EmbroiDiva

Thursday, January 6, 2011

4 step Embroidery Pattern Tutorial or How to get started!

Here is a run through of how I transfer an image to fabric ready to embroider! So simple.

1) Iron your fabric... easy see?

2)Print out your image on good ol' printer paper. I use my Light Box to then trace the image on to the fabric carefully with a pencil. If you can't afford a light box (pretty inexpensive at Hobby Lobby) you can tape the paper to a sunny window and use that method. Just be careful you don't tug it down.

You get an exact pattern of whatever you trace, therefore be careful when your pencil is touching the fabric, it will leave a mark.

3) The fun part it picking the floss. ALWAY USE DMC BRAND! My color inspiration came from this craftastic fabric I have.

4) The cheapest option for holding the fabric while you stitch is a wooden embroidery hoop. However, the best option is a Q-Snap frame made of PVC pipes that you snap together to make a frame. Lay your fabric across the frame. Then you snap "clamp" on the pipe to hold the fabric in place nice and tight. I used strips of ratty old towel in between the fabric and the claps for extra tension.

And voila!

Next I will introduce some basic stitches so you can start getting fancy!

YoYo Tutorial

YoYo's are a big trend right now in the handmade world but they have been around forever. They were mainly used for quilting but, the current handmade movement is all bout re-purposing and bringing back vintage charm.

I have had great success in selling YoYo hair clips, and my friends loved them when I had them attached to their Christmas gift wrap instead of a bow. They are SUPER easy! So easy in fact that at my last craft show I taught a little girl how to make them. So if she can, you can!

Step 1) cut a fairly large to medium circle from your fabric.

FYI the finished YoYo will be half the size of the original circle so keep that in mind when you are looking for a circle shape to trace.

Step 2) Make a simple running stitch in and out over and over all the way around the circle. You want it to be close to the edge but not so close that the thread rips out. While we are on the topic of thread, the color really doesn't matter since it wont be seen but it must be pretty long and you wont cut it until the end.

Very easy just, in and out, the stitches don't need to look pretty or be the same size, but the smaller the stitches, the more "pleats" you will have.

Step 3) Pull the thread when you have completed the running stitch and you get this little pouch. Cute huh? Pull it tight so there is no hole or opening.

Step 4) Center the gathering with your fingers and pat it flat. Then make a few stitches thru the center to keep it in place. Looking good!

Step 5) Now is the fun part, ACCESSORIZING! Pick a button or something fun like a small silk flower to cover the gathered center. Now obviously sew it in place! and...

Viola! YoYo!

What you do with it now is up to you, hot glue it to a hair clip or shirt pin, make a small one and attach it to a ring blank. So cute and so easy.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

My First Sewing Machine!! Thanks Gran!

Take it in for a moment, yes that is an incredibly adorable hand made pillow bathed in early afternoon sunlight next to the cutest sewing machine known to woman kind. And guess what dear reader? THEY ARE MINE, ALL MINE!! jealous much?

This is the reversible pillow (middle one) before I re-awesomed it.

Yes, that's Charlemagne chillin' by my handmade throw pillows

And here he is loving the facelift I gave my pillow. Isn't it cute?

You can tell that I was loving the natural light this particular morning.

And again here... I love felt. So there is it, my first sewing machine and the first thing I sewed with it!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Christmas, is it over already?

So, I have been a bad blogger, I am truly enjoying having no assignments or papers to be dreading and the blog got set on the back burner but I do have some things I want to share so here is just a little catch up of my Christmas.

Here we have the young ladies in our clan, Colbie- my cousin Shane's awesome girlfriend, me- the awesome EmbroiDiva herself, Brianna- my cousin/older sister/best friend/cowboys fan, and then who else but my favorite little sister and fellow Homestar/Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings/Twilight/Jane Austen/Bronte/Etsy/Anthropologie enthusiast Shannon aka Miss Sannon aka Miss Shandon.

Isn't Bri pretty? Her hubby is dodging the camera at all costs.

...Wonder why?

My uncle Keith gets really excited when I let him play with my Canon Rebel and set it on Rapid Fire so he just snaps like a zillion pictures and after a while his subjects give in and start playing along, capturing great faces.

This is my new favorite ornament, my little Partridge from the flower shop in van "Beyond the Garden" so now I am on the hunt for more Christmas decor with Partridges. So, dear reader, keep your eyes peeled for me!

Some of my favorite gifts! Nutella (YUM), second hand classics (craft!), adorable notebooks (not for school), and a Green shopping bag from Joann's (birdies!).

I was most excited about this one I think, I saw it months ago and was torn between getting it or putting gas in my car, I chose the latter :( however, mom remembered and BAM! happy little girl on December 25th!

And here is dad's gift from me! If you know the Snows at all, this is the stuff of life, Diet Coke in a Can, there is nothing better. As you can see I didn't even wrap it, no need.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Jane Austen's Birthday Face Book Party

On Thursday, December 16th ladies everywhere will be celebrating a magical day indeed! So I created a facebook event so all my fellow Janeites can have a small celebration of their own.

All you have to do is some tiny thing Austen-esuqe! For example:

Drink a cup of tea
Eat a scone
Write a novel
Break off an engagement
Don't get married until you find Darcy or die
Write a letter to your sister and insist she burns it after reading
Embroider
Ride into town and buy yourself a new bonnet
Speculate about those around you
Take a turn about the room
Wear a petticoat and corset
Try not to kill Mr. Knightly's dogs
Put on a secret theatrical in your uncle's house while he is out the country
Explore a spooky antiquated Abby, and open the forbidden door
Go to a resort town and Take the Waters
Fall for the bad boy!

Pass this on to any Austenite and please add to my list of acceptable party games!

Happy Birthday Jane!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Pride & Prejudice & Pale Ones

"How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!" yes, dear reader, the great she said this. Let it be known that I do NOT approve of the hack job Summit did of making the Twilight series into movies, they... never mind if you haven't read the books, don't see the movies because they will send you running and screaming.

That being said! The movies do represent Edward Cullen, who is made up of:

1 part Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)

1 part Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables)

1 part Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre)

Simmer until brooding and steamy, serve with a can of diet coke and craft project. Yields one fantastic afternoon!

So naturally I DO approve of this trailer which had me snorting with laughter waking up my poor old dog Snowball.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Etsy Treasures in time for Christmas

Janet Hill is a Canadian artist and my absolute top favorite Etsian! I have yet to own one of her prints but soon, dear reader, soon! After a semester of Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, and an onslaught of contemporary junk with the label of "Modern Art", I just soak up her vintage colors, the cozy textures and the charm of these lovely oil paintings.

I found her while searching “Jane Austen” (don’t hate). Her paintings are so feminine and elegant, they will look great in any room, especially mine, hint hint Santa. If they were chocolate scented I would just have to die! Here are some top favorites.

Austen Dresses

So...obviously!