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!