A few months ago, I (Teri) joined the local chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America. Each month at the meetings, an embroidery project is offered; at my first meeting it was a cute little tea cozy, made with buttons. I love tea, and I have a vast collections of buttons, so I gathered some fun buttons and threads and set off on my new adventure.
I love to challenge myself to learn new stitches or to make them with different threads or applications. For this project, I chose to focus on using Painters Threads and floss by Weeks Dye Works. I had a wonderful time experimenting and just playing, without a real plan. The tea cozy went together pretty quickly, and I think it looks pretty happy sitting on my counter. I had intended to make it as a gift, so it will be a bit difficult to part with it!
We were given a lovely kit that included the cut pieces of linen, the liner, and the insulating fabric. The butterfly buttons were available for us as well. This is how I created my button-embroidered tea cozy garden.
Choosing the buttons and arranging them was my biggest challenge. Once I was pleased, I took a picture to follow as a guide. |
From left to right, these are the stitches and threads I used for each flower.
Picot stitch with Weeks Dye Works floss, Grenadine |
Pistil stitches with Painters Threads pearl #5, Van Gogh |
Colonial knots with Painters Threads pearl #8, Grandma Moses and lazy daisy stitches with Weeks floss, Grenadine |
Lazy daisy petals with Painters Threads metallic braid #4, Grandma Moses; ribbon stitch leaves with Painters Threads 7mm ribbon, Turner |
The bee is made with DMC pearl #12, a bullion knot made with one strand each of black and yellow, with wings of loops made with Painters Threads metallic braid #4, Longan. To see a tutorial on making the bee, read our Garden Gate post by clicking here.
Drizzle stitches with Weeks floss, Autumn Leaves |
Colonial knots and fly stitches with Weeks floss, Grenadine |
This button is ringed with cast-on stitches that overlap to create the petals, made with Painters Threads metallic braid #4, Van Gogh. |
Left leaf—fishbone stitch, right—stacked fly stitches Painters Threads pearl #8, Turner |
Pekinese stitch with Painters Threads pearl #8, Grandma Moses |
Bullion stitches with Painters Threads pearl #5, Van Gogh |
I changed the position of the butterfly button from my original plan; it seemed to be more balanced amidst the flowers. And the bees just completed my garden. As I write this, the weather is dreary and damp. I think I will go make some tea! Won't you join me?
Love your tea cozie.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHi I am donna I joined the EGA also but I am a member at large there is not a chapter where I live . Thank you for sharing your tea cozy experience could you tell me what fabric was used for insulation
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