Project Photo Dump

I have a couple photos of some projects I have worked on. No tutorials or anything, sorry.

Crafting:

 Another Doctor Who scarf!  The knitting is actually 100% done (not 75% like when this pic was taken), but edges and tassels still need to be done. This is a full size version of Season 14 with the 4th Doctor - it is much larger than pictured.

Hello Kitty Plush/Stuffed Animal - I made this from felt, thread, and poly fiber fill (fluff).  I sewed it together using a blanket stitch and a whip stitch.

Back of Hello Kitty

Cooking:

Sushi! It came out okay for my first attempt ever, but definite improvements to be made.  It is supposed to be a California Roll, so it is made of rice, nori, avocado, imitation crab meat, and cucumber.

Fun Geeky Hobbies:

I bought this D Gray Man puzzle at a convention. 1000 pieces way too much black, grey, and navy! I could only do the puzzle by natural sun light because the colors were too close and the indoor lights put a glare on the pieces.  It took me forever to finish, but I did it and it glowed in the dark.

I have a couple more pictures and will be working on some sewing - clothes - projects soon.

Fleece Blanket

For my sister's birthday, part of my gift to her was a home sewn blanket.

We were at Hancock's Fabric and she found a dinosaur printed fleece she liked, so I offered to make something out of it.  I have a flannel blanket with a silky border, which needs repairs it is so old, and she asked for a blanket like that.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take progress pictures, but I plan on making another one around Christmas.  Then I'll remember the progress photos... hopefully.

Fleece Blanket:


1.5 yards of fleece or flannel
2 packages of blanket binding/border
Thread matching blanket binding
Sewing Machine

I did an extremely simple blanket.  I had 1.5 yards of my sister's chosen fabric cut.  I left it in the shape it was in from the store - my sister approved of the shape, since it was large enough to cover her.

I purchased blanket binding in a color that went with the colors in the fabric; I purchased only one package at first, but found later that I needed two. My process for attaching the binding will be different on my next blanket.

Construction:
1) Lay out the fabric so it is flat. Iron flannel if necessary, be careful with fleece - it can burn

2) Pin binding to fabric. Make sure not to bunch fabric or pull to tight. The fold of the binding should match up and touch the edge of the fabric, so all the binding is on top of fabric.
Instructions I found say start pinning on a side not a corner, but I don't really like the look of a seem in the middle. I haven't tried starting at a corner, so I can't honestly suggest it.

3) Corners take a little practice. I'll post how to pictures next time since I'm sure my instructions won't be clear. Anyway, on both sides of the blanket, fold fabric over so it makes a point  over the corners point.  There will be a fold line down the middle of the corner. Doing this on one side should  cause the other side to do the same thing, but, if not, then repeat.

4) Finish pinning all the way around



5) Sew the binding on. I used a normal straight stitch, but I meant to use a zig-zag stitch to keep the edge of the binding from flapping up. My sister didn't care, so I kept the straight stitch at 1/4 inch from the edge of the binding.

When I revive my camera, I will take pictures of the corners.  Then I will add a better how-to for blanket binding corners.

I won't be cooking much in the near future due to my work hours, but I do have some past sewing and crafts I am going to try to post more regularly.  I also found this great knitting book, so I have that to work on as well as my Halloween costume.

Cute Fabric Bows

I have an obsession with cute things, especially accessories, clothes, and fabrics.

Bows fall in that category. This is what led me to making my own bows out of my fabric scraps.

Sewing bows is actually much easier than it might seem; at least I thought it would be harder.

Above are the bows I have made so far.  The argyle and brown/tan bows were the first two I made. The fabric is a little loose around the middle, but practice makes perfect.

The bows don't have anything attached to them, which makes them a versatile accessory.  You can slip a bobby pin through the fabric loop for a hair bow or use a safety pin to attach the bow to a bag or outfit.

To make the bows I went through a process similar to that of making a tiny pillow except, after flipping the fabric pouch right-side out, I sewed the hole closed without filling the pouch will fluff.

The square/rectangle was then folded or scrunched and sewed down in the middle in order to get the bow shape. Lastly, a thin piece of fabric was wrapped and sewn around the middle of the bow.

There are real tutorials and patterns around the net. The patterns range in materials and skill level required - there are even no-sew an minimum sewing tutorials - so find the tutorial that is right for you if you are interested in the little DIY project.

In the future, after some more practice, I might try selling these with some of my other craft projects. I'm going to try adding details - like button charms, lace, ruffles, etc. - in order to create different styles.

Speaking of details...
I went craft supply shopping a couple times this week. There were sales and coupons that demanded my attention.

I came out with a decent haul that will help in my goal to create a crafting stock pile.

Fabric: Fleece, flannel, and felt. Rose fleece was on $2 a yard!

New storage box and patterns ($1.99 yeah!)

Crochet hooks, buttons, ribbon, thread, needles, and binding

Up close view of my cute buttons

I'm looking forward to using my new supplies. So many possibilities.

I leave you with pictures of my bows in use:

Next time: Fleece blanket