Note: If your string is the same or a similar color to the horn fabric or floss, you can embroider directly over the string rather than removing it as you go.
Alright. It's been a while since I added a post to my Getting Stuffed series. I have been thinking about this particular project for quite a while and, I'm happy to say, I finally got to it. It's a ram from Abby Glassenberg's book Stuffed Animals. I used the templates and sewing instructions, but I'm making several aesthetic changes that make it more, um...involved. Somehow, I just can't keep sewing projects simple. With my ram, instead of using safety eyes, I'm making embroidered felt eyes. Instead of using fleece for the fur, I'm using thick wool yarn to create the look of real fur. Instead of machine sewing straight lines on the ram's horns, I'm hand embroidering a continuous spiral pattern. For this last one, I have created a tutorial. If you make something with it, I'd love to see. Embroidered Stuffed Animal Horn Tutorial: Sew and stuff the horn according to the pattern instructions. The firmer you stuff, the easier it will be to embroider them without altering their shape. Measure and cut a piece of string. The exact length will depend on the size of the horn and how far the spirals are spaced. For my project, I cut a nine-foot piece of string (a little more than I needed) and spiralled around 25 times. Find the middle of the string (approximately), drape it over the center of the horn and pin it in place. Wrap the string in a spiral pattern around the horn until you reach the tip. Make sure you are happy with the distance between each round before pinning. Continue wrapping the rest of the horn from the center to the base. The spacing of the spiral should be greater along the outside of the horn than the center as shown in the picture. Cut a length of embroidery floss in your chosen color. I used all six strands for my project, but you may choose a different number depending on the look you want. Thread the floss onto an embroidery needle and tie a knot in the end (subsequent floss will not be knotted). Beginning at the base of the horn where the string starts, bring your needle up through fabric. Remove the first pin and embroider along the string, moving it aside as you go. I chose a stem stitch to create a thick and smooth line, but other stitches can be used for different effects and textures. Note: If your string is the same or a similar color to the horn fabric or floss, you can embroider directly over the string rather than removing it as you go. Continue embroidering until your floss begins to run out. Finish the end by hiding a straight stitch under the embroidery line, bringing the needle out close to the line of stitching a short distance away. Pull the floss taut and clip it close to the horn, being careful not to cut the embroidery stitches. Begin a new strand where you left off, locking the floss in place with another hidden straight stitch. Continue embroidering until you reach the tip of the horn. Repeat the above steps for the second horn (unless you are making a unicorn, that is), reversing the direction of the spiral (e.g. clockwise instead of counter-clockwise). Attach the horns according to the pattern instructions. My horns may be done, but I have only just begun the very long process of embroidering the fur. It's a great nap or anytime-I-have-a-minute project since I can pick it up and put it down in the middle of a stitch. And I still have the eyes to design. I'd better get back to it. I'll keep you updated on my progress.
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“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life A Friday ritual adopted from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. About a year ago, David added a harmonica to Goen's bucket of toys. Of course, back then Goen had no idea what a harmonica was or what to do with it (other than throw it). With time, and after watching us play some music with it, he started to experiment with blowing and sucking into the harmonica. Sometimes he would blow through the back side and no sound would come out. Other times he would blow through the front and be rewarded with noise. For quite a while it was pretty random which one it would be, front or back. Then he started to figure out that only one side made noise and he would turn it around if nothing happened. As he grew older and wiser, he was able to see which side to blow through before trying it out. Then came the day when he figured out that he could get different sounds by moving it from side to side in his mouth while blowing and sucking. Now, at twenty months old, he has become fond of a new game. The rules are few and simple. When he makes music on the harmonica, I am to run and dance around the living room until he stops. That's pretty much it. While it's not my favorite game, I must say that I love that he enjoys playing music on his harmonica and bouncing to his own rhythm while I dance and spin with him. And who knows, maybe one day he will become a professional harmonica player. And all because I agreed to dance around the room with him.
Finally, after a very busy week and several rainy days, I got the chance to do a photo shoot wearing my new dress. Of course, the outfit would not be complete without a pair of low-heeled boots. I'm happy with the way the dress looks on me. It's a great addition to my "nursing mama" wardrobe. Now to find the perfect fabric to make another (and another, and another).
I have a stack of books this high that I'm slowly working my way through. Sewing books, art books, craft books, and more. But there are two in particular that I'm enjoying right now. The first is Art Inc. by Lisa Congdon. Her book is somewhat broad in its content. There are lots of helpful tips for any artist who is trying to transition to become a "working artist" (that is, getting paid for and managing your art-making life). Of course, I'm a long way off from being able to do something like that. I can't exactly "quit my day job" as they say. But I have been putting some of the information to use. I found the vision map exercise in chapter two particularly helpful. It's strange how putting something on paper suddenly makes it seem a little bit more attainable. I wrote down every lofty goal I have thought about in recent years and, I must say, it was a very long list. Another thing that I have been working on is that "one minute here, five minutes there" mindset. In other words, take advantage of every second to work on your art (whatever it may be). Of course, this can be difficult when your toddler cries every time you open your sketch book (ahem). But it does really add up. The most important thing to help this along is to keep little projects scattered all over. I have some sewing by my bed, a sketchbook by the dining table (for those rare occasions), and inspirational books everywhere else. The second book is Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. Wait, I know what you're thinking: "But Carley, I don't read comics." Well, I'm just going to say that you should give this book a try anyway. The content is actually somewhat academic, exploring subjects like space, time, art, and emotion as they relate to comics. It's written in comic book format, so it's a pretty quick read. I learned so much from reading it, and I'm sure you will, too. One of my favorite parts was the author's definition of art. To paraphrase his words: any thought or action that is not spurred by the need for survival or the instinct to reproduce is art. That means the way you wash the dinner dishes can be artful. The way you hold your pen, the flip of your hair, the gesture of your hands can all be done artfully. Life is full of opportunities to make art happen. It seems a strange idea, but one I am very interested in. Some of the ways I practice art in my everyday life are the way I play with my son, the way I whistle when I have a tune stuck in my head, the songs I make up to amuse myself and my husband, the way I write my thoughts here. The opportunities are endless, and that's what I have to keep in mind. The picture below is my favorite page in the book and relates to this idea. So I'm an artist. And guess what. So are you. Leave a comment to share how you practice art in your everyday tasks.
“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life A Friday ritual adopted from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. There is something about a cold house that makes me not want to cook. It feels too soon to kick on the heater full time (and who really wants to see the energy bill from that?), so I've been making do with adding layers. If only Fall went into Spring and skipped Winter altogether, I would be so happy. Until global warming makes that a reality, wool socks will be my best friend. But back to cooking. Not as much of that going on right now. When I do get out from under my warm blankets and into the kitchen, I either cook a ton of extra so we can live off leftovers for the week, or I make salad. I can't really complain, though, cause I love salad. Maybe because my mom would make some variety of green salad pretty often for dinner (with six kids at home, she probably didn't want to cook so much either). Whatever the reason, I have made enough salads by now to make salad prep a science. From the shape of the bowl to the size of the toppings, I know how to make great salads. For my salads, I almost always buy the sixteen ounce box of organic salad mix from Safeway. At $5, I think it's a pretty good value since it means I don't have to buy several different types of lettuce and then wash, trim, and chop it. I used to get the organic spring mix, but somewhere along the line they started putting in lots of arugula. I hate arugula. Really, really hate it. I hate it so much that I would painstakingly pick it out of my salad mix piece by piece as I put it into my bowl. One day, by chance, I discovered that the half spring mix half spinach salad mix has very little arugula in it, so I have been getting that ever since. As for toppings, I buy most of them from Trader Joe's. Some of my favorites are their organic tomatillo and roasted yellow chili salsa, roasted beets, crumbled goat cheese, and slivered almonds. Here are some salad combinations I'm loving right now. Taco Salad: - 50/50 salad mix - cooked black beans, cooled slightly - queso fresco - crumbled tortilla chips - grilled steak or chicken, thinly sliced - sour cream and salsa to dress Note: This is a great way to use up leftover meat. You can heat it up or just leave it cold as long as you slice it extra thin. Apple Walnut Salad: - 50/50 salad mix - diced apple - chopped walnuts - small handful raisins - crumbled goat cheese Note: For a sweeter variation, use pecans and cranberries in place of the walnuts and raisins. Roasted beet salad: - 50/50 salad mix - roasted beets, skinned and diced - crumbled goat cheese - slivered almonds - raisins - tahini-based dressing (such as Trader Joe's goddess dressing) What are your favorite salad combinations? Do you have toppings or condiments you just can't do without?
Two years ago, when we were still living in Fort Bragg in our little cabin under the redwood trees, when Goen was still a tiny being in my belly, when I was still able to safely lay out large pieces of material without worrying about little hands, when... Anyway, back then, I cut out pieces for a dress I wanted to sew. For various and myriad reasons, I didn't get to the actual sewing part. Then we moved and I lost track of it. I found it again while going through a box of sewing stuff and got to work on finishing it. The pattern is Simplicity 2690. I cut the pieces for the dress-length, but added two inches to make it long enough to hit the top of my knee. I didn't have enough fabric to make the sleeved version, so I made the sleeveless one. I like the way the shoulder is wide enough that it creates the appearance of a short sleeve. I was able to use more of my stash of homemade bias tape (I went a little bias tape crazy a while back). The weekend was too full to fit in even a quick photo shoot of me wearing it, but I'll post some as soon as I get my husband to the park and behind the camera. Until then, here are a few without me in the dress.
Happy Sewing! |
Carley Biblin
Hi. My name is Carley. I love to sew, craft, and create. As a Jane-of all-crafts so to speak, I enjoy sewing, writing, cooking, drawing, photographing. But the constant thread (if you'll excuse the pun) throughout my weeks is needle arts. Archives
January 2017
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