While it’s a little late for Easter crafts, you can still get some fabulous decorations and home items for as much as 40% off. You can also get a jump on summer decorating items for 40% off.

We frugal folks like discounts, don’t we? Besides that, what better way to celebrate spring than with new crafts and projects.

Image: JoAnn Fabrics

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Easter Sale at JoAnn Fabrics

I’ve found some great ideas for “stash busting” projects out there:

• Got some spare ribbon?  How about making a ribbon bracelet.
• Use covered button forms, fabric & embellishments to create earrings.
• Does your watch band look a little shabby?  Try fabric!
• Check out this charming little bird brooch.

Now what if you’re trying to de-stash your yarn collection?  Noreen from Hankering for Yarn has some fun & easy projects, perfect for using up those little pieces of yarn that you’re holding onto.

• Make a spool-knitted kittycat bookmark.
• Enchant a lucky child with this collection of finger puppets.
• It’s always the right time of year to give someone a Valentine – if it’s this spool-knitted one

I hope you all feel inspired to go have fun with your stash now!

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day two of the De-Stash challenge

I’m actually doing pretty well!  I’ve got my DH’s new bathrobe done (it needed a belt):

And I got the buttonholes & buttons sewn onto my Dad’s corduroy shirt:

I probably should have ironed the shirt before I took photos – oops!

I still have one more big UFO for someone else to do… but I’ll get it done

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finishing my UFOs

I stocked up on notions and got enough fabric to make a dressy reversible wool shawl/wrap.  Too much fun!

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New Year’s traditions

I’m making a memory box and wanted to have a ribbon wrapped around it.  I’ve got some luscious chocolate-brown dupioni silk that’s the perfect color.  But, it’s a little plain still…

I then found some great butterfly rubber stamps

By the way, I find that foam stamps, rather than the harder rubber ones, work the best on fabric.  The lines are simpler & you usually get a clearer impression.

I started off by cutting a rough rectangle of fabric approximately 6 inches high and 24 inches long (or long enough to wrap around your project)

Fuse a heavyweight interfacing to the wrong side:

These are the stamps I’m using:

I’m using opaque acrylic craft paint for this project.  If I were planning on washing the embroidery I would use a good quality fabric paint (or mix a fabric paint medium into the acrylic paint)  But, because this is going on a box and not being washed, I’m using regular craft paint.  If you are using a dark colored fabric, make sure your paint is marked “opaque” – it won’t show up if you use translucent paint on dark fabric!

I’ve squirted a dab of paint out onto a plastic surface and am dabbing it onto the stamp, using a brush.  Foam brushes also work well for this.  Make sure to use an even coat and work quickly, you don’t want the paint to start drying on the stamp!

Now the fun part!

Start stamping   Press the painted stamp down onto the fabric and gently press down evenly across the entire back of the stamp.  Don’t move it around or else you can get smeared lines.  Put fresh paint on everytime you stamp.  Wash the paintbrush & stamp off between color changes and when you finish stamping.

If you’re concerned about being really accurate, use a quilting ruler to mark off where the stamps should go.  I just stamped free-hand for this project.  I like the contrast with using different colors & different stamps – but play around & have fun!

Let the stamps dry thoroughly overnight.  Tomorrow we embroider!

Post from: Blisstree

rubber stamps and embroidery?

I’ve found that I usually like to iron my fabric, cut out the pattern and interface one day.   I then start sewing on the next day.  It just seems to work better for me to start fresh with everything set up & ready to go.

How about you all?

Are you one of those people who likes to get it done in one day?

Or are you a more multi-day kind of person?

How come?

I’m working on getting a poll set up for it, but at the moment you can leave a comment with your answer

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question of the day

Etsy & their sister site, Instructables, are coming together to host a great contest, “Sew Helpful“.

They are asking people to make something to be listed on Etsy, but to document the process of making it.   You then list your creation on Etsy, and post your tutorial on Instructables.  There are some yummy prizes – three Singer sewing machines are up for grabs!

Go check out the details & then have fun!

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cool contest from Etsy & Instructables

I’m making a table runner out of a cotton-linen blend fabric.  I’m going to applique a celtic interlace on to the center of it, out of the same fabric.

I have one little problem…  The celtic interlace I want to use isn’t an iron-on pattern, it’s been printed off from my computer.  It’s from a Dover copyright free book of designs.  I started off by scanning the book & then photoshopping the drawing to the correct size.  I also added little hearts to the design – just for something different

I’ve got a couple of options to transfer my pattern from the paper on my fabric.

The first method we’re going to try is using dressmaker’s tracing paper (it’s like carbon paper for sewing) underneath the paper pattern.  Make sure your fabric is on a hard surface, otherwise you won’t get good results.  Line up the design & the tracing paper to make sure there aren’t any areas not covered by the tracing paper.  Try pinning the layers in place to prevent everything sliding apart.

Now take a pen or pencil with a dull tip and trace over the lines.  You’ll need to press quite heavily to get a good transfer on the fabric.  Carefully check the fabric underneath to make sure the lines are clear.  Press harder if you need stronger lines.  This is why you need to have the fabric on a hard surface!

There is a very cool product on the market from Sulky.  It’s a white pen for making your own iron-on transfers for dark fabric!  You just trace your design, using the pen, let it dry & iron it on – very handy!

Before you do a transfer on your good fabric, do a test patch on a scrap to see how it works first.  Just follow the directions for drying & ironing time

Just one more thing… make sure you use the pen in a well ventilated area!

Now that your design is transferred onto the fabric – it’s time to cut & fuse.

Tomorrow…

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different methods of pattern transfers

I got this in the mail yesterday… oh my goodness, too much fun!  It’s a new release from Crown Publishing, and written by Annabel Lewis, a designer & ribbon shop owner.

I’ve got an incredibly busy weekend ahead of me, but I’ll be trying a few projects from the book & will share them with all of you

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Ribbons & Trims