Posts Tagged ‘embroidery’

How to: Make a Starter Embroidery Kit

As you may know, my niece became very enthusiastic about embroidery over the holidays, and now that another very important holiday is upon us (her 6th birthday, of course!), I decided to put together a personalized “my first embroidery kit” for her. It has a combination of store-bought and handmade elements, so you can make your shopping and DIY lists accordingly.

Here’s what I included:
–Tin box (or a basket, or a small tote bag)
-6 swatches of about 10″ by 10″ fabric (snipped from my own fabric stash — lots of geometric patterns for easy stitching)
-6 skeins of embroidery floss in different colors
-4″ wooden embroidery hoop
-Classic stork embroidery scissors and a felt sheath
-6 needles and a felt case
–Disappearing ink pen and a felt sleeve

To make the scissor sheath, trace about 1/4″ to 1/2″ around the scissors on a piece of felt (tip: use the disappearing ink pen before packaging it up!). The shape should be approximately 4 1/4″ by 2 1/4 at its longest and widest.

Cut four matching pieces of felt using the tracing as your guide. If you’re using printed felt (with a right and a wrong side), pair off the four pieces, wrong sides together.

Then sandwich all four pieces together and blanket stitch along the edge with a contrasting color embroidery floss. Starting about 3/4″ from the top, stitch around the bottom of the sheath (where the point of the scissors will rest) through all four layers, then stop again on the other side, 3/4″ from the top.

Without tying off the thread, stitch through only two layers at a time to finish the edges at the top of the sheath (where the scissors will be inserted).

Tie off and snip the thread, and insert the scissors! Here’s a diagram from my sketchbook as a refresher:

For the needle case, cut two 3″ by 5 1/2″ felt rectangles for the cover and one 2 1/2″ by 5″ rectangle for the inside page (1). Center the inside page on the right side of one of the larger rectangles and sew a straight running backstitch along the center to create the interior “spine” of the needle case (2). Then sandwich the second larger rectangle against the first, wrong sides together, and blanket stitch around the edges (3)! Arrange the needles onto the inside page (4), and fold the book closed (5).

For the disappearing ink pen sleeve/cozy, cut four pieces of 1 1/4″ by 6 3/4″ felt rectangles (1). Stack them together as you did the pieces of the scissor sheath and blanket stitch them the same way: through all four layers and then through just two layers at a time around the opening (2). Tie off the end, snip the thread, and insert the pen (3)!

Here’s a look at the finished felt DIY components.

Then it’s time to assemble everything. Make sure it looks nice and neat — because it’s likely the last time it’ll look that way!

What would you put in a first embroidery kit? I thought about some iron-on patterns, but for now I think she’s at the stage where she’s experimenting and doing her own thing (but I’ve got my eye on this one for future gifting!). I also thought about including a stitch card (there’s a tear-out one from this book and I was tempted to include the one from my copy).

[ 4 Comments | Posted on June 7th, 2012 ]

Crafting with the Next Generation

After Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws, we all settled into the living room for some Wii karaoke and Wii dance party, and I, in my 8-months-pregnant state, settled into an armchair to work on an embroidery project I was trying to finish before the little guy arrived. It wasn’t long after I sat down that my young niece snuggled in next to me and asked, “Aunt Megan, can I do what you’re doing?” Though I wasn’t quite ready to pass my project into the hands of a 5-year-old, I did have a spare needle, plenty of floss, and was more than happy to share my hoop. (I was also rather giddy that she had taken such an interest in what I was doing!) I suggested that we ask her grandfather whether he had a fabric scrap she could work on (he used to work in the interior decorating business and always seemed to have plenty of spare yardage), and sure enough he came back from the garage having clipped a corner of textured, shiny, sea foam green upholstery fabric for her to work on.

I helped her sandwich it in between the rings of the hoop, let her choose a color, and threaded the spare needle. And she started stitching…and stitching…and stitching! Long stitches and short stitches, cross stitches and straight stitches — only pausing for me to tie off an end and change the thread color under her creative direction. I asked her what she was making. “Oh! This is a mini-blanket for the baby. For him to snuggle with….” she replied. We talked about me helping her make a back to the mini-blanket and finishing the edges when she was ready.

Below, the young seamstress at work — she never once made the freshman mistake of stitching around the hoop, rather than just up and down through the fabric. (I was impressed. I don’t think I can say the same for my first embroidery experience!) The next morning, she declared herself finished with that piece of fabric, handed it off for me to take home to Brooklyn to finish, and started work on a black and white gingham pattern which allowed her to practice making short, even stitches by following the pattern on the fabric.

Fast forward to the day after Christmas — the little guy had arrived, and my niece was in New York to meet her new baby cousin. She asked if we could sew again. I reminded her that we needed to choose a back panel for the mini-blanket! So we sat down with my fabric stash in the Generation T workroom and flipped through scraps until she spotted the black and white flame fabric — I had purchased it several years ago in Portland, Oregon (to make a quilted throw pillow for Mr. T — back before he was Mr. T) while I was on book tour for Generation T. I also used it as the backing fabric for the electric bass, so there’s definitely a theme! We cut a swatch, threaded a needle, and she began tracing the flames with embroidery floss.

When she left, I embroidered her initials on her work, pinned the pieces together and used some scrap muslin to edge the mini-blanket. I also added the loop, which yes I recognize makes it look a little like a potholder, but also allows me to tether it to the stroller!

And no complaints from this little guy about his new handmade mini-blankie! He loves to snuggle with it and grip the edges tightly.

I can’t wait until the next project my niece and I make together! And here’s to the next generation of DIYers — I can’t wait till this little guy is gripping some scissors in his little hands, too!

[ 8 Comments | Posted on January 30th, 2012 ]

How To: Embroidered Electric Bass Softie

Happy New Year! With all the baby prep in the final months of 2011, I finished one craft project not-exactly-in-time-for-baby, but in time for Christmas. I began this embroidered bass guitar a couple of months ago, after finding the pattern in a local sewing shop. Though most of the designs in the envelope were intended (so suggested the text on the packaging) to be applied to tea towels or pot holders or grocery totes, I immediately envisioned this one as a softie toy for my soon-to-arrive little rock star. And, well, all I can say is that he seems to be taking to it quite naturally.

Materials:
-Solid color cotton quilting fabric to embroider
-Patterned cotton quilting fabric for backing
-Electric Bass Iron-on Pattern (in Colonial Patterns “SR4 Rock’n & Roll’n”)
-All-purpose scissors
-Iron and ironing board
-Wooden embroidery hoop
-Embroidery floss in white, black, silver, and slate blue
-Embroidery needle
-Embroidery scissors
-Straight pins
-Sewing machine and thread
-Fiberfill

Make it:

1. Cut out the iron-on pattern and place it face down on the plain fabric. Follow the instructions on the pattern packaging to press and transfer the image with a warm iron.

2. Thread the needle with an arm’s length of black embroidery floss. Use four strands for each stitched segment of the design. I outlined the bass in black with a split stitch, used split stitch fill in white for the pick guard, split stitch and split stitch fill in silver for the frets, pickups, bridge, and tuning keys, used backstitch in slate gray for the strings, and finished off the control knobs with French knots in black.

3. When the stitching is complete, carefully cut about 1/2″ around the black outline stitching. Place the embroidered piece against the backing fabric, right sides together, and cut around the shape to create a matching back piece. Pin the edges and, leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew a running stitch around the pinned area. Leave a 2″ opening at one end. Remove the pins and turn the fabric right side out. Stuff with fiberfill, making sure all the “corners” get filled first, and hand stitch the opening closed.

4. Put it in the hands of an eager young musician.

[ 2 Comments | Posted on January 1st, 2012 ]

Adventures at CHA 2011

Here are some highlights of the people, places, and products I visited (along with my friend and partner in crafty crime, Sonya Nimri, author or Beadalicious and Just for the Frill of It) while exploring the floor for three days at CHA 2011. (They’re a little out of order, so forgive the costume changes!)

First off, Sonya and I met up with mixed media artists Alisa Burke and Traci Bautista, and graphic designer Alexa Westerfield at the iLovetoCreate booth.

Sonya and I just had to drop our bags and park ourselves at the iLovetoCreate make-and-take that Alisa was running–coloring a craft apron with Tulip and Crafty Chica fabric markers! The results are below–a Generation T especiale with measuring tape, scissors, T-shirt, and pin cushion by me–and two platypuses in love by Sonya.

The mannequins at the iLovetoCreate booth had some crazy-mazing get-ups thanks to many of their creative staffers and bloggers!

Then I learned to crochet for the second time (here was my first attempt) at the Simplicity booth with Drew Emborsky, aka the Crochet Dude. I completed a silver and black sparkly necklace in about 20 minutes = success!

We met up with fellow iLovetoCreate bloggers, Kathy Cano-Murillo, Margot Potter, and Avalon Potter.

I bumped into Sublime Stitcher Jenny Hart, who was at CHA to cover the event for Craftzine, and met Cathy Callahan, author of the forthcoming Vintage Craft Workshop (due out Spring 2011). We couldn’t resist posing beneath this cheery paper flower arbor.

Speaking of colorful settings, Sonya and I hug it out at the dreamy Red Heart lounge where they were celebrating 75 years!

In the “innovation hall,” make-your-own silly bands at Shapelets were a hot stop. And while we noted that Silly Bandz are so over in an even-the-SillyBandz-company-was-selling-snap-bracelets-at-the-recent-NY-Gift-Show kind of way, making Shapelets was refreshing for its DIY spirit of self-expression. Those are my star-shaped bands cooling on the pegboard along with Sonya’s completed mushroom bands!

I stopped for an impromptu interview with Cathie and Steve on Plaid Craft TV — they have a new web show coming out soon, so check it out!

And look, while they were interviewing me, Sonya’s segment from Plaid Craft TV was playing on the lower right monitor!

Here we are with Cathie and Steve — along with Amy Anderson, chief blogger at Mod Podge Rocks!

We stopped in to play with Melody Ross’s ChipArt tools–but forget chip board, we hammered words and initials to personalize leather bracelets at this make-and-take!

Everybody remember everyone’s favorite 3rd-person-speaking, faux-hawked contestant on Project Runway Season 5? Suede was at the far end of the Simplicity booth, signing copies of his new patterns and–what have we here?–refashioning T-shirts. Here we are with two of his laced-up, fringed-up, tied-up tees.

Non sequitor: I’m just in love with these framed disembodied hands and lanterns. I want them for my wall. (P.S. They’re from Tim Holtz‘s Idea-ology booth.)

Blogger meet-up! Stefanie Girard of Sweater Surgery, the Creative Craft Goddess Vicki O’Dell, Jenny Barnett Rohrs of Craft Test Dummies, and Jon Lee of Provocraft.

One of the finalists from So You Think You Can Dance Season 4, spinning on his head in a dance-off at the Provocraft 5-year birthday celebration for the Cricut. I think that’s a solid way to wrap up the round-up, right?

Oh, but while he’s spinning on his noggin, I’m not quite done… I’ve exhausted my photos, but the other sweet happenings included meeting Heather Mann of Dollar Store Crafts, the VP at Colonial Patterns (the company responsible for the Aunt Martha’s robot embroidery iron-ons), Kristen Turner of Threadbanger’s VainGlorious, and Ohio Knitting Mills author Steven Tatar.

And, the make-and-takes kept coming: from paper flower brooches, to etched glass, to paper-wrapped bangles, to old-school friendship bracelets. Another highlight of the weekend was the flip book that Sonya and I made at the entrance to the Cricut birthday party–it’s like a party photo booth turned up to 11–lots of costume props, plus 7 seconds to move around and goof off, then it’s printed, cut, and stapled into a mini personalized flip book!

So that’s it…until next CHA!

[ Comments Off on Adventures at CHA 2011 | Posted on February 15th, 2011 ]

DIY Skirts and Pillowcases and Cakes, Oh My!

In the spirit of the DIY Christmas, I thought I’d share a sampling of the ways in which I incorporated the handmade into my holiday season. You all read about the headbands and hair ties I made for my niece — I also whipped up two skirts for her (she happens to loooove the color pink–can you tell?). I made this one using a tutorial from TheMerryChurchMouse, who calls this design “The Charming Little Skirt.”

Skirt number two is adapted from the “Easy Elastic Waistband for a Little Girls Skirt” by TheMotherHuddle — the waistband is made from a scrap T-shirt hem!

I also embroidered pillowcases for my sister-in-law. Mr. T found the perfect quotation that combines dreams (appropriate for pillowcases) and architecture (her profession): “An architect is the drawer of dreams.” –Grace McGarvie I added the golden spiral and rectangle since it is the only architectural influence I know! (My dad designed the house that I grew up in and based the entire design around the golden section.)

And to finish with something tasty, this is the Lemon Olive Oil Cake I made for Christmas eve dinner at my in-laws. (Adapted from this recipe.)

If only I had photos of the chocolate truffles Mr. T and I made for dessert the following night…alas, they, like the cookies a week earlier, did not last long enough for a photo shoot. But we scored a stand mixer from his mom for Christmas, so more baking is definitely in our future!

What about you? Will any of your holiday gifts kick-start the DIY project aspirations you have for 2011?

[ 4 Comments | Posted on January 9th, 2011 ]

How to: Softie Robots

I came to make these little soft-bots quite by accident. I was testing some patterns for a project at my day job, and suddenly found myself in the company of five robot outlines that had been ironed onto several fat quarters of fabric I had picked up from a local quilt shop. What was I going to do–not stitch them? Never. So I set to embroidering each robot in my spare time (on the subway to and from work, at jury duty despite having my scissors confiscated, during my lunch break in the park). And then they sat. (One reason why the step-by-step photos are less than stellar is that the process for making them was so very stretched out!) It wasn’t until a not-so-recent craft night that I took the next step: cutting them out and pairing each bot with its backing. Now that I’ve finally completed the mini-army of ‘bots, it’s time that they found homes…. Thankfully, in the amount of time that it took me to complete them, several of my friends have had babies. And every new baby deserves a new ‘bot!

Materials:

-Scrap fabric for embroidering (light colors work best with iron-ons)

-Scrap fabric for backing (use patterns!)

–Aunt Martha’s Heat Transfer Pattern “SR1 Robots Invade”

-Scissors

-Embroidery needle and thread

-Embroidery hoop

-Chalk marker or air-soluble marking pen

-Straight pins

-Sewing needle and thread (or sewing machine)

-Fiberfill

-Cotton twill tape (optional)

Make it:

1. Select your light scrap fabric. Cut out the pattern and transfer it to the fabric with a warm iron.

2. Select the embroidery floss colors. (I used 3 to 4 colors for each robot.) Separate 4 strands from the selected floss and thread the embroidery needle. Secure the fabric template into the embroidery hoop and start stitching!

3. Mark and cut about 1″ to 1 1/2″ around the stitched robots. Select appropriate backing material and place the cut piece against the backing. Cut around the piece to create a matched backing piece. Pin around the edges.

4. Sew around the pinned edges about 1/4″ from the edge, leaving a 1″ to 1 1/2″ opening at one end. Turn the fabric right side out and stuff it with fiberfill.

5. Stitch closed the opening and you’re done! Optional: If you’re feeling adventurous, stitch a personalized tag with 2 strands of embroidery floss on cotton twill tape.

And voila: Here they are, five robots in a basket. In a creative stroke of inspiration, I named each ‘bot for its destined owner: Clockwise from lower left, that’s Levi-bot, Elliot-bot, Luke-bot, William-bot, and Lillian-bot. Hope to update soon with photos of the ‘bots in their new homes!