Monday, January 3, 2011

Tea Time Progress - Top is Done!

This weekend I finished up the stitching on the Tea Time wallhanging that I’ll be donating to Crazy Quilting International.  We will be listing several wallhangings and quilts to auction off on Ebay.  Proceeds will go to the scholarship fund of the newly-formed ICQA, International Crazy Quilt Association.

This is the finished TOP.  I still have to back and bind it, and quilt it in some fashion.  Haven’t been thinking about that too hard up until today...   Right now it measures 20” across and 17” high.  That will change, of course, with a border/binding.


In the upper right, I added some freshwater pearls to the crocheted motif and bead flowers to complete the seam treatment.  I also beaded around the teapot  with blue seed beads.

The big teapot got some organza steam, the seams were stitched, and the meandering ribbon got spiffed up a bit.

This was the crocheted rose motif I added last month.... “before"

This is the “after”.  I stitched along its border, secured the ribbon, gave it a pearl center and added some neighboring embellishment.

A silk ribbon flower cluster in the lower left

Gold trim and ribbon roses for the teacup

The blue floral motifs were added to cover up some of the busy print.
A mother-of-pearl button serves as a plate in the place setting

As part of my commitment this year to reduce, reuse, recycle (de-clutter, use up, make do, upcycle, etc. etc), I did not go out and buy the perfect fabric to back and bind it.  Instead I will use some burgundy moire that I have, and it will be fine.  Maybe not THE BOMB, but certainly adequate.

And speaking of making do, I planned a trip to JoAnn’s yesterday.  I ran out of white thread, and it was the last day of their 50% off thread sale.  I really didn’t want to go because of all the temptations to buy stuff I really don’t need.  But I went, and when I checked out, the only things I had in my shopping bag, besides 4 rolls of white thread, was a red polka-dot cotton remnant (half yard for $1.25).  It was not a planned purchase, but is a great blender fabric for some cute red farm animal fabric I have to make London an outfit out of this year.  Plus it could go in Valentine things, too.  Yes, I am justifying it (LOL), but it was only ONE thing!  I passed up at least a half dozen fabrics that the old Cathy would have bought, not to mention some yarn (also on sale).  Must finish the afghan I am working on first.  

And the clean-out of our library begins next week.  I told DH we need to empty the big bookcase, because it is coming down to my studio to replace the smallish, tilt-y one my fabrics are on now.  This will give me room to place more stuff - like the fabrics in that rolling bin I want to get rid of.  What doesn’t fit into existing studio storage goes into the pile for the next Stash Dash at the CQI Retreat in September.

So many projects, so little time!
Cathy maroon

16 comments:

  1. How pretty! I love the little mother of pearl 'plate' and tiny knife, fork and spoon. I have a set of those in my stash (somewhere) and I must remember this idea.

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  2. Cathy you have done a wonderful job on this and I hope it gets lots of exposure and goes for a good price.
    Leslie told me at the retreat she had a plan for getting lots of exposure so let us hope so.

    You added things and did things I wouldn't have even thought of. Clever girl you are.

    Hugs

    FredaB

    ps - I just took out my prize from you at the retreat. You co-ordinated it so well it is almost like a picture and I hate to take it apart.

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  3. Well Miss Cathy, this is GO-A-JUS!!!! Don"t know how you come up with these ideas..Debbie (Maine)

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  4. WOW you really finished this up with a bang... I need to find the shot of where you were when you started again with it.... Good for you on getting out of the sale so cheaply... Hugs Ger

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  5. What a lovely Tea party you made! You have done so many neat and creative little things on this... I hope I remember to think of half of them to be so inventive!!

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  6. OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!! I love love love it!!! I adore the little place setting!!! Where did you get the silverware from? OH and my other fave thing is the organza ribbon as steam!!! SO CUTE!!! I'm starting to collect for a tea party theme piece now and I pinned up a few fabrics on my design wall to start getting the back burner of ideas going!

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  7. Hello Cathy, Your tea time quilt is very very pretty. I especially like the embelishments. You have done a fantastic job in creating it. Do you do the crochet wee flowers?? Hugs Judy

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  8. This is so beautiful! Lovely, lovely work.

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  9. Gorgeous! What a great job of combining motifs!

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  10. Beautiful work - I love the whole tea party theme and all your wonderful embellishments!

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  11. It's just beautiful Cathy! Cute, cute, cute!

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  12. Very pretty top and for a good charity also! Love all the stitches, motifs and the ribbon steam!!
    Linda M in NM

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  13. This is very very pretty love all the colors and yes the moire will do just fine, hopefully it nets a wonderful price well worth it. Linda

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  14. WoW! Amazing! Beautiful! I love moire, but you've put so much work into the top, I think you deserve to back it with whatever you want!

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  15. OMG Cathy! This is gorgeous!!!! Finally getting around to doing some blog hopping. You work is just as beautiful as always!

    Also, thank you for the lovely "Pink Package" of goodies you sent to me. I've already use some of it on Block #5 of my Marie Antoinette Quilt. I'll post photos before the end of the weekend.

    Again Cathy, thank you so very much for thinking of me!

    Hugs,
    Pam

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