Needle Pointed Tea Ball

 

Welcome to the Curiosities! The Needle Pointed Tea Ball is the first oddity to be completed and unvelied.  

This 3" (7.5cm) diameter tea strainer has been knocking around in my supplies for a couple of years waiting for the moment I would have the nerve to actually stitch it. Because, of course, that's why I bought the tea ball. I have a laser cut tea strainer for my actual loose tea.

It is unbelievable how time consuming it is to stitch 15,000 or so almost 1mm stitches that make up the needle pointed image. Here is how I did this:

I traced this 1930 illustration onto a piece of lightweight white cotton fabric, pressed it inside the tea ball then basted it in place. Because the drawing was flat and ball round, it became a bit cartoonish, but I decided I really liked the look and continued.

 

And the stitching began. I used a beading needle which is ridiculously long and thin. It was the only needle that would move through the wire threaded with the one strand of cotton embroidery floss and fit between stitches.

Eventually the holes at the edges became too small to stitch and I rounded out the edges.

The branches of the trees and the flowers in front of the house were embroidered on after all the background was done. I tacked on a bit of matching ribbon from my stash and left a tail hanging.