DIY Cuff Bracelet Tutorial

SO....



Marie Claire Photo



I was flipping through last months Marie Claire and saw this

bracelet, (the one in the middle).

I'm thinking to myself, that looks a lot like a miniature crazy quilt block.

The idea has been stewing in the back of my mind so today

I decided to see what I could come up with.

I went to my fabric scrap stash for the little bits and pieces

I've been saving and got to work.



Scraps



Starting piece

I started out with a 18" x 10" foundation fabric and placed my

first scrap in the center. (This piece was already stitched together).



Adding bits of fabric scraps

I aligned my second scrap, raw edge

even with one of the raw edges of the first scrap, right sides together
and stitched a 1/4" seam.

Close up

 Pressed the scrap over the raw edge,

trimmed off the excess and continued adding scraps around the starting piece.

More scraps being added

As I continued adding the scraps I angled some and

pieced smaller scraps together until the whole foundation was covered.

I trimmed the finished block to 17" x 9",

then cut it up into various width strips all 9" long.

I ended up with seven strips.

Next I chose backing fabrics and buttons for each strip .

I cut lightweight fusible interfacing 1/4" smaller

all around than the finished piece and

pressed it to the pieced strip.



 I sewed the buttons onto the pieced strips first because I didn't want

the thread to show on my backing fabric.

(I used the sewing machine to attach the buttons cause that's how I roll).

I used ponytail bands for the loops over the buttons.

That done, it was time to attach the ponytail loops and the backing fabric.

I placed the backing and the strip right sides together,

sandwiched the ponytail loop between the two, pinned, stitched

and left a small section on one long edge open for turning right side out.

Wrapped loop

I found that if you wrap the ponytail loop with thread a few times

it's much easier to control/insert.



Insert long piece between the sandwich with
the short wrapped piece extending beyond your seam.

I also found out that if you use a large button it's not so easy

to stitch past....  Zipper foot to the rescue!

When you're making things up as you go stuff happens!

I turned it right side out and slip-stitched the opening closed.



Finished

Feel free to add lace, beads, ribbon, flowers, yarn, charms......smaller buttons....

What do you think?

 What creative things have you been up to?

Till next time,

Bonjour

Le Pumpkin Genie

It's that time again....

The company's annual pumpkin decorating contest.
Yoo-hoo!

Steve and I did decorate a pumpkin.....

Just don't think I'll be taking it to work.

I think I would rather debut him at my soap show on Saturday.

I googled decorating ideas, and BHG had pumpkins decorated
with old, rusty, junk, hardware components.
Right up my alley as I have old,
 rusty junk, hardware components in my stuff stash.

Le Pumpkin Genie...

The old, rusty, junk, hardware components, from top to bottom.

The hair swirl:

I don't know where it came from or what the hair swirl is.

(Although I did use it's sister's on the Alien Room Divider).

Eyes:
I think these might be decoration for behind a drawer knob.
Old, painted screws.
Nose:
Glass drawer pull from Steve's grandpa's stash.
Old painted screws.
Mouth/Mustache:
Bent, rusty cabinet hinge.
Also from Steve's grandpa's stash.
Old, painted screws.
Ears:
Rusty handles from screen door, AKA/Alien Room Divider.
Old, painted screws.
Genie Lamp:
Tea Pot, I think I got this at First Monday
Spotted Plate:
McNutts, purchased at Bygones, a locall antique store.

What do you think?

What's Your Wish?

Gotta go,
I'm getting the last minute stuff together
for Saturday's craft show.
Wish me luck.

Till next time,
Boo!!!

I'm Laptop Challenged

OK....

I admit it, I have no skill with this laptop!

I'm typing away, I look up at the screen and

my text is all jumbled up or completely gone.

It took me 30 minutes to write a simple Email last night.

My, oh my, very frustrating..

Things have been very weird around here of late but I'm

embracing the changes and trying to go with the flow!

 NOT!!!

Read,

  Terry is a control freak and does not

like change unless it is initiated by her!!!

 Anyway....

My shower curtain of 8 years really needed to go

but me being the frugal (cheapo) person I am

wanted something really cool at little to no cost.

I was browsing the recycle box at work

 and found a catalogue from Garnet Hill.

(Pricy clothing and home decor).

Spied this shower curtain ($78.00) and knew

I could replicate it at less than a third of the cost. 

 

Pricy Catalogue Curtain!

I already had the fabric,

the pink fabric was from a secondhand store score

and the peace sign fabric was purchased a few months ago at

Wally World for $1.50 a yard.

The floral top and bottom fabric
are leftovers from I don't know what!



That thing hanging in the middle is a lei

 from my sister's b-day party!

My Version

Close Up

I found a liner at Ross for $3.99 so now I'm good to go.

 Ivy and Spike like it,

but....

No Face, Jamaica and Voodoo Girl are noncommittal.

What do you think?

 

Till next time,

Bonjour

 

The Post Lady Always Rings Twice

Well....

The post lady never rings twice because she knows

I work, and I don't have a doorbell.

And if it's been raining, she doesn't come down my driveway,

she just throws my packages toward the sign.

I have a sign at the soon to be gate, that says, Blue Sky.
(Yeah, we named our property.)

Anyway, this package was small enough to fit into the mail box,

so ringing wasn't necessary.

A package for me, I ask my husband?

I'm not expecting a package, I say!

From Kentuckey he says.

Hand it over, I say.

Has to be Sue!

Oh yeah, a package of goodies.

Sue is very talented when it comes to needlework,

she has much more paitence than I do.

Crochet doilies, hot pads, pot holder, check keeper, pot scrubby, fridge magnet,

and bookmark, at least that's what I'm going to use them for.

Thanks Sue, I wish my photos did them justice!!!!

Well it's 11:00 and I need to go to bed.

I have to get up early and return to the surreal world, AKA work!

Oh yeah, there's a guy at work who told me,

"I'm not preparing for the apocalypse,when the world falls apart,

 I'm going out to your house to get all your food,

and if you don't give it to me,

 I'll kill you, then eat you"!!!!

TRUE!!!

I was dumbfounded, didn't know what to say.

How scary is that?

How would you have reacted?

More on that next time.

Till then,

Bonjour

My Vintage House And The Post Lady Always Rings Twice

So...
This is the top of the dresser in my bathroom.
Living inside the dresseer are my towels, sheets, bath products etc.
(The bathrooms didn't come equipped with storage units/shelves so I had to improvise)
What lives on top of the dresser  (from left to right) is,

M, my no face money doll,
Notice the money bowl at her feet?
I offer up money to her in hopes that she will see fit to bless me with more.

Jamaica, my cruise doll,
She used to live in a very weird tourist trap in Jamaica.
I rescued her.

 Voodoo Girl,
A doll making experiment gone awry.
I still love her though.

Viney,
Viney is very happy, she has friends that love her and,
she's grateful that she has a face!

Cradling all my Girls is,

SPIKE!!
As you can see... SPIKE is,  

"THE QUEEN"!
With SPIKE on guard, anyone entering my bathroom
would think twice before
they even thought about
pilfering M's money!!!
Heck, she even scares me!

Here we have Peppy and Salty.

Two very cute vintage, salt and pepper shakers.

They live in this very stylish coffee shop perched above my stove.

Their job is to monitor the baking activities of the resident "Chef".

Me.

They don't always approve of the goings on below them,

AKA,

Rosemary, Parmesan Madeleine's!!!!

But most of the time they're approving.

Notice how the both of them are rolling their eyes at me?

These are just a few of  the things that live at my house.

What weird/odd things live at your house?

Tomorrow we'll explore the mysterious,

Post Lady....

Till next time,

Bonjour 

Food For Thought

Your ideas will keep pouring out,

write them down.

Remember that the joy lies in the process and

not necessarily the end result.

So...

This is my horoscope for today,

what do you think it means?

Till next time,

Bonjour

Repurposing A Screen Door

GEM

GLUEING & CLAMPING



Well.....

This gem was given to me by my mother-in-law to do with as I pleased.

Obviously the left photo was taken last spring as evidenced by the lush green grass.

It needed a little help in the sturdiness department
so out came the clamps and wood glue.

And there on the work table she sat and sat and sat,
for almost a whole year!!!

My idea was to make her into a screen divider for
behind my sewing machine.

Enough already, finish it for pete's sake.

So.... 



A few months ago I purchased some paint

in hopes of moving this project along.
Had these awesome hinges, maybe I can work them into the project?



AWESOME HINGES





PAINTED AWESOME HINGES

Purchased  four of these shelf brackets at Canton First Monday last fall,

thinking I could use them as the "feet".

THINGIES

Had five of these thingies in my "stuff" stash,

don't even know what they are or where they came from.

Doesn't matter, they're cool!

ROSETTES

The rosettes were purchased at "The Depot" especially for this project.

I was at "Wally World" a few months ago looking at fabric
and purchased this piece
which is really strange because "I don't do blue"
and even had a blue sheet that matched, even stranger.
I guess this project was in the back of my mind percolating
without me even knowing it.

Everything just kinda fell into place in it's own time.




STRANGE BLUE FABRIC PURCHASE

 



"ALIEN" CLOSE UP



THE LOWER HALF IS THE BLUE SHEET
CHECK OUT THE "FEET"







And if you're thinking I have her upside down, you're right!

The lower half will be behind my sewing cabinet,

why hide these way cool spindles?



The main screen is burgundy, the trims are medium green,

the spindles are light green, and oddly enough,

the solid fabric is light blue and

 the floral fabric is burgundy, white, light blue and black.

My grandson Nathan helped me with this project.

He chose how the rosettes were placed and his thoughts are....

~~~~~~~

The two upper roesttes are eyes, the thingies are eyebrows,

the center vertical wood strip is a nose,

the center horizonal rectangle is a mouth and the spindles are teeth.

"Some strange alien thing".

Those were his words!

I see it!

What do you think,
trash or treasure?

Till next time.
Bonjour

Illumination, Vintage Floor Lamp Completed



I'M STILL WAITING!



REMEMBER ME?





















 OK.....

I admit it, I have a thing for lamps, any kind of lamp,
although I am partial to floor lamps.

I don't know if it's from a lack of light in my childhood home, growing up in a northern latitude or for a fondness of illumination. The light created by the lamp illuminates the eye, the art illumates the mind.






ASSEMBLY REQUIRED!



PICK ME, NO PICK ME!























PARTS BIN

Restoring a vintage lamp is not an easy task. 

This lamp had a (non working) porcelain socket with a 1/4" thread,

today's lamp sockets have a 1/8" thread.

The choices are either to replace the all-thread type

central unit or find a reducer.

Reducer it is, Home Depot here we come! Also need a plug.
Been here, done this!

The socket I had on hand is a push back and forth, I needed a turn type.

Wait, I do have another lamp with a turn type socket, let's switch out.

The lamp in the parts bin gave up her socket after

I promised to restore her next.

The glass "globe" was purchased at Canton First Monday Trade Days.

The total cost of the entire project?

Lamp: $5.00

Socket: $2.00

Reducer $2.00

Globe: $5.00

Cord: $Free

Plug $2.00

Paint: $5.00 (with leftovers for another project)

The Shade $10.00 (purchased at Wally World about 10 years ago)

Labor ?

Total $31.00?

The three questions are,

Was it worth it money wise, 

with or without the shade

AND

the most important is,

does it qualify as a piece of art?

You be the judge.

Till next time,

Bonjour

My Sweet Valentine Gift