Old Pizza box make- over

I love boxes as I have mentioned in the past.
So having none on hand on weekend, used what I did have.
A clean pizza box.
Covered with gesso, old music, and lined with bits of vintage lace.
Fastens with button and loop.
Cool to hold memories?

I try other people's projects

this one I love from Sarah down under.
Mine is created from burlap I have around.
Two colors a natural and a tan color.
The basket holds all my current reading material, journals and more.
Inside I have an emery board, several handmade bookmarks, notebooks, eye glass cleaner cloths,
hand cream, foot cream, pencil and my books and magazines.
Thought you may want to know!
Thanks to A Beach cottage.

Now for something to distract us from the news.

I will never forget the ruined lives and dwellings, thanks for all your comments.
Now I want to add the video I mentioned earlier.
I would love comments if you make an amulet.

We had an earthquake here in Hawaii Thursday, it shook my cottage.
Under the ocean between here and Molokai, thankfully no tsunami created.
We too are in the 'ring of fire'.
My thoughts still with New Zealand.

Our beautiful city , destroyed

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

Kia kaha
Kia toa
Kia manawanui...... to all the people of New Zealand.
I have had 2 sleepless nights listening to radio NZ.
If you like there is a link to the newspaper to see more news.
Thanks so much to all my friends around the world.
You have been so kind and I know are hoping along with me, that the city can be rebuilt, better than before.
Te aroha, no moananui a kiwa.

Major earthquake in my home country

If you pray, please say a prayer for our beautiful Cathedral city of Christchurch in New Zealand.
The devastation is all encompassing, there are a lot of deaths, the lovely Cathedral is in ruins.
This is our most English of cities and so beautiful upon the river Avon.

Have a great Presidents day

One of my projects made Ori-gire style.
I have difficulty explaining how to make the little amulet, so am thinking of creating a short video.
So easy, this little pouch has 2 seams and took all of 15 minutes.
It has a flap and is lined.

I taught this as a class, the versions my students came up with were wonderful.

It must be pink Saturday

Finished a very vintage art dress. Old net, tulle,lace and hand dyed muslin.
It has some hand embroidery and other bits.
Made a heart hanger from steel wire to compliment the theme.
and a doll I made to remember Marie Antoinette.
I painted the bisque torso and created the skirt that can be a pin cushion too. She is in the pink!

Cottages and more cottages

I know we all love cottages, one of my fave motifs and especially when I can embroider them.
Here are two with some interesting techniques.
The flowers beside the woman in the painted cottage are embroidered in the 'air' so to speak.
I do them on solvy and when it is washed away, I have little free-form flowers.
The cottage with daisy flowers cut from trim and then painted.
A lot of french knots in this one.

Embroidery on muslin

Yes Shane I do the embroidery. My machine is at least 20 years old, a Pfaff.
I design the motifs on the computer in my machine.
Then jiggle them a bit, ( tech. Word) to get the right size and look.
Away I go then, sewing, and crossing my fingers and toes.
When I create other letters like single F or P, like I show below on 'French for Valentines', I sit on my lanai and hand embroider them. Labor of love.
Maybe I will do a little video sometime.
Thanks for stopping by everyone and for the weekend wishes dear Rhonda.

Embroidery , France and Paris

I love to embroider, hand and machine, and everything in between.
Made a bunch of the torn muslin ribbons this day.
Paris on some and France on others.
Fitted into the cute little bag.

Looking for 'old' Hawaii

Not too much these days but I found a glimpse of old Hawaii in Waikiki.
I love the lush gardens especially.

Salvaged gift bag

I made the gift bag from re-cycled sewing patterns, added the denim handle and some of my vintage paper hearts.
Cool French theme. Lined by ticking and is roomy 6x9"
Flower are a prop from my Lei.

Find in my Etsy shop.

Completed toile fabric book

I had a lot of fun making and videoing this pamphlet book.
It can be time involved.
It also is a little tricky to finish the construction , hope I made it fairly clear.
It is nice and textural and I think follows the story line pretty well.

Traveling?

I made the rusted fabric linen laundry bag for a magazine, and thought to round out the collection I would create the travel clothes line, a la Anna Corba.
I sewed the bag with a drawstring with some rusted bits attached.
On the back is a little pocket for lavender or soap powder.
Great to hold a weeks worth of travel gear.

Spicey journal

Part two of the journal I am making in the Pamphlet style is now up on Youtube.
Check it out if you like.
Link is below.

Pamplet journal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq6QOQ1EceY
I do not want to clutter my blog so have put this link up for you.
I am showing the creation of my fabric folio in the french mode.
Part one is now uploaded.
I will add more with how-tos and ideas I have.
In the end I will sell the journal.
Meanwhile here is a little look at the cover I will make.
I believe you will have to copy and paste the url.

Some stitchery

Doing some fun items with stitchery.
The cuff is hand dyed lace by me and the portrait is hand tinted.
The signature cushion has some lingerie tags tied on. Oui merci moi!

Printing one size, tutorial

Printing on fabric is one of the techniques I use a lot. If I want to make a small image and not go to the expense of buying printer fabric or such.
I make my own this way.
First gather freezer paper, a sheet of photograph paper , matte is best. Fabric. Lower picture.
To make the fabric adhere to the freezer paper I spray starch and iron it a couple of times.
This sample I will print 3x5".
Iron that to a piece of freezer paper little larger. On shiny side of course.
Cut fabric and paper neatly, no frays. second to bottom
Glue-stick the reverse side and center on the photo paper. see blue glue-stick center pic.
Photo paper is just to be a fairly firm support.
Make very sure the corners are glued down.
Go to computer program and image you want.
Print options should be centered and set to Inkjet setting.
I use Picasa3 because it has the features I use.
Now simply print the prepared fabric.
I peel off the image and iron it again.
The freezer paper can be used a few more times.
If you have no freezer paper, glue-stick the fabric right on the support paper and try it that way.