Hand-Stitched Ornaments

Here's a fun way to make hand-crafted fabric ornaments.  It is very similar to the way I make hand-quilted eyes for my stuffed animals (you may want to review that post first).  They can be made from leftover scraps, and they make another nice portable project.

First, decide on a base layer of your ornament. I like to use felt as my sturdy back layer.

Then cut out layers of colored fleece, cotton, or felt to stack into an eye design, from largest to smallest or vice versa.  Fleece and cotton fabric will probably fray more, but may give you more color options. The larger/background colors are sewn first, with each smaller layer stacked on top and sewn individually.  

I like to use a matching thread to sew each color into place.  You can still see that each layer is hand-sewn, but the stitches don't disrupt your design too much.  But any complimentary color will work.  Knot each thread on the back of your panel so that the ends won't show through when the two panels are finally sandwiched together.

Lastly, add quilted felt eyes, or beads, or embroidery thread, for extra flair.  Remember to leave a felt edge surrounding eyes, to make stitching the eye into place easier (using a dark felt base for the eyes also creates a nice bold outline that helps your eye design to pop).

Once all of your embellishments are in place, stitch a ribbon loop into the top edge of one of your panels, about a quarter of an inch in.  Be careful to keep these stitches from piercing through the outermost layers of fabric, so that you do not disrupt your design, but use several stitches to securely attach the ribbon.

You now have two finished panels, like so:

You can then stitch the two panels back to back, along their felt borders.  I like to use thick black embroidery thread.

You can pull your thread ends through a bead and knot them with ribbon as an ornamental accent, or hide your thread ends in your stitching.

Keep the back panel plain, or create a double-sided piece:

As you can see, these techniques can be easily adapted to make decorative Christmas tree or door handle ornaments for any season.  Felt quilting can also be easily adapted for craft projects with children--all you would need would be colored felt, embroidery thread, and those blunt plastic embroidery needles, materials that can be found at most craft stores.

Have fun experimenting!

Plushie Construction: Hand-Quilted Eyes

In looking back over my previous construction tutorials, it appears that I have never completely addressed how I make the quilted eyes that I use for my stuffed animals.  I shall remedy that here!

QUILTING

As I have stated in previous posts, many people get confused about what quilting is.  They picture beautiful patchwork blankets (which are of course called "quilts"), and think that patchwork is quilting.  In fact, quilting is the sewing of multiple layers of sandwiched fabric together.  The traditional quilts that you may think of are usually one layer of patchwork, a layer of flat, insulating batting (stuffing), and then a "backing layer" (the underside of your quilt).  Some quilts have all three of these layers, while others are only made with a top and bottom layer.  In the amazing quilting technique of "Trapunto," the stuffing is bunched and molded into pockets that help the sewer create sculptural effect, an entire fabric bas-relief.

EYE CONSTRUCTION

I like to make my eyes out of felt.  Felt is a sturdy fabric that does not tend to fray when you use scraps in detail work, and it comes in a wide variety of colors.

The layers of different colors of felt create a slightly rounded dome--a cross between a two-dimensional and three-dimensional eye.  I use black felt as my base layer, white as the "white of the eye" (surprise), and then I get more creative with the iris and pupil.

I recommend cutting out all of your layers before stitching, so that you can see the overall size and effect while you can still tweak everything.  Make sure to leave a border of your base layer around your eye design, so that you can easily stitch your completed eyes to your plushie.  This border will also create a nice, bold eye border on your finished plushie face.

Try to use a matching thread color for each layer.  The eyes are still clearly hand-stitched, but the stitches won't distract from the overall eye design.

And voila, you have a quilted eye:

When attaching your eyes to your plushie, try to stitch at a bit of a diagonal, stitching from the outside of the eye and sliding the needle between the layers of fabric a bit, to tack a wider section of the felt eye to the plushie head.  These plushies may see some wear and tear, after all, and you don't want to worry about the eyes tearing off.

The larger the eye, the more detail and layers you can include.  But this eye technique looks great either way, and can give your plushie a nice bit of flair.  This is also a nice, compact bit of crafting that you can carry around with you from place to place, and it can turn your scraps into something functional.

Have fun crafting!

Knitting Needle Tote



Knitting Needle Tote from above.

As I've showed you before, I normally store my knitting needles and crochet hooks in decorative jars, as a display item.  Then I just pull out what I need for my project.

If I need to transport all of them, I pack them into a knitting needle tote I made a long time ago for a textiles assignment (I believe this was in 2005). 

To make this tote, I cut out the back panel of an old sweater, and I chopped up a pair of my uncle's old jeans.

I cut the bottom portion off one of the jean legs, to use as a pocket.  The rest of the legs I cut into flat panels.

The entire tote was hand-stitched.  I made the main tote out of a folded denim panel, and then sewed the sweater panel onto the outside of the bag as a decorative element. 

I had cut the sweater panel carefully, cutting outside of all stitched seams, so that the sweater panel would not unravel while I worked with it.

The knitting needle pouch just inside the zipper is made from the extra length of the sweater panel (the neck), which was folded down into the bag to create a tube, instead of being cut off.

Then I stitched the sides of the tote together, adding small panels at each end to create inner pockets.  These pocket panels also alter and hold the main denim panel into a basin shape.  

The bottom of the pant leg was cut off as an intact tube and stitched directly onto the bag (ankle-end-up) to create the main outer pocket, with the industrial hem of the ankle creating a nice, clean opening.  I added pocket flaps made of the sweater material to the open end of the knitting needle pouch and along the top the outer pocket.

Lastly, I added the zipper, handles, and buttons, and edged the outer pocket flap and the knitting needle sleeve's closing flap with green yarn and crocheted button holes.

I wrapped and sewed the green yarn around and through the twine handles.  I used a "figure 8" stitch at the neck of each loop, to pin the loose twine ends to the handles  To make the buttons, I spiraled twine and stitched it together with the green yarn, also using the "figure 8" stitch, like when starting a twine basket.

Then I sewed the handles just below the top of the bag on each side.

The Final Product:

Front.  The pocket flap is a strip of sweater edged with button stitch.
The button and handles are made of twine, which was tightly wrapped in green yarn. 

I use this side pocket for sewing notions and other small tools.
It is made out of the already-hemmed bottom of the pant leg.

Back.  The bottom stocking stitch of the sweater adds a decorative element to the top of this side.

I keep my slim knitting needles in the top needle tube.
The big needles go in the main compartment.

This pencil case my aunt gave me perfectly holds all of my crochet needles,
 as well as my small, double-ended knitting needles.



The crochet needle case fits into the main compartment with the bigger needles.
There is an extra inner pocket at each end of the tote, for thread spools or measuring tape.

The fun thing about this project was that it followed a whimsical, spontaneous design.  I wrapped the sweater panel around the denim bag, and found there was enough of the neck left to roll into an inner knitting needle pocket.  I slapped the bottom of the pants leg onto the front of my tote, as a pre-made pocket.  All I had to do was stitch down the sides and bottom.  I had denim scraps, and I like pockets, so I used the scraps to add two extra inner pockets when I was sewing the ends of the tote together--you always need more pockets and compartments than you think you will!  My outer pocket gaped open, so I sewed a handmade button onto it, and then I took a scrap of sweater and made it into a decorative flap that would hold the pocket closed.  Then I added a green zipper I'd found at a thrift store as a closure.  I happened to have the twine and green yarn, so I used those to make matching handles and buttons, instead of going out and buying them.

TO MAKE YOUR OWN TOTE:
If you want to try this for yourself, all you need is:

 

*Sturdy base material.

*Optional sweater/decorative material, or yarns for contrast or accents.

*Needle and Thread or Sewing Machine.  You can of course make your tote much stronger than I did by sewing it with a sewing machine, but I did enjoy the spontaneous decisions that came out of hand-sewing this piece.  If you want your tote to be able to carry heavier items, you should probably use the sewing machine.

*An idea of what size items you want your tote to hold, as well as how many compartments or pockets you might need.

*Some way to fasten your bag, whether you prefer buttons or zippers.  I like the zipper for the main compartment, because it keeps everything from falling out accidentally.

If you want to be very basic, all you need to begin with is a rectangle of cloth.  Stitch down the front and back edges, to create a clean, sturdy top seam, and then fold your panel in half and stitch each side closed.  You'll end up with the narrow tote that I made.  If you want more of a tote, start with a longer main panel, and include a proper side panel (such as a half-circle or square), to create a roomier interior.

For inner or outer pockets, sew on a decorative panel or tube of fabric.  It's really that simple.  If you're feeling more ambitious, you can plan ahead and sew some pocket panels  into your seams.  Here is a link I've posted before, with a lovely selection of beautiful pocket tutorials, for if you want to do something more ambitious or decorative.

You can of course stitch multiple panels together, to create multiple inner compartments.  Or try pleating, or adding elastic.  Let your imagination run wild!  Your tote has endless possibilities.

My only complaint with my own tote after years of use is that the handles feel uneven, and sometimes bend oddly.  It was fun to make them on my own, by wrapping folded twine with yarn in the basket-making technique, but for better comfort and appearance for your own totes, I would recommend using actual store-bought handles, or a pretty tube strap made out of your fabric.  Or leave out the handles, and make a notions clutch!

HOME ORGANIZATION TWO: PORTABLE WORK STATIONS

How do I make my ongoing projects more portable?

AT HOME (The Macro-Tote)

Before I add stuffing to the mix, plushie construction is very compact and amenable to being folded up and tucked out of the way (my looms and bins of supplies on the other hand, will always expand beyond their designated sections of floor and shelf space...)

What I usually do is this: I have a large portable work station  that I can cart around the house (it's a BIN DRAWER--so convenient!).  This box of items contains all of the smaller odds and ends that I would need to work on a plushie: a few pieces of fleece and felt, my boxes of thread, my bag of scraps, my bag of patchwork eyes, my idea notebook, my sewing notions, extra scissors and pens.  I should note that I have several boxes of colored thread and several bins of fleece, so I only include the colors that are relevant to my current projects in "THE BIN."

All smaller scraps of fabric and my numerous tiny items (like my ever-growing piles of hand-sewn eyes, my thread, and my sewing notions) are kept in clear Ziploc bags, to facilitate organization and sorting.


Current Brainstorm: Mini-Ornaments or Keychain Fobs

I usually keep my sewing machine and my gigantic bag of stuffing tucked away in the corner until I need them, although they are technically also portable.

The sewing machine usually lives on a worktable or tucked away in a corner.

Only need a little stuffing? I'll just unclamp the bag and grab a handful!

OUT AND ABOUT (The Mini-Tote)
When I go out and want to bring a craft project with me, I of course cannot take quite so much in the way of supplies.  That is when these Ziploc bags perform their second function--I can take a couple of these small, categorized baggies with me in a crafting tote, and know that I have everything I'll need to work on that specific sub-project if I find myself with extra time on my hands.


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All of this fit into two baggies?!