Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Wizard of OZ Dress

I can't even begin to tell you how happy this dress made Beastie (and Me!!!). 

I showed her that she could put the different pattern pieces over specific designs on the fabric and she could change the look of her dress. We started with the front bodice and I let her choose what characters were going front and centre. She did the rest! 

Her favourite character is the witch! Beastie wanted to hide her because she's sneaky. She put the witch pictures on the back.


 

There was no way Beastie was going to stand still while wearing this dress. It's her absolute favourite! 

This is her second favourite!
Momma found two pillowcases at the dollar store and we made her a spinny dress with the same pattern her oz dress is made from. Didn't wash up as nice. Requires loads of ironing. But totally worth it. 

She rocked her wolf suit today for her field trip to a local farm.
It has fleece inside and heaps of pockets.
I expect them to be full of treasures when she comes home.





Matchy Shirts for Grandpa and Beastie

I used James' current shirt pattern and a 1950's boys pj top to make Beastie's shirt from this super cute nursery rhyme fabric that James picked out. I added piping and bibs to both shirts. 

This is Grandpa's shirt. I added blue buttons and piping from quilting scraps.

The 1950's pj pattern only had a one piece collar so I had to add the neck pieces like Grandpa's shirt. I also added details like pockets flaps (that were a bit too big but no one cares),collar piping and bib details to match his.

I think he was pretty happy with it.

They sure enjoy dressing up together.
 
The only real difference between the two shirts (other than size) is grandpa's buttons are blue and Beastie's are pink.

The blue brings out their eyes!!!

Just in case you were worried, I'm not neglecting myself. I made myself a new house dress too. But not so matchy....


Tuesday, March 19, 2019

A Prickle of Hedgehogs


Helpful and Adorable Pincushion Pals for the Sewing Room

Products needed to complete a pincushion:
STAEDTLER Fimo in any Colour you’d like your hedgehog’s body to be. 

We used Fimo Soft #70 Sahara, #7 Caramel, Fimo Effect #206 Gemstone Colour Rose Quartz

For the pin heads I used Fimo Soft #0 white, #9 Black, #50 Apple Green
Fimo Effect #206 Gemstone Colour Rose Quartz, #306 Blue Ice Quartz, #104 Translucent Colour Yellow, #28 Metallic Colour Ruby Red

Acrylic paint in pink, black and white
6 inch square of Fun Fur in a colour of your choosing. 
We used Turquoise, brown and tan fur in different lengths and textures.
Cotton Stuffing
Three or four long floral pins for each cushion
Fabritac fabric glue
E6000 jewellery glue

Tools Used:
 Basic set of sculpting tools
Fine liner paint brush
Small stiff flat paintbrush for drybrushing
Wire cutters
Needle and thread for hand sewing in colour that matches the fur you’ve chosen

Step 1. Condition one whole 56g block of Fimo Soft for the body of your hedgehog by kneading the clay in your clean hands until it’s soft and easy to shape. Reserve two small balls of the body colour to make ears with later. Make a pointy wedge shape with a deep hollow in the thick end using the remainder of the clay.

 Step 2. Add ears to the body wedge using the two small balls of reserved clay. Condition some black Fimo soft and make a nose and eyes for your hedgehog. Bake the hedgehog on a parchment lined baking sheet in a preheated 230 degree oven for 20 minutes and allow the piece to cool.

 Step 3: With acrylic paint and the fine brush add eyelashes and eyebrows and create a light reflection in each eye. Dab the dry-brush into the pink paint and rub off most of the paint onto a paper towel. Use the dry-brush to apply a small amount of pink onto the cheeks and inner ears.

 Step 4: Cut a circle of fun fur that is twice as big as the opening on the back of your hedgehog.  Sew a running stitch around the outer edge of the fur circle and gather the edges in.  Before you’ve got the stitches pulled closed, stuff the fur with some cotton stuffing. Continue to gather the threads until the fur has formed a stuffed ball. Knot the threads. Use the Fabritac fabric glue to glue the fur ball, sewn side down, to the cup of the hedgehog’s body.

Step 5: Use the wire cutters to carefully cut the heads off the floral pins. Create some flowers with leaves and some lady bugs with the Fimo clay and insert the tops of the pins into the shapes. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet in a preheated 230 degree oven for twenty minutes. 


Allow the flowers and ladybugs to cool before re-securing the pins with some jewellery adhesive.

Thursday, March 7, 2019

The Early Bird Robin’s Nest Necklace and Earrings Set


Supplies:

1 block of Fimo Effects stone marble #03
1 block of Fimo Soft peppermint #39
1 block of Fimo Soft sahara #70
1 block of Fimo Soft chocolate #75
Silver Fimo Powder
Bake able pearlescent sparkles
Silver coloured 20 gauge wire
Silver coloured 24 gauge wire
E6000 jewellery glue
Fine silver coloured chain
Silver coloured eye pins
Silver coloured jump rings 3mm
Silver coloured lobster claw clasp
Earring hardware in silver colour

Tools:

Three in one pliers, (or round nose, flat nose and wire cutters).
Rolling pin for clay
Blade for cutting clay
Rubber stamp
Clean protected work surface
Bake able ceramic mug
Oven

I have wanted to do a project that uses polymer canes in the whole for ages now. I like the way that the clay canes of wood get lighter and more translucent the thinner they get. The more you stretch and manhandle them the more they look like sticks. I almost called this piece sticks and stones because I paired the nest with a Fimo Stone Effects egg. 


Making the Egg Beads

Step 1:
Soften one package of Fimo Effects stone marble and add a small fraction of Fimo Soft peppermint. Sprinkle in some pearlescent bake-able sparkles and mix until finely marbled.

  

Step 2:
Roll the mixed clay into a ½ inch wide worm and cut ½ inch and ¼ inch slices from it to make the egg beads. This will make enough beads to create several sets of jewellery. You will need three large beads and five small ones for one jewellery set.
  

Step 3:
Pour out some silver powder onto a flat surface and load your rubber stamp lightly with the powder. Tap extra powder off . Roll each egg bead over the loaded stamp to create a pattern on each egg bead. The stamped silver powder gives the beads some more shimmer and depth.
  

 Step 4:
Reserve three small egg beads as they are without holes to glue into the nests. Cut a one foot piece of 20 gauge wire and curl the end with the double round nose pliers so the beads don’t fall off while baking. Complete the rest of the beads as follows. Pierce the top of each teardrop or egg shape with a straightened piece of 20 gauge wire and suspend over the top lip of a bake able ceramic mug. Bake beads as directed by product package. Allow beads to cool.

Step 5:
Cut a piece of silver coloured 24 gauge wire to 12 inches long. Wrap the centre of the wire twice around the double round nose pliers to create a double eye and twist a neck that is 1/8 inch long. This double eye will be in the centre of the wire.
   




Step 6:
Follow the pictures above to wrap the wire around the small part of each egg and create a dangle bead. Push the two wire ends through the egg bead in opposite directions and pull snug. Wrap the ends of the wire around the top of the egg bead until the clay at the top of the bead is completely wrapped. Snip off any extra wire if needed and hide the ends in the wrappings.

Making the Nest:


Step 1:
Soften the chocolate and sahara coloured Fimo Soft and make a long cylinder from half of the sahara coloured clay that is about one inch thick. Flatten two sides of this cylinder so it has the profile of a football. Make a 1/8th inch thick sheet of chocolate Fimo Soft and wrap the football cylinder.


Step 2:
Flatten the rest of the sahara coloured Fimo Soft to a sheet about ½ inch thick and cut a strip that will fit up each side of the wrapped football shaped cylinder. Pinch the edges of these strips closed.
   


Step 3:
Use a blade to slit three deep slits lengthwise in each side of the cylinder. Fill these slits wit thin sheets of chocolate clay and press to seal the cylinder back up. Wrap the whole thing in another 1/8th inch thick sheet of chocolate clay.

Step 4:
Slowly roll this log, shortening as you need to, into a worm that is 1/8th to 1/16th of an inch thick.
   


Step 5:
Start spiralling these 1/8th to 1/16th inch worms around each other to make a kind of pinch pot. The base of the nest will be about 1 inch before it starts to pile up and become a nest.

  

Step 6:
Roll another worm that is 1/8th to 1/16th of an inch thick and cut it at odd angles into pieces that are varying lengths from 1/8th inch to ½ inch. Gently push these sticks into the edge of the nest piece making sure to securely push each piece into place.

Step 7:
Cut two eye pins to ¼ of an inch long and add the eye pins to the nest as shown one at the top and one at the bottom of the piece.  Bake the piece according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package label. Allow to cool, Glue the head pins into the piece for security. 

Assembling the Pieces:

Step 1:
Use the E6000 to glue the eggs beads without holes into the nest. Set aside to dry.

                 
  Step 2:
Put one large dangle bead onto each ear wire. 



Step 3:
On the top eye hook of the nest attach a 9 inch piece of silver coloured chain with a silver coloured lobster claw closer to the end . On the bottom eye hook of the nest, attach a 14 inch long piece of silver coloured chain with a large jump ring on the end. Add three egg dangles to the chain after the nest at about every 2/3 of an inch leaving the large dangle for the last one . This large dangle will be the centre of the necklace when it is worn. The nest lies to the side.