New Christmas tree skirt (updated for formatting)

 Hello, everyone. We're having "Chamber of Commerce weather" in South Texas just now. That means, in Fahrenheit numbers, nights in the 60's and days in the  80's. Very comfortable! And seasonal for this area.

The moon was playing peek-a-boo behind some clouds the other day.

Since this area doesn't generally see anything that looks like snow, or ice, we have to use our decorations to make it look like it's Christmas season.

I have now used my (new) 10-degree ruler to make the panels of a tree skirt. Fabrics are from stash. Also the little tying ribbons are from stash.

The front. I used nine different fabrics for the panels.

The back.

The tree that needs a skirt. (It got a few more ornaments after this photo was taken, but the general idea is the same: decorated egg shells, beads, and crystals. And a bow for the top, because the traditional stars are too heavy for it.) This is a small tree, so we set it up on a coffee table.

(Edited to fix formatting. I don't know what happened, but using my phone to post made a huge pile of empty space for no reason that I can see. Now fixed!)

Christmas is coming

 Hello, everyone.  Christmas is indeed coming, and the approach of the season was signaled for my by our most recent Sewing Club project. 

This beauty is from the Anita Goodesign Christmas cookie pattern set.

In doing this I learned how to incorporate craft foam sheets into an embroidery project.

I like the white on white look on the felt "cookie". Some of the other ladies in the club did ornaments without the contrast applique fabric. They were gorgeous!

Merry Christmas!

 Hello, everyone! 

A few pictures for the day:

A few of the angelic choir on the door with trumpets

And another one inside with a violin

Ornaments old and new, with the memories they bring of friends and family

And gifts in honor of the One whose birthday it is.

I wish for all of my readers a wonderful Christmas.

Preparing for Christmas

 Hello, everyone.

It's Advent now, as of Sunday, and in our family that means decorating for the holiday.

This little scenic eggshell was given to me by a neighbor of my late grandmother. She used to make them. My little angel gets a prominent place in the tree every year. 

There hasn't been much done outside yet, but the wreath is up.

Last year's little additions were wired in very well, and still solidly in place when we got it out. I kept them there and added some clip on birds and angels. The bow is off-center this time. I used silver glitter ribbon.

Test stitching on something new

Hello, everyone.

A little while back I encountered a free embroidery pattern on the internet. (And now I can't remember where it was.) It was a "primitive" style angel, and the photo showed an angel stuffed toy made with Minky-type fabric. There was the stitch file, right there, and a link to the maker's blog, which drew a blank. So, being in the mood to experiment, I downloaded the stitch file. 

Opened the file in the embroidery software that came with my Janome MC500 and printed out the alignment page. Also I put it into the thumb drive. 

Loaded the file into the embroidery machine. Dug around in the info provided there. It had 11 colors of thread. Each color had a color spot next to it and a nominated Janome thread color. I don't have that brand of thread in the house, so I went by the color chips and approximated the colors.

Having no instructions for the project, I used the instructions for the OESD Minkee Pals which are about the same size and look to have similar ground fabric.

This helped me to decide on stabilizer and topper. It also allowed me to try out the other pattern, which I had bought the package with the idea of making gifts, and see how I like the construction method.

A close-up of the little angel.

At the top right, part of my notes on which colors go to what. I think I misread the color that ended up on the little face, the chip looked like bright pink and probably should have been some shade of beige/tan/flesh tone. There was a pair of final colors that was a bit confusing: a speck of green that seems to have no purpose, and after adding the back fabric to the top of the sewn material in the hoop an outline stitch. This was spec'd as charcoal gray on my screen and probably should have been the same pale pink as the first outline stitch, as the charcoal shows at the interior corners of the shape. 

I don't think I like the "primitive" style. The dot eyes and the half-circle mouth just aren't my thing. The texture on the wings and hair is interesting...blue wings? whatever. It is a cheerful looking little thing, perhaps as a tree ornament or package decoration? All it needs is a little ribbon loop added at the top. Maybe that was why the tiny green line was placed? It's at the top of the halo.

The most key thing I have difficulty with is the method of construction of this stuffed angel--and by extension the stuffed animals in the Minkee Pals pattern set. (Remember, this was copied from the Minkee Pals instructions as an approximation.) The final outline stitches a seam *all the way around* connecting the front to the back. This produces an inside-out angel with no turning opening. The user is supposed to cut a slit into the back fabric and turn through the slit. "It's Minkee, you can just stitch the opening together and it doesn't ravel!" Right. But I was thinking of giving the Minkee Pals to children. 

I put a piece of the trimmed off stabilizer inside the slit after the stuffing was inserted and used it as an interior patch to stabilize baseball stitching and closed the slit that way. 

I'm not sure I'm excited about this. The minky-style fleece and the stabilizer and topping worked out well. (A mesh in the hoop below, the fleece on top and not actually hooped, and Sulky Solvy on top--spray temp glue and tape were involved in this.)  

Maybe it's time to make the first of the Minkee Pals and try a different way of attaching the back to the front. Like using my regular sewing machine to make an outline seam that has a turning opening. With a little flap to tuck in at the opening so it can be sewn shut by hand. 

This was basically the way the coasters went together, except that the instructions there said "hand stitch" and I tucked the flap (just make it while trimming the fabric, they don't say anything about such and idea) into the inside of the coaster, pinned it, and edge stitched all around the edge to close. I think the machine edge stitching won't work as well on the curves and corners of this type of project.

If the Minkee Pal works out, I'll probably do another post on this stuff.

Christmas season was busy, so...

Hello, everyone.

As the title says, Christmas season was busy. It's still busy, so crafty things were photographed then and are being posted now.

These were an idea from Pinterest.

I made a triangle template from an old file folder.

The stripey fabric was pieced from stash on hand, various greens and Christmas-y bits, some not rectangular, various widths for interest. Used spray glue to adhere the thin batting to the backing piece, then to adhere the pieced top to the batting. I think I quilted in the ditch at this point. Traced the template and sewed the outlines. Then cut apart. (Used the wavy blade on my rotary cutter.) Added ribbon loop at top, in white, and ribbon loop at bottom for trunk, in brown. Or black.

They're a good size for package tie-ons, or favors.

I kind of think if you could solve the cutting into an inside corner problem you could make really cute hearts on the same principle.

Maybe one could do it in reds and make diamond shape or lozenge shaped ornaments, too.

More Bead Play (also uses up Stash!)

Hello, everyone.

I have to give a hat tip to the Russian ladies on Youtube for this idea. They have uploaded bunches of twisted-wire work involving beads for hair, bracelets, whatever.

This is a bridal-style hair pin. A young lady I know thought that her ladies might like to have sparkly bits to tuck into a braid for The Day.

The beading actually grew like Topsy when I started working on it, I think the original idea was the daisy in the middle and maybe three or four beads sticking up, but one thing led to another and here we are. It uses up a number of crystalline faceted rounds and bicones, and some teardrops, some pale pink ones, and some seeds and various sizes of perles and even some cultured actual pearls. (The teardrop shaped ones on stems.) Also an assortment of bead caps.

The twisting has to be done carefully, I actually gave some of the wire metal fatigue by twisting too tightly and it broke. Who knew that could happen? But if y'all are thinking of doing something like this, now you know.

Beads mostly from Fire Mountain Gems, some from Hobby Lobby, wire likewise. Hair pin from the pile in my hair stuff! Rhinestone in the flower from Fire Mountain, it's a montee from a pack I got years ago to replace a lost rhinestone on a sweater. You never know when extra bits will come in handy!

It's been a very busy week

Hello everyone.

The busy isn't finished yet, either.

I did get some Christmas prep done around the house, though.

I recapped the Pinterest idea that was tried last year--added a couple more balls--and it still looks good. (I love a way to use up some ivory tulle!) As there is a picture in the post from last year, and I hadn't made a "save for web" version of this year's one, y'all can look at the photo from last year. It's pretty much the same, and hanging from the same light fixture too.

 Below the hanging collection of gold balls, a table runner that was made last year and something new. The greenery is two pine picks from Hobby Lobby, with a few of the fair sized collection of itty-bitty ornaments we have. The dangling blue and cream star was made from instructions in Bead and Button magazine December 2010 issue (goes to a back issue sale listing), using Delicas and 15 count rocailles and a cabochon instead of the suggested rivoli center. (Those from Fire Mountain Gems.)

The green version, which is on the other side of the little "tree" on the table.

There was also a white version made, but the photo didn't come out. It's on the main tree in front of a light bulb, and the light illumines the translucent beads wonderfully. In person. The camera looked at it and decided to focus on another thing entirely! Oh well.

As the busy time is not over yet--got to finish little gifts for my little angels before their party!--I will cut this post off here.

Beading, re-using a piece and using up stash

Hello, everyone.

Y’all may remember the peyote-stitched shell image that I had made and hung on a purse in 2014…the purse was just the right size (too small for a lot of junk) and I liked it a lot. Unfortunately, it became dilapidated over time, and I had to get a new purse. The new one has no place to hang the blue shell dangle.

So the shell, after being cut off of the old purse, has been sitting around in the assortment of bead things that need to be dealt with. 

Christmas

Hello, everyone.

As y'all know, we did tree decorating a couple of weeks back.

Well, it finished a couple of weeks back. First I tried to get out of it.

It's artistic, all by itself, right? A bold purity of form in the dark-green triangle. Simplicity. Elegance. From the other end of the sofa, these words: "you still have to decorate it."

Decorated, it is too difficult to get all of it into the phone camera view. This is the top, with one of the angels and a Wise Man or two showing.

The bow is the tree topper, now that we use fake trees, because unlike real trees the fake ones have wimpy tips. (The live trees are always pruned into a nice shape, which also means that the tip is a reasonably sturdy end that will hold up Moravian stars or angels or whatever.) The Moravian star that I tried to hard to find all those years is much too heavy to go on top of the fake tree. Likewise the little translucent-shell tree topper. The upshot was to do a florist's bow in something wire-edged and glittery.  The various star shaped tree toppers have had to find new places to be.

And the shell star has found a home for this year.

At this, the eve of Our Lord's birthday, I wish for all of you a blessed and wondrous Christmas season.

So I tried a Pinterest idea

Hello, everyone.

Pinterest is a time sink! But along with the silly, and the funny, and the "just too amazing for me to try and do this!" pins there are some do-able ones that appeal.

I confess, there are a few new ornaments in the mix. But the ties are from stash! (And there is plenty more of that ivory tulle still in the sewing room, too.)

I held up an ornament at about the right length, then held up a strip of tulle between that height and the ring at the bottom of the chandelier, and then doubled it. This tulle strip became the pattern to cut many strips...not all the same length, but it's tulle. It's okay, as long as the strip is at least 2 or 3 inches wide so it will hold the glass ball and accept a simple knot at the top.

And this went together in, maybe, half an hour after the glass balls had been rounded up.

Small Tree (Egg Ornaments)

Hello, everyone.

As Thanksgiving is over, and the refrigerator is slowly approaching normal (from total overload!) levels, we've begun getting Christmas things down and the decorating is slowly getting going.

The small tree is up. Next to the polyclay ribbon candy ornament is a little ceramic ornament left over from when I would give gifts to my CCD students every year. It has a painting of the Holy Family on the front. On the other side of the ribbon candy ornament is one of the ones made during the mad tassel phase: embroidery floss makes lovely tassels that are just the right size for hanging from egg shells.

One practical note: with the fake trees, the top is too floppy to hold up a tree topper of any normal kind. I had to add a stiffener to it in order to get the star to stay upright. The stiffener is wired onto the tree with green pipe cleaners and is pretty much a permanent item. Then when decorating the tree, I put the last of the white mini-bulbs up at the very tip so the star would be lit from within.

Another practical note: the small tree looks much bigger because it's on top of the coffee table. I put a table cloth over the table to protect the surface from scratching by the tree stand. This also hides at least some of the extension cord clutter.

Almost all of the eggs made it onto this one.

Some years past, when MIL would come down for several weeks at Christmas time, we would have a large tree in the living room, a 3-foot tree on top of the buffet in the dining room, and this tree in the upstairs hall. That was when there were helpers still living at home with us, of course. Now we're cutting back on the over-the-top decorations. This year I decided to put the upstairs tree in the room with the piano. (The buffet was retired to the Salvation Army with the over-large table and chairs that matched it. They weren't heirlooms or anything like that. We just felt like we were crowded out of our place a bit.) The 3-foot tree was outside in the Man Cave shelving over summer a couple of years ago and a mouse moved into it and chewed up the whole thing, so that one is gone. That left only two places to put all the egg ornaments that have been made over the years--and this tree is in better proportion for the smaller items.

The trick with eggs is to use your handy corsage pin to break up the yolk before you blow it out the holes that you carefully drilled with your Dremel. (Or chipped patiently open with the said pin and a starting hole made with the point of a sharp knife--less mess on the tools, but more eggshell breakage!) On the side, there was so much eggshell cutting going on at one point that DH got tired of finding egg white on his things and got me one of my own!

One nifty thing to do with an egg shell is to cut a slice in the shell while the egg is still inside, allowing the cleaned shell to be used to display a tiny angel or other scenic element. My grandmother's friend Mrs. Beckley was an expert at this and even made an egg shell with a tiny skating scene once. She sent us each an ornament, back when I was a child, and I still have mine.

The Beckley egg

She used graduated pearl beads and velvet cording around the opening of the egg, along with the golden fringe. There is even a bit of frou-frou on the back of the egg! She was an amazing egg artist.

(This photo taken before we stopped buying a fresh tree every year--now, sadly, we have fake. The expense of the extremely large fresh floral item over two or three years was the same as the cost of a nice fake tree which lasts for five years or more. And let's not talk about the problem of keeping smelly mold from growing in a water-filled tree stand for several weeks!)

When making Christmas eggs, I find that painting the washed and dried egg shell with gesso covers over the slight texture of the natural shell and makes it stronger. Then the shell can be perched on a bamboo skewer--one that you don't intend to re-use for food--and spray painted. That will give a smooth, shiny surface for further decorating. (Link goes to a really huge container of the stuff. My gesso is in about a 2 ounce bottle! And if you're only painting egg shells it goes a long way.)

The children and I would have "Christmas in July" over the summer holidays and make egg ornaments. They would paint words or even little scenes on the shells. They never broke an egg shell, either--they were all old enough for elementary school by then. (For younger children, I'd stick with popsicle stick crafts. There is only so much manual dexterity available before about age 8!)

Model paint works really well for painting words and tiny scenes, but requires mineral spirits for clean up. The tiny brushes sold in the model department are wonderful for the work.

Acrylic paint works well also, and is very easy to clean up, but after the paint is all dry the shell must be sprayed with sealer before any lacquer coat is added. Otherwise the carefully painted flowers or whatever will run. The tiny brushes can still be used, or one can go with a more elaborate floral kind of decoration.

Acrylic paint is also more generally available (in scads of colors) even if there is no hobby store in the area. Wal-Mart has it, Hobby Lobby and Michaels and JoAnn all have it, and if one gets into elaborate shading and such there are even blenders and extenders to give more working time. The gesso is also sold in little plastic bottles in the acrylic craft paints section of stores.