My scraps are about 1.5"x6"-7" each & I just started tying them randomly around the form by color. Even with the "finished" product... I think I will keep adding scraps as I come across fabric re-uses, just to fatten it up.
Using the strips of scraps from my Spurs t-shirt project, I made a wreath. I used a wire wreath foundation that I had on hand, but you can use anything else that allows you to tie on the scraps. My scraps are about 1.5"x6"-7" each & I just started tying them randomly around the form by color. Even with the "finished" product... I think I will keep adding scraps as I come across fabric re-uses, just to fatten it up. I had originally intended to stretch the banner across the wreath from side to side, but as I started making my banner flags to match the size of my stencils I just went ahead & kept them separate. Maybe later on I'll do smaller letters on for the wreath & stretch the banner some place else, but for now, I like this arrangement.
Go Spurs Go!
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I really needed to do something with all my old Spurs t-shirts that I don't wear or don't fit into anymore. So I decided I would cut them up & make a patch work maxi skirt. I also included some other t-shirts that I don't wear that I thought would go nicely with my black, white, gray and pink theme. I decided on a 16" square for all my pieces. Some shirts proved a bit small for 16", but I made it work. Now...just cutting everything up took a while, but left me with a bunch of usable scraps. I cut the shirt bottoms into strips about 1.5"x6"-7", and will use the sleeves to make small drawstring bags. I anticipate 3 projects from this reincarnation.
Most people who know me know that I'm dressed like a hippie as often as I can get away with it. Being a native Texas girl, I'm also inspired by western & southwestern styles as well... so I guess it's no surprise that I'm now in LOVE with the Junk Gypsies. I'm going to take a stab at restyling a thrift store dress (to be posted when completed) into a Junk Gypsy style skirt. Here's my inspiration piece: Stay tuned to see how mine comes out! My version I found a knit maxi dress at my local thrift store to use as my guinea pig. The results aren't bad, but I have a couple lessons learned from this first effort. Here's mine, not quite as sexy, but still pretty cute...
Step 3: Now sew your waistline. I had some 1/2" knit elastic that I needed to use up, so my waistband case is only about 5/8" wide. Fold over the raw edge about 1/4" & then fold again the width of your elastic & stitch all the way around, leaving a small gap to insert your elastic. Step 4: Insert your elastic into the waistband casing. Sew the ends together. I stack mine & use a zig-zag stitch to secure. Step 5: Mark & cut your fringe pieces. I laid my skirt out with the side seams stacked one on top of the other so that the center front (CF) & back where the outside edges when laid on the table. Then using the CF & CB markings I made while it was on the dressform, I drew a line between them. LESSON LEARNED ONE: I had planned to have the front shorter than the back, but I don't think I had quite enough difference in height between them & somehow my curve was dipping at the side seam. I think next time I'll mark this before I sew the waistband, or mark the 4 CF, CB & SS points with a hem marker, then connect the dots. Step 6: Start cutting fringe. I have a special ruler with slits every 1/2" that I used to keep my rotary blade on track. I cut my fringe into 1" wide piece because I knew it would roll up when done. I cut through both layers at once from the bottom up to my marked line. Step 7: Put on a good movie & grab a spot on the floor to start tying knots. Back on the dressform, tie the first row of knots all the way around - my knots are are about 1" - 1.5" down from the top of my fringe line. Then knot the second row using 1 tail from each side in between the first row of knots & knot again. Ta Da! LESSON LEARNED TWO: This came out longer & fuller than the Junk Gypsy skirt - on my next attempt, I'll pick a tighter skirt & get my asymmetrical shape laid out better. I do like my knots though - think I'll keep those. :o)
I'm re-posting this tutorial for using one-step crackle and antiquing glaze. Amanda used it on a flower pot with decoupaged scrapbook paper - I'm always saving pretty pictures out of magazines for projects just like this! Really the only new supplies you need (if you don't have them already) is some decoupage glue, one-step crackle, craft paint & glaze medium & UV Resistant clear coat (can be skipped if your finished project is an indoors item). Then just start gathering stuff around the house & tearing up old magazines, newspapers, tissue paper or what ever! I have all kinds of crap I could dress up with this technique. http://craftsbyamanda.com/2012/09/vintage-crackled-flower-pot.html Links to Supply Information:One Step Crackle http://www.decoart.com/cgi-bin/Products.cgi?One_Step_Crackle Staining & Antiquing Medium http://www.decoart.com/cgi-bin/Products.cgi?StainingAntiquing_Medium Acrylic Craft Paint (any brand will do) http://www.decoart.com/cgi-bin/Products.cgi?Americana_Acrylics UV Resistant Clear Coat
http://www.krylon.com/products/uvresistant_clear/ 3 dresses and a skirt are going to make for 1 fabulous vintage gypsy dress. I have a Halloween party tonight & after coming across this inspiration photo (below), I decided that I wanted to be a gypsy (always my favorite as a kid). I had picked up the first two dresses at a second hand store a few months ago knowing that I wanted to do something with the great fabric. After deciding that I wanted one great dress, I went back & picked up the third dress and skirt. I don't remember exactly, but I think all totaled, my outfit us under $20 - and took me a day & 1/2 to finish. I decided to use this dress as my foundation. I like the neckline, it fit me well & I liked the sleeves. All of these dresses are made on the bias, so they have a clingy feel & it's more difficult to work with, but I think it was worth it. All the dresses were 90's dresses with a 40's throw-back style and fell about mid calf. I knew I wanted a long dress, and not a tiered ruffle look, so that meant I needed to cut right into the center of the dress & sew in some gore-skirt type inserts. A dress form was mandatory for this reincarnation. Step 1 was to put the dress on the form & mark the center front. I used a chalked string to mark my center front. I picked the cherry fabric dress to be my front panel, so I hung it up so that the cherry dress was touching the floor & marked how far up on to the dress my cut needed to be made. Step 2 is to sew in the insert. This was tricky & I did get some gathering on the top, but I just worked it into the design. I sewed all my panels with the seams facing the right side. First of all, it makes it easier to pin the work on the dress form before sewing, and second, after all my gores are sewn in, I went back in & restitched everything from the wrong side - creating french seams. French seams encase the raw edge inside a tube of stitching and are wonderful for sheer & silky fabrics like the silk chiffons I'm using here.
Step 4 was to hem any bottom edges that needed it (some of hem was the already hemmed pieces of the original dress) Step 5 was to trim all my seam allowances down to 1/4 inch, turn the dress inside out and re-stitch all the seams (right sides together now) creating finished french seams on the inside. Lastly, I top-stitched a piece of lace from the cherry dress and created a "V" on the front of the dress. It adds a bit of figure flattering detail. I'll take some pictures at the party tonight when I'm in full gypsy mode! Yay! I made some flower pins from the scraps. Not sure how I will incorporate these yet, but they did come out pretty.
I played around with the tassels & flowers in different arrangements. I liked the tassels on the bottom of each flag best because I thought it allowed the Witches to show off more. Here was my testing wall: The tassels are hand stitched on the back of each flag. The flowers are also hand stitched onto the binding tape. it was a labor of love but, I love this project! It came out exactly how I wanted it to & it's definitely something that I will use year after year.
Happy holiday crafting! Are you starting to see where I'm going with this? :o) Tomorrow you will see the completed project. Here's the supply list for this last piece of the puzzle. Materials:
Step 2: Cut out your Witches. I started by marking my Witches up with 1/4" lines to cut on (later I went in & decided to cut them down closer). I used my trusty clear grid ruler & disappearing ink marker. Then I cut those out with pinking shears. Step 3: Pick out your colors or facing fabric. I'm not into the whole orange & black halloween, so I use multiple colors to decorate. It all works out in the end. I've got orange, gold, green, copper, purple, blue & midnight blue all mixed in there somehow. Step 4: Now cut out all your fabric. I used black broadcloth to back mine (so cut 6 of those). Cut out 6 of your front facing fabrics (my were multi-colored). I made a simple 8"x10" triangle template & then added my seam allowance before cutting them out - 1/2" on the sides and 1" on the top (to allow for binding tape). Step 5: Sew your pennant flags together. Start by sewing your facing fabrics to the black broadcloth (right sides together). Start at the mid top, stitch around & end back on the top leaving an opening to turn. Finger-press open all your seams, clip your corners & turn your flags right side out. Press. I put one little stitch in the bottom point of my flags. That give me a little wiggle room for turning it out & making sure I get enough of my face fabric to show in that little point. PS - I ended up clipping the seam allowance even closer than this shot shows. Step 6: Lay out your pressed pieces with the Witches on top. Figure out your design (if all your flags are different like mine). Pin them down & get ready to head over to the sewing machine again. (I'm a messy Crafter & I don't care who knows it!) Step 7: If you've never done so, say hello to your zipper foot :o) Set it so that you can easily see the edge of the applique Witch fabric. I used ivory thread & bobbin to blend in with my Witches, and I stitched in between the lines on the pattern so my stitches would be discrete. I wanted the fray edge look, but not the stitches. Step 8: The binding. I used 1 yard of black fleece binding, but you can use any binding tape, or cut your own. you don't even need tape, you could just tack the flags to a piece of ribbon, but the weighter the fabric, the better for holding the shape when it's all done. Start with the center point of your tape & work your way out. Place each flag the same distance away from each other & pin them down. Then take it to your sewing machine (still using the zipper foot) & stitch the entire thing (now you know why I didn't have a step in there to close up the openings in to top of those flags - this will get'er done here). Wanna see what it all looks like together? You'll have to wait until tomorrow!
(I'm so mean) Welcome to Part 2 of my feature Halloween craft. My little run-in with that tassel DIY inspired me! I've made a batch of mini tassels from wood cups & fabric scraps. These are sooooo easy! Materials:
Step 2: Draw up the end of the hemp cord & tie it around the center your fabric scraps. Make a couple knots. Step 3: Drill your candle cups. The cups come with a small hole, but if you use a drill bit (anything larger than the hole) to open it up, it makes it easier to draw your cord through. Step 4: Paint your cups. I used nail polish to do mine. I put the cup on a 1/8" dowel that has a rubber band wrapped around it about 1" down (it keeps bead & the cups from sliding down the dowel) to paint & then let dry. I dried mine overnight. My cups are copper with splashes of green, green glitter, black & purple (yes I have all those colors in nail polish) Step 5: Pull your cord through the hole & make a knot (or two) on the outside. Make sure your know doesn't slip back through the hole. That's it. Done. If you want to hang your tassels, just knot together the ends to form a loop & hang them. For my use, I put a 2nd knot about 1/4" up & trimmed off the excess cord... you'll see why when we get to the end. Stay tuned!
This is part 1 of a series of my 2012 Halloween feature craft. This piece involves making some layered flowers with melted edges. There are several tutorials on the web for making these, so I guess mine will just be one more :o) First gather the things you need:
Step 1: Cut out some crappy circles - I mean crappy. Don't make them nice & neat, make them so that you're not even sure they qualify as a "circlesque" object. Make them all different sizes (mine vary from about 2.5" to .05") Step 2: Melt the edges of your circles over the candle flame. I like a soy candle because the flame stays lower & there's no residue smoking up from it. It's much easier to manipulate... soy candles just make a craft friendlier fire. I like to lay my circles out on the scissors & gently move it around the flame. You need to hold it with something because it will get crazy hot. Synthetic fabric will burn & catch fire if you're not watching it, so keep your fabric moving. PS - you will have some jumpers. Just plan to loose a couple to the wax :o) Step 3: Stack them up & pin them in place. I made a mix of all kinds because I wasn't sure how I wanted to stack them. They all stacked a bit differently Step 4: Stitch them together. I like to stitch a little "X" in the center - then I begin with my beads. For these flowers, I didn't want the center to draw too much attention, so I used beads the blended in. I strung 3 beads to make a bridge & then added one bead to each side of the bridge - 5 beads per flower. Tie your knots off to the back. To knot the back, put your needle through some fabric, loop the thread around it 3 times, then pull you needle straight. The 3 loops will scrunch down & form a knot. Here's my batch of dark flowers... stay tuned to find out what I'm going to do with them.
This is a great way to use up little ribbon & fabric scraps! I love this tutorial - I'll be making tassels for everything now.
See this DIY post from Addicted 2 Decorating: http://www.addicted2decorating.com/crafty-tute-tuesday-burlap-ribbon-tassel.html |