I enjoy reading Donna's blog she is such a sweet lady! She also has a blog, Rambling In Atlanta, where she shares about her life growing up and life lessons and I've teared up several times reading it and just enjoy getting to know her better. It takes courage to share your life like that and I'm so glad she has. I've found not only do we share a love of embroidery, crazy quilting, and nature, but we also share a love for Jesus first and foremost!
Now onto the eye-candy!

Donna made this little Shadow Work Christmas bear! Isn't it so sweet?! I just love it! AND I've not gotten to see real live shadow work up close and in person!

As you can see she did a wonderful job stitching it up!

And take a look at that back! Just as beautiful as the front and you really see how much work goes into it!

This photo I took with the piece on my light box so you can really see the shadows better.

She also made and sent this adorable cottage needlebook! I will be using this all the time, it's much more perfect to have sitting on the ottoman than a round mini-pincushion that's got needle's sticking out every-which-way! LOL Also to tuck in my purse to take with me! Oh and I have to tell you all this is my very first needlebook! I've never had one before so it's extra special!

Thank you so much Donna I love everything and when I use them I'll think of you!

Princess Bekah and the Block

This evening I got to go visit Wendy at her house and I brought my blocks to share with her. One of the joys is showing her daughter Bekah (Rebekah) the blocks and seeing her reaction. Many times I've wished it was on video so this time we had the camera ready! Isn't she SO cute!!! We'll have to video her enjoying blocks more often!
Wendy has also made a blog for her children Joseph and Rebekah.
You can also see the video Here on YouTube

Cream on Cream RR: Cobi's Block

I started working on Cobi's Cream block, it doesn't look like much but this block is BIG! I added some of the vintage bridal lace I reclaimed and Cobi asked for my vines so I put some in. Not finished yet I'm still thinking of ideas to do. I also started a little butterfly in the top right corner.

Tea in the Rose Garden Tea Cozy

Progress photo of the Tea Cozy for a friend!

I got the idea for this rose from the Tea and Roses print in the center. What I did for the stem was take 3 strands of size 5 Perle Cotton and thread it and bring the needle to the top then I twisted it and brought the needle to the back the distance I wanted it. Then I got another needle with only 1 strand of the size 5 Perle Cotton and couched along the twisted stem. Then I added the leaflet stems using stem stitch adding 13mm green silk ribbon in ribbon stitch leaves. The rose I made using 7mm pink silk ribbon in ribbon stitches, I wish the look of it had turned out a little better but my hubby says it looks beautiful so I will leave it as is, no rose is perfect, I'm not perfect, so I will accept it. If it had been truly awful looking I would tear it out, but it is not awful, just not perfectly what I had in mind. I also added fallen petals sprinkled around using ribbon stitch also in 7mm ribbon. Under the rose is a piece of lace that I thought looked like a table cloth or doily under the teapot.

Almost finished beading in the butterfly!

Bead Embroidery Butterfly on Tea Cozy

I got the idea to use a stencil for a butterfly shape and I'm filling it in with beads. Mostly size 15 seed beads but I used 5 size 11 pearl colored ones for the head, the tips of the antennae and bottom wing tips. The stencil is one normally used for paint stenciling.

To see more of the Tea in the Rose Garden Tea Cozy
Click Here

Onesie's for Our Nephew

Here are a couple of Onesie's me and my husband embroidered for our Nephew who will be turning One Year Old! It's taken me a couple weeks to complete just one when I used to just sit down one afternoon and finish one up!I did the little vintage puppy, it took me a torcherously long time to complete! But isn't he cute? I choose it because of the "little boy" poem and thought of "puppy-dog-tails". I don't normally care for cross stitch but this pup was so cute and it's embroidery style using a cross stitch as a stitch in the design, so it is an exception to my preferences.

Gerard, my husband, so sweetly offered to do one up too and he did the way cool race car! He chose the colors and did it all in backstitch! He finished in only 2 days!
Now I just need to get these sent off! Since I had to take so long they will be a couple days late of his birthday...good thing he's only 1 and won't know it's late! LOL

CQ Tea Cozy: Tea in the Rose Garden

A friend who LOVES tea's birthday is coming up, and since she uses her teapot practically everyday I thought a Tea Cozy would be the perfect gift. I'm still going with the bright pink and green that she loves and doing a Tea in the Rose Garden theme. Since I know she'll be using it all the time I want to embellish a little more practically, that is also the reason I used a couple extra print fabrics on the outer area.
Click Here to see all the posts for this Tea Cozy

Summer Breeze Wall Hanging

I've finally done something with my completed Summer Breeze RR blocks!
I sewed them into a wall hanging...now I'm not a seamstress, I don't know much about sewing or construction and well...it shows! I don't care for all the tedious work that goes into putting something together like this so most of the time I frame blocks. This time I thought I'd at least try doing a wall hanging. As you can see it turned out crooked...I'm wondering if I add a long bead dangle on each side, do ya think it might distract the eye from the crookedness of the red fabric edge?
OH and the front has red Dupioni silk around the edge and the back is red taffeta and has a pocket to keep the little booklet from the RR with all the info it.
Lesson learned, from now on I will continue to frame stuff like this if I want it on the wall! LOL

Free Rose Bud and Butterfly Patterns

Right-Click and Save the patterns to your computer.

You may embroider these patterns freely, however you would like.

Ribbon Stitch
Sweetheart Rose
Lazy Daisy
Bullion Tipped Lazy Daisy
Fly Stitch

Close Ups of Vintage Lace

As I was cutting out these motifs from the wedding dress I noticed that it was a vintage dress that was home made. I also noticed the lace looked hand embellished as well. It looks like someone took normal lace fabric and couched cording around the design to give the raised effect and then stitched on beads. I don't know if the lace was bought that way or if the person who made the dress also made the lace? But it sure is pretty! ***Update: I just found out that the lace is called Alencon Lace. I also received a comment that it is not Alencon Lace, I would have to agree that it is not true Alencon Lace, but if you want to by some that looks like this it's called Alencon even though it's technically not. My sample is only vintage not really antique or anything so it's the same as the kind you'll find in bridal shops.

Click on the photos to see them real close. I took front and back of one piece and then a photo of a few motifs.

Cream on Cream RR: Debbie's Block Finished

Here is an overall look at Debbie's Cream Block. I think adding the vintage wedding lace balances out the other lace patches in the block. This block has such a vintage or antique feel to it, just beautiful! It was fun to work on! Now it's ready to send on to the other ladies in the Round Robin, I'm glad I got to be the first to work on it and add what I did.

Here's a closer look. I ended up adding some of the reclaimed vintage pearls to the SRE vines instead of the matching size 15 seed beads. I felt like that brought the motif together better.

This is just an artistic photo, I just felt like being creative and doing a close up at an angle.