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Download the Fabric Flower Tutorial PDF here!
The 5 page tutorial is fully illustrated with how-to photographs for you to follow along. This tutorial is intended for what I'd call an advance beginner, someone who already knows some hand sewing basics. If you haven't yet learned how to hand sew, or still consider yourself a beginner, I am determined to make you more confident in your abilities, because I know you can do it! Read on!
While teaching this project at the Chicago Craft Social, I realized that I had made one terrible mistake. Yes, I did. I assumed that everyone who would sit and stitch with me would already have at least some basic hand sewing skills. My bad! A few people didn't know the first thing about hand sewing, or had only tried it a few times ever. Wow!
So be prepared to get schooled on Hand Sewing basics through a series of posts; from the subjects of needles and thread to the most basic stitches. It will be enought to make you want to pick up a needle & thread and start stitching. You might even want to tackle a Fabric Scrap Flower!
Find the post on Hand Sewing Needles right here!
Find the basic hand-sewing primer over here!
The Chicago Craft Social was an awesome party! It was well attended and hosted some of the best, most creative crafts I'd ever seen (which was bad for me since I was teaching instead of crafting). And I have to say - I was blown away by how busy I was at the Fabric Scrap Flower table. We started off with room for 6 , added two more chairs right away, and then another for a total of 9 people sitting at the table. And there were still people who told me they had waited and waited for a seat. Here is a quick snapshot of some of the ladies who sat and sewed a scrappy flower with me.
Thanks goes to Amanda and the whole crew at The Chicago Craft Social - read all about the event and all they do at the Craft Social blog. You can also visit the Craft Social photo group at flickr to see past pictures of events.
Super-duper thanks to my table sponsor, Fabrics Etc. 2 for supplying the awesome fabrics and supplies for this craft!
And thanks also to Marissa of Westcott for supplying the super scissors at our table.
I have a handout for how to make the Fabric Scrap Flowers craft from my table, and I will be making it available after finishing up some last minute edits. After teaching the project and getting some feedback I realized some of the handout needed to be organized better. I'll post about it when it's ready!
On the homefront, I have some new ideas for a project that I CAN'T WAIT to try and to share! Unfortunately, I am still trying to finish up yet another batch of baby gifts before I can move on to some thing new. Ah well, you know what they say, there's no rest for the wicked!
I'm spending the day getting ready for tonight's Chicago Craft Social. Everything is packed and ready for my craft table where you can learn to make a flower from fabric scraps. Not only the Craft Social a great place to meet and mingle with other crafters, but it's a really fun way to learn several new crafts. Read more about the Chicago Craft Social here!
I've got great handouts to give you if you're sitting and sewing with me so you can follow along at home. (I will make the handout available after the event, so just keep your eyes peeled for that post). I also packed my camera to snap some pictures to share next week. And, I am really hoping to make some new stitchy friends! So if you're coming, stop by and say "Hi".
The idea for creating some embroidered business/trading cards has been rolling around and around in my head for weeks and months without me finding time to work it out. Frustrating! So with the house all to myself over the weekend, I finally made time for this project!
My idea includes a custom embroidedred design on the front of the card, and turning a design into an embroidery stitch file, or digitizing, takes my full attention. I just can't concentrate with a 1 1/2 year old running around the house or a husband poking over my shoulder! I use the Berninaâ Artista Embroidery Software V5 for digitizing; at one time I was trained to use all the bits and pieces of this super-digitizing program, but sadly only retain those parts which I really use a lot.
And here's my process: after scanning in my artwork, I digitize a rough draft of the design. The design is sent to the embroidery machine, stitched out on white felt (it's cheap, I have a lot of it, and I can really see each stitch on white).
Then the design is removed from the hoop and cut to size. Now I can look at the stitch-out and decide which parts of the design need editing and make the changes in the digitizing software.
After finishing all the editing, the whole process starts again and repeats (stitching out, checking out the design, and editing) until I am happy with the design.
These actually started out rectangular, but after my first edits I decided the "wonky tag" shape looked better, and I really like it. I also added some repurposed trim and buttons to the tags.
After all my work on Saturday afternoon, here is a finished tag! This is the front...
and this is the back.
I think I'd like to try some different colored felt (because the white just seems so boring, no?) and to play with the thread colors a bit more. But, what do you think so far?
This is my new sleepy friend, Baby Binky Bunny.
This wonderful little pattern is designed by Larissa over at mmmcrafts, and I couldn't be happier with the results! The pattern includes instructions for the bunny as well as a how-to for stitching up baby bunnie's binky. I was able to cut out the bunny and blanket from odds 'n ends floating around my scrap basket (my favorite kind of project!). Find the Baby Binky Bunny pattern here. You can also visit Larissa's blog mmmcrafts, it's one of my favorite reads. Oh, and be sure to check out her page of free patterns and tutorials to find some great projects!
This little bunny is just sooo sleepy, all he wants to do is curl up with his blankie and go to sleep!
I first ran across a baby binky bunny at Holly's blog, Chez Beeper Bebe (another one of my favs!). Just look at the absolutely adorable bunnies she's stitched up here and here! Actually, I love just about all the things Holly makes. Check out the great downloadable projects at her blog, and be sure to visit her Etsy shop Beeper Bebe, too!
Unfortunately, this Binky Bunny is only staying with me a few days before going to live with the little baby that I made it for. But that just means I'll have to stitch up another one soon! That is - if I can ever catch up with the growing pile of "to-sew" projects on my cutting table. Seems like it's growing bigger instead of getting smaller!
Aren't these fabric flowers awesome? Want to learn how to make one? Cool! Then meet me at the Chicago Craft Social on Friday, September 24th and I'll show you how! You’ll have one of these scrappy flowers stitched up in no time. In fact, there will be plenty of time to learn some other new crafts too!
These pretty little fabric flowers are made from hand stitched strips of folded fabric. A great project for using up those weird long, thin scraps hanging around your scrap box, and works great with ribbons, too! Use your finished flower to add a little something to a jacket, shirt, or to decorate a gift. Or add a stem and start a bouquet!
I am SO EXCITED to be leading a craft table at the Craft Social! And thanks to my table sponsor, I have some wickedly cool fabrics available for the event! Seriously – all kinds of colorful, bright cotton prints that will make for some fab flowers. Read more about the Chicago Craft Social at the blog. Registration is already open, and spaces are filling up fast. Be sure to register ahead of time so you don’t miss out!
And a big shout out to Fabrics etc. 2 for donating all the needed supplies for this craft. If you are in the Chicago area, make sure that Fabrics etc. 2 is on your radar for fabric shopping; they carry all kinds of designer cotton prints and have new fabrics coming weekly. This is also the only store in the area where I’ve seen such a great selection of independent patterns for accessories and children’s clothes (from Amy Butler to Modkid and a lot of cool stuff in between). Oh, and if you are a Bernina lover, this happens to be the biggest Bernina store out there - definitely worth a trip to see.
I hope to meet you there!
