Create 365 - Superhero Wallet

..still working on knitting that collar, but just to keep myself on track, I whipped up this superhero wallet this evening.  Hopefully it's able to leap tall bills in a single bound ;)

Hugs and Smooches,
D

Create 365 - Work in Progress

The current project I'm working on is going to take a few days of work..Rather than posting each step every day, I will do one post once it's complete :)

Hugs and Smooches,
D

Create 365 - Button Rings

Today I was feeling a bit under the weather, but I didn't want to let it get the best of my resolution, so I picked a nice easy project ;)  These were so much fun to make, I think I need one for every finger!

Hugs and Smooches,
D

Bringing Back the Turkey

I feel like Thanksgiving gets neglected in the pantheon of holidays (probably because it's hard to commercialize.)  Strolling through Target yesterday, I saw clearance Halloween items adjacent to Christmas decorations with nary a nod to Thanksgiving in sight.  It seems like the day after Halloween begins a candy fueled mad dash towards Christmas.  And really, thanksgiving is such a marvelous concept.  Pausing to give thanks for all the wonderful things we have to be grateful for, celebrating the good things in our life, yummy food and family..what could be better?

I've considered this in past years, but then have to admit to getting caught up in the making of Christmas gifts and the excitement of christmas specials on TV and making Christmas lists with my children.  I'd like this year to be different.  I plan to start a few new traditions with my family specifically for giving thanks.

• I plan to do some baking and craft making with my girls for the folks in the nursing home we visit.  Just some random surprise gifts to brighten their day.
• I am also going to make turkeys with the girls, one for each family member,  and have them write something they are thankful for on each of the turkey's tail feathers.
• I will send thank you cards to the people who make my life better, drop little unexpected treats off with them, or call them and let them know just how much they mean.
• Here on the blog, I will do a few Thanksgiving themed Home Ec posts.  (A great stuffing recipe comes to mind!) and perhaps an etiquette post on how to properly write a thank you note..or maybe a tutorial on making your own thank you cards.

So, those are my thoughts..what are yours?  How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?

Hugs and Smooches,

D

Upcycled Wool Jacket Tutorial

I have a thing for boiled wool jackets.  They are easy to find, warmer than a sweater but lighter than a coat and they come in such nice colors!  They typically range in decade from the 1960's-1980's and usually have a great shape to them, pretty buttons and sometimes have little details in the shaping or finishing of the garment.

Once in a while, I'll run across one with some small flaws (moth holes, stains etc.) or one that looks too "dated" (typically the ones from the 80's).  These ones are perfect for the project I'm going to show you.  They can be found in just about any thrift or resale shop and are very reasonable.

So, without further ado, what you will need for this project is the following:

• Felt - You can get this a number of ways.  You can wash a wool sweater in hot water.  This will cause it to shrink and you will be able to cut and use the material like it is fabric.  You can also pick up squares of felt at your local fabric or craft store.  Make sure it is wool felt and not acrylic.
• Needle Felter - This can also be found at any craft store.  I've shown it to the right, it's basically a bunch of long serrated needles attached to a handle.  You will use this to mesh the felt into the fabric of your coat.
• Foam - This is for felting on.  You need something on the opposite side of your fabric for the needles to go into.
• Thread
• Seed beads
• Yarn or Embroidery Floss
• Assorted sized needles
• Buttons (optional)

To begin, consider what you would like your pattern to look like.  I went with a bluebell pattern, but you will want to choose what suits you and what goes best with the color of your jacket.  Some suggestions are bees, anchors, roses, bluebirds or hearts.

Take the square of felt you purchased and cut out the shape that you wish to felt onto your jacket.  I did mine freehand, but you could also sketch them out or use a stencil to trace your design.

Once you have them cut (mine look like little octopus at this point :) pin them to the jacket where you would like them.  Take some time to arrange them carefully because once you begin felting, you won't be able to move them!

Now that you have them pinned, select the area you wish to begin with and place your foam pad underneath.  Take your needle felting tool and begin punching it into the shape, beginning at one side and continuing over the entire shape until it blends into your wool jacket.  Repeat with each shape you have cut out.

After your shapes are felted, you want to give them some definition.  I created a stem for my bluebells using black wool yarn and a basic backstitch.  You could also use the yarn to define the seams of your jacket if it has shaping, or to go around the outside of your object and give it a border.

Then, for a little texture and sparkle, I decided to outline my flowers with small blue seed beads and add beaded leaves.  At this point I would like to add the disclaimer that I don't bead often.  I am not sure if there is an official method for beading, but I basically bead the outline of the shape I wish to add and then fill it in.  Simply poke your threaded needle up from the back of the fabric, add a bead and then insert the needle back into the fabric as close to the initial stitch as possible.  Repeat until you have the desired shape.

That's it!  If you don't like the buttons you can change them out (like I did) but usually these types of jackets come with really gorgeous buttons.

I hope this was helpful.  If you decide to do your own jacket project, I would LOVE to see your finished results!

Hugs and Smooches,
D