sketchbook 8/30 – 9/12
sketchbook 8/16 – 8/29
scrap fabric project : flower garland
*Many of you have asked about the wood thread winders – they are awesome! And you can find them at French General.
These garlands are an experiment in color, working with fabric scraps in green, lots of berry shades and a little bit of very hot pink. I love the combination of the cooler organic shades with this one super bright (almost neon) shade. This is a project I brought to a workshop this past spring, you know, one million years ago. The idea was to provide an invitation to play and some constraints – in this case time (it was the end of the workshop) and color.
Buttons and wood beads add interest and a little weight so it hangs nicely and you’ll nee a little stuffing for an extra special touch – more on that in a minute.
You could use ribbon, string, twill tape etc. for the base or make a fabric strip yourself. There are directions for that below but let’s make the scrap flowers first.
You will need
- fabric scraps
- buttons
- embroidery thread
- wood or glass beads
- stuffing
- basic sewing kit
- sewing machine – for making the strip
making the flowers
1. Start by cutting a bunch of shapes from your scraps. Don’t think too much or edit yourself at this point, just give yourself a bunch of shapes to play with – a variety of circles and leaves. Part of the value in this exercise for me is that I end up putting things together that I might not have if I made a plan first. Note – the shapes do not need to be perfect.
2. Layer the leaf and flower shapes and stitch them together with embroidery thread. I cut some circles into pinwheel shapes. Some are just layered and stitched, some edges are frayed. Try stuff. Make more flowers than you need, choices are good.
The puffy flowers in the necklace at the top of the post were added by one of the awesome workshops students – Michele Muska. They are a fantastic addition. She also added some charms and little fabric tails. I love the necklace.
3. The puffy flowers are super easy to make. Stitch around the edge of a circle – this one is about 3 inches across. Leave the needle and thread attached.
4. Gather until it’s almost closed. Add a little stuffing.
5. Pull tight and knot.
6. Bring the needle up through the center.
7. Loop around the edge and insert the needle in the bottom center. Bring the needle through the top center and pull tight.
8. Repeat this stitch around, evenly spaced, as many times as you like and then knot on the bottom. Add a button to the center if you like.
These flowers also make a sweet mini pin cushion. I liked it so much I interrupted my flower making to make a little needle book to add it to.
sketchbook 8/2 – 8/15
miniature paper hens : free tutorial
Let’s make tiny chickens! So little and just the right size for tiny rag doll world. They are quick and easy to make and it’s fun to work on a bunch at once. I’m using crepe paper from a roll. Streamers work too but I think crepe paper from rolls and sheets is easier to work with.
The hens are truly tiny, only about 2 inches from tail to beak. If you require a bigger little chicken I think it would be easy to scale them up.
lets’s make tiny paper hens!
*This post contains affiliate links – meaning I get a small commission of you purchase though the links. The affiliate links are marked with an asterisk.
download the template here
You will also need:
- one inch *styrofoam ball
- *crepe paper – sheets or streamers – sheets are easy to work with I think
- glue stick – I love the *uhu stick for paper
- scissors
- optional – manicure scissors – super helpful for making little cuts
- acrylic paint and brushes
- white glue – elmer’s is good
- a fine tip black marker
1. Cut out and trace the two tiny template pieces onto cardboard.
2. Cut two triangles into the flat top of the head to make the comb.
3. Push the pointed bottom of the head piece into the ball.
4. Push it in until the bottom corners are inside the ball.
5. On the opposite side of the ball push the pointed bottom of the tail into the ball.
6. Push it in until the corners are inside the ball. Your piece should look like this. Paint a little white glue along the edge where the cardboard meets the ball. Let this dry.
7. Paint the cardboard the same color as your crepe paper. After the base paint is dry paint the comb area with red and the beak with yellow. It’s already pretty chickeny isn’t it.
8. Stretch your crepe paper – streamers aren’t that stretchy but sheets and rolls of crepe paper are. Cut two strips – one inch wide and about nine inches long each.
9. Fold each strip matching up the edges – the folded piece should be about two inches long.
10. Clip into one side with your scissors creating pointy fringe.
11. Unfold the strips and cut off a two inch piece.
12. Apply glue stick to the tail and wrap the two inch fringe piece around it. Use a little more glue to tack down the end of the paper.
13. Let that dry for a few minutes. While it’s drying cut 8 one inch pieces and 6 half inch pieces.
sketchbook 7/5 – 8/1
july is tiny rag doll month and sweet things made by customers
Pack up a few supplies, find a shady spot and spend a peaceful afternoon sewing. You will also need some lemonade and blueberries. Maybe bring some picnic bugs too, just to be nice.
Tiny rag dolls are great little projects to take with you. And there are tons of free patterns and tutorials for her in The Miss Thistle Society. It’s such a deal – for example get the digital doll and wardrobe pattern and you’ve got a doll, bloomers, a reversible pinafore, dress and camisole plus all the free patterns too. Hours and hours of fun.
The super sweet tiny dolls below are made by customers. You can checkout lots more on instagram and share yours using #missthistlesociety and #annwoodpattern – there are tons of great ideas.
Links to the makers:
PS – I hear you and a tiny chicken tutorial is coming soon – it’s super easy to make.
so long new york city
After 24 years I’ve said goodbye to New York City and my creaky old place. And because of the current situation I didn’t even see the new place until I arrived with movers and all my worldly possessions. It was an extra big adventure.
The last few weeks have been consumed with all the moving chores and writing giant checks. So not fun. Yesterday I took a break and made my Inaugural Guilford Connecticut pot of soup (spring vegetable) and took a walk around my new neighborhood, it has awesome old trees. I especially love the giant droopy old pines – they have been appearing in my paintings for the last year or so. Prophetic maybe.
I’d only ever been here once for about 15 minutes. Apparently it made an impression. I did have a truly excellent artisanal donut that day so there’s that. Ever since the move my thinker has been being a stinker. Can’t focus and I spin my wheels a lot. And it is also the longest I have gone without making something or even stitching in 10 plus years. Over the holiday weekend I sat by a friend’s pool and mended and made hexies.
I think it helped, I guess hexies really are necessary to my mental health #hexiesforsanity. Also as I sift through the chaos here and get unpacked more of the fog lifts. I hope to be smart again by August.
And I’ve got a tiny garden. A life long dream realized. So simple and happy. It’s kind of a haphazard mess but I love it. I’ll share more as it develops but the big news today is my beets have sprouted. The universe truly is magic.
sketchbook 6/7 – 7/4
doll overalls : a free sewing pattern
Of course the tiny rag doll need overalls. And they come in mr. socks size too cause I’m nice like that. They’re easy and quick to make and you could scale the pattern up for larger dolls. Sew them completely by hand or some seams can be done on machine if you like.
You will need :
the template – get the doll overalls template here and the mr. socks overalls template here.
light weight cotton fabric
a basic sewing kit
and optional – tiny buttons and little scraps for patches
1. Pin the strap fabric to single piece of fabric. Pin the overalls pattern to a doubled piece with the right sides together. Pin the lining to a single piece of fabric – you can use a contrasting fabric or the same as the overalls.
Note – I’m using a print from the French General new lawn cottons. The prints are all super sweet and great for small dolls.
2. Mark the seam line lightly in pencil on the wrong side of the lining piece and both overall pieces. It’s also helpful to mark the front and back on the overall pieces as indicated on the pattern.
3. With the right sides of the fabric together sew just the front seam of the overalls as shown in red above – stopping at the end of the curve.
4. Clip a couple little notches in the seam allowance at the curve. Be careful not to clip the seam.
5. Press the straight part of the seam open.
6. Press the top seam allowance over – wrong sides together – on the lining and overalls.
7. Place the lining on the overalls with the right sides together and pin. Stitch only the curved seams as shown above. Clip little notches into the seam allowance.
sketchbook 5/24 – 6/6
sketchbook 5/17 – 5/23
