Homespun Hearts Part II

In case you’re curious, here’s the backside of the two hearts I posted yesterday. They’re hand-stitched and really so easy a child could make one. In fact one of these would be a perfect gift for a teacher.

I used plain muslin for the backsides. That somewhat uneven tan running stitch is how I attached the back to the front. I stitched it right sides together and left the raw edges exposed.  I don’t figure they’ll see a lot of use so I think the raw edges will be OK.

I stuffed it tight. I crammed it with fiberfill and closed it up one stitch at a time.

I used white thread and stitched the lace to the front. I stitched along the original seam to reinforce it. When I finished I attached a loop of ribbon for a hangar.

I attached the buttons on the front as a final touch. Don’t trim the lace “to fit” until you stitch it on. You’ll have to gather and pleat the lace around the curves and corners, so don’t trim it until you get it all attached.

That’s all there is to it.

Enjoy.

Jan

Butterfly and Flower Hair Clips

Last week I spent the day with my nieces, Riley and Avery, and I made a couple of hair clips for them. We didn’t have a plan, but we did have some felt.

I first drew a butterfly on a sheet of notebook paper and colored it with markers. Then I rough cut a few little pieces of felt and shaped them into butterfly wings. They aren’t exactly like the wings I drew but the girls thought they looked good so I didn’t fret over it.

I cut a few smaller pieces and then shaped the spots on the wings. I used hand quilting thread to stitch the spots to the wings. All purpose thread will work, but 100% cotton hand quilting thread is wax coated to reduce drag when the thread is pulled through the quilt layers. Which means it’s less likely to tangle. Yay!

I stitched the top two wings together and then tacked on the pink spots. Then I did the same with the bottom wings and the orange spots. I layered the top wings over the bottom set and stitched them together, first on the back…

…and then tacked it securely on the top. These stitches would be hidden by the body.

After the wings were connected I placed the yellow scallops on the top wings and I cut out a little blue body.

Easy peasy.

It would be fun to add sequins to the wings, but we didn’t have any. Instead, I outlined some of the parts with lavender (or is it lilac?) cotton thread.

We decided it needed a head, so a tiny orange circle was added to the top of the body. Then I attached a clip to the back and Avery was delighted.

With a few more scraps I took a circle of felt and folded it into quarters. I sliced it along each fold to create four petals. I rounded the corners of each petal. Then I did the same with second piece of felt. I used two different shades of pink.

I did it again with an orange circle. To change it up I put a slit in the middle of each petal to make eight. It still looked like an orange circle so I cut a “V” shape between each petal and shortened them by about 1/4 to 3/8 inch.

With a needle and thread I stacked the three layers and tacked them together.

I traced around a spool of thread to get an accurate circle out of yellow felt.  The purple thread was handy so I used it to hold it all together.

Then the hair clip was added.

Riley was happy to have this one.

Pretty cute for a half-hours worth of stitching and a few scraps.

I wanted this to be a project for them to do, but I had no idea where I was headed when I picked up these felt scraps. Now that I figured out the sequence and the supplies needed, I can provide some simple patterns and they’ll be able to do it on their own.

These felt doo dads can be attached to a pony tail holder or a head band, either fabric or the hard plastic kind. Tack it to a tote bag or a t-shirt. Just make one or two or decorate with a whole garden full of flowers or a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

BTW: That is the real name of a bunch of butterflies; a kaleidoscope.  Sometimes they are called a swarm or a rabble. A swarm sounds scary to me, like bees.  And rabble sounds chaotic, and a rowdy rabble doesn’t make me think of butterflies.
Other websites ignore those names altogether and call a group of butterflies a flight or a flutter.

I tried to come up with a little bumble bee, but he needs some work.  A caterpillar would be easy, or a small bird.  And Avery wants a car.

Any other ideas for easy useful crafts for summertime?

Jan

 

Take Me Out to the Ball Game Play Blanket

When my son was about three I realized I needed to keep a play blanket of some sort in the car All. The. Time. because we never had one when we needed it. Here in Norman we spent Saturday mornings at Griffin Park playing soccer in the spring and fall. Summer weeknights were occupied with Little League. Reeves Park is where moms and dads play softball while the kids climb the bleachers and play in the dirt on the sideline.

I made a couple of play blankets out of quilted fabric that—20 years later—are still useful as dog beds. I never thought to make one out of upholstery fabric, but one like this would have been handy.

I stitched this up over the weekend. Actually, I had enough fabric to make two of them and they’re listed on etsy if you’re spending lots of time at the park this summer.

It’s tapestry upholstery fabric that’s plenty sturdy for playing or napping. The fabric is stiff, so it’s not a snuggle blanket, but it’s just right for a picnic, a concert in the park, or a nap in the shade of a tree.

It’s about 5 feet square. The sides are hemmed, and the short fringe of the selvage has been left exposed.

Fold it in half, then in quarters and roll it up like a bed roll. It’s a just-right size to cram in the corner of the trunk of the car, use it as a lumbar pillow on long car trips, or take it on board for a pillow on the airplane.

it’s tied up nice and neat with a carrying handle. I’ll add an additional length of braid for a shoulder strap and hands-free hauling.

I have way too much fabric in my stash these days, so a few more of these may turn up in other styles. Watch for them.

Where would you find one of these useful?

Jan

 

Baby Bibs and Slippers ~ Recycling Denim Jeans

Here’s what I’ve been up to this week.

I’ve been stitching up more of my Denim Jean Skirts  and of course my mind is wandering over all the ways I can use the leftover denim.

I was sewing at the flea market a couple of weeks ago and someone came by and got all excited about these bibs she’d been making for friends.

She was making the kerchief trimmed ones and said they are excellent “drool” bibs for teething toddlers. Then she came back the next week and brought me a sample and a template so I could sell them.

 

After I made a couple with kerchiefs I spied a stash of eyelet trim and decided to use it to decorate a few in a different style.

 

Then I was checking through pinterest looking at other uses for old jeans and came across some baby slippers, which I adapted with an elastic band around the heel.

 

And then I added trim to match the bibs.

Aren’t they cute?

I have them at my booth at the flea market at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds this weekend and I’ll add them to my etsy store next week.

Do you have an idea for a denim makeover? I’ve made small purses, a small tote, and lots of skirts. What’s your favorite?