Additions to Paisley Fabric Book 2 Covers

 I've made a few more additions to the covers of my paisley fabric journal, also a few weeks ago. I added a handmade fabric rose to each of the pages (also inside pages), a crocheted cross found among my mama's things, and a frilly fabric strip to the spine.

The wheels in my head are constantly turning with ideas as to where to go next. Anxious to get started on it again!

Silver and Gold Wire Wrapped Pendant and Roses

 I haven't accomplished much this week in the way of creativity, but I did experiment on a piece of white sea glass with a mix of silver and gold wire wrapping to make a pendant/ornament. I may have gone a bit overboard and made it a bit too busy, but it was fun, and I like it. I also finished stitching the fabric spiral roses together and have them pinned to the pages of the fabric journal, ready to stitch down. And I worked a little bit in my wire/plaster art journal, but no pictures yet. Maybe, I did more than I thought!

Stay safe and creative out there!

Fabric Strip Roses

 So, I saw a picture of some fabric roses on Pinterest that looked simple enough, although if I had gone to the person's site they might not have been simple at all. Things usually aren't as simple as they look. Anyway, I made up my own version. I had a torn strip of an old bedskirt that I had torn to make fabric beads and hadn't used, and it was a short length, maybe 7-8", and maybe 3/4" wide, and I tied a knot as close to one end as I could get it, held the knot, and twisted the strip, winding it into a spiral, which kind of resembles a simple rose, or it could be just a spiral. I choose to call it a rose! I stitched it together on the back, cut a simple double leaf out of some batik cotton, and stitched it onto a page of the fabric journal in a previous post (see the second picture below).

I loved it, so I've decided to put one on all eight pages of the book to help tie it together, plus I made a couple of extra pink ones, one of which I used on the stitch meditation in the last post. The seven white ones below are from the vintage bedskirt that I tore strips from, and this pale pink one is from one of my old knit gowns. I've also cut more double leaves.

These are all pinned together and ready to stitch together and onto book pages as soon as the urge hits!

I'm sure the ones in the Pinterest picture were probably more complicated and not nearly as raw looking as mine, but I love the rawness of the unfinished edges and the frazzles! And they are fun to make!

Looking forward to getting these done and stitched into my book, and, although I do love the white ones, I think I'm going to make some up in different colors to have on hand for other projects too. 

If you have noticed how many things I have used the fabric from an old bedskirt for, I have really gotten my money's worth from it. It was a king sized dust ruffle, with a white cotton box spring cover (like a thick sheet) with a delicious thick white cotton lace ruffle on three sides, about 8" wide with a wonderful design. It was an expensive bedskirt, well made, and it looked new. I bought it for $5.00 at Goodwill at least five years ago. I hated to tear it up, but once I cut the first pieces from it and made the project, I have enjoyed using it much more for various projects than I would have enjoyed it on the bed. Besides, that's what I bought it for! It was a day of vintage lace and fabric hunting at Goodwill, and I got a lot of great things, most of which I haven't used yet, but the bedskirt has become my "go to" fabric/lace, and has given me many hours of pleasure.

So many things I want to learn and do and so little time to do it!

 

Stitch Meditation 38 with Fabric Strip Rose

This was a fun meditation to do! It's approximately 3" x 5", using cotton scraps and a clothing label that has been washed so many times that it's transparent with frazzles, and dmc embroidery thread. I added a patch that I stamped a trio of cats on and the second spiral rose that I am just learning to make.

This one is a little happier and less discombobulated than the last one, as I was in a better place, mentally and emotionally, but I love them both! 

It's amazing how calming working on these little pieces is, and it's wonderful to not have to worry about it being perfect! I cheated myself out of even starting a lot of new art/crafts, because I knew I couldn't make them perfect, and when I did start something, I couldn't enjoy the process for fear of messing it up. I am so happy that I finally was able to get over the hurdle of perfection, with the help of some great online teachers. I enjoy the process so much more! It may drive some people crazy, but it makes me happy, and it soothes my soul, so that's a great payoff to me. 

Of course, I don't try to sell what I do! I tried that once with my paintings, with some commissions, when I first started out. I got pushed into it before I was ready and hadn't yet learned that it was okay to say no, even to family and friends. It was way too stressful and nerve wracking to me, and it took all of the pleasure out of painting for me, so I learned to say no to people that asked, and I've kept it a hobby, with no obligations. It's something I do for me, and if someone else likes it that's great, but I no longer stress about it if they don't. I do occasionally give away something I've made as a gift to the special people in my life, and that makes me happy too!

Don't be afraid to try something new without worrying about it being perfect! It's okay, perfect, or not, as long as you enjoy doing it and it makes you happy. 

Stay safe and well!

First Fabric Journal-Part 1

I kept seeing wonderful, gorgeous, fabric books online, and I decided that I HAD to try making one. I watched several youtube videos on fabric books, and adapted them according to what materials I had on hand. One of my favorite videos is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymUmZ6IHtqM       Annie is msgardengrove1

I cut two lengths for the cover and pages for the base out of a quilted cloth placemat to give it some sturdiness, cut enough lace fabric and muslin to cover both sides of the cover and inside pages, pinned them, and sewed them together. Then I sewed six lines dividing the middle into pages, and leaving enough room for thickness of added elements.

I think I cut the two lengths 6" x 12", so the book, when closed is 6" x 6".

This is how it looked, opened, and before I added anything else to it. I'm not the best seamstress, but all of this will be covered up anyway.

I learned how to make handmade fabric flowers online, gathered up different fabrics, and tried different flowers...

Net pompom flower and my mom crocheted the two little doilies to use for flower centers. I could have crocheted them, but she was crocheting big doilies at the time, so she did it for me.

Using a hot glue gun, I glued a piece of an old kitchen curtain, some lace, and one of my handmade flowers to the front.

I found the trim for the spine at Walmart and glued it on. I love it!

The old kitchen curtain was continued  on the back cover, and I added another handmade flower, buttons, and more lace with the hot glue gun.

Back on the front I added one of the little crocheted doilies to my flower, and a button for the center, plus more lace, buttons, a beaded piece of fabric from an old wedding dress, a gold angel button, a fluff of net, and more lace. I am doing this book in mostly white and shades of cream. At least that's what I have planned for now.

The front and back cover, opened up. The front has several layers on it already, and I will add more to the back as ideas, or fabrics, come to me.

I decided to use it as a photo album, and scanned photos of my grandparents, parents, my husband and me, and our beloved little fur baby, Kibbles into the computer and printed them off in black and white onto muslin and cut them out. The left page holds my paternal great-grandparents, and the right page has my paternal grandmother. I hot glued muslin pockets onto both pages, strips of white satin left over from my cousin's wedding dress, then the photos.

I started this back in the summer, but my muse ran off, and life happened, and this is as far as I've gotten, but I have collected lots of stuff from old clothing that I can no longer wear, other crafts, and the Goodwill store is a gold mine of fabrics and laces to use, especially if you don't want brand new embellishments.

 Each page will have multiple layers of fabrics, laces, doilies, and other embellishments. Looking forward to getting back to work on this one and finishing it! Will share more as I work on it!

 I already have another one cut out to start, hopefully in velvets! :o

Do something that feeds your soul and makes you happy every day!

Handmade Fabric Flowers

I'm learning to make fabric flowers for my first fabric journal! One of the ones above is made out of tulle, and I got my mom to crochet the two tiny doilies to use as flower centers. They will have button/bead centers!

The larger one is loose woven cotton, the smaller one is muslim/lace, and the smallest one is cotton with a newsprint pattern on it...

Another tulle and two different muslim flowers! Thank goodness for youtube videos. These are so fun to make! Thank you to those who freely share your knowledge with the rest of us! :D