Scrappy Ornaments

Here is a fun, easy project as you prepare for the Holidays!  And if you don't mind a few sticky fingers, even fun for the kids! 

You will need clear, plastic ornaments.  They come is a variety of sizes, but mine are 3" ornaments.  You will be able to find these at your local craft supply store and are usually sold in a carton of 6.

You will also need a jar of Modge Podge and a small paint brush.

Finally, gather your scraps of fabrics and cut them into very small pieces.  The pieces do not need to be the same size, in fact, it is better to have a variety of sizes.  But the scraps do need to be small....generally an inch or less.

   

I usually start at the top of the ornament and lay a piece of fabric on the ornament, hold it with one hand and simply paint the piece of fabric with Modge Podge.  You don't need much, just enough to stick the fabric to the ornament.  Then continue with another scrap and slightly over lap the last piece of fabric and paint with Modge Podge.  I like to go all around the top first so that I can hold onto the hanger as I work my way around the bulb. 

You will notice it looks cloudy as you are painting, but it will dry clear.  Once you have finished a bulb, you can place it upside down in the carton or string a ribbon through and hang to dry.  Once dry you may add more layers of Modge Podge if you would prefer.  I only did one coat.

So there you have it!  A fun ornament for your Christmas tree, as a gift {for teacher, maybe}, or gather several in a ribbon and use to decorate a package.

Have fun!

Mary

Afternoon Tea with Suzy

It's always nice when two to-does can be accomplished at once!

A brief excerpt from my seemingly endless to do list =

To elaborate, two of the things I HAD to do this week were:
1. Introduce the adorable creations of Suzy Ultman, our next guest designer and announce her visit to the shoppe, coming up Saturday, March 12th.
2. Make an anniversary gift for a coffee loving couple, my brother-in-law and his wife.

So in the spirit of killing two birds with one stone, I've set out to check off these two to-does, with this one blog post!

First of all let me just start by telling you how adorable Suzy Ultman's fabrics, papers, softies and illustrations are! Her work is very popular in the paper and craft industry. In fact you may have seen it without even realizing it. Her creations have been published by Chronicle Books and her list of clients rang from Crate & Barrel to Oopsy Daisy and many more.

All 5 images above of Suzy Ultman's work are from http://www.lillarogers.com/artists/suzy-ultman.

Her first two fabric lines for Robert Kaufman are just the tip of the brilliant iceberg which is Suzy's portfolio. She is certainly one to keep an eye on, and I personally can't wait to see what her next fabric line brings!

Suzy Ultman will be at our shoppe Saturday, March 12th  from 2-4PM, for an afternoon visit and trunk show. She'll be bringing samples of her precious work, some great giveaways and a sneak preview of her upcoming fabric line.

Now for my second  P and the reason I can so perfectly combine these two tasks.
Suzy's current fabrics for Kaufman's Metro Cafe collection are all about coffee and there is certainly nothing better suited for my coffee obsessed relatives than these!

Suzy Ultman Tea Towels

For these fun and simple Suzy Ultman Tea Towels I used Robert Kaufman's Essex cotton linen blend, a 45% cotton and 55% linen cloth base and embellished them with raw edge appliqués, stitching and ruffles. The end result is a sweet set of unique towels that I really hope my relatives enjoy.

To make 2 towels you need:

2/3 yard of a cotton/linen cloth, toweling, woven, or twill

1/4 yard of Suzanne Ultman's Espresso Beans

1/4 yard of her Retro Mugs

and 1/4 yard of her Retro Perk

plus 1/4 yard "Wonder Under"
cream and brown thread
and a fabric marker or pencil

Prewash all fabrics (gentle cycle will help prevent fraying).

I made my towels one at a time so I have also written these instructions in the same manner, but for a set of two towels simple follow all instructions 2 times :)

First cut your main fabric (toweling or other) to be 19"x24". Next cut the Espresso Bean print to 36"x4", this will be the bottom ruffle of the towel.

Finish one 36" side of the Bean fabric by ironing down 1/2", reopen, fold raw edge into crease line then refold and iron flat, creating a 1/4" hem, edge-stitch, backstitching at beginning and end. This is now the bottom of the ruffle.

Next sew a gathering stitch along the top edge at 1/4" seam allowance.
Pull bobbin threads and gather until ruffle is 19 inches long.

Attach ruffle to towel with a french seam: Pin ruffle WRONG sides facing to towel material, sew with 1/4" seam allowance, trim to 1/8", iron seam allowance up and then fold ruffle over so that right sides are now facing, pin and sew, backstitching at beginning and end.

Iron ruffle down and seam allowance up toward toweling. Topstitch towel 1/4" above ruffle to keep seam allowance flat, backstitch at beginning and end. Then finish sides of towel the same way as ruffle botton; iron 1/2" to wrong side, unfold, fold raw edge into crease line then refold and iron flat, creating a 1/4" hem, edge-stitch hem in place, backstitching at beginning and end. Hem top of towel the same way.

Now for the fun part!

Cut your Wonder Under to the size of one or more mugs and iron to the wrong side of the Retro Mug fabric. Cut out mugs leaving about 1/16"-1/8" of white all around. Do the same for one or more of the Perkalators.

Play with your appliqué layout. Make some small markings were your mug and coffee pot will go, set them aside, then stitch freely back and forth in brown thread to create a faux bois like surface to rest your mugs on. Next remove the paper backing from your Wonder Undered mug and pot appliqués and replace them on towel, iron to glue in place and finish by stitching around each appliqué 2-3 times.

Voila!

Now have a cup of coffee and enjoy, or wrap them them up with a bag of good beans and gift them to someone who loves their joe.

April's Mini Matryoshkas

Little two and a half inch dolls, made to spread 

joy and cheer. 

These tiny girls love to be hung alongside the glowing lights of a tree or just carried in your pocket

strung amongst your keys. 

They're happy to be anywhere that they'll be smiled upon and praised. 

So sew some up for yourself and friends, and have 

Happy Holidays!

What you'll need: 

printed pdf pattern for Mini Matryoshkas

several colors of felt including skin toned felt for the doll's faces (I like to use 2 shades of the same color for the body of my dolls)

fabric marker or chalk pencil

pink (rosy) colored pencil

hand sewing and embroidery needles

applique pins - optional

fabric scissors (a small sharp pair helps greatly with the detailed cutting of little things)

paper scissors

clear, fast drying fabric glue like "Unique Stitch"

thread to match felt for doll body

black pearl cotton or floss

hair colored pearl cotton or floss

other bits of pearl cotton/floss to sew on flower embellishments

6 inches of complimentary yarn (or floss) for hanging

fiberfill/stuffing

How to make one:

First print and cut out all pattern pieces.

Choose the colors for your Matryoshka's hood, back and tummy. 

Next, you can either trace your pattern pieces onto the felt with a fabric marker or pencil, or you may opt to use itty bitty applique pins to pin the pieces down and cut around them. I use both methods depending on the pattern piece's shape and size.

Cut out you doll's face, hood, tummy and back of body. Be sure to mark where her hood overlaps her tummy piece.

Apply a tiny amount of glue around face and top edge of tummy. 

  Front view        -       Back view

Glue her face behind her hoods opening and then line hood up with the top of her tummy (along overlap line).

While the glue is drying choose and cut out your flower design. Feel free to play around and come up with your own flower and leaf combinations.

Click on photos for a larger view ;)

Attach your flower design to your doll's tummy. I use a single straight stitch to attach my leaves and either a french knot or cross stitch in the center of my flowers.

After the glue has dried, using a single strand of coordinating thread, take some small stitches around the base and opening of the hood, to secure your gals face and tummy.  

Next using a double strand of hair colored pearl cotton or floss, satin stitch her hair. Use the pattern as a guide for placement and stitch slightly under the hood as you go, so as to avoid any bald spots.

Now mark eyes, lashes and mouth placement and stitch with a single strand of black pearl cotton/floss. Use a twice wrapped french knot for the center of her eyes and straight stitches for her lashes and mouth. Draw on your doll's blushing cheeks with your pink colored pencil.  

On the back body piece, using a large needle, pass the 6" of yarn, knotted at the end, through center of felts loft and come up at the top of your dolls head, this will secure your dolls hanging loop, but you should not be able to see the stitch from the doll's back side (see photo bellow).

Wrong side/ inside doll    -     Right side/back of doll

Draw needle back through the center of the felt and out next to your original knot. It helps to hold the felt at the doll's head secure between two fingers as you do this, and you may need to reshape the felt a bit at the needles entry point. Knot the yarn an inch from the end, trim off excess and pull loop taut.  

Sandwich the two body pieces together.

Starting at the bottom right corner of your little lady's body, blanket stitch her front and back pieces together using a single strand of coordinating thread. Stop at the opposite corner, leaving the bottom open.

Stuff firmly. Use the end of your pencil to help push stuffing into her head and body.

Finish by closing her up with blanket stitch across the bottom.

Yay!! 

You've made a sweet little dolly to hang from your tree or anywhere that brings you joy.

Now make some more and give them to your friends. Everyone is sure to delight in their delicate cuteness!

Happy crafting! 

Lots of love, 

♥

April

Hooded Baby Towel and Wash Mitt

This relatively easy to sew duo would make a lovely handmade gift for a new baby or expecting mother.  Plus they're also a perfect chance to practice your bias tape binding skills! 

Place the set in a sweet basket along with my very favorite baby soaps and it's certain to be a cherished receiving gift. 

This new 100% cotton, terry velour fabric is so soft and cuddly that it almost makes me want to have another baby just so I can snuggle him or her inside it...

...yeah I know, I'm constantly debating another baby. Oh, those tiny little fingers and toes... and adorable little animal prints, cuddly fabrics and cute baby projects are so tormenting. They certainly help to tally up the pro's column in the poll I take in my mind.

Come to think of it, I have been oohing and ahhing over other peoples babies quite a bit lately, perhaps because mine is turning into such a big girl! :(  Don't tell her I said so though. She's really into being small right now. She's constantly saying "I'm tiny" and I say "Yes, you are. You're my tiny girl." ♥

She's still my baby. She still lets me rock her and snuggle her. 

I tell her she'll always be my baby, just like I remember my mother telling me. And she will be, just as I am. 

And we'll all be our mothers babies in someway, no matter how big (or old) we grow.

Happy Mothers Day.

Here's what you need: 

*1 1/2 yards of 60" wide terry velour by Spechler Vogel, this is enough for 2 towels and a mitt. 

One fun fat quarter, cotton print or a large enough scrap to cut an 11x11x16" triangle.

130" of bias tape or 1/2 yard of fabric to make your binding (since the towel has no curved edges I did NOT cut my tape strips on the bias, this saves both fabric and energy).

Coordinating thread

A rottery cuter, acrylic rule and cutting mat

Fabric shears

Pins 

and a sewing machine

+ scrap paper and pen for drafting your Wash Mitt templet

Here's how it's made:

The Towel

Select you fabrics. For this project I've used a 100% cotton, extra wide terry velour material from Spechler and Vogel. It is wonderful because the terry side is nice and absorbent while the velour side is oh, so cuddly!! Also for this towel I've used a fun hedgehog print and a red gingham flannel, both from Michael Miller.

First: Cut a 30"x 30" square from your terry velour; if you are using the 60" wide terry you can cut it straight down the center fold, then cut two 30" squares at once. Do to the salvage edge you may not end up with an exact square, as long as it's close it wont be noticeable.

From your printed cotton cut an 11"x11"x16" triangle. Pay attention to the direction of the print. I've made my 16" cut across the fabrics grain and two 11" cuts on the bias so that when the hood is up the hedgies aren't slanting sideways. 

Cut another 11"x11"x16" triangle from the terry.

Next with velour side up place your printed triangle face down on top. This way you will end up with a hood lined in extra soft velour, to be nice and gently on new baby skin. Pin bottom edge and stitch with a 1/4" seam allowance. Turn right sides out and press.

Trim off any little triangle tips that stick out or any other discrepancies between the two triangles. Then topstitch, a 1/4" from edge, along the bottom of the hood. 

Next aligned the hood with one of the towels right angles and pin.

Baste in place.

Trim any discrepancies.

Prepare binding.

Attach bias tape with mitered corners. Save you extra bias tape.

Trim out balk seam allowance around hood to allow the tape to neatly encase the raw edges. 

Finish your binding with the final topstitch, take your time neatly forming your mitered corners and making sure all raw edges are tucked in and well encased, if they are not fraying and unraveling might accrue during washing. Save you extra bias tape.

The Wash Mitt

First onto a scrap piece of paper, trace a rounded mitt shape about 2" away from your hand all the way around. Note the mitt I drew here was only an inch larger then my hand and it fits very tightly. 2" extra fits much better :)

Cut mitt shapes from your left over terry cloth.

Place velour sides together, terry sides facing out, pin and stitch 3/8" from edge, leaving bottom open.

Trim seam allowance to about 1/8"-1/4", being careful not to get too close to your stitches. Turn velour side out and stitch another 3/8" from edge.

Using the extra binding tape from your towel, begin attaching it to the open end of the mitt. First fold the sort raw end of the tape back and then pin around the perimeter, sew. 

Take about 4" of tape, top stitch closed, then fold length wise to make a loop. Stitch short ends together.

Turn mitt right (terry) side out.

Pin loop close to one of the side seams (but not all the way at the side seam to avoid too much bulk). Finaly fold binding over raw the edges and topstitch to finish.

Happy Sewing and lovely weekends to you all!

Snuggle your babies once for me,

♥April