I started with a vintage linen place mat for the base. It was pure white (not my favorite color), so I tea dyed it.
Several pieces are vintage - the fluer de lis shaped applique on the right, with a vintage button in its center, and the doily underneath it.
Do you see the heart shaped piece of abalone? Isn't that cool? I love the fact that you can find all kinds of heart shapes in nature.
Vintage buttons here. and although it doesn't show very well, the word "Create" and the "x's" are in a lovely teal green thread. I also tried the button hole stitch around the pink flower; I'm a little rusty, but it came out okay - I think.
This was such a lot of fun to create. I just kept adding bits and pieces, changing some pieces out for others, and moving them around until I got the "look and feel" I wanted. I then pinned everything in place, then hand stitched everything to the base fabric.
It's actually kind of therapeutic, stitching all this in place. Very peaceful.
This small crocheted doilyhad been ripped, but as you can see, there's no need to throw it out.
Almost forgot to show you what it would look like as a fabric art journal. The front.....
And the back.
And here it is! I started it last Sunday or Monday, did some stitching on it during a couple of evenings, and finished it up this morning. Disregarding the lousy photography, what do you think?
Love and Blessings, Jan
