Weekly Projects

I still have a couple of raggedies that I need to finish up but I got a whole bunch of things finished up today.  Speaking of bunch.....I did these prim carrots:

A little secret.....to tone down or age the carrots, I added just a tad of brown shoe polish. 

And then there are the bunnies....you know how bunnies can multiply....

And then there were the plaid bears......

I just love these little guys!

And then, something really different from what I normally do:  Here, kitty, kitty......

I will be listing some of these items in my Etsy shop:  etsy.com/shop/3Peas2010 sometime this weekend.  If you are interested in purchasing, just email me: lindabmatthews@msn.com anytime for information. 

Well, off to work on my Raggedies.  I hope to have them done tonight but I may not get them posted until sometime Saturday.  Have a great weekend, my bloggie friends!

What 'cha workin' on Wednesday???

I haven't posted since the weekend, I know, I know.  But when I am in craft show mode, I make multiples of several different items at the same time.  It is actually quite a time savings to do all the cutting, then all the sewing, then the painting, hand-work, stuffing, printing, etc. 
I have a couple of bears in the works:  This one needs his glasses.

I kinda like the plaid.  What do you think?
I also have some half prepared bunnies, and some carrots, bunnies, and even a couple of snowmen that I have painted.

I have doll bodies in the kitchen being tea stained, and their dresses still being stitched:

(You can see the cat's legs behind the sewing machine.  He tries to get tangled up in the thread as I stitch away.) 

Hopefully, I will have a few of these projects finished up by the end of the week. 

More later....

Small Jar Candles

I got this idea from another blog, but just wanted to ask.....What 'cha think?

The fragrances so far are:  Garden Rain, Clean Sheets, Black Cherry, Sweet Pea, Lavender Fields, and Ocean Breeze.  They turned out really cute, I think, anyway.  What do you think????

Little bunnies

This is kind of a bonus post because I am going to be gone most of the day tomorrow.  I finished up a couple of the small bunnies:

These are little guys, about 6 1/2" high and 6" long.  They are made of white felt scraps and a little white pompom for the tail.  There is a pink organza ribbon around the neck with a little pink ribbon rose.  I have sprinkled glitter on them and on the tiny candlestick.  Love to know how you feel about these.  I will be putting these on my Etsy shop sometime this weekend.  They will sell for $5.99 ea plus s/h.  If you would like to purchase before they are in my shop, contact me on the button above. 

 

 

Patriotic Patty

Yesterday was a busy day for me.  I finished up a few things in the studio and started others.  I did get this Raggedy finished.  I call her Patriotic Patty. 

Patty has bushy, red yarn hair and has a red, white and blue bow in it.  She is approximately 18 inches long and wears a patriotic print dress with white eyelet loons.

Her "bouquet" is as American as apple pie, she has two cloth 'flags', a red glittered star, and a bunch of apples.  They are all tied together with a small flag and red organza ribbon.

 She has button eyes and a hand embroidered face.  I just love her!  She will  be listed in my Etsy shop later today. 

I'm working on some little bunnies as well.  They are turning out really cute, so I hope to have them to show you soon. 

It seems like I get alot of help in my studio.  Mr. Smoky has become very comfortable here, and has made a cozy little "bed" amongst my fabric.

Well, it is a beautiful day out again today, so I had better get busy. 

Tutorial Tuesday

I try to give you a tutorial on Tuesday, so here are a couple of things I have been working on:

Peeps on a string.  I made this "Peeps" garland because I was going thru my stash and found this alarmingly bright yellow fleece.

I googled peeps on the internet and found this free pattern.  I cut up the entire piece of fleece and got fifteen peeps (doubled), simply sewed them together and attached them to a piece of trim, also already in my stash.  I simply machine stitched them to the trim.  I ended up with three garlands.  To make the eyes and nose, I dipped the end of a sharpie into some black plum paint (you could use any dark color) and then hung them up to dry.  I know these photos are not great, but I wanted you to get the idea.  This would be cute hung over a window, fireplace, or door. 

While going through my stash, I found a small piece of this fleecy white fabric.  Immediately I thought sheep.  So I cut a piece of it (doubled of course) in the shape of a rectangle and sewed it together.  The face and ears and tail were made of black felt scraps.  I simply glued them to the fleecy torso.  For feet, I painted wooden balls (knobs) that are flattened on one side, a matte black and glued them to the bottom.  Add some ribbon roses, and voila, Mary had a little lamb!

 

So here is a tip:  If you are wanting to make some simple or primitive decor, look for simple or primitive shapes.  My two favorite places to look are in children's coloring books and cookie cutters.  You can trace the shapes and add your own details.  And always search on-line for shapes or even free patterns.

 

My last item is a really cute item.  I wanted a running bunny to place on one of my rusty springs but my free-hand was horrible so I found a small shape in a magazine and then enlarged it.  Now I don't have a printer that enlarges, so I just traced around it, over and over, getting bigger each time.  There were definitely some issues, but the end result turned out great!!!

 

 

The bunny was made of batting, has button eyes and an embroidered nose and is trimmed in ribbon roses.  A white pompom is added for a tail.  I used spray adhesive to lightly add a small amount of white glitter. 

So, I know that this is not a step-by-step like so many of my tutorials are, but I just wanted you to know that you should not limit your creativity.  Want a new decoration?  A new houseware?  A new item to introduce to your craft show?  Just open your mind.  Look around at the everyday things around you.  Then look at what you have.  I did not buy a single thing for any of the items above.  They were made from scraps (did I tell you how much I love remnants?), trimmed in trims that I had on hand, and made without spending any additional money.  Gotta love that!

So my friends, I have to run some errands today, but I have several items ready for the sewing machine.  I try to do all my machine stitching and cutting during the day.  At night when I have my butt planted in front of the tv, I do my hand embroidery, stuffing, turning, and trimming.  See ya soon!

Another beautiful day....

Well, the weather here is  wonderful, especially for a January day.  It almost seems a shame to be inside, but I am feeling really spring-like working on my spring projects.  I finished up this newest raggedy last night.  I call her Raggie Maggie. 

She is a little bit bigger than I normally make (about 18").  Her body is made of tan flannel, her face is hand embroidered.  Her dress has a print that reads Raggedy Ann & Andy and is trimmed in dainty white trim and white buttons.  She has red and white checked pantaloons which match her teddy that is clutched in her arms.  Her red hair is caught in ribbons forming pigtails. 

I also completed another small bear.  This little girl is really curly-haired with a ribbon around her neck and snazzy pink rimmed glasses. 

I am working on a few Easter-themed items that I should finish up today.  I will be listing both of these items in my Etsy shop later today.  Stop by and check them out!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/3Peas2010

 

EEEEKKKKK!

I'm not really afraid of mice, but even if you are, you are going to like these new cuties:

These little guys are made of felt and have covered wire tails.  The "bait" is actually a piece of styrofoam that I painted.  The stocking caps are made of woven cotton fabric and have a rusty bell at the end.  They stand about 6" tall and are listed on my Etsy site.  More later......

What 'cha workin' on Wednesdsy

Still working on Spring things, most recently, my potted bunny, Pansy.  Pansy is made from Warm and Natural, with felt carrots (with wired green tops) and she has herself planted in a 4" terra cotta pot.  I love the way she turned out!

I also finished up another raggedy that I call Val.  Val holds a lace trimmed heart and tag that reads , "I love you." Val is approximately 17 inches tall with a red dotted dress over red loons.  A matching bow is in her yarn hair.  Talk about a sweetie!

If you are interested in either piece, both will be listed tomorrow in my Etsy shop.  If you haven't stopped by there lately, come visit!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/3Peas2010.

Well, I am off to cut out some more bears today.  And some more dolls.  And bunnies.  And carrots.  and.......

See you soon!

Tuesday Tutorial...Yummm, Carrots

As promised, I am going to show you how to make these easy, peasy, lemon-squeezy carrots. 

Now, I will tell you how I made them, but feel free to alter them to your own liking.  First I cut out a carrot shape.  This is just free-handed, and my pattern is approximately 5 1/2" long and is about 2 1/2" wide at the wide end.  Trace it onto cardstock, or even better, laminate.  Trace onto orange fabric.  I had this bright orange cotton remnant (have I told you how much I love remnants???) and traced as many as would comfortably fit on the swatch.  Trace onto the wrong side of fabric, doubled with right sides together (RST).  Don't cut apart.  Just start sewing on your traced lines.  When you have done as many as you want, cut out, of course cutting outside the sewing lines.

Now for the carrot tops:  Find a piece of green fabric, a tightly woven cotton works best.  I cut a piece 8" long by 5" deep.  Then cut slits(see pic below) about a quarter of an inch apart.  You can do this with a rotary cutter if you want.  If you are doing severl tops, you can stack them and fringe several at the same time.  Be sure to leave 1-1 1/2" at one end unfringed.

Roll the unfringed end with the printed side of your fabric facing the outside.

Stuff your carrot.  The way I did it was I stufffed the narrow end with fiber fill, added some weighted pellets infused with lavender, then finished up the wider end of the carrot with fiberfill.  Make sure that it is firmly stuffed and turn the end of the raw edges and run a gather stitch (this is done by hand)  As you pull the gathering thread, insert the rolled edge of the carrot top.  Hand stitch to secure. 

Thats all there is to it!  These carrots would be a perfect addition to an Easter basket, if you use scent, you can use as a sachet, or simply add some eggs and you have a great centerpiece. 

Angelina Bunny

It is really, really cold out so it is a good day to play (work) in the studio.  I finished up Angelina Bunny from a pattern from Bunny Hugs (www.bunnyhugs.com).  Check them out, they have some great sales going on.  Anyway, Angelina is a 14 1/2" bunny.  The pattern calls for muslin, but I made her out of some flannel that I had. 

She turned out really cute.  I have another one cut out and I hope to have it finished by tomorrow.  I will put them both up in my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/3Peas2010.  The last two raggedies that I posted, have sold.  I will post another cutie tomorrow.

I also worked on my carrot sachets.  These little carrots are my own design so I will tell you how to make them tomorrow.

 

They are oh, so easy, so check back tomorrow for a tutorial.  Gotta go, my bloggie friends.  More to follow!

Bunny Sachets and Carrots

Good morning, my bloggie friends.  I have been working on getting "spring" stuff for my shows, as you know.  My bunny sachets are really cute!  I am listing them in my Etsy shop for $2 plus s/h.  To check out my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/3Peas2010.  I have scented them with floral scents, and they will be great to put in a dresser drawer, an Easter basket, or to set on your desk.  If you order a dozen, I will discount shipping and will sell twelve for only $20. 

The bunnies are about 4 1/2 inches tall are filled with scent and tied with a bow.  Some are two toned, some made of only one fabric. 

If you want to order, you can request a certain color, and I will do the best that I can to honor your request, but some are made from end-of-bolt or remnants, so they may not be reproduced.

I've also been making more of the heart bookmarks.  They would be great Valentines Day gifts.  Same price, with again breaks for a dozen.  Sorry, again no choices in colors or fabrics, but all will be made in either reds, red with white, or pinks.

I am also finishing up another Raggedy and some carrot sachets.  I tried one of the carrots and they look great, so when I get a few more under my belt, I will publish a tutorial....probably on Tutorial Tuesday.

This little bunny has been in the works for a while and I just finished him up:

 

Next week, I will be announcing a give-away, so stay tuned (especially all you scrap-bookers!)

Thrifty Thursday

Once again, it's time to put on our thrifty hats and try something new.  So, I was looking for ideas for my spring show and I found an idea on-line to use up all those little snippets of fabrics.  Bookmarks!

These little gems are so easy to make!  I really would give credit to the site where I saw these, but I didn't write it down and can't find it again.  These can be any size, just be sure to cut the tip of your heart at a 90 degree angle, or it will not fit over the edge of the page.  You simply cut a square and fold on the diagonal for the back!  So easy.   And if you are like me, you have loads of fabric scraps that you hate to toss, but cannot find a use for.

Sorry this photo is not correctly oriented but I have been having so many issues with blogger and haven't been able to resolve this.

You simply place the heart over the edge of the page that you want to mark.

This is what the back side looks like.  Since it is made from thin cotton fabric, the book closes completely, but you can see your place marking at first glance.

You could probably use other shapes if you want as long as they have a right angle for placing over the edge.  Maybe a diamond shape, a cotton ball on the tip would make a Santa hat, or you might make the tip a nose and make a dog, reindeer, mouse, etc.  Play around with this a bit and have fun with it!  And save those scraps!