Sew Sew Days

Hi everyone I've been busy playing with my embroidery/sewing machine. There is a lot to learn. Lol! Took me a few minutes to figure out how to wind the bobbin as well as how to import embroidery patterns. Anyway I thought I would share a couple of Christmas gifts I made.

I had fun cutting fabric into strips and making this quilted heart. I learned after I embroidered Love that I should have used fusible interfacing so the fabric underneath didn't show through when I adhered it to my quilted front. It has been a long time since I have done hand stitching with embroidery thread but felt like the heart applique needed something. I was going to hand sew beads around the heart but found this bead trim at WalMart. My dancing diva loves the pillow her grandmother made her. 

This is a sketchbook I covered with fabric. When you open it up there is pockets for putting pens, pencils, ect.  The butterfly was machine embroidered on a scrap of dotted fabric.  Now that I know how to make covers with inside pockets I can't wait to make some covers for composition notebooks for gifts.

This is my psychedelic butterfly. I had variegated thread  on the machine and decided to see how it would turn out. The fabric puckered even though I loosened the thread tension so after doing research I have a few things to try.

Wishing you  a Happy and Crafty 2019!

"Take A Mini Vacation Read Fiction" Bookmarks

Hi everyone I belong to a fiction book club and when last week in my Dover Sampler e-mail a vintage ad image showed up I thought it would be fun to turn it into a bookmark.  I decided in the blank space to put the words "Take a mini vacation read fiction".  Since some people are not talented enough to read upside down to have the book in the woman's lap upside down. Here are a few of the bookmarks which after I chalked the background and colored with pencils the image I laminated. I had so much fun with my pan chalks and pencils doing different color combinations.

Time to head out to the book club and deliver these. Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Thanksgiving Quick Napkin Cards

Hi everyone I'm busy clearing off my sewing table and getting ready to create some Christmas gifts. I thought I would share with you quick cards you can create using napkins.

Originally Carol Duvall on the television show in the 80's " Home" shared this technique using napkins to make note cards. It was fun to watch her craft segment.  At your public library you may be able to pick up her book. Sorry I don't remember the title.

There are all kinds of inexpensive napkins available. After a napkin is ironed on card stock you could even cut out a portion.. Enough jabbering.

After you have picked out your napkin you will want to carefully remove layers until you have single ply. Save the pieces you pull off as you can use those in another project. Then cut a piece of inexpensive plastic wrap to size. (I'm still using plastic wrap given to me years ago when I did Press N Seal demos to show how superior it was to generic plastic wrap. LOL!) First place parchement paper or copy paper on your ironing surface  then your card stock. On top of that the plastic wrap. Then position your napkin. Place parchment paper or copy paper on top. Using no steam iron by placing down the iron and let it sit and move to another area. Do not iron like you would normally do in the beginning or you will have a mess. Once you have checked and the napkin seems to be fairly secure you can iron like normal. At this point I like to turn my card stock over and iron like normal to make sure the plastic has welded the napkin onto the card stock. 

The card on the left is a panel. I edged with ink and the ink bleed some but I like that look. The card on the right the right corner wrinkled so I decided to be frugal and do some creative cutting and use  a scrap of burlap on my base. 

Have  fun and if you decide to do this technique share a link in the comment section so I can admire your creation.

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!