Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Friday, October 11, 2024
Cardmaking - watercoloured ornaments layered with metallic cardstock on coordinating cards
Sewing - fabric basket to hold cards for a fundraising event
I committed to making a prize for our October fundraising event. It is a fabric basket which you can see below holds a variety of handmade cards. I made up 10 watercoloured ornament Christmas cards and added 14 all occasion cards. I packaged them same as I did last time - folded cellophane pockets kept together with a strip of lettered tape which looks like a book. Works really well!! They stand on their own and can be laid flat which allows visual access to all the cards without actually touching them. Great for storing them until you need them as well.
I cut the outer fabric and then the lining (11" x 8") and then cut out the corners (2.5"). I stitched the fronts to the linings and then added some polyester batting to the outer. To stitch the basket together you place the two pieces over each other and stitch the ends and the sides. You need to leave an opening on the lining end to be able to turn it inside out I forgot so unstitched a bit of my seam. I had never made boxed corners like this before. Works well!! Once turned inside out I added four rows of top stitching to firm up the top portion of the basket. The batting was a little fluffy but for my first try I think it worked out well enough. I perfectly holds the three packages of cards I put together. I see that I have made an error in the number of cards - it is a total of 24 cards - not 30!! I will have to print another one with the right numbers and my prize will be ready to go!!! Therese
Grandma to Grandma Campaign quilt at the library in Red Deer
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Cardmaking - how to make perfect watercoloured circle ornaments for Christmas cards
Don't leave it too long or the watercolour will dry on the rim. If so, no loss just reapply another layer of paint and then turn it over and place it on your watercolour paper leaving room at the top for the cap and ribbon or string. Press a little and then lift up.
It leaves a perfect circle of colour which will become the outside edge of your watercoloured ornament.
Load your round brush with paint and slowly start drawing the brush's tip along the edge of the circle going slowly and smoothly. Keep loading your brush and continue to add colour to the ornament until you have been all the way around. Touch up any places where you have left a gap between your strokes and the circle. That will leave your center clear. Load a little bit of water to your brush and tap it around in a circle with the tip touching the ring of colour and the fat part of your brush on the white area. This will give you a lighter area and create a bit of a highlight to give your ornament some dimension.
There you are with a perfectly circular watercoloured ornament without a black outline!!!
I added stippling by banging my brush onto my finger over the paper. Splattering this way if very unpredictable and adds directional marks. It also can make stipples in areas well outside of your piece of watercolour so I will have to do some research on how to best to that. I did you an old toothbrush for the metallic splatter which worked better. I would have preferred larger drops and less of them. I will ask my sister. She does a much better job at stippling!!! You can check out the cards I made with these little works of art here!! Therese
Sunday, October 06, 2024
Slow Stitching - a few more squares for my pink and green quilt
Saturday, October 05, 2024
Sewing - potholders with different fabrics
Friday, October 04, 2024
Sewing - another set of potholders with points and borders
Another set of potholders for Christmas!! I layered the two large half square triangles, pinned them, drew a line from corner to corner across the two colours, stitched a quarter inch from the line on both sides and then cut them apart on the line. I stitched them to each other to create points. I did the same for this set. I added strips of red all the way around and then added batting. I cut backers from some vintage cotton fabric which worked quite well colour wise. I stitched two little hangers, stitched them to my top layer and then bound the potholders by folding the backing to the front and stitching it into place. I added quilting lines in the light triangles. The colours of the fronts are a little off - they are like the last set which I linked to. Another set to add to the ones I will be bringing for our Christmas celebration this year. Therese
Thursday, October 03, 2024
Sewing - Quilted potholders for Christmas
Another set of potholders for Christmas. This pair were made up from a set of half square triangles which I cut in half and then sewed back together. I added a dark red band all the way around to have enough fabric to turn over to the other side. I added some green leafy cotton on the other side along with a little hanger across the corner and then folded the red over and sewed the binding in place all the way around. I quilted a square in the center of each - one square, the other on point. I like the one on point better. There will be more potholders from these squares so I will change up the format so make them a bit different. Therese