Plus, I’ve been cleaning some lovely old demijohns which I had never realised were so pretty inside the wicker coverings and now have all over the house with flowers and dried arrangements in.  There is a limit though (as Mr. Tialys often points out) and they are best displayed in spots where the light can shine through which, this being an old French house, are few and far between.

After everything was cut traced, cut out, and placed in hoops, I had to glue all the fabric around the back side of the hoops.  It was a big pain.  However, it made everything nice and neat.  I then laid the hoops out, and arranged them over and over again, trying to figure out what would be the best way to display them.  Once I figured that all out, I turned to my next project… making a matching throw pillow!

I knew that with all of those fat quarters, I would have lots of scrap fabric left over.  I had looked through my book Sewing Bits and Pieces and found a section about using scraps to make a patchwork pillow.  Since the wall where I was going to hang the embroidery hoops also had a couch against it, I figured I could put the pillow on the couch!  So here is how that adventure went.

1.  I had to cut lots of strips, and iron them.  I only sliced my finger a couple of times!  It was my first time using a rotary and cutting mat, and all those weird rulers.

2.  I had to sew some of those strips together to make 19″ strips.  They rotated, as you can see.  1 short-1 long-1 short, and then 2 long pieces together.  After those strips were put together, I needed to lay them out and figure out which way they would all be sewn together to make the front of the pillow.

3.  Then the sewing really began.  Oh, the sewing!  All the strips had to be sewn together.  Then I had to iron on some double-sided adhesive.  After that was more sewing around the edge of each fabric.  It made the pillow a bit more cute!  Although, I’m not positive it was worth all the extra work.  Once all of that was complete, I had to sew together the back of the pillow.  Luckily that was just two pieces of fabric and not a tons of little strips.  There was some fusible interfacing and muslin sewn onto that, then the front and back were sewn together.  Now, it may not sound like much to most people, but I am SLOW at sewing, and this took about 2 days straight.

4.  I stuffed the pillow in there, and it was FINALLY done!

And so, here is the wall and couch project, completed!

Not very exciting, huh?  The blue actually shows up a little lighter in the picture than what it usually looks like.  Usually it appears about the same color as the color in the upper right corner.  This couch pulls out into a bed, which is why this has become somewhat of a guest room.  The rest of the room looks like this:

Yup, that’s about all that’s going on in that room.  Not so impressive, I know.  The robot painting I bought at a craft show, and the painting above the computer is one I painted at Sips N’ Strokes.  The computer desk needs a fresh coat of paint, and the chair is missing a much-needed screw.  This poor room needs some work!  I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, trying to get ideas.  

Then, a couple of weeks ago my friend Courtney posted some pictures in her blog (here) that I absolutely love!  I should have known I would find an answer to my dilemma through Courtney, she’s pretty amazing, and quite creative.  I’ve search around on my own, and found the following pictures to use as inspiration…

Today I went out and bought the hoops, as well as some white spray paint.  I’ll paint the hoops white either tonight or sometime tomorrow.  The white will match the trim in the room.  Now I just need advice on what color fabric I should use in the hoops???  Someone suggested yellow, which would match the robot picture on the other side of the room.  I like the idea, but is does remind me a lot of U of M colors.  Being from Michigan originally, that’s where my mind automatically goes, but I know that’s not true for everyone.  Any other thoughts?

Now, for my next decorating “problem”.  I have another empty wall.  It’s in the dinning room, above the buffet, and looks like this:

Once again, the picture is a bit misleading.  The wall is kind of a rose color.   And, once again, thanks to my fabulous friend, Courtney, I have an idea of what I would like to do.  There will definitely be picture frames involved.  Courtney introduced me to the fabulous frames from The Organic Bloom.  I am ordering an 8×10 in dragonfruit pink, a 5×7 in lilypad green, and a 5×7 in some kind of bright purple (I can’t remember the exact color).  Eventually I’d like a large amount of these frames, but they’re a bit expensive, so I’m going to have to do a little at a time.  However, look at how cute they are!

What I’m trying to figure out is whether I should put the frames ON the buffet, or on the wall ABOVE the buffet.  If they go on the buffet, I need to figure out what to do with the wall.  I’ve been looking at some of the things from Upper Case Living.  I’d probably put a mirror up along with whatever design I pick, or something along those lines.  Here are some ideas from Upper Case Living:

On the other hand, if I do the frames on the wall, I’m not sure what I will put on the buffet.  Vases?  Um… I don’t know what else.  I need opinions please!  Help!

Ok so…I’m lame and didn’t get the tutorial up the other day. I’m not going to lie I’ve been crocheting my fingers to the bone plus Tommy & Brien haven’t been feeling, what you would call….awesome…on top of that it is 23 degrees outside so I can’t spray paint currently.

However not to disappoint I’m going to put up this darling little tutorial with pictures I have currently even though the frames are in black and not going to be in black when I’m done with them.

So I was thinking. I love fabric. It’s addicting…cute prints and an array of colors you can’t go too wrong with it…ok well that’s not true…but if you like it then you can’t go wrong. I like the idea of framing pieces of beautiful fabric. Not only is it pretty and timeless it’s also changeable for the seasons or just when you get bored with it. I was thinking though….frames can get pretty pricey and currently I have better things to buy for my kids than ornate frames for my walls. So I was thinking. What would be an interesting little wall treatment without breaking the bank. Thank God for Michael’s & Joann’s.

Here you go.

You’ll need:
Embroidery hoops (different sizes if you’d like)
Fabric *you can use quarters however depending on the size of your hoops)
Spray paint
Scissors

Super simple idea…great outcome.

Take your embroidery hoops apart. I only spray painted the outside piece…if you want to do both be my guest!

Measure your fabric. Lay straight on the table and place the OUTSIDE of the embroidery hoop on it. Draw a circle around the hoop giving it just a little over so it gets nicely tucked under and yet can be pulled tight.

 Place your fabric on the inside hoop….like soooooo….

Have the outside hoop screwed tightly but not too tight it won’t go on. Once you’ve done that slide it over the inside hoop and fabric. pulling the way you’d like. And tada you’re done.

Complete the rest of the hoops you have and hang. I’m still waiting to hang mine until my hubby can get some more nails for me & oh yeah I can spray them WHITE! Ugh sometimes I dislike the freezing cold weather  we’re having now. I hope you guys enjoy this cute little idea…

Happy FRIDAY!!!!!!

So far, I have only sewn 2 and I am totally in love with how they both came out!

Both are already listed in the shop (I couldn’t wait, I listed them right after I took pictures, hehe).

And now for a new update on an old favorite:  Amoeba and Paramecium Magnets!!

Okay, okay – So at first glance I know they don’t look any different – But the secret is on the inside … I have upgraded to SUPER STRONG neodymium magnets! These suckers are ridiculously powerful – When I opened the mailbox, the package they were shipped in was stuck to the metal door!  I tested them out and they hold 3 – 4 thick business cards or 5 – 6 pieces of paper with ease.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the magnets I was previously using, they work just fine – But I wanted a little more sticking power and boy do these do the trick!

I have added a few of the new neodymium magnet versions of my microbes to the shop already – You can find them here. I will be adding a lot more over the upcoming days when I get a chance to list them.

I’ve also spent the past couple months conversing and collaborating with a representative of a certain charity, details will be coming later, but I can give you a hint:  It has to do with this item!

Ana Ventura: I came across these lovely hoops over on Modish. I love everything about them. The color, the houses, the roots, everything! Be sure to check out her shop!

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Miniature Rhino: Jessica Marquez, the maker behind MR, was a graduate student at RIT while I was an undergrad. It was so exciting when she launched MR and I’m so happy for her and her success!

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Check out the MR shop! Her message in a bottle letter service is super cute as well!

When I make the 4″ ones now, they seem enormous!

When we first moved to France 5 years ago I was delighted that they didn’t anticipate Christmas until the beginning of December.  The fact that they then forget to take the decorations down until around May we will gloss over.  Unfortunately, in the last couple of years, some of the chain stores have succumbed to whatever pressure it is – can it really be the public? – to introduce tinselly, shiny, glittery items to their shelves in October.  It’s the thin end of the wedge.  However, I can report that, up until last year,  it was possible to shop for food right up until Christmas Eve without having to plan it like some sort of military operation and without having to stand in queues so long that, in the U.K., they had to employ people specifically to hand out conciliatory chocolates to the desperate.    

Having said all that, I have started to see the first glimpses of festive products on Etsy and, what’s worse, I have bought some of them.  I have bought  supplies with which to make my own Christmas goodies this year, some for us and some for the shop and  have been thinking of ideas for things to make.  It’s  weird having to root through the decorations that were packed away only 7 months ago so that you can stage a photo shoot for a festive item.  I imagine it must be like that for the staff in shops such as Selfridges – how they must detest all the Christmas records that come out every year – I think they must just train themselves to ignore them otherwise they would surely go mad.   I remember last year being a bit fed up with it all by the time the actual day arrived so, this year, I shall try to remain a bit detached  until at least the end of November – although I have made these………

Happy August!

Limited Duration:

Remember only five copies are available and you have until Saturday the 31st of July to purchase a print.

Prints are £20 (plus shipping) for an 8 x 10 inch print, hand printed on Fuji Crystal Archive paper and include a mount so you can put it into a standard 10 x 12 inch  frame. I’ll be sending the prints out after I’ve received all the orders at the end of the month, so there is a little delayed gratification involved!

This is my first attempt at a Decopatch bangle which I got as a kit from The Decopatch Place. I got so addicted to glue and paper that I then went on to make these bedroom name blocks for week old baby Maisie and almost due baby Alfie from some old MDF table legs…

And now I’m going to start selling decorative embroidery hoops for framing finished fabric and embroidery works. Lots of people are using embroidery hoops to finish off their pieces now, rather than just keep tension, so I thought these could go down quite well on Etsy! Once I have made a few I will revamp my abandoned shop and send out a few press releases and see how we go! You know, because I haven’t got enough online shops already either, what with my new supplies shop on Folksy which I am slowly duplicating over on Etsy…

***

In resin news, I have placed an order for quick setting resin to stock! It sets and can be demoulded in 4-5 hours normally, but with the aid of heat boxes which will be stocked a little later in the year, pieces can be demoulded in just an hour- wow. This means I will soon be adding workshops to my shop for August/September time. The only reason why I haven’t at this stage is because I don’t know if I will have moved by then as we are buying a house! The estate agent’s estimate is that we will be moving at the end of July, however we haven’t had the mortgage finalised yet so it could take a bit longer, hence the uncertainty.

A Project in Waiting

When I was round at my friend Anna’s house the other day, she showed me some tiny embroidery hoops she had ordered and I had to have some.  These ones are 4″ in diameter but you can also get 3″ ones.  Don’t quite know what for yet – although I think I might use something vintage – but an idea will come to me.    Whilst ordering the hoops, I noticed the lovely felt that the same shop, Lupin,  had for sale and had to have some of that too.  Again, I don’t know what for yet but some things you’ve just got to have and, at the moment, I like looking at all those lovely colours piled up full of promise!

NEXT DAY –

La Nuit

I don’t hang around you know.

The next one I made got on the front page so that’s some encouragement.

La Pluie on FP

And here’s another – I need to order some more of these little hoops at this rate.

La Petite Ecole

nothing says, “hey, back off buddy…a crafter lives here!” more than this inspiration wall. 

oh so lovely, and oh so easy to make. 

materials needed:

to make one portrait

• a square of fabric, at least 2″ wider than your hoop in all directions.
• a wooden embroidery hoop in any size
• elmer’s or fabric glue of any type is fine
• fabric scissors

how to:

1. place fabric in the hoop, pull taught.
2. turn to wrong side, run a small line of glue around the inside hoop, just next to the fabric.
3. press fabric into glue all the way around.
4. allow glue to dry.
5. trim fabric to edge of hoop

hang finished portraits on a wall to admire…ah, lovely!

these hoops are a great and affordable way to decorate bare walls in any space, whether its a living room, a child’s room, a dining room or your bedroom. they also make great quick gifts. who knows, perhaps you’ll finally use up some of that fabric you’ve got stashed around your home!

You are looking at my craft room closet door.  I decoupaged vintage sewing pattern tissue on the door, I had planned to put in on the back of the shelves but switched plans to something easier and ultimately, I felt, more impactful.  I found the blue door on the curb, didn’t paint it.  Found it, put on for trash, that beautiful color with amazing hardware.  It’s too wide for the craft room doorway so I’ve got to cut it down to size.  I have big plans for that door, so stay tuned!

I hung the antlers from my Pop on the closet door to hold all my thrifted hoops.  I don’t embroider but my old craft room had lots of fabric filled embroidery hoops.   I am feeling them as they are this time around.

&

I forgot to announce the winner of the Name That Fish Contest:

And the winner is, Sharon with: Fishel: Yiddish name meaning little fish.   The boys had other favorites (Natalies‘ Phinneas was a favorite because of Phinneas and Ferb) and there were some good ones (Visty’s Swordid was my second favorite).  But since the fish will be hanging in my craft room I felt I should decide.  So Fishel it is.  Made me laugh,  like the idea of crafting under an old Jewish swordfish.

So I will be sending out some gee gaws and doo dads to you Sharon in a less than timely manner!  Wait for it!

I have a thing…

for hoops…

lately…

Want to make your own hula hoop?

A is for advertising, your logo’s true goal

B is for backing, material used to prevent holes

C is for compensation, to make round logos true

D is for digitizing, the best logo view

E is for embroidery machine that stitches your order

F is for fill stitch, embroidered border to border

G is for gifts, Queensboro’s items delight

H is for hoop, ensuring that a shirt is sewn right

I is for investment in great logo shirts

J is for jersey fabric that wins many converts

K is for knit, soft, strong and fine

L is for your logo, which our embroidery makes shine

M is for monogram, your initials in line

N is for needle that stitches your design

O is for operator of embroidery machines

P is for punching logos that are easily seen

Q is for quality. Ours is the finest

R is for running stitch for dividing embroidered crests

S is for satin stitch, for all logo parts

T is for thread that’s sewn into art

U is for underlay to stabilize the embroidery

V is for vivid logo colors that potential customers see

W is for Wilcom, our digitizing software brand

X is for xeno, welcoming guests with an open hand

Y is for YAY when your doorbell rings!

Z is for zillions of ways to use Queensboro things!

I’ve never really been fond of the embroidery hoop.

Even when doing cross stitch, I have held the fabric and sewn the stitches without a hoop. The wood hoops just don’t ‘feel’ right to me, which is somewhat surprising considering that I am a woodworker and love wood. For me, they feel tiny and rather flimsy. The fabric eases out of them, no matter what prep I’ve done for the hoop. The plastic hoops just don’t give off the right feel either. They feel more “fun” than the wood hoops, but they just lack serious stitching substance. To me, they are slippery, and for some reason, attract dirt. Yes, when I try to use them, there is a collection of dirty brown stuff that just always appears on the edge of the fabric. It’s an odd phenomenon. lol

So, when discovering hand embroidery this past March, I was dreading the ‘hoop’. Until I found the QSnap.

I shop at my local needle-fun store, Fiddlesticks. They have an inconspicuous little shelf in the back of the store with these little packages of plastic sticks. Hubby saw them and said, “Hey, look at these!”. He was convinced of their potential and insisted that I try several sizes of them. So, I have the 8″x8″ and the 11″x11″.

They are the best by any standard. At least for me they are!

They assemble by easily snapping together.

I can place “guards” (material strips) on the edges of the working fabric to keep any stray “magnetic dirt” from finding their its way to my working fabric.

I just place the fabric over the frame and ‘snap’ the edge holders on. Easy peasy.

If my fabric starts to loosen while I stitch, then I just gentle “turn” the snap cover until the fabric in taut again.

The frame is hefty. It has substance. It won’t fall out of my hand. It just feels good.

I was stitching several clusters of French Knots when hubby saw that I was balancing the QSnap between my knees to do ‘hands-free’ stitching. So, he did some research, went out to his wood shop, and built me this great stand.

I sit cross legged everywhere. So, he made this stand so that I can tuck it right under my legs, in any direction, and stitch hands-free.

The QSnaps make all the difference. I can change the tension across the fabric with any little ‘twist’ from the QSnap cover.

The stand is fantastic! I can clamp in my QSnap hoop and sit and stitch. Here are the jaws that open and clamp to the QSnap. He formed the channels inside the jaws to match the QSnaps perfectly. It looks just like little face…with a little mouth.

Just slip in the QSnap with the fabric…and tighten the jaws.

It’s all ready to go!

The stand adjusts to angles, heights, and positions that I need and I can leave the QSnaps in the jaws and just put the whole stand and all away overnight and just pick it all back up again the next time with no extra prep.

And best of all, it is complete with hubby’s signature. (See the little heart…on the foot of the stand…his enclosure for me when completing the project!)

Off to stitch the monkeys! I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours! What do you use to stitch with? Hoop? Frame? Stand? Tell us about it in the comments.

Your life needs fun. Go ahead, have some fun!

In the past, designs for embroidery were created by hand. You’d have to spend long hours tracing patterns by hand with your pencil. And it’s not that simple! Patterns that have to be traced have to be carefully looked over every time to make sure that it is being done the right way. Nowadays, designing for embroidery is made easier and most anyone can do it. All you have to do is use embroidery software.

Embroidery software is easy-to-use and normally comes with a machine that you can use it in. The software lets the machine to the tracing for you and it creates great quality traces every time.

Some types

Digitizing Software: This type of software is one of popular ones used for embroidery. It is simple to use and offers you different tools that are fairly easy to learn. This software lets you create beautiful designs that are entirely your own. It also works well with pattern pills, clip arts, and stitch patterns to name some.

Lettering Software: This type of software allows you to make letters for your embroidery design. With a number of tools, it can help you comfortably do your designs. The software can be downloaded from the Internet and also allows for ways to auto digitize, photo stitch, and edit any design.

Reminder

There are different types of embroidery software out there that you can use, each one featuring a characteristic that is different from another. Regardless of the type of software that you buy, each is sure to make your embroidery experience unique and memorable. When you buy one, make sure to read the instructions carefully so you can fully utilize the software and its different features.

Since finding the photo of Liberty of London fabrics framed in embroidery hoops at Purl (see post here), I’ve been meaning to try the idea. Here’s my interpretation with some embroidered birds on linen. I painted the hoops matte black. But I think that these would be great unpainted or painted with different bright colors and used in a child’s room.

I simply hooped the fabric and cut the excess, so this was a quick and easy project. I plan to add more to this grouping, mix in some plates or find some flea-market style small round mirrors. I embroidered the birds myself, but I think that vintage handkerchiefs would make a great display. You can find lots of vintage handkerchiefs online here and here.